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Obama Climate Plan Too Weak to Solve Crisis

from the Center for Biological Diversity

President Obama finally announced a strategy to tackle climate change, but the plan he offered up on Tuesday simply doesn’t cut it — because it won’t reduce carbon dioxide emissions enough to prevent the catastrophic warming and extreme weather predicted by his own federal scientists. One of the provisions the president is touting is a vague directive to the EPA to set carbon pollution standards for new and existing power plants — but those standards were already required by law.

If Obama is serious about tackling climate change, he needs to set a national cap on carbon pollution, cancel plans for the Keystone XL pipeline, curtail fracking, and institute a rapid, aggressive transition away from dirty fossil fuels to safer, cleaner energy sources. Time is short: Since Obama’s election in 2008, we’ve seen record heat, deadly hurricanes and floods, and historic drought.

“We’re happy to see the president finally addressing climate change, but the plain truth is that what he’s proposing isn’t big enough, and doesn’t move fast enough, to match the terrifying magnitude of the climate crisis,” said Bill Snape, the Center’s senior counsel.

Read more in The Boston Globe.

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Officials Approve Final Restoration Plan for Third Round of Housatonic River Watershed Restoration Program

BOSTON – State and federal environmental authorities invite community members to share potential ideas and understand the project selection process for the third round of funding from the General Electric/Housatonic River Natural Resource Damage (NRD) Assessment and Restoration case settled in 2000.

The Massachusetts SubCouncil of the Housatonic River Natural Resource Trustees, comprising the Executive Office of Energy and Environment Affairs (EEA), represented by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), will host an information session on Monday, August 5, 2013, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Lenox Library, 18 Main Street. The session will discuss potential land acquisition projects before the Housatonic River NRD Land Protection for Habitat Conservation Request for Responses (RFR) is expected to be issued in August 2013.

“The Housatonic River watershed is one of the most diverse and natural areas in the Commonwealth,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan. “This next round of funding for land protection and habitat conservation will add to the more than 100,000 acres already conserved by the Patrick-Murray Administration.”

“As we work to preserve, protect and rehabilitate the damaged Housatonic River and its watershed, a key component will be the projects that focus directly on repairing and restoring the natural resources throughout the waterway,” said MassDEP Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell.

“This funding allows us to focus on protecting water, land and habitat in Massachusetts, all of which will benefit the future of a healthy Housatonic River,” said USFWS New England Field Office Supervisor Tom Chapman. “From its headwaters in the Berkshires south to Connecticut, the Housatonic supports an abundant amount of wildlife and many special species for the people of the Commonwealth, and this settlement funds the work of residents and officials to ensure that for our future.”

The final Round 3 Restoration Plan outlines the Massachusetts SubCouncil’s approach for the third round of the restoration program to restore, rehabilitate, replace, or acquire the equivalent of injured natural resources or the services provided by those resources. The projects could include compensatory restoration through land acquisition or land protection measures.

At the August public meeting, the SubCouncil will present the final plan and the approach for soliciting, evaluating and selecting Round 3 projects. Round 3 of the Housatonic River Watershed Restoration Program will distribute about $2 million for land acquisition and habitat conservation projects from $7.75 million received as part of the settlement. As the Commonwealth’s procurement rules prohibit MassDEP or any other RFR issuer from consulting with potential applicants to develop project ideas once an RFR is issued, potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the meeting to refine project ideas and obtain feedback.

In Round 1, the SubCouncil awarded $4 million for restoration projects ranging from invasive species control and restoring river flow to implementing an environmental literacy program. In Round 2, the SubCouncil awarded $1.3 million to five projects addressing habitat continuity restoration, wildlife resources protection, riparian buffer and floodplain forest restoration, invasive species control, and educational programming.

The SubCouncil representatives that administer settlement funds for Massachusetts are MassDEP NRD Coordinator Karen Pelto and USFWS NRD/Environmental Contaminants Biologist Kenneth Munney.

