The BEAT News February 14, 2012

Berkshire School in Sheffield has earned top honors for the state in Keep American Beautiful Inc.’s national Recycle-Bowl Competition. As state champions, the school has earned a $1,000 prize for recycling the most material per person per school in the Massachusetts category. Eight schools, from Sheffield to Boston, participated in the state division. To learn more, visit http://recycle-bowl.org.
Six New England Communities Will Get EPA Smart Growth Assistance
Simsbury, Conn.; Fall River, Holyoke, Northampton and Roxbury, Mass.; Burlington, Vt.

(Boston, Mass. – Feb. 7, 2012) – Six New England communities will benefit from EPA technical assistance through the “Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities” program.  The communities, Simsbury, Conn., Fall River, Holyoke, Northampton and Roxbury, Mass., and Burlington, Vt. were among 56 communities in 26 states that will receive technical assistance under this program.

Each community will receive the assistance from EPA-funded private-sector experts.  The technical experts will work with the communities on actions they can take to improve the economy, the environment, and quality of life.  Some examples may include improving pedestrian access and safety, incorporating green infrastructure, or conducting an economic and fiscal health assessment.

“EPA is very pleased to be part of a coordinated effort to help these six New England communities develop practical and sustainable approaches that can lead to quality of life improvements for citizens, and which can help bolster our economy,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office.

Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities is a project of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities among EPA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The interagency collaboration coordinates federal investments in infrastructure, facilities, and services to get better results for communities and use taxpayer money more efficiently.  The partnership is helping communities across the country create more housing choices, make transportation more efficient and reliable, reinforce existing investments, and support vibrant and healthy neighborhoods that attract businesses.

In 2010 when this program was launched, EPA selected the Rhode Island-based KeepSpace program as one of eight recipients nationwide to receive targeted technical assistance on growth and development issues.

More information:

– Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/buildingblocks.htm

– Partnership for Sustainable Communities:  http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov

return to list of articlesGE Transfers Final Tract of Land for Pittsfield Business Park

Tuesday February 7, 2012
Berkshire Eagle Staff

PITTSFIELD — For the first time since its inception 14 years ago, the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority has control of the entire 52-acre William Stanley Business Park of the Berkshires.

General Electric formally transferred ownership of the business park’s remaining 16.3-acre parcel to PEDA on Tuesday. PEDA is the quasi-public agency formed in 1998 to develop the Stanley Business Park on the site of GE’s former power transformer facility.

return to list of articles
 Advancing Bill Adds Fines To Protect Mass. Lakes From Invasive Species
from The Boston Herald
By Colleen Quinn, State House News Service
February 4, 2012

Boaters launching into Massachusetts lakes this summer could face new fines under a stricter set of Department of Conservation and Recreation regulations designed to prevent local waters from being contaminated by “aquatic nuisances.”

In the past few years, some Massachusetts lakes have become infested by species that are not indigenous to Bay state waters. The problem is particularly pronounced in the western part of the state, where zebra mussels – an invasive species that causes ecological damage to lakes, rivers, ponds and reservoirs – infested Laurel Lake in Berkshire County. Zebra mussels were never seen in Massachusetts prior to 2009.

Zebra mussels cause ecological damage to the lakes and ponds they infest by feeding on lower-level organisms which make up the initial food chain that fish and other aquatic animals use to survive.

“Eventually they clear all the food out of a lake and everything else will die,” said Jack Hickey, president of the Lakes and Pond Association of western Massachusetts, who has been advocating for legislation to enforce regulations for the past few years.

They also make swimming in infested waters dangerous and undesirable because their shells are very sharp, cutting people as they swim, Hickey said.

State environmental officials believe zebra mussels and other damaging aquatic species are brought in from neighboring states when boaters do not properly clean and decontaminate their vessels before putting them into Massachusetts waters. To curb the contamination at Lake Laurel, DCR set up a new boat washing station. The zebra mussels can be microscopic, and only removed by very hot water, environmental officials said.

The House is poised to pass legislation next week that would allow the state’s environmental police to enforce decontamination procedures at public boat launches. The bill, (S 1904) sponsored by Sen. Benjamin Downing (D-Pittsfield), passed in the Senate last July – the second time it has cleared the upper branch. Here’s a link to the bill: http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S01904

return to list of articles
How much food could we grow here?

Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) regularly receives inquiries about how much of the food we eat in our region (Pioneer Valley) is grown here, or could be in the future. Although solid numbers do not exist, rough estimates hover around 10 percent (one state-wide analysis, which comes up with an even lower number, is here). Brandeis professor Brian Donahue is exploring how that number could grow with changes in eating habits, land use, and production patterns. Richie Davis’ recent interview with Donahue, who has purchased land in Gill and is starting a farm, explores the parallel trajectories of his academic and on-the-ground work.

return to list of articles
Farms, Local Food, and SNAP (Food Stamp) Benefits
from CISA

If recent national Food Stamp name-calling has you confused, the Food Bank’s Andrew Morehouse reviews the numbers in a Daily Hampshire Gazette op-ed column, noting that SNAP purchases are an important source of revenue for food sellers like farmers, retailers, and farmers’ markets. CISA has compiled a list of farmers’ markets and farms that accept SNAP, and can assist any farmers or market managers interested in doing so. See our resources here. We’re also working to help farms and markets participate in the HIP program, a Hampden County-based research project testing the premise that rewarding fruit and vegetable purchases with additional SNAP dollars will lead to increased purchases of produce.

return to list of articles
Businesses for the Bottle Bill Update
Attention small business owners – We need you to help get this effort off to a great start. Over the course of 2011, we demonstrated overwhelming support for this bill. MassINC Polling Group conducted a statewide poll showing 77% of the public supports the update. Hundreds of supporters turned out in July for the public hearing. On Halloween, throngs of costumed supporters participated in a “Trick or Treat for the Updated Bottle Bill.” And as of last week, 206 cities and towns in MA have passed resolutions endorsing this bill. And why not? This bill is the most effective tool we’ve got for reducing litter, increasing recycling, and saving our cities and towns money in disposal costs. Now it’s time for businesses in our state to make their voices heard in support of this campaign.

Click here to download the the endorsement form or fill it out online at bit.ly/bottlebill

For more information, including a simple endorsement form businesses can fill out, visit: massbottlebill.org.

return to list of articles
Some Toilet Paper Production Destroys Indonesian Rainforests, Endangering Tigers And Elephants
mongabay.com
February 09, 2012

Peat draining and large-scale clearance of natural forest by APP wood supplier PT. Ruas Utama Jaya. Eyes of the Forest said the clearing occurred inside APP’s Senepis Tiger Sanctuary, but the paper giant says the clearing is in an area that was allocated for conversion — and signed off by the Indonesian government — in 2008. APP claims the Senepis Tiger Sanctuary — more than 85 percent of which belongs to another company — remains intact. © Eyes of the Forest / WWF-Indonesia

return to list of articles
Warning: Think Twice About Using Herbicides for Invasive Species Control

From the conclusion of a new paper – Effects of herbicides on Behr’s metalmark butterfly, a surrogate species for the endangered butterfly, Lange’s metalmark – authors: John D. Stark,*, Xue Dong Chen, Catherine S. Johnson. 2012.

Although it has been shown that certain herbicides can have negative effects on animal life, the three herbicides we evaluated have completely different modes of action. Therefore we speculate that the effects exhibited on pupal development are not due to the active ingredients, but rather to 1) an inert ingredient or combination of inert ingredients contained within the formulations of these products and/or 2) indirect effects on the food plant quality.

Herbicides are used in public and private lands to reduce and/or eradicate invasive plant species and thus enhance habitat for at-risk butterflies. As such, herbicides are important tools for habitat management. However, the loss of even a few individuals can decrease the overall breeding population (New, 1991). Therefore herbicide use in endangered butterfly habitat should be carefully considered by weighing all risks and benefits. As herbicide use increases in natural areas, managers need to address the potential likelihood that non-target organisms will be exposed and perhaps negatively affected. Designing conservation strategies for sites that harbor rare butterflies is challenging because management actions to control invasive species must maximize their impact on problematic species while limiting their impact on native species, especially threatened and endangered species.
Environmental Pollution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/envpol

return to list of articles
Beginning of the End for Old Coal in New England
Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:25 AM PST

Protest at Salem Harbor Power Plant. Courtesy of Robert Visser / Greenpeace.

This week the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and HealthLink secured an Order from the US District Court in Massachusetts requiring Salem Harbor power plant owner Dominion to shut down all four units at the 60-year-old coal-fired power plant by 2014. In bringing a clear end to the prolonged decline of Salem Harbor Station, this settlement ushers in a new era of clean air, clean water and clean energy for the community of Salem, MA, and for New England as a whole.

