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Didymo: It’s coming soon to a river near you

article from the Berkshire Eagle – August 19, 2007
by Gene Chague

It is unfortunate that once again, I must report on yet another dangerous invasive species which could affect our waters and fisheries.

But this time, it is too close for comfort and, I believe in the old cliché, forewarned is forearmed. Two weeks ago, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources biologists spotted a small amount of didymo algae in the Batten Kill River in southern Vermont, near the New York border. This is the newest confirmed location of the "insidious, invasive species."

Never heard of the stuff? How about its other name — rock snot. <more>

If you are into river canoing, kayaking or tubing, remember they should be thoroughly scrubbed and dried, too. For more information about didymo, including pictures of what it looks like, (Ugh!) go to www.vtwaterquality.org.

– – – same article continues by Gene Chague – Thank you Gene!

Congratulations to Jane Winn of Pittsfield for being awarded the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissioners Conservationist of the Year. In its newsletter, she was described as "an environmental advocate and mobilizer of community interest and involvement in wetlands permitting deliberations and open space preservation in the Berkshires. With the creation, fundraising, nuturing and day-to-day management of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team and the weekly e-publication of the BEAT News, Jane has become a leading spokesperson on environmental issues. Her courage, dedication, and boundless energy have already produced stunning successes—and are creating a broad constituency of knowledge, caring activists and stewards to carry the work forward."

Space does not allow a listing of all of her accomplishments, but here are a few: She represents BEAT, a local non-profit organization that works with citizens to protect the environment of Berkshire County and beyond. Winn also joined with the Residents Against the Transfer Station on South Street and fought to stop a proposed waste transfer station from locating on the banks of the only non-PCB polluted branch of the Housatonic River in Pittsfield. She attends most Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act site visits throughout the county, is a water quality monitor for the Housatonic Valley Association, was on the Board of Directors of Mass Audubon for several years, did water quality monitoring both in the lake and on the tributaries for the Lake Onota Preservation Association, produced a video "Water Quality Monitoring and Weed Management at Lake Onota, Pittsfield, MA" including underwater video of pulling milfoil and putting down benthic barriers to try to control milfoil.

As one of the partners of the award winning 4Winns Productions, she produced a series of environmental education videos, one being on the Restoration of Atlantic Salmon to Yokun Brook — including videotaping Trout Unlimited’s work at Becket-Washington Elementary School with the Atlantic Salmon Egg Rearing Program; videotaping the work of many partners to remove the Silk Mill Dam, creating a video about the fish ladders on the Connecticut and Westfield Rivers; organized and/or participated in scores of Housatonic River clean-up events. And the list goes on and on.

Although Jane will probably never strap a hunting gun to her shoulder or tote a fishing rod, she has done more to protect our woods and waters and critters that live in them than any sportsman that I know.


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Scace Farm to stay a farm

Berkshire County is losing farms at an alarming rate, but it looks like one Pittsfield farm will remain a farm, passing from one generation to the next.

William Scace IV purchased the property on Cascade Street in Pittsfield, in 1933. He died last October at age 91. His daughter, Anne Scace, said in a recent Berkshire Eagle article, that she plans to buy out her siblings and keep the property as a farm, preserving her family’s history. On August 21, 2007, the old barn, which at become a safety hazard, was torn down. Anne Scace plans to build a new barn.

Back in 1901, Fred M. Ostyee used the property for the Great Radium Springs soft drink bottling plant until 1931. According to the Eagle, "Radium Springs, previously known as Pine Crest Spring, was discovered in 1870. About 5,000 to 6,000 gallons of water flowed every hour at a constant year-round temperature of 36 degrees."


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Cement Firm Fined for Smoke

St. Lawrence pays $285,000 to DEC over dense emissions from Catskill facility

By LARRY RULISON, Business writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.
First published: Saturday, August 11, 2007

CATSKILL — St. Lawrence Cement has paid a $285,000 fine after the state Department of Environmental Conservation discovered smokestack-emission violations at its plant here.