The final plan is available online at: www.ma-housatonicrestoration.org, and hard copies are available at the Lenox Library and other public libraries in the Housatonic River watershed.

Information about the Housatonic River Watershed Restoration Program in Massachusetts is available online at: www.ma-housatonicrestoration.org. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Robin MacEwan of Stantec Consulting Inc., at robin.macewan@stantec.com or by calling 413-584-4776.

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Berkshire Organics Named Organic Hero

Organic Heroes: Your Right to Know Grocers!
from the Organic Retailer and Consumer Alliance
                        

BEAT Note – Berkshire Organics Market & Deli in Dalton was one of the 12 nationwide winners!!!

The nominations are in, emails sent, interviews completed, the data compiled. The results? There are hundreds of co-ops and natural food stores in North America doing an excellent job of clearly and truthfully labeling products, and offering consumers healthy, organic, locally sourced, non-GMO foods.

At the end of March, the OCA announced our Top 10 Right to Know Grocers contest, a project of our Organic Retail and Consumer Alliance (ORCA) Campaign. After months of hammering on the “Traitor Brands” whose parent companies joined Monsanto to defeat Proposition 37, the California GMO labeling initiative, we wanted to recognize retailers who are doing a great job of supporting our right to know. So we reached out to you. We asked you to nominate stand-out stores. And you responded. In all, hundreds of organic consumers nominated 156 natural health food stores, co-ops and CSAs.

With so many retailers working so hard to battle the corporate takeover of our food, how could we choose just 10 winners?  We couldn’t. We went with 12 overall winners – we call them the “Diligent Dozen” – and 10 winners in each of five regions: Northeast, Southeast, Central, Northwest and Southwest. You can find all the winners, and a short description of the great work they’re doing, here.

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Renewables to Create Quarter of World’s Electricity by 2018-IEA

By Edward McAllister

NEW YORK, June 26 (Reuters) – Global electricity generation from renewable energy sources will rise 40 percent in the next five years, outpacing natural gas, as China and other developing countries expand capacity, according to a report from the International Energy Agency on Wednesday.

As the cost of generating power from wind, solar, hydro and other sources falls, renewables will account for nearly 25 percent of global electricity production by 2018, up from about 20 percent in 2011, according to the IEA’s latest medium-term renewable energy market report.

Renewables will overtake natural gas and be double that of nuclear by 2016, said the IEA, which acts as energy policy adviser to 28 member countries, including the United States, Japan, Canada and leading European nations.

To see the full report, click here

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Celebrating the Year of the Snake

from Mass Wildlife News

According to the Asian calendar, 2013 is the Year of the Snake and the recent warm weather has resulted in snake sightings and inquiries pouring into MassWildlife offices.    Conservation groups across the country are taking the opportunity to celebrate the Year of the Snake with events and information about these interesting and misunderstood creatures. Given the great beauty and diversity of these animals, their unsung and important ecological roles as mid-level predators and prey in the food web, and their declining populations over large areas of their range, the time is opportune to celebrate and learn about these fascinating reptiles. To do its part, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife is joining PARC (Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation) in providing information about snakes and educating the public about these long-feared and needlessly-persecuted animals.  The growing enjoyment of snake viewing is helpful to conservation, as citizen scientists can greatly aid the DFW in locating and recording rare and declining populations of snakes.

As part of the effort to recognize snakes as interesting animals well worth conserving, the Division has re-printed its “Field Guide to the Reptiles of Massachusetts” that will allow anyone to identify snakes native to the Commonwealth. Originally published in 2009 as a stand-alone, 48-page issue of Massachusetts Wildlife magazine, it includes voluminous notes about each species appearance, behavior, range, and conservation status. While the Guide includes complete information about all our native reptiles, it has been critically acclaimed for its outstanding full color identification photos (including many pattern variations) of all the 14 species of snakes found in Massachusetts.  It can be ordered for just $3.00 by sending a check payable to “Commonwealth of Mass./DFW” to:  Reptile Guide, MassWildlife Field Headquarters,  100 Hartwell Street, West Boylston, MA 01583. The 2013 Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Trapping also contains a 2-page “Sportsmen’s Guide to Bay State Snakes” with images and brief descriptions of the 14 snakes found in Massachusetts. Guides are available at MassWildlife offices and at any sporting license vendor location.