The court’s order is based on a settlement with Dominion to avoid CLF’s 2010 lawsuit alleging violations of the Clean Air Act from going to trial. The terms of the settlement, which can be found here, ensure that:

  • Units 1 and 2 at the plant must retire (indeed are retired) by December 31, 2011; Unit 3 by June 2014;
  • Dominion may not repower the retired coal-burning units, even if a buyer for the power was to come forward;
  • Neither Dominion, nor any successor, may use coal as fuel for generating electricity on that site in the future;
  • Dominion must fund projects of at least $275,000 to reduce air pollution in Salem and surrounding municipalities that have been impacted by the plant’s emissions.

The settlement, and the legal actions which led to it, provide a template to force plant shutdowns as changing market conditions, public health concerns and cleaner energy alternatives push the nation’s fleet of old, polluting dinosaurs to the brink. What makes this outcome unique is that, as part of its advocacy strategy, CLF filed a successful protest at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington DC which effectively prevented Dominion from collecting above market costs for operating this aging and inefficient power plant. This first-ever ruling by FERC is in stark contrast to coal power plant retirements in other areas of the country which were brought about by agreements to pay (i.e., compensate) plant owners for shutting down their plants. In the case of Salem Harbor Station, retirement resulted from legal action to deny the plant’s owner compensation and cost-recovery by ratepayers.

Read the full story on CLF’s website.

return to list of articles
EPA Releases Final Health Assessment for Tetrachloroethylene (Perc)
from Water Headlines for the week of February 13, 2012

EPA has posted the final health assessment for tetrachloroethylene – also known as perchloroethylene, or perc – to EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database. Perc is a chemical solvent widely used in the dry cleaning industry. It is also used in the cleaning of metal machinery and to manufacture some consumer products and other chemicals. Confirming longstanding scientific understanding and research, the final assessment characterizes perc as a “likely human carcinogen.” The assessment provides estimates for both cancer and non-cancer effects associated with exposure to perc over a lifetime. EPA sets limits for the amount of perc allowed in drinking water. The toxicity values reported in the perc IRIS assessment will be considered in revising EPA’s Maximum Contaminant Level for perc as part of the carcinogenic volatile organic compounds group in drinking water, as described in the agency’s drinking water strategy.

More information on the perc IRIS assessment: http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0106.htm

More information on perc: http://epa.gov/oppt/existingchemicals/pubs/perchloroethylene_fact_sheet.html

More information on IRIS: http://www.epa.gov/IRIS

return to list of articles
Present at PVGrows Spring Forum
Do you have a business, project, or venture that involves local food? Could your enterprise benefit from the insights and experience of a network of passionate and experienced Pioneer Valley residents? PVGrows invites you to submit your enterprise as a case study for the PVGrows Spring Forum: Working Together to Make Local Food Work. The Forum is April 11, 2012, at the Smith College Conference Center, Northampton.

If your project is selected, a team of 15-20 members of the PVGrows network will work with you at the Forum to forge potential solutions to the challenges and opportunities you have identified. Farmers, processors, distributors, institutions, food service providers, educators, schools, and non-profit community organizations are all encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted until March 1, and can be found at www.pvgrows.net.

return to list of articles
Project WET Conference in Mass.

The 2012 Project WET Annual Conference will be in New England this year!

We invite you to present and/or to save the date to join water educators from across the country sharing ideas, methods, experiences.

Educate. Empower. Act. The mission of Project WET is to reach children, parents, educators and communities of the world with water education.

Location:
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA

Dates:
Pre-Conference:
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Full Conference:
Wednesday – Friday
May 23-25, 2012
Request for Presentations

The Project WET USA conference team requests proposals for presentations from educators, policymakers, businesses, municipalities, program designers, implementers and practitioners, proposals that focus on school districts in partnership with local organizations to provide a community-based approach to water education and all others interested in water education.

The goal of the conference is to increase the knowledge and capacity of conference participants to effectively reach children, parents, educators and communities of the world with water education. In the interest of innovation, engaging and interactive presentations are encouraged.

Presentations must address one of the following strands:

Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) in Water Education
This strand will focus on increasing student success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and increase educators’ capacity to include STEM subjects in their curricula. Of particular interest are proposals that address integration of water-related topics and the implementation of STEM education in a manner that reflects the interdependence of the four STEM subjects, as well as proposals that focus on partnerships involving school districts, community colleges, four-year institutions, and business and industry to provide a comprehensive community-based approach to STEM and water education.

Pedagogy & Water Education
The Pedagogy and Water Education Strand provides the opportunity to examine best practices for integrating water-related environmental education into the PreK-16 educational system at the local, state and federal levels and improving environ- mental literacy across the nation.

