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.
Project Native Film Festival Coming to Great Barrington this weekend!
The Project Native Film Festival is bringing some of the best new environmental, award-winning films to educate, inspire, enrage and engage the public this weekend, March 12 and 13 in Great Barrington, MA. This festival is FREE and open to the public thanks to support from the Dr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation and the William Gundry Broughton Charitable Private Foundation. To create the real change necessary to heal our communities and the planet, we need the energy, creativity and enthusiasm of young people. Middle, high school and college students are encouraged to attend the festival and bring their friends.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has doubled down on its provisional final decision for the Housatonic River PCB cleanup south on Pittsfield, blasting GE for its wide-ranging rejection of the proposal. The 132-page document posted on Wednesday sets the stage for a potential, prolonged legal confrontation over the scope and cost of removing most of the likely cancer-causing chemicals from hot spots, primarily along a 10.5 mile stretch between Fred Garner Park in southeast Pittsfield and Woods Pond in Lenox. Article by Clarence Fanto in The Berkshire Eagle, March 3, 2016.
Delaware Riverkeeper Network Files Historic Lawsuit Against FERC
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network filed a lawsuit March 2 against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Filed with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the suit holds that FERC’s review and approval process for jurisdictional pipeline projects is infected by structural bias, violating Due Process rights in violation of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. DRN seeks changes to FERC’s funding structure, as well as other fundamental changes to the agency, to make it accountable and consistent with democratic governance. Press Release from Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Marcy 3, 2016.
Schumer, Gillibrand Urge FERC to Reject Proposed Permit Application for Northeast Energy Pipeline (NED) Project
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand from New York today urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject the current permit application for the Northeast Energy Pipeline (NED) pipeline project proposed by the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan. The $5 billion NED pipeline covering over 400 miles would cut through the Schoharie Valley to Albany and Rensselaer Counties in the Capital Region. It would also require compressor stations in Delaware, Schoharie and Rensselaer counties. Schumer and Gillibrand noted that at no point did Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline make a case that there is a compelling economic need for this project in New York and explained that these New Yorkers would bear all the environmental, safety, quality-of-life and health risks while receiving no benefit from the pipeline. Press Release from the Senators dated March 9, 2016.
Baker cuts spending on energy and environment
Gov. Charlie Baker’s budget for energy and the environment includes a slight reduction over current spending levels, but the administration still hopes to substantially increase the amount spent on the environment in the future, the governor’s top environmental official testified Tuesday. In an October 2014 gubernatorial candidates forum, Baker promised that within his first few years in office he would increase spending on the environment to 1 percent of the state budget. Baker’s budget proposal for fiscal 2017 includes $39.55 billion in total spending, but allocates $234.3 million for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, a less than 1 percent decrease from anticipated fiscal 2016 spending, according to Beaton. Article by Andy Metzger in The Berkshire Eagle online, March 3, 2016.
Solar farms can help protect threatened species
Jobs
Landscape Design, Installation, Maintenance, and Nursery Positions available – Helia Native Nursery and Land Design
Office Manager – Mass Audubon Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries
Seasonal Forestry Assistant – MA Dept. of Conservation and Rereation (Pittsfield)
Executive Director – Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)
Commissioner & Associate(s) – Egremont Conservation Commission
Office Manager, Part-time – BNRC
2016 Berkshire Land Conservation Summer Internships – BNRC
2016 Berkshire Trail Crew – BNRC
EPA chides GE challenge of proposed Housatonic River cleanup
By Clarence Fanto
The Berkshire Eagle
March 3, 2016
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has doubled down on its provisional final decision for the Housatonic River PCB cleanup south on Pittsfield, blasting GE for its wide-ranging rejection of the proposal.
The 132-page document posted on Wednesday sets the stage for a potential, prolonged legal confrontation over the scope and cost of removing most of the likely cancer-causing chemicals from hot spots, primarily along a 10.5 mile stretch between Fred Garner Park in southeast Pittsfield and Woods Pond in Lenox.
“EPA has afforded GE and the public an extraordinary degree of participation and input on the Rest of River cleanup decision,” wrote Bryan Olson, EPA’s director of site remediation and restoration, in a letter to the agency’s regional counsel in Boston, Carl Dierker.