The violations occurred between August 2004 and December 2006. DEC spokesman Yancey Roy said that, essentially, smoke coming out of the smokestack was too thick.

link:
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=613443

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News From Massachusetts Environmental Collaborative
August 14, 2007

Dear Collaborative Colleagues:

Even though the legislature is out, there is still quite a bit going on–the model rule for RGGI is out for comment, the deadline for commenting on the proposed wetlands regulation changes has been extended and we expect to see a bond bill from the administration in a few weeks. Plus, if you like classical music, save the date for Green Masterpieces, an evening of free outdoor music inspired by nature at the Hatch Shell, Sept. 5th. Summary from, David DeKing, Bernie McHugh and Isabel Grantham _______________________________________________________________
In this bulletin:
Summary Index
1. Notice of Extension for Public Comment on Wetlands Regs
2. Senator Montigny may call for hearing on capital plan
3. Tidelands Permitting
4. Power Plant Emission Reduction Rules Released (RGGI Rule)
5. SAVE THE DATE: Green Masterpieces Concert
6. McGee Named to Head Coastal Zone Management Agency
7. Jiminy Peak Turbine
8. Globe Editorial-"How green is my budget?"
9. Globe Op-ed-"Community preservation success"
by Bob Durand and Jay Ash
__________________________________________________________________
1. NOTICE OF EXTENSION OF TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BUREAU OF RESOURCE PROTECTION Notice is hereby given that the Department of Environmental Protection, under its authority pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 131, Section 40 and in conformance with M.G.L. Chapter 30A, will extend the time for public comment on a new proposed regulation, 310 CMR 10.00, Massachusetts Wetland Protection Regulations, and amendments to 310 CMR 1.00, MassDEP Adjudicatory Hearing Regulations. Written testimony will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 20 2007. The Department requests that written testimony be submitted electronically via e-mail to: mailto:MacDara.Fallon@state.ma.us. Written testimony may also be sent to: MacDara Fallon, Department of Environmental Protection, Office of General Counsel, One Winter Street, Boston, MA 02108. These documents are available on DEP’s website at: http://mass.gov/dep.
___________________________________________________________________
2. MONTIGNY MAY CALL FOR HEARINGS ON CAPITAL PLAN -From State House News Sen. Mark Montigny said he hopes to hold hearings on capital bonding legislation the Patrick administration has announced, either jointly with the House or on the Senate side. Patrick aides said after outlining a five-year, $12 billion plan last week that they expect to file a series of bonding bills, organized around category, in September. ____________________________________________________________________
3. TIDELANDS PERMITTING (Chapter 91) -From State House News The pocket of legislators, and broad swath of business interests, with a deep curiosity about the future of tidelands permitting regulations in the Commonwealth are watching for a conference committee to be appointed this week. That group – three reps, three senators – would likely, if appointed, hash out the differences over which agency a "public interest" monitor would serve in, and how much non-environmental factors should play into what has traditionally been an environmentally focused vetting process. The Senate version is much more appealing to the Patrick administration, which has warred with House leadership over who should have authority for approving development projects on filled tidelands. Patrick is lined up with the corporate groups on this one, and DiMasi with the community activists, an inversion of their alliances on corporate taxes. DiMasi said he planned to appoint a conference committee last week, but, said Grafton Republican Rep. George Peterson, the National Conference of State Legislatures consumed much of the week.

__________________________________________________________________
4. POWER PLANT EMISSION REDUCTION RULES RELEASED -From State House News State officials on Friday released draft regulations governing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants under a 10-state regional compact that Massachusetts joined earlier this year at the direction of Gov. Deval Patrick. In a statement, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles said the federal government had failed to address the challenge of confronting global climate change and that the regional effort would reduce greenhouse gas emissions “in a flexible, cost-effective and market-based manner.” Massachusetts is the first of the 10 states in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to issue rules for a cap-and-trade system aimed at limiting emissions. The new rules extend coverage of carbon dioxide emissions from six power plants to 32. Massachusetts in 2001, under Acting Gov. Jane Swift, began regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Gov. Mitt Romney stuck with the state regulatory approach, opting against the regional effort and saying it would lead to price spikes. Bowles says the state can cut energy costs while curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions reduction commitments under the compact go into effect on Jan. 1, 2009. The draft rules issued today will be the subject of four public hearings in September. Hearing info: September 10th at 6:00 pm; Wilmington DEP Office September 11th at 6:00 pm: Lakeville DEP Office September 11th at 6:00 pm: Holyoke Community College September 12th at 9:30 am: Boston DEP Office