Snakes are common in most rural and suburban habitats in Massachusetts, and hence are commonly encountered by people. The enlightened take these encounters as opportunities to enjoy the experience, and many wildlifers now keep lifetime lists of species (and actively seek out new ones) much as birders pursue viewing opportunities for feathered species.  To many people, however, snakes remain a source of fear. The majority of our snakes are virtually or completely harmless, and fearing them is no more logical than fearing chipmunks, robins, or pigeons. While there are populations of two venomous species (Timber Rattlesnake and Northern Copperhead) in Massachusetts that can be potentially dangerous, both of these are endangered species with small populations and extremely restricted ranges, and hence are rarely encountered even by mountain hikers or active snake hunters. Furthermore, like all snakes, these snakes will always attempt to avoid people. Overcome the fear through education, learn to identify our snakes, and it becomes a simple matter to respect, enjoy, and even admire them.

What you can do to learn about and celebrate snakes: 

  • Find fact sheets about state-listed snakes and information about Massachusetts snakes of undetermined status on the agency website at www.mass.gov.masswildlife.
  • Get up close and personal with snakes! If your nature center or organization is offering a snake program for the public or has snakes on permanent display, MassWildlife will list your snake programs and exhibits on our Calendar of Events. Send an email with the relevant information to mass.wildlife@state.ma.us.
  • Report rare snake observations through the Division’s electronic rare species reporting system.
  • Visit the PARC Northeastern regional website (at www.northeastparc.org) Year of the Snake information and a flyer on northeastern venomous snakes and their look-alikes.

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Coal’s Slipping Grip: New England, Virtually Coal-Free, Leads the Way

from Environmental Health News

The 500-foot candy-stripe smokestack – a fixture on the Bridgeport, Conn., waterfront for nearly five decades – is a vestige of this region’s coal-fired past: New England is virtually coal-free. But it is also also a reminder of coal’s heavier pollution burden. <MORE>

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Butterfly Decline a Worrying Portent

from Environmental Health News

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced that two brown, mothlike butterfly subspecies are probably extinct in South Florida, which some entomologists say is ground zero for the number of butterfly species on the verge of annihilation. <MORE>

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U.S. Approves a Label for Meat From Animals Fed a Diet Free of Gene-Modified Products

A message from the campaign

Say NO to MONSANTO

Posted by Alexis Baden-Mayer (leader)

By Stephanie Strom
The New York Times, June 20, 2013

The Agriculture Department has approved a label for meat and liquid egg products that includes a claim about the absence of genetically engineered products.

It is the first time that the department, which regulates meat and poultry processing, has approved a non-G.M.O. label claim, which attests that meat certified by the Non-GMO Project came from animals that never ate feed containing genetically engineered ingredients like corn, soy and alfalfa.

The U.S.D.A.’s Food Safety Inspection Service “allows companies to demonstrate on their labels that they meet a third-party certifying organization’s standards, provided that the third-party organization and the company can show that the claims are truthful, accurate and not misleading,” Cathy Cochran, a U.S.D.A. spokeswoman, said in a statement.

Ms. Cochran said the approval for labeling meats did not signal “any new policy regarding non-G.E. or non-G.M.O. products.”

Labeling foods to indicate the absence or presence of genetically engineered ingredients is one of the most contentious issues in the food business today, with about two dozen states mulling labeling requirements and the biotech industry fighting back with intense lobbying.

More and more companies, however, are voluntarily labeling their products, including most recently Chipotle, the thriving restaurant chain, which now points out items containing genetically engineered ingredients on its online menu.