ActionEducation(tm) & Water Education
What are the most successful methods for addressing the most important water challenges of the day with water education and action education? This strand includes a wide array of topics and strategies such as: Watersheds, Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in water, Risk (drought and floods), Weather and climate change, Ground water, Water and energy, Storm water and Water conservation.

Technology & Other Water Education Topics
Converging web, mobile, and social technologies have generated a level of communication and interaction never before possible. The Technology in Water Education strand seeks to explore the transformational potential that these innovations hold for education and training, as well as share current research and best practices related to these developments.

If you wish to submit a proposal for a presentation, you can download the Presentation Request Form here.

Apply to:
Theresa Schrum
Project WET
Theresa.Schrum@projectwet.org

return to list of articles
Finding Wholesale Success and Other Upcoming Workshops
from CISA

The Massachusetts Farm to School Project recently reported that demand for locally grown food in schools is “skyrocketing,” outstripping supply in 2011. Other new ventures, such as the Franklin County CDC’s Extended Season project, which freezes local produce for sale to schools, are also generating new demand for wholesale local produce. CISA’s Finding Wholesale Success workshop on March 7th will feature a panel of growers and distributors and lots of information about how to enter, expand, or increase the success of growing for wholesale. A follow-up “Meet and Greet” on March 12th gives wholesale growers and buyers an opportunity to meet. Find more information and our full winter workshop schedule here.

return to list of articles
2012 Conference & Expo Workshop Request for Proposals
The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network is pleased to invite you to submit a workshop proposal for its annual conference, which will be held on Thursday, October 25 at the Best Western Royal Plaza and Trade Center in Marlborough, MA.

Click here to view the full RFP

The deadline for all proposals is March 14, 2012

If you have any questions, please contact Thea Edwards at tedwards@massnonprofitnet.org or 617-330-1188 x280

Please visit the Massachusetts Service Alliance’s website  for further information and to view the RFP.

Massachusetts Service Alliance
100 North Washington Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02114
www.mass-service.org
617-542-2544

return to list of articles
Strategies for a New Economy/Registration Open

“Strategies for a New Economy,” a conference June 8-10th at Bard College on the Hudson River in
New York State.

We are at a turning point in history.  Rising temperatures are now recognized as a sign of a planet in crisis.  Inequities between rich and poor, North and South, grow ever deeper.

The global economy has failed in its promise to produce and deliver basic goods in an efficient manner for an expanding population, leaving increasing numbers in abject poverty.

The environmental crisis, the equity crisis, and the crisis of distributed production, all have their roots in the current economic system with implications for our culture, our society, and for our health and well-being.

What would an economy built on principles of fairness and sustainability look like?  How do we model it; where is it emerging; how do we collectively strategize to fully implement it?  These are the pressing questions of our time.

In response, the New Economics Institute is convening “Strategies for a New Economy,” a conference June 8-10th at Bard College on the Hudson River in New York State.  It will gather together what are often diverse and scattered efforts to reshape our economic system, place them under one tent, and raise the flag to announce that transitioning to a new economy will mean engaging politicians, researchers, media, educators, citizen activists, business leaders, financial experts, scientists, union workers, cultural leaders, advocates for the disenfranchised, and youth — all working together to achieve a common goal.

The three-day conference will include over 60 workshops, plenary gatherings, and participatory strategizing sessions organized in 10 theme areas (see below). “Strategies for a New Economy” will highlight best research and best practice under each theme and ultimately demonstrate that a decentralized, sustainable, cooperative economy is already taking shape, offering a strategy for action.

Registration is now open.  http://www.neweconomicsinstitute.org/conference
We invite you to be part of the dialogue.

Best wishes,
Susan Witt on behalf of the staff and board of directors of
New Economics Institute
www.neweconomicsinstitute.org 

return to list of articles
Berkshire Land Conservation Summer Internships

Berkshire Natural Resources Council, a private, non-profit land trust based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is offering its 2012 Rice Fellowship to two individuals exploring a career in environmental fields.

The 40-hour/week fellowship provides a stipend of approximately $1,000/month, lodging on Onota Lake in Pittsfield, and valuable experience in resource management at a successful environmental organization while performing meaningful work in the Berkshires.  BNRC is a small organization (staff of five) unburdened by administrative formality.  Rice Fellows enjoy an unusual level of independence compared with many internships; a large amount of self-motivation is required.

The internship dates are May 1 to September 3, with flexibility on both ends.

