Thank you to Rachel Branch, producer of the television show Solutions Rising for including a “BEAT” series for people to learn more about the fracked gas pipelines proposed to bring gas from the fracking fields of Pennsylvania across New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire to a gas hub in Dracut, MA. The show interviews many people providing information about the proposed pipelines as well as the many alternatives to these pipelines.
Deal would preserve portion of Undermountain Farm in Lenox
A scenic 83-acre portion of Undermountain Farm is to be preserved forever, thanks to a successful $115,000 fund drive by the Berkshire Natural Resources Council that began around Thanksgiving. The $450,000 conservation restriction, including $335,000 previously raised by the council, awaits final approval by the state and the Lenox Selectboard, and involves no local taxpayer funding. As reported by Clarence Fanto in The Berkshire Eagle, 1/5/16.
Fight for Solar Energy! Action from Mass Power Forward
To head off climate catastrophe and continue the economic benefits the solar industry brings to the Commonwealth, we should make it easier, not harder, to build solar. Send a message to your state legislators calling for a stronger solar energy bill that keeps our solar industry growing – and that you will be watching very carefully to see what happens with this issue. From Mass Power Forward
Suit faults Mass. record in cutting emissions
At a Beacon Hill hearing in November, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton was asked whether the state, if it continues current policies without taking new action, would meet its legal obligation to make substantial cuts to its carbon emissions by the end of the decade. “Not a chance,” he told members of the state Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change, even as he stressed that the administration supports new steps, such as importing hydroelectric power, to reduce emissions. That answer, which alarmed some lawmakers, has been cited as evidence in briefs to the Supreme Judicial Court that the state has failed to take sufficient action to comply with the state’s 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires the state to cut its greenhouse gases 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. As reported in The Boston Globe by David Abe, 1/4/16.
Nominations Open for EPA’s Annual Environmental Merit Awards in New England
EPA is now accepting nominations for the 2016 Environmental Merit Awards, which will recognize environmental achievements during the past year. Award categories are available for individuals, businesses, governmental entities, and other organizations. Awards are also given under a lifetime achievement category. Press Release from the EPA, 1/6/16.
Federal Agencies Partner to Launch the Transform Tox Testing Challenge to Improve Chemical Screening
On January 8, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), and NIH’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) within the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) are announcing a new challenge that will award up to $1 million to improve the relevance and predictivity of data generated from automated chemical screening technology used for toxicity testing. Press Release from the EPA, 1/8/16.
Jobs
Teacher for After-School Program – Greenagers
Conference Coordinator – Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
Christodora/Manice Education Center (MEC) – Various positions
Land Protection Specialist, Western/Central Mass – Mass Audubon
Land Protection Specialist – Mass Audubon
Ecological Restoration Specialist (Environmental Analyst II) – MA Division of Ecological Restoration
Deal would preserve portion of Undermountain Farm in Lenox
LENOX — A scenic 83-acre portion of Undermountain Farm is to be preserved forever, thanks to a successful $115,000 fund drive by the Berkshire Natural Resources Council that began around Thanksgiving.
The $450,000 conservation restriction, including $335,000 previously raised by the council, awaits final approval by the state and the Lenox Selectboard, and involves no local taxpayer funding.
The virtually done deal follows several years of complex negotiations and revised proposals that had included town financing until an application for a $250,000 Community Preservation Act grant was withdrawn from a special town meeting warrant last September.
“We’ve met our target of $115,000 and exceeded it by $10,000,” said Narain Schroeder, land conservation director for the resources council. He voiced gratitude to the 225 donors who put the agreement over the finish line as of Monday, noting that 100 of them were first-time contributors.
“All but the final touches and signatures are needed to preserve in perpetuity the 83 acres of Undermountain Farm under a state-approved conservation restriction,” Schroeder said.
He expressed thanks to the Sprague family, long-time owners of the farm, for their “patience and flexibility” as the conservation restriction took its final shape.