Meat from animals that eat non-G.M.O. feed, like certified organic meats, is highly prized by some consumers, but claims made by meat labels must be approved by the U.S.D.A. When a new company called Mindful Meats submitted a label last fall that included the Non-GMO Project’s certification seal, the department rejected it.

“It turned out that the U.S.D.A.’s Food Safety Inspection Service had not yet created a rule for handling non-G.M.O. claims for meat and poultry products, so they just denied us,” said Claire Herminjard, founder and chief executive of Mindful Meats, which makes meat products from organic dairy cows.

Ms. Herminjard learned that two other companies, Hidden Villa Ranch, and Pitman Farms, which produces Mary’s Chicken, also wanted to put a non-G.M.O. label on their products, so they banded together to petition the U.S.D.A.

The U.S.D.A. vetted the Non-GMO Project’s standards, requirements and auditing processes before giving its approval. “It has to approve every single label that goes out into commerce, but this sets a precedent for other meat and poultry companies that want to label this way,” Ms. Herminjard said.

DISCUSS THE UPDATE

Address: Causes, 88 Kearny St, Suite 2100, San Francisco,   CA 94108 United States

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Natural Gas — A Bridge or a Minefield?

Conservation Law Foundation
Posted: 01 Jul 2013 09:14 AM PDT

A version of this article first appeared in the Sunday June 23 edition of the Rutland Herald /Times Argus.

Conflicting and confusing information is nothing new when it comes to climate change or big energy projects. The role of natural gas in meeting our energy needs is but the latest guest to this party.

Like most things in life, natural gas itself is neither all good nor all bad. True, natural gas is a relatively clean-burning fuel with fewer emissions than coal or oil. And currently natural gas prices are lower compared to oil. As a source for electricity, gas can be quickly brought on and off line and so fills a useful niche to balance intermittent renewable sources like solar and wind. But these benefits are only part of the equation.

Relatively clean-burning does not mean clean. 

Natural gas is still a fossil fuel. It contributes to climate change in very significant ways. The main component of natural gas is methane, a greenhouse gas 25 to 75 times more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its ability to warm the Earth’s atmosphere.

The real damage comes from natural gas leaks.

And they occur. When an average leak rate of 3 percent is taken into account for the full natural gas life cycle — from the time it leaves the ground to the time it burns in your furnace or range — it turns out that increasing the supply of natural gas significantly increases emissions. That is not good for our climate.

Lower cost comes at a high price.

Natural gas prices are now low partly because of abundant supplies from fracking, an extraction method that uses water, sand and chemicals to force gas out of the ground. Vermont banned fracking because of concerns about the impact to water and the environment. But this practice continues elsewhere, and supplies used in Vermont come from fracked sources.  <MORE>

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Save the Trees – Spot their Enemies

August is Tree Check Month, so be on the lookout for invasive forest pests in your parks, schools, urban forests, and where you live!

August 1, 2013 marks the 5th anniversary of the discovery of Asian Longhorned Beetle in Massachusetts. Since that fateful day in 2008, more than 30,000 hardwood trees have been removed because of this invasive pest. Recently, another wood-boring beetle, the Emerald Ash Borer, was found in Berkshire County, and now threatens millions of Ash trees in our state. Join your fellow citizens during the month of August and check your trees for signs of damage caused by Asian Longhorned Beetle and Emerald Ash Borer, and learn to recognize the beetles themselves.  For more detailed information, visit http://massnrc.org/pests/blog/ or contact Stacy Kilb, ALB Outreach Coordinator at stacy.kilb@state.ma.us or (617)780-1371.

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Urban Agriculture: Innovative Farming Systems for the 21st Century

UMass is offering a 6-week online class called Urban Agriculture: Innovative Farming Systems for the 21st Century, beginning Monday, July 8.  This class earns 3 college credits and may count toward the Sustainable Food and Farming Online Certificate.  The instructor, Helena Farrell, has a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts and her course is well-grounded in permaculture principles.   The cost is $371/credit.  For more information, see: http://www.justfoodnow.org/urbanfarm.htm.