___________________________________________________________________
5. SAVE THE DATE: GREEN MASTERPIECES CONCERT Wednesday, September 5 7:00 pm The Hatch Shell at the Esplanade Join us for Green Masterpieces, an evening of free outdoor music inspired by nature. The night promises to be an exciting celebration of our natural landscapes, open space, and the performing arts. On the program are such pieces as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 , the orchestral rendering of Make Way for Ducklings, and Handel’s Water Music. Several Boston-based environmental organizations will be represented at the event as well. For more information, contact the Mass League of Environmental Voters at (617) 742-8822 or go to http://www.landmarksorchestra.com/concerts.php?id=62. Co-sponsored by: Charles River Conservancy, Charles River Watershed Association, Esplanade Association, Environmental League of Massachusetts, Mass Audubon, and Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters. _____________________________________________________________________
6. McGEE NAMED TO HEAD COASTAL MANAGEMENT AGENCY -From State House News Kingston resident and Cohasset native Leslie-Ann McGee, a fisheries scientist who currently works at the New England Fishery Management Council in Newburyport, was named Thursday as director of the state Office of Coastal Zone Management. State officials describe the office as "an agency dedicated to balancing human uses of the coast with protection of the Bay State’s vital shoreline resources." McGee, 36, starts her new job September 20. Massachusetts has 1,500 miles of beaches, bays and estuaries. In a statement, McGee said, "I’m looking forward to being at the ground level of determining our coastal and ocean policies. Fifty percent of the US population lives within 50 miles of a coast. There’s a lot more pressure on the coastal environment than we’ve ever seen before. There’s a need to manage the cumulative effects of all of that living on the coastal zone and mitigate the impacts as much as possible, while still allowing people to enjoy living and working along the coast." Current coastal issues include the pair of offshore LNG facilities being built off Gloucester, the advancement of the Cape Wind project in the face of stiff opposition, a push by Senate President Therese Murray to advance legislation establishing ocean management policies, and ongoing debate about both federal limits on commercial fishing and rising homeowner’s insurance rates that are tied to updated hurricane forecasting models. ___________________________________________________________________
7. JIMINY PEAK TURBINE -From State House News Jiminy Peak is set to become North America’s first wind-powered ski resort as its new 386-foot, $3.9 million wind turbine is ready for use. To mark the occasion, state and local leaders will speak at the base of the turbine Wednesday. The turbine is expected to generate 1.5 megawatts of energy, about one-third of the resort’s electricity needs. In comparison, Cape Wind’s 130 turbines are expected to produce 468 megawatts of energy. At the Jiminy Peak dedication, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles will offer the keynote address and give the signal to power up the turbine, also known as the "Zephyr." The dedication of the turbine will take place following a Renewable Energy Summit from 9 am to 10:30 am. (Wednesday, 11:30 am, Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, 37 Corey Rd., Hancock)
______________________________________________________________________
8. Boston Globe Editorial – "How green is my budget?" Sunday, August 12, 2007 FOR SEVERAL years, sprawl has gone largely unchecked in Massachusetts as tight finances kept the state from taking major steps to preserve vulnerable land from developers’ bulldozers. But last week the Patrick administration announced a five-year program that puts the state squarely back in the business of protecting open space and helping cities create new parks, including ones on former industrial sites. The bond-funded initiative commits the state to spending $50 million a year for the five years, a record for sustained preservation in Massachusetts. In addition, funds from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority will help to acquire watershed land to protect drinking-water quality. Revenues from hunting and fishing licenses will assist in the purchase of wildlife habitat. The state also expects at least $5 million a year from federal open-space programs. Total annual spending will likely approach $70 million. The new urban parks in Lawrence, New Bedford, Worcester, and elsewhere that state funds will support play a special role in curbing exurban growth. By providing convenient opportunities for outdoor recreation in cities, they lessen the pressure on families to move to newly developing areas, with all the extra commuting that that entails. Urban parks are also an antidote to the growing obesity problem among young people. A second goal of the administration is to protect the state’s shrinking agricultural landscape, in part through greater use of the agricultural preservation restriction program. Under this plan, farmers sell development rights on their land to the state. As a way to maintain the countryside’s balance between woods and cultivated land, such development-rights sales are often preferable to outright purchases by the state because the acreage stays in productive use for crops, fruits, or vegetables and does not revert to scrub forest. Even though Massachusetts ranks as one of the most densely populated states, it still has several extensive tracts of thick, largely roadless mature forest that can sustain populations of large mammals and other species. Shielding such areas from the pressure of second-home developers is another focus of the state’s program. The state would like to protect 10 forest reserves, many of which include the wild rivers and mountaintops that attract outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Preservation organizations ranging from the Trust for Public Lands to the Berkshire Natural Resources Council have applauded the administration’s program. They correctly see in it a recognition that the Commonwealth is rich enough to invest in a future that is not compromised by a surrender to unbridled development. With leadership, the state can sustain the urban parks, forests, and farmland that so add to the quality of life. Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company ____________________________________________________________________