While the deal on the 83 acres does not grant a general public right of access to the property, he said, there will be public access to two designated trails to be constructed by the council as part of the conservation restriction.
Under the agreement, the public would have the right to walk, cross-country ski or snowshoe along the designated trails — one of them adjoins Undermountain Road, the other would connect to the town-owned Parsons Marsh.
“I’m thrilled with what’s happening,” said Tjasa Sprague, the farm’s co-owner, on Monday. “Now I’m trying to figure out what comes next, and what would be permitted by the town, to keep the farm afloat.”
While she’ll continue to operate Undermountain Stables, with stalls for up to 30 horses, Sprague is hoping to “enhance educational activities at the farm to make it self-sustaining. Anything we can teach young kids about animals and agriculture is valuable.”
Although the family will continue to own the northern 83-acre parcel, along with the remaining 73 acres of the farm, the conservation restriction “runs with the deed,” Schroeder pointed out, meaning that any future owner of the property two miles west of downtown Lenox will be bound by it. The parcel remains on the town’s tax rolls as agriculturally restricted land as designated by state law.
The Spragues retain full ownership and control of just under 10 acres of frontage along Undermountain Road, including the stables and adjacent buildings. Any future landowner would be subject to town zoning laws and septic system requirements, Schroeder said.
A 63-acre southern parcel adjoining Parsons Marsh is also slated for a BNRC conservation restriction once an additional $170,000 in grants and donations is raised toward the land’s $180,000 purchase price. The $10,000 in additional money gathered during the most recent fund drive will be reserved for that second phase of the deal. The council has an option to close on phase two by April 2017.
The “marsh parcel,” described by some in town as a swamp, is actually “an open expanse of sparkling water,” according to resource council President Tad Ames. “It’s a pond, with ducks, otters and wildlife, a pretty great place. It’s not a dismal place at all; it’s really an enchanting spot, but no one will know that unless they get out to see it for themselves.”
The resources council has described the overall two-phase conservation restriction plan as a bargain, since its total $630,000 price is about half of the land’s appraised value of $1.2 million.
Key supporters of the agreement in its various incarnations, including the Lenox Land Trust, various town officials and other local environmental advocates, have enthused about the preservation of open space and an iconic landscape, combined with limited public use as part of a potential interconnected trail system that includes Kennedy Park and the Lenox Mountain ridgeline.
Fight for Solar Energy! Action from Mass Power Forward
The growth of solar electricity in Massachusetts is threatened by new proposed legislation—we must take action now.
- H.3854, now in conference committee, would:
- Slap a new mandatory minimum charge on solar
- Raise the net metering cap only 2% (reached by summer 2016)
- Slash net metering reimbursement by 75% for sizeable projects (such as municipal and community shared solar).
If H.3854 enacted, most sizeable planned projects will be abandoned, and jobs and tax revenue will be lost. Low-income residents and municipalities would be hurt most because projects for apartment buildings, community shared solar, and municipalities would never be built. Homeowners too might abandon solar plans because the monthly minimum charge could reduce their benefit of going solar.
It’s not too late to turn this ship around. We need to tell members of the House and Senate to fight for solar energy by eliminating the net metering cap, ensuring power sold back to the grid is fairly compensated, and making sure there is no mandatory fee for producing solar energy.
To head off climate catastrophe and continue the economic benefits the solar industry brings to the Commonwealth, we should make it easier, not harder, to build solar. Send a message to your state legislators calling for a stronger solar energy bill that keeps our solar industry growing – and that you will be watching very carefully to see what happens with this issue.
Suit faults Mass. record in cutting emissions
By David Abe
The Boston Globe
January 4, 2016
At a Beacon Hill hearing in November, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton was asked whether the state, if it continues current policies without taking new action, would meet its legal obligation to make substantial cuts to its carbon emissions by the end of the decade.