Citing the government agency’s close scientific and technical scrutiny that led to the decision for a $613 million, 13-year dredging and excavation of toxic sediment and soil along the river, Olson took sharp exception to GE’s efforts to cut $380 million from the bottom line.
The company proposed saving $250 million by depositing the waste into a landfill adjacent to the Lee-Lenox Dale line near Woods Pond or another potential site off Forest Street in Lee and at Rising Pond in the Great Barrington village of Housatonic instead of shipping it to a licensed out-of-state facility, as the EPA and the state of Massachusetts require.
GE also seeks an estimated $130 million savings through a far less extensive cleanup at Woods Pond that would remove 13 percent of the PCBs instead of 89 percent, as EPA’s remedy would achieve.
Playing legal hardball against the company, Olson accused GE of challenging EPA’s intended final decision “for one reason — to reduce its costs for cleaning up its PCBs.”
He listed GE’s “attempts to justify its challenge with three main claims:”
• “GE allegedly knows better than EPA how to select a remedy in the public interest;”
• “GE is allegedly entitled to virtually total certainty and finality in the cleanup, with uncertainties and additional costs all to be borne by the public;”
• “EPA allegedly misrepresented the [Consent] Decree in requiring restoration of natural resources.”
The Consent Decree is the legal framework for the entire Housatonic cleanup approved by the U.S. District Court in Springfield in 2000.
In his letter, Olson declared that “none of these claims are justified and should be rejected. EPA’s decision thoroughly considered GE’s and others’ viewpoints, and fairly balances all the relevant factors under the decree to produce a remedy that protects the overall public interest, not just GE’s bottom line.”
He also noted that “while GE objects that the remedy is too expensive, many others have commented that the remedy should go farther in removing contaminated PCB material even if it costs more to do so.”
The most drastic approach considered but not adopted by the EPA would have cost the company about $1 billion and required 50 years to complete.
Olson depicted EPA’s remedy as “somewhere in the middle that is implementable and provides GE with a level of certainty supported by the Consent Decree without subjecting the public to unnecessary risks or costs.”
He also stated in no uncertain terms that “EPA — not GE — is in the best position to judge the appropriate level of analysis for selecting a remedy for the Rest of River that is in the public interest and protective of human health and the environment.”
Olson declared: “Now is the time for GE to step up and honor its commitment to proceed with this important cleanup.”
The executive summary of the government’s position points out that “the remedy EPA selected includes a combination of excavation and capping of PCB-contaminated material, and disposal of the material at a suitable off-site landfill.”
Noting that GE objects that off-site disposal is more expensive than on-site, the document states that the government considered and then rejected other alternatives for storing the contaminated material, including more expensive potential treatment technologies.
“GE failed to establish that any of its proposed on-site disposal locations, although cheaper, would be equally suitable compared to established off-site landfills,” the EPA document states.
The government agency also dismissed GE claims that “the outpouring of public and governmental opposition to on-site disposal is irrelevant” to the EPA final decision.
“On-site disposal is opposed by many local residents and community advocacy groups, every Berkshire County city or town along the Housatonic, and at least seven state offices within Massachusetts,” the document asserted.
The agency described the company’s effort to construct a new PCB landfill in Lee or Great Barrington as “shifting the burden and risks of PCB contamination onto the Berkshires” in a drive to save the company money.
“EPA’s experience at other cleanup sites supports the concern that coordinated opposition to on-site disposal at the Housatonic will unduly delay implementation and completion of the remedy,” the agency added.
It also argued that the Consent Decree requires public comment to be considered, adding that “public participation would be meaningless if EPA could not consider public comments when selecting a remedy.”
The EPA also notes that its final decision “may only be overturned if it is arbitrary, capricious or otherwise not in accordance with the law.”
GE made those claims in its Jan. 19 rejection of the government’s plan.
The company has a March 15 deadline for a final response to the EPA. Then, the “formal dispute resolution” case goes to Dierker, the EPA’s regional counsel.
His final decision could be appealed by GE or other stakeholders to the EPA Environmental Appeals Board in Washington, D.C. If there’s no resolution, GE or “any interested person” can file for a review by the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.