9. Boston Globe Op-Ed "Community preservation success" By Bob Durand and Jay Ash – August 12, 2007 SEVEN YEARS ago, the state passed the Community Preservation Act, giving cities and towns that adopt it a direct say in what those communities will look like in the future. More than 127 cities and towns have adopted the act. It has contributed to the creation or rehabilitation of more than 1,000 units of affordable housing while at the same time preserving more than 8,000 acres of open space. Almost 800 appropriations from the act have been made to preserve significant historic properties, while another 350 have funded recreational projects. More impressive than the statewide statistics are the hundreds of individual projects in communities that have the Community Preservation Act, from the more than 200 units of affordable housing created in Cambridge to the Plymouth beachfront property preserved for the public to the Peabody playground for special needs children. And the projects funded under the act benefit the Commonwealth as a whole, not just the adopting communities. In short, the act has worked exactly as its supporters and the Legislature envisioned. The Community Preservation Act is a unique partnership between the Commonwealth and individual municipalities. Citizens must vote to adopt it by agreeing to a small increase in their property taxes, up to 3 percent. Communities then receive matching payments from a trust fund created from filing fees at the registries of deeds. To date, all communities have received a dollar-for-dollar match. All funds must be used for Community Preservation Act purposes: affordable housing, open space protection, and historic preservation. But the act is not perfect. That’s why the Community Preservation Coalition, the Metro Mayors Coalition, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, advocates, and legislators have been working together for more than two years to improve the law, while also making it more attractive for lower income communities. It can be hard to convince low- and moderate-income communities to raise their property taxes, even by a small amount. So, pending legislation would allow communities limited use of other locally generated funds, such as hotel and meals taxes, to qualify for the match — as long as they agree to a 1 percent increase in their property taxes. All funds must still be used for the three purposes of the Community Preservation Act. In the near future, the act’s trust fund will no longer be able to sustain a high percentage match, partly because so many communities have voted to participate and partly because of the slowdown in the real estate market. The bill sets up a system to ensure that there are adequate revenues to match at least 75 percent of the funds raised locally in the ever-growing number of communities that are adopting the act. Another effort well underway will centralize existing community-based project data for easy access by the public. Those of us who are working to strengthen this already effective law are troubled by the recent Rappaport Institute study entitled, "The Massachusetts Community Preservation Act: Who Benefits, Who Pays?" Instead of citing the act’s positive outcomes and the broad-based efforts to improve it, this study tries to pit communities that adopted the act against those that have not. The study ignores the fact that, while wealthier communities were among the first to adopt the Community Preservation Act, the trend shifted beginning in the fall of 2005. More than 75 percent of the 27 communities that adopted the act since then are in the middle of the pack when ranked by median household income, including Northampton, Waltham, Weymouth, and Quincy. And the trend is likely to accelerate in the future, as 75 percent of the communities scheduled to vote on the Act in the next year are in the lower half of household income rankings. Like any groundbreaking program, the Community Preservation Act is a work in progress. We will continue to put all our efforts into strengthening this legislation and ensuring equitable access so all communities can protect the quality of life. Bob Durand is a former state senator and former environmental affairs secretary who wrote the Community Preservation Act. Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash is a member of the Metro Mayors Coalition and an officer of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council. © Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company ____________________________________________________________________
This bulletin prepared by: David L. DeKing Vice President for Education and Collaboration mailto:ddeking@environmentalleague.org Bernard J McHugh Citizen Education Coordinator mailto:bmchugh@environmentalleague.org Isabel T. Grantham Research Assistant mailto:igrantham@environmentalleague.org Environmental League of Massachusetts 14 Beacon Street, Suite 714 Boston, MA 02108 Tel: 617-742-2553 Fax: 617-742-9656