Students will learn about innovative production methods and critical social, economic, and environmental dimensions of modern day urban agriculture.  Multi-media presentations by the instructor, articles and videos online, and a custom, library research guide provide a strong foundation for students to investigate important topics and evaluate the performance of real life urban farm systems. The course will consist of readings, videos, quizzes, and research assignments in which students critically assess major strengths, weaknesses and issues of 21st century urban farm systems.

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DCR Releases Draft Volunteer Policy

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has released a revised draft of DCR’s Volunteers in Parks Program Guide. A  copy of the draft is available at the following link: √ http://www.mass.gov/eea/docs/dcr/draftvolunteerpolicy.pdf

DCR will be seeking public input through a series of public meetings and a subsequent 30-day public comment period. Public meeting dates and locations will be announced soon.

The document establishes guidelines for extending liability protections to volunteers and nonprofit organizations engaged in activities that support and promote DCR’s mission and our parks system. Read the Draft, talk it over with your Friends, and plan to attend the public meeting in your area. We’ll keep you posted.

More about the DCR Draft Volunteers in Parks Program Guide √  here

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EPA Strengthens Energy Star Requirements for Refrigerators and Freezers

Encourages “connected” features, including smart grid functionality

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revised its Energy Star requirements for residential refrigerators and freezers. The updated requirements raise the bar for energy efficiency in these products and, for the first time, encourage manufacturers of Energy Star appliances to include optional “connected” features. These features would offer consumers more ways to reduce the energy consumption of their refrigerators and freezers, help lower their utility bills, and better protect the environment and the climate.

Under the new standards, Energy Star certified refrigerators and freezers will use at least 10 percent less energy than models meeting 2014 federal minimum efficiency standards. If all refrigerators and freezers sold in the United States were to meet the updated requirements, energy cost savings would grow to more than $890 million each year and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of those from more than one million vehicles. Additionally, by recycling an old refrigerator and replacing it with a new Energy Star certified refrigerator, consumers can save from $150–$1,100 on energy costs over the product’s lifetime.

“We can all do our part in meeting the challenge of climate change,” said Janet McCabe, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “By choosing Energy Star appliances, families can save energy, save money, and reduce carbon pollution.”

Certain Energy Star refrigerators and freezers with connected features will provide consumers new convenience and energy-saving opportunities. These products will allow consumers to view real-time energy use, receive energy-related messages, such as an alert when the door has been left open, and manage appliance settings remotely. Refrigerators and freezers with connected functionality will also be “smart grid”-ready, meaning that with consumer permission, they will be able to respond to utility signals, including curtailing operations during more expensive peak demand times.

To earn the Energy Star label, product performance must be certified by an EPA-recognized third party, based on testing in an EPA-recognized laboratory. The updated Energy Star refrigerator and freezer specification will go into effect on September 15, 2014.

Products, homes, and buildings that earn the Energy Star label prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency requirements set by the U.S. EPA. In 2012 alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved $24 billion on their utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to those of 50 million vehicles. To date, more than 1.4 million new homes and 20,000 facilities, including offices, schools, hospitals, and industrial plants have earned the Energy Star label. Learn more: www.energystar.gov

More information on the updated Energy Star refrigerators and freezers specification: https://www.energystar.gov/products/specs/node/125

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List of G.E. Pittsfield/Housatonic River Project Documents submitted to Repositories from June 2, 2013 through June 15, 2013

 

Documents submitted to the Berkshire Athenaeum

 

Letter (with attachments) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Richard Fisher (USEPA), June 5, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Former Oxbow Areas J and K (GECD420); Summary of May 2013 Vegetation Inspection Activities

 

Letter (with attached report) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Michael Gorski (MADEP); June 6, 2013, Re:  May 2013 Monthly Status Report; GE Pittsfield ACO/MCP Activities

 

Letter (with attachments) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Richard Fisher (USEPA), June 7, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Newell Street Area I (GECD440); Summary of May 2013 Engineered Barrier Inspection Activities