“Not a chance,” he told members of the state Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change, even as he stressed that the administration supports new steps, such as importing hydroelectric power, to reduce emissions.
That answer, which alarmed some lawmakers, has been cited as evidence in briefs to the Supreme Judicial Court that the state has failed to take sufficient action to comply with the state’s 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires the state to cut its greenhouse gases 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.
This week, lawyers for the Conservation Law Foundation will argue before the state’s top court that the administrations of Governor Charlie Baker and former governor Deval Patrick have violated the law by not enacting policies that would result in the required emissions reductions. The challenge of making those cuts, they note, will be greater with Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station — the state’s largest provider of clean power — set to close as early as next year.
“The delay in implementing the law is egregious,” said Bradley Campbell, president of the foundation. “There have been no efforts to implement the additional policies called for in the state’s clean energy and climate plan.”
State officials say they hope to meet the law’s requirements, but they say it will be far easier if lawmakers help out by passing a bill that would compel utilities to sign long-term contracts to buy hydroelectric power from Canada.
Beaton declined to be interviewed.
In a written statement, he said: “Massachusetts remains a nationally recognized leader on combating climate change, but action is needed on existing policies and the administration’s proposal for cost-effective, low-carbon hydroelectric power generation.”
Environmental advocates insist the state has fallen behind and needs a major course correction — not just action on the hydro plan — to meet the law’s requirements. They also note that even if lawmakers pass a hydroelectric bill, the expensive power lines might never get built. They would probably pass through New Hampshire, where the proposal remains highly controversial.
In 2014, before Pilgrim announced it would close, a collaborative effort by local environmental groups called the Global Warming Solutions Project released a report that projected that Massachusetts would cut its emissions by only 20 percent below 1990 levels. A more recent report by the Conservation Law Foundation, which factors in the closure of Pilgrim, estimates that the state, without any significant policy changes, is more likely to cut its emissions between 16 percent and 19 percent.
In their lawsuit against the Department of Environmental Protection, which the justices will hear on Friday, lawyers for the foundation will argue that the state has fallen behind because regulators have failed to mandate annual limits on specific emissions, which they say the law required to be set in 2012.
They also blame the Baker and Patrick administrations for focusing more on extending natural gas pipelines than on promoting offshore wind and solar energy, increasing energy efficiency in buildings, and a range of other policies that don’t require legislation, including pressuring utilities to seal methane leaks more quickly, adding incentives for electric vehicles, and planting more trees.
“Massachusetts passed a landmark law that made us a leader in addressing greenhouse gases, but if we allow significant portions of the law to go unmet, it’s simply an empty gesture,” said Jennifer Rushlow, who will be arguing the foundation’s case. “This is a law that does have teeth, but we’re not using them.”
In its response to the lawsuit, which was dismissed by a Superior Court judge last March but taken up by the SJC on appeal, state officials argue that the Global Warming Solutions Act requires the agency to set targets — not caps — on emissions. They also say that the law gives the agency broad discretion on how to cut emissions.
They also note that the agency has enacted specific policies to reduce greenhouse gases, such as limiting leaks of sulfur hexafluoride, a potent greenhouse gas used in electricity distribution switches, a cap and trade program between states designed to cut emissions, and the adoption of a California program that curbs emissions for certain types of vehicles.
“We’re working hard to meet the goals,” said Martin Suuberg, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection.
He said the hydropower plan would play a crucial role, reducing the state’s carbon emissions by an estimated 5 percent below 1990 levels. Asked what would happen if the power lines are delayed or rejected by New Hampshire, Suuberg said: “We’re doing a suite of policies to make sure we meet the goal, and this is one element. . . . We’re not putting all of our eggs in one basket.”
He declined to comment on the lawsuit but said: “We’re fully anticipating carrying the day in the SJC decision.”