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PROPOSED NEW REGULATIONS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

Name & Citation of Regulation(s): The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI): 310 CMR 7.70 (7.70), 310 CMR 7.00 Appendix B (7), 310 CMR 7.29.

Brief Explanation and Rationale for Proposed Changes: Massachusetts is the first of 10 member states to issue rules for instituting a market-based mechanism for reducing emissions associated with global climate change. The new regulations address three separate areas:

  • 310 CMR 7.70 (7.70) – This regulation will implement the Cap and Trade system to control emissions of CO2 from power plants in Massachusetts.  This proposal is based on the Model Rule. MassDEP will auction nearly 100% of allowances.  There will be a small set-aside for the exchange of certain unused GHG Credits. Allowances will be retired for voluntary renewable energy purchases.  There will be an upper limit on this retirement of 200,000 CO2 allowances per year.
  • 310 CMR 7.29 (7.29) – The existing regulation addressing CO2 emissions from six power plants in the Commonwealth will be modified and ultimately replaced by 7.70. Postpone and combine the 2007 and 2008 compliance demonstrations into one demonstration due by September 1, 2009.
  • 310 CMR 7.00 Appendix B(7) (B (7)) – The existing regulation addressing the creation of Greenhouse Gas Credits (GHG Credits) will be modified and ultimately replaced by 7.70.

Web Link to View Draft Regulations:

The draft regulations are posted at http://mass.gov/dep/service/regulations/newregs.htm#co2trade and http://mass.gov/doer/RGGI.

Public Hearing Information:
Public hearings will be conducted to receive public comment, both oral and written, on the proposed regulations on the following dates:

Monday, Sept. 10, 2007, 6 p.m.
MassDEP–Northeast Regional Office
205B Lowell Street
Wilmington, MA 01887

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007, 6 p.m.
1st Floor Conference Room
MassDEP–Southeast Region Main Office
20 Riverside Drive
Lakeville, MA 02347

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007, 6 p.m.
Lesley Phillips Forum, Fine and Performing Arts Building (C Building)
Holyoke Community College
303 Homestead Avenue
Holyoke, MA 01040

Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007, 9:30 a.m.
MassDEP
One Winter Street, 2nd Floor, Rooms A, B, and C
Boston, MA 02108

Written comment on the regulations will be accepted until 5 p.m. Monday, September 24.

MassDEP requests that written testimony regarding its proposed regulations be submitted electronically via e-mail (Word, WordPerfect, Rich Text, Plain Text or HTML formats preferred) to Nicholas.M.Bianco@state.ma.us, or by mail to Nicholas Bianco, MassDEP, One Winter Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02108.  Copies of the MassDEP regulation, background document, and filed comments will be available for inspection during normal business hours at MassDEP, One Winter Street, Boston, MA.  These documents will also be available at: http://mass.gov/dep/service/regulations/newregs.htm#proposed.

For questions about MassDEP’s proposed regulations, please contact Bill Lamkin (978-694-3294, william.lamkin@state.ma.us) or Nicholas Bianco (617-292-5705, Nicholas.M.Bianco@state.ma.us).

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From MassLand Weekly:

Press Release from Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900
Boston, MA 02114-2119

 
UNDER GOV. PATRICK, LAND CONSERVATION TO REACH NEW HEIGHTS

 
Five-year capital spending plan provides at least $50 million per year for new urban parks, prime open spaces, and working landscapes; funding up 65 percent over previous four years.  Total annual funding with other state and federal resources to exceed $65 million.
 
BOSTON – Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles announced today that Governor Deval Patrick’s five-year capital spending plan includes at least $50 million per year for land conservation, beginning with the current fiscal year, which began July 1.
 
“What we preserve is just as important as what we build,” said Governor Patrick. “We need to leave for future generations a legacy of nature, beauty, and serenity, along with a legacy of commerce and prosperity. That makes land preservation a worthy investment for the Commonwealth, now and in the future.”
 