The duties of Rice Fellows include conservation easement stewardship, fee land management and public outreach.  There is a mix of approximately 70/30 field/office work.  Fellows gain valuable leadership experience by managing volunteers, acting as liaisons with landowners, and taking on personal projects.  Fellows will gain experience with trail-building, global positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), orienteering, and ecological restoration techniques.

Specific duties include easement monitoring, establishing baseline documents, helping to implement ecological restoration and wildlife management projects, trail maintenance, and assisting with public outreach events (e.g., leading hikes and coordinating events).  Other duties may include developing promotional materials, enhancing resource inventories, and other land management tasks.

Requirements:

  • Solid writing and communication skills;
  • Ability to work unsupervised and comfort with being alone in the woods; and
  • Personal transportation is necessary.

Fellows will gain:

  • At least topical experience with Arc 9.3 GIS (mapping);
  • Strong field skills in GPS and map-and-compass navigation;
  • Leadership skills;
  • Understanding of ecological restoration theory and practice; and
  • Basic understanding of land management techniques and challenges for land conservation, the fastest growing sector of the environmental movement.

By March 1, 2012 applicants should send cover letter, résumé, and contact information for three references to (e-mail preferred):

Doug Bruce and Amanda L’Etoile
Berkshire Natural Resources Council
20 Bank Row
Pittsfield, MA 01201
dbruce@bnrc.net  and aletoile@bnrc.net  (413) 499-0596

Please be in touch by e-mail with questions.

return to list of articles
February Vacation Programs at Hampshire
The Farm Education Collaborative offers February vacation programs for kids at the Hampshire College Farm Center, February 20-24, 9am-3pm. Care for animals, harvest greens from the greenhouse, cook, craft, and more. Ages 6 to 10. Click here for more information and to register online.

return to list of articles
Federal Farmland Protection Program

The Massachusetts state office of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is now accepting applications from state and local units of government, federally recognized Tribes, and non-governmental organizations for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP). FRPP provides up to 50 percent matching funding for the purchase of conservation easements on agricultural lands. Applications are due Monday, April 2.

Read more at http://www.ma.nrcs.usda.gov/news/news_FRPP_sign-up_2012.html.

return to list of articles
Spring semester programs (and a glimpse of summer) at Flying Deer Nature Center

SNOWSHOE HARE FEBRUARY VACATION CAMP
Thurday and Friday, February 23 & 24
For kids ages 7-13.

Join us for awesome fun in the forest as we build shelters, track wild animals, play a game of fish hockey, and roast delicious food over a roaring fire!

Tuition: $65 for one day; $110 for both days

Register at our website.

FOREST* HOMESCHOOL PROGRAM
For boys and girls ages 7-13. 

*Friends Relishing Earth Skills Together! 
Our year-round naturalist training program offers ongoing, long-term mentoring in earth living skills and nature awareness. Co-ed community building, adventures, and fun!

Spring semester starts February 28; please register by February 15.

Find out more and sign up.

OUR SUMMER CAMP SCHEDULE IS HERE!
Registration begins March 15.

Summer Camp 2012 at Flying Deer includes all of our best-loved programs — including four weeks of Cottonwood Camp, Otter Slide, Red-Tail Overnight Adventure, Wolf Camp, and Wolf Expedition. We’ve also added a new program for teens: Crow Call Survival Camp, focusing on survival skills in four areas: shelter, water, fire, and food. This year’s Quest for the Medicine Tree sends questers in search of Thelonius Mugwort’s School of Enchantment, where they’ll discover how to save Abodia!

Check out our summer camp schedule.

return to list of articles
Native Bee Conservation PhD Assistantship

A PhD assistantship (covering a stipend, tuition, and health insurance) is available at the University of Maine beginning September 2012 to study native bee conservation from a landscape ecology perspective. The grant supporting this research is part of a multi-state, interdisciplinary study that examines pollinator ecology and conservation biology in focal crops of wild blueberries, apples, selected vegetables, and cranberries to understand factors affecting pollination security in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Maryland. The doctoral student will provide GIS support to the multi-state interdisciplinary team. The PhD dissertation will focus on spatial analyses and model development to understand relationships between landscape conditions and pollinator communities in these specialty crops, with particular focus on wild blueberries in Maine. Prior coursework and experience in GIS and ecological or spatial modeling are desired. An MS degree is required. Please send pre-applications of a cover letter expressing interest in the position, CV, GRE scores, and transcripts, with subject line POLLINATOR, to Dr. Cynthia Loftin (Cynthia.Loftin@maine.edu) and Dr. Frank Drummond (Frank_Drummond@umit.maine.edu).

return to list of articles

Back To Top