Ken Kimmell, who served as the department’s commissioner during the Patrick administration, said the law may have set unrealistic requirements. He also blamed the potential shortfall on unexpected developments, such as the failure of Cape Wind to build turbines on Nantucket Sound and the closure of Pilgrim.
“Part of the problem is that the goal is ambitious,” he said. “We could have set 20 percent, and we would have been there.”
He urged the Baker administration and lawmakers to invest more in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and new ways to heat buildings that go beyond switching from oil to gas.
“That needs to happen now, because the infrastructure needs to get built to meet the deadline,” he said. “It’s up to all of us to figure out a solution. People would be right to be disappointed if we don’t meet this goal.”
Supporters of the lawsuit said they hope the court prods the state to act soon, noting that 2020 is just four years away.
A dozen environmental groups, in a brief to the court, compared the state’s efforts to climbing a mountain at night “without the benefits of trails or guideposts.”
“With no mandated emissions limits to light the way, the commonwealth is adopting and rejecting energy policies and projects blindly,” they wrote. “The only way that such an approach could result in the commonwealth meeting the 2020 mandate is by pure chance.”
After hearing Beaton testify in November, Senator Marc Pacheco, a Taunton Democrat who chairs the Global Warming and Climate Change Committee, said he was “extremely concerned” that the state wouldn’t meet the requirements.
He blamed both administrations for not doing more, noting the legislation also calls for cutting the state’s emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. He plans to push a bill in the coming months that would require specific emissions cuts for 2030 and 2040.
“We can do this,” he said. “But right now I just don’t see the urgency of getting it done. We need some political will to move us forward.”
Nominations Open for EPA’s Annual Environmental Merit Awards in New England
News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
January 6, 2016
Deadline is Friday, Feb. 12, 2016
BOSTON – EPA is now accepting nominations for the 2016 Environmental Merit Awards, which will recognize environmental achievements during the past year. Award categories are available for individuals, businesses, governmental entities, and other organizations. Awards are also given under a lifetime achievement category.
These regional awards have been given out annually since EPA was created in 1970. Past recipients have included scientists, community activists, business representatives, public officials and other individuals committed to preserving the environment. An independent EPA panel will select the winners based on the following criteria: long-term effects on the environment; ability to address an environmental problem or need; collaboration with others; ability of the program or accomplishments to be widely shared; clarity and effectiveness of the presentation; and promotion of innovative ideas or techniques. Awards are traditionally given in four categories: individual; business, industry, trade, and professional organization; local, state or federal government; and environmental, community or non-profit organization.
This year EPA will also be awarding the Children’s Environmental Health Award for an Individual or group that has made significant progress, contribution, leadership toward protecting children from environmental health risks in schools, homes, and childcare environments in New England. Criteria for the Children’s Environmental Health Awards are:
– Innovative efforts to increase awareness of children’s unique vulnerabilities to pollutants and other environmental hazards through research, education, outreach, or capacity-building activities; and/or
– Development of activities or programs that have produced tangible reductions in risk to children from environmental health hazards where they live, learn, and play.
A final award category is available. For a third year EPA will be awarding the Ira Leighton “In Service to States” Environmental Merit Award. This award recognizes an individual or organization that has made significant strides in facilitating state and federal partnerships through innovative sustainable solutions addressing critical environmental challenges in New England. The successful candidate will have actively demonstrated conviction and leadership in protecting the environment and in promoting sustainable practices, and will be determined by a collaborations among the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), the Northeast Waste Management Officials’ Association (NEWMOA), in coordination with the New England state Environmental Commissioners.
The deadline for nominations is February 12, 2016. Awards winners will be invited to a ceremony in May in Boston. Nominations are only accepted online.
More information on Award categories, evaluation criteria and how to submit nominations: http://www.epa.gov/environmental-merit-awards-new-england
Federal Agencies Partner to Launch the Transform Tox Testing Challenge to Improve Chemical Screening
News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
January 8, 2016
Up to $1 million to be distributed among winning submissions
WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), and NIH’s National Toxicology Program (NTP) within the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) are announcing a new challenge that will award up to $1 million to improve the relevance and predictivity of data generated from automated chemical screening technology used for toxicity testing.