The funding represents a 65 percent increase over annual land protection spending during the previous four years, and 24 percent over annual spending from 1993 to 2003, adjusted for inflation. In only one year since 1993 ($59.9 million in 2002) did inflation-adjusted spending from the Commonwealth’s capital accounts exceed the $50 million minimum Governor Patrick has pledged for each of the next five years.
 
“Governor Patrick has made an historic commitment to land conservation,” said Secretary Bowles. “This is an investment that will pay enormous dividends to the Commonwealth and its citizens for generations to come.”
 
Governor Patrick also identified three top priority areas for land spending in the coming years:
 
 * Commonwealth Urban Parks – visionary new large urban parks in 10-15 cities located in neighborhoods with few existing parks, as well as new or expanded urban parks in all 51 of our cities over the next four years.  These investments in many cases will also take advantage of the Commonwealth’s streamlined approach to cleaning up contaminated “brownfield” sites for new parks;
 
 * Commonwealth Habitat Reserves – working with land trusts and with municipalities, protect at least 10 premier large, unfragmented ecosystems across the state to protect our most unique large habitats for future generations and as destination attractions to boost our emerging “green tourism” industry. These 10 landscapes include mountain tops, wilderness areas, sustainably managed forests and forest reserves, and wild rivers.  
 
 * Commonwealth Working Landscapes – prime agricultural and forest lands that support local, sustainable agriculture and forest industries, which together contribute over $1 billion per year to our rural economies. Expanded funding is slated for innovative programs including the Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program, the Farm and Forest Viability Programs, the Forest Stewardship Program, and the new Working Forest Easement Program. These programs purchase land protection easements, covenants, and agreements that keep farming and forestry vibrant in our rural regions.
 
“With Governor Patrick’s extraordinary five-year commitment, the Commonwealth has an opportunity to encourage development where communities want it, but also to provide, on a permanent basis, parks for city residents, working lands for rural industries, and large wild areas for critical habitat for future generations,” said Secretary Bowles. “Never before has the Commonwealth devoted this level of funding, over a sustained period of time, to the critical goal of land preservation.”
 
In addition to the minimum of $50 million from the state’s capital budget, Secretary Bowles expects a commitment of roughly $7 million from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority for land acquisitions in the Quabbin and Wachusett watersheds for the current fiscal year, up from an average of $1.7 million per year over the last five years. Bowles serves as Chairman of the MWRA.
 
Land protection in the areas that feed the reservoirs with clean drinking water has saved MWRA ratepayers from a federal requirement to build a water filtration plant, at a cost of $220 million. The current land acquisition program – a partnership of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and MWRA – calls for the protection of 4,000 acres identified as top priority by DCR’s nationally acclaimed watershed land model. Funding is derived from MWRA bond funds.  
 
Plus, the Commonwealth garners an average of $1.5 million per year for land protection from hunting and fishing licenses under the Land Stamp program and receives $5 million to $10 million from federal Department of Interior and Agriculture land programs. All together, spending by the Commonwealth on land acquisition and preservation should exceed $65 million to $70 million in each of the next five years.
 
“Mass Audubon is very excited and enthusiastic about this announcement,” said Laura Johnson, president of Mass Audubon. “Governor Patrick and Secretary Bowles have made a significant commitment to land conservation in Massachusetts by authorizing this spending level for land.”
 
“This is a great step forward – a significant increase over recent years, and a major commitment by this administration on land conservation,” said Bernie McHugh, coordinator of the Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition. “I look forward to working with the Governor and the Secretary to get the Commonwealth the most green for the greenbacks.”
 
“This was the first test of Governor Patrick and Secretary Bowles on land conservation, and with this announcement, they passed with flying colors,” said Colin Novick, executive director of the Greater Worcester Land Trust. “Knowing there’s a long-term commitment from the Commonwealth to be a partner allows us in the land trust community to work on more complicated land projects. I’m very encouraged that the state is recommitting itself to land conservation.”
 
“The Nature Conservancy applauds Governor Patrick’s and Secretary Bowles’ leadership to protect our natural infrastructure and commitment to a robust program of bond-funded land conservation across the Commonwealth,” said Wayne Klockner, state director for The Nature Conservancy Massachusetts. “Despite inadequate investment in protecting critical lands in recent years, large wilderness areas of global significance still exist in Massachusetts and can continue to be part of our natural heritage. The Nature Conservancy supports the Patrick Administration’s plan to protect our last unfragmented landscapes as well as working woodlands, which are so essential to our state’s rural, economic and social fabric.”
 