 

Letter (with attached report) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Dean Tagliaferro (USEPA) and Michael Gorski (MADEP), June 7, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Monthly Status Report Pursuant to Consent Decree May 2013 (GECD900)

 

Letter (with attachments) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Richard Fisher (USEPA), June 11, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Groundwater Management Area 1 (GECD310); Evaluation of Modifying Northside Recovery System Caisson Drawdown Level

 

Letter (with attachments) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Richard Fisher (USEPA), June 12, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Newell Street Area II (GECD450); Summary of May 2013 Inspection Activities

 

Documents submitted to the Connecticut Repositories

 

Letter (with attached report) from Richard W. Gates (GE) to Dean Tagliaferro (USEPA) and Michael Gorski (MADEP), June 7, 2013, Re:  GE-Pittsfield/Housatonic River Site; Monthly Status Report Pursuant to Consent Decree May 2013 (GECD900)

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New Hunters, Sign Up Now For Courses

from Mass Wildlife News

New hunters of all ages are reminded that it is never too early to think about taking a Basic Hunter Education Course. “Many people don’t think about enrolling in a course until September,” says Susan Langlois, DFW Hunter Education Administrator. “Unfortunately, most courses have either begun or are fully enrolled and the opportunity to hunt during the fall may disappear.” Langlois points out that courses are scheduled through much of the calendar year, including the summer, but most are offered in the spring and early fall.

First-time license buyers in Massachusetts are required to show proof that they have taken a basic hunter education course in order to purchase a hunting or sporting license. Basic Hunter Education courses are available across the state from January through October and the course calendar is periodically updated.  Or you can fill out a course notification form and you will be notified by email when a course is scheduled in your area.

Basic hunter education courses average 15 hours in length and are taught by volunteer instructors. Courses are offered in several formats including some that are scheduled over several (5-6) weekday evenings, some that are conducted during one intensive weekend and others that are a combination of weeknights and weekend days. Students must attend all scheduled sessions as part of the requirement for passing the course. All instruction and class materials are free.

Students who successfully pass the course receive a Certificate of Completion that is accepted for purchasing a Massachusetts hunting or sporting license and for Massachusetts residents 15 years old and over to apply for a firearms license with their local police departments. The certificates are also accepted for the purchase of a hunting or sporting license in all U.S. states, Canada, and Mexico. Lost your certificate from years past? You may obtain a Duplicate Certificate from the Hunter Education Program by filling out a form  or by contacting the Hunter Education office directly at (978) 772-0693.

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Appalachian Mountain Club Communications Job Opening

AMC is seeking talented and enthusiastic Conservation Communications Associate to craft and execute conservation messaging and online advocacy campaigns, including social media-based campaigns.

Please circulate the attached position description among your networks to help us find an excellent candidate with strong online communications skills and a passion for inspiring the outdoor recreation community to take action for land, water, and trails as well as air quality and energy.

The position description is attached and available online at http://www.outdoors.org/about/employment/fulltime/conservation-communications-associate.cfm

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Town of Great Barrington Job Opening: Conservation Commission Agent/Planning Tech

The Town of Great Barrington is seeking applications for the position of part-time Conservation Agent/Planning Tech. Environmental science, planning, public administration or related field education is desired. Responsibilities include advising the Conservation Commission on applications and enforcement related to the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and associated regulations and policies, knowledge of Town’s Wetlands Bylaws, and the Berkshire Scenic Mountains Act, assisting applicants with the permitting process. Serves as a member of the Town Manager’s Development Review Team reviewing issues impacting wetlands, conservation, environmental and general land use as required. Position reports to the Town Planner. Flexible schedule up to 19 hours per week with occasional night meetings. Position pays $19.38 per hour and does not include benefits. Please send cover letter and resume to: Jennifer Tabakin, Town Manager, 334 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230 or by e-mail to jtabakin@townofgb.org. Applications received by July 12, 2013 will be given first consideration.

Jennifer Tabakin
Town Manager

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