Out of thousands of chemicals in commerce today, very few have been fully evaluated for potential health effects. Scientists from EPA, NIEHS/NTP, and NCATS are using high-throughput screening (HTS) assays to evaluate the potential health effects of thousands of chemicals. High-throughput screening uses automated methods that allow for a large number of chemicals to be rapidly evaluated for a specific type of biological activity.
Current HTS assays do not fully incorporate chemical metabolism, so they may miss chemicals that are metabolized to a more toxic form in the body. The challenge announced today, Transform Tox Testing Challenge: Innovating for Metabolism, is calling on innovative thinkers to find new ways to incorporate physiological levels of chemical metabolism into HTS assays. This will help researchers more accurately assess effects of chemicals and better protect human health.
Teams will compete in three stages for a total award of $1 million. The first stage, opening today and closing April 8 seeks practical designs that may be fully implemented. Up to ten submissions may receive a prize of $10,000 each and an invitation to continue on to the next stage.
The second stage requires a prototype that demonstrates the proposed idea in use. Up to five participants may be awarded up to $100,000 each and invited to participate in the final stage. The final stage requires a commercially viable method or technology for EPA and its partners to demonstrate and test. Based on this testing one participant may be awarded up to $400,000 for delivery of a method or device that will result in technologies that can provide metabolic competence to HTS assays.
All segments of industry, government, academia, non-governmental organizations, and others are encouraged to enter.
For more information on the Tox Testing Challenge, visit: www.transformtoxtesting.com
EPA is a federal agency whose mission is to protect human health and the environment. For more information about EPA, visit http://www2.epa.gov/aboutepa/our-mission-and-what-we-do.
NTP is a federal, interagency program, headquartered at the NIEHS, whose goal is to safeguard the public by identifying substances in the environment that may affect human health. For more information about NTP and its programs, visit http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov
The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) is a distinctly different entity in the research ecosystem. Rather than targeting a particular disease or fundamental science, NCATS focuses on what is common across diseases and the translational process. The Center emphasizes innovation and deliverables, relying on the power of data and new technologies to develop, demonstrate and disseminate advancements in translational science that bring about tangible improvements in human health. For more information, visit https://ncats.nih.gov
Jobs
Greenagers: Teacher for After-School Program
Greenagers is now hiring for a part-time (approx. 15hrs/wk beginning in late Feb.) teaching position for the after-school program, “Crafting the Landscape”. This program focuses on teaching environmental literacy and stewardship to middle school students through hands-on projects and excursions as well as with the video game MineCraft.edu
The program runs Monday through Thursday afternoons from 3:00 -5:00 pm in Great Barrington and Sheffield during the school year. Summer programs run 4 days/wk, 6hrs/day for 5 weeks.
Requirements: A four-year degree in environmental or related studies and/or relevant field and teaching experience required. Experience with or willingness to learn MineCraft also required. Candidates must be able to work well in a team teaching environment with a broad range of academic and emotional abilities. Applicant must have reliable transportation, clean driving record and submit to a CORI background test.
This program is a collaboration between Greenagers and the Berkshire Coop Market.
How to apply: Cover letter and resume may be sent to Will Conklin: director@greenagers.org.
Conference Coordinator –
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
Posted: Dec 18, 2015
KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Conference Coordinator is responsible and held accountable for the following duties:
Coordinate Speakers
- Attend all conference content planning meetings to provide administrative support for smooth and successful outcomes.
- Work with Operations Director and Conference Chairs to organize conference content worksheets and communication systems.
- Assemble and record contact information for and provide logistics to volunteer speakers contributing to BuildingEnergy Boston, BuildingEnergy NYC, and The BuildingEnergy Bottom Lines Business Summit.