“For the past few years the state hasn’t made the level of investment it needed to preserve some of our most treasured landscapes for future generations,” said Craig MacDonnell, Massachusetts State Director for The Trust for Public Land. “With the promise to commit $50 million a year in bond funds plus additional spending from other sources, we’re seeing evidence today that Governor Patrick and Secretary Bowles have a very strong commitment to seizing the conservation opportunities we have left.”
 
“This is terrific news for the Berkshires and Western Massachusetts,” said Tad Ames, president of the Berkshire Natural Resources Council. “Our version of sprawl is creeping up the mountainsides and threatening quality of life and environmental health. We’re thrilled by the initiative Governor Patrick and Secretary Bowles have taken to chart a healthy future for the Massachusetts landscape.”

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News From Ward 4: KIRVIN PARK BRIDGE

Progress continues slowly on replacing the pedestrian bridge at Kirvin Park.  The next step is for the Conservation Commission to grant a construction permit at their August 23rd meeting.  A bridge design will also be approved at that meeting.  Funding for construction has not been determined at this time, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make your support for this project known at the Mayor’s office.

Mike Ward
City Councilor
Ward 4 Pittsfield, MA
ward4ward4.com
413-499-0462

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DRINKING WATER SUPPLY PROTECTION GRANTS
 
FY08 Drinking Water Supply Protection Grant Program
Application Deadline: 3 p.m. Wednesday, September 5th, 2007
 
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, in coordination with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, is pleased to issue the FY08 Request for Responses for the 2008 Drinking Water
Supply Protection Grant Program.  
 
This grant program provides funding to public water systems and municipalities for land acquisitions that protect public drinking water supplies and drinking water quality. The direct recipient of a grant must be a municipality
or public water system authorized by the Commonwealth to provide water to the public.  Eligible land
acquisitions include land located in existing drinking water supply areas.  Land may be acquired through
purchase of fee
simple title, purchase of a conservation restriction, or purchase of a combination of fee simple title and conservation restriction(s).
 
The maximum grant award for a single project is $500,000.  The maximum reimbursement amount available is 50% of the total project cost. This Request for Responses is being issued in anticipation of the availability of funding. Final grant awards are continent upon funding. There is no guarantee that monies will be awarded. Multiple contracts may be awarded by MassDEP.
 
Qualified applications will be selected on a competitive basis.  We look forward to receiving your applications. Applications must be submitted no later than Wednesday, September 5, 2007 at 3:00 p.m.
 
The complete Drinking Water Supply Protection Request for Responses (RFR) is now available on the Comm-
PASS website: https://www.comm-pass.com/ Directions for negotiating the site are included below.
 

Questions? Contact Christy Edwards (EOEEA) via email at Christy.edwards@state.ma.us
 
FY08 Drinking Water Supply Protection Grant Comm-PASS Instructions:
1.) On the Comm-PASS home page (http://www.comm-pass.com/) select the “Solicitations” tab at the top-left of the page.
2.) Select “Search for a Solicitation”.
3.) In the "Search by Specific Criteria" section enter “BRP 2007-03” in the Document Number field.
4.) This search will yield one result. Click on the sentence on the top of the page that says: "There are 1 Solicitation(s) found that match your search criteria".
5.) Select the spectacle icon on the far right-hand column to view all information available for this grant
program.
6.) Click on the tab that says "Specifications" to view the grant Request for Response. Answers to questions and amendments to the original RFR (if necessary) will also be posted here. Click on the spectacle
icon to view and print any document posted in this section.

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Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture 2007-2008 Hearing Schedule.
This schedule is subject to change.  For questions please contact the Committee at (617) 722-2210
 
All hearings in State House Hearing Room A-1 unless otherwise noted
 
Pesticides & Hazardous Waste – September 10, 2007 – 1:00 PM
Fish and Game – September 17, 2007 – 1:00 PM
Policies – September 24, 2007 – 1:00 PM
Dept. of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) – October 1, 2007 – 1:00 PM
Sewers, Title V, Wetlands – October 15, 2007 – 1:00 PM
Miscellaneous – October 22, 2007 – 1:00 PM

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