- Work with track chairs to confirm speakers and contact rejected speakers.
- Assemble, send and collect signed contracts for workshop speakers, as well as release forms for all speakers.
- Upload to nesea.org and conference app, sessions and workshop titles, descriptions, speakers’ names, bios and photos
Coordinate Registration
- For BuildingEnergy Boston, BuildingEnergy NYC, and other NESEA events:
- Help oversee the development of online registration pages
- Provide customer service to people with inquiries about the registration process
- Process registrations online
- Design and print attendee name badges
- Maintain badge stock and ribbon inventory
- Generally support the whole registration process
- Coordinate on-site registration support
Coordinate Continuing Education Credits
- Understand, maintain, and keep updated NESEA’s CEU program
- Collect learning objectives for all educational opportunities
- Apply for CEUs in timely, accurate manner
- Issue certificates to appropriate participants
SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES
- Detail oriented, highly organized, ability to multi-task and be flexible.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google products, Dropbox, and other digital collaboration tools.
- Highly developed customer service and problem solving skills.
- Ability to work efficiently and effectively with staff teams and a diverse group of NESEA members.
- Ability to work with NESEA work plans and timelines.
- Commitment to the overall sustainability of NESEA and its mission.
- Desire to learn about energy efficiency, renewable energy, and whole systems thinking.
- Availability and willingness to travel regionally.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
- Four-year degree preferred.
- At least 3 to 5 years of experience in a nonprofit association or small business desired.
- Demonstrated track record in establishing and maintaining constructive communications and healthy working relationships.
COMPENSATION
- $16.50/hour, 40 hours/week
- Eligible for health insurance after 90 days of employment
- 4 weeks (160 hours) paid time off (combined paid and sick time, start accruing after first pay period)
- 13 paid holidays
- Eligible for 401k after 90 days (organization will match up to 3%)
HOW TO APPLY
- Send an email to jobs@nesea.org, subject line “Conference Coordinator”
- In the email, tell us what super-powers you possess, why you’re interested in the job, and why you think you’d be a good fit
- Attach your resume
- Additional points if you have prior event planning and cat herding experience
Christodora/Manice Education Center (MEC) – Various positions
Christodora’s goal is to build leadership skills and academic success through an awareness and understanding of the natural environment. Christodora’s Manice Education Center (MEC), located in a pristine outdoor setting in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts, is hiring a number of positions. Follow the links below for more information. MEC annually serves approximately 850 youth with an array of programs, including 3-day field trips for NYC schools, and 1-3 week summer camping programs that have a focus on backpacking and canoeing expeditions.
Outdoor Education Camp Counselor
Outdoor Education Resident Camp Assistant Counselor
AmeriCorps Outdoor Education Resident Camp Assistant Counselor
Land Protection Specialist – Western/Central MA Mass Audubon
ResponsibilitiesPrimary
- Negotiate with private landowners, public agencies, businesses, and other organizations concerning land acquisitions, transfers and sales.
- Provide technical assistance to private landowners and conservation partners regarding conservation options and techniques.
- Assist with development of baseline information, monitoring and record keeping relative to Conservation Restrictions (CR’s) held by Mass Audubon.
- Provide advice and assistance to Mass Audubon staff, Board, volunteers and sanctuary committees on land protection issues.
- Evaluate land protection proposals to ensure consistency with Mass Audubon policies and objectives.
- Assist with duties relative to system for tracking existing Mass Audubon land holdings and conservation restrictions.
- Promote the financial and legal advantages of land conservation with donors and sellers, promote gifts and bargain sales of land.
- Ensure the timely and accurate completion of tasks required to acquire and dispose of land or interests in land, including the preparation of administrative, financial and legal documents.
- Prepare written reports, proposals and plans as required.
- Attend department meetings and serve on committees as requested by Director.
- Provide training for Mass Audubon staff on land protection issues.
Fundraising
- Seek out and promote gifts and grants to support Mass Audubon land protection efforts.
Budget Development and Management
- Assist in the preparation and implementation of an operating budget for land protection, and make recommendations on capital budget allocations for land.
Community Relations
- Respond to public and media inquiries on land issues. Assist in the preparation of public relations material.
Property
- Help assess the maintenance and security aspects of proposed land and building acquisitions and present recommendations to Director. Conduct initial Environmental Site Assessments on properties.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in natural resource management, land use planning, business, biological sciences or related field.
- Three years experience in land conservation/planning, real estate, or business in a related natural resource field.
- Excellent writing and speaking skills.
- Solid skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook).
- Valid driver’s license, and willingness to travel frequently in western/central MA and throughout the state,
- Ability to traverse a variety of terrain (hilly, wooded, rocky, marshy) on foot.
- Must pass a background records check (CORI, SORI and driver’s).
Responsibilities
- Negotiate with private landowners, public agencies, businesses, and other organizations concerning land acquisitions, transfers and sales.
- Provide technical assistance to private landowners and conservation partners regarding conservation options and techniques.
- Assist with development of baseline information, monitoring and record keeping relative to Conservation Restrictions (CR’s) held by Mass Audubon.
- Provide advice and assistance to Mass Audubon staff, Board, volunteers and sanctuary committees on land protection issues.
- Evaluate land protection proposals to ensure consistency with Mass Audubon policies and objectives.
- Assist with duties relative to system for tracking existing Mass Audubon land holdings and conservation restrictions.
- Promote the financial and legal advantages of land conservation with donors and sellers, promote gifts and bargain sales of land.
- Ensure the timely and accurate completion of tasks required to acquire and dispose of land or interests in land, including the preparation of administrative, financial and legal documents.
- Prepare written reports, proposals and plans as required.
- Attend department meetings and serve on committees as requested by Director.
- Provide training for Mass Audubon staff on land protection issues.
Fundraising:
- Seek out and promote gifts and grants to support Mass Audubon land protection efforts.
Budget Development and Management:
- Assist in the preparation and implementation of an operating budget for land protection, and make recommendations on capital budget allocations for land.
Community Relations:
- Respond to public and media inquiries on land issues. Assist in the preparation of public relations material.
Property:
- Help assess the maintenance and security aspects of proposed land and building acquisitions and present recommendations to Director. Conduct initial Environmental Site Assessments on properties.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in natural resource management, land use planning, business, biological sciences or related field.
- Three years experience in land conservation/planning, real estate, or business in a related natural resource field.
- Excellent writing and speaking skills.
- Solid skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook).
- Valid driver’s license, and willingness to travel frequently and extensively throughout the state,
- Ability to traverse a variety of terrain (hilly, wooded, rocky, marshy) on foot.
- Must pass a background records check (CORI, SORI and driver’s).
Ecological Restoration Specialist (Environmental Analyst II)
Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration
Date of posting: 12/15/15 Closing: The position will remain open until filled. However, first consideration will be given to those candidates that apply within the first 14 days. The Ecological Restoration Specialist (Environmental Analyst II) serves a dual role as a wetland ecologist and ecological restoration project manager. As a wetland ecologist, the Restoration Specialist will serve as a technical expert in support of DER’s work, from flow restoration to river and wetland restoration and salt marsh restoration. As a project manager, the position will manage an interdisciplinary suite of ecological restoration projects. The position manages project development and implementation activities for 7-10 active projects at any given time. The Restoration Specialist’s project management portfolio may include salt marsh restoration, freshwater wetland restoration, stream continuity, river restoration, or other project types to be determined based on future needs. Interested candidates can learn more about DER and view the full job announcement here: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/der/ To apply online, please visit the MassCareers website at https://massanf.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=150002F7. For more information about the position, please contact Beth Lambert at beth.lambert@state.ma.us or 617-626-1526. return to top