Olson’s letter was copied to two GE executives, three other EPA officials as well as to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the environmental agency in Connecticut.
Other recipients include Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer and Pittsfield Economic Development Authority Executive Director Cory Thurston.
GE discharged PCBs into the Housatonic from its electrical transformer plant in Pittsfield from 1932 to 1977, when the government found the chemical to be a likely cause of cancer and then banned its use.
Contact Clarence Fanto at 413-637-2551.
Excerpts …
Here are some additional arguments by the Environmental Protection Agency in response to GE’s rejection of its PCB cleanup plan for the Housatonic River south of Pittsfield:
• “GE seeks to permanently locate a PCB landfill along the river in an area with no known contamination where such location, by GE’s own admission, would require waiving permanently numerous environmental laws and regulations designed to protect the environment and natural resources such as wetlands, floodplains and a state-designated Area of Critical Environmental Concern.”
• “To save money, GE objects to the removal of over 285,000 cubic yards of PCB contaminated sediment from Woods Pond. Instead of removing the material and permanently eliminating the risk of transport” downstream in the event of a dam breach or failure, “GE seeks to shift the burden and risk onto the public through the shallower removal followed by capping.”
• “Clearly, the United States would not agree to a settlement that included selection of a remedy for a complex 100-mile river system without requiring any natural resources that were damaged by the cleanup to be restored. Such a hypothetical agreement would cost GE less but violates EPA practice and the terms of the Consent Decree.”
• “The proposed remedy is necessary to protect human health and the environment from PCB contamination released by GE’s Pittsfield facility. Peer-reviewed risk assessments have concluded that PCBs and other contaminants of concern pose unacceptable risks to human health and the environment in Rest of River. The remedy employs a variety of mitigation tools to remove PCBs and reduce the exposure risks, including excavating contaminated soils and sediments and isolating contaminated materials under engineered caps. In some areas, construction of the proposed remedy will have unavoidable short-term impacts, but the design of the remedy limits those impacts, particularly in habitats of sensitive species. The remedy also requires GE to restore all disturbed areas. Due in part to this restoration requirement, the long-term benefits of the remedy far outweigh the short-term impacts.”
Delaware Riverkeeper Network Files Historic Lawsuit Against FERC
Press Release from Delaware Riverkeeper Network
March 3, 2016
FERC’s PennEast Pipeline Review and Approval Process Violating Constitutional Due Process
BRISTOL, PA – The Delaware Riverkeeper Network filed a lawsuit March 2 against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Filed with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the suit holds that FERC’s review and approval process for jurisdictional pipeline projects is infected by structural bias, violating Due Process rights in violation of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. DRN seeks changes to FERC’s funding structure, as well as other fundamental changes to the agency, to make it accountable and consistent with democratic governance.
FERC is unique among the 26 agencies of the federal government in its financial structure–it recovers the full cost of its operations through charges and fees assessed on the industries it regulates. “Because FERC gets its funding from the big companies it is supposed to be monitoring, it has become, perhaps inevitably, a corrupt, rogue agency,” says Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper, leader of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. “That’s why FERC has approved 100 percent of pipeline projects—literally every single one of them—that it has considered since 1986.”
The PennEast Pipeline is a 114-mile, 36-inch diameter structure that is proposed to cut through huge swaths of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As proposed, PennEast will disturb over 2,400 acres of land, convert over 400 acres of forested land to open land, cross 234 waterbodies, and impact over 55 acres of wetlands. The PennEast pipeline would have immense impact on thousands of Americans because of FERC’s approval process, which grants the power of eminent domain and bypasses all state and local regulations.
Due process requires that an adjudicative agency be neutral in its decision-making process, the suit argues. Moreover, the Constitution not only mandates that adjudicative proceedings be free of actual bias—the Constitution also forbids the mere appearance of bias in adjudications. Since FERC is responsible for approving projects to generate all of its budgetary income, with the natural gas pipeline program being a substantial portion of its overall budget, FERC faces a conflict of interest, resulting in bias toward approving natural gas pipeline projects and impermissibly favoring pipeline company interests.
DRN is seeking a declaration that FERC engages in a biased process, one which deprives DRN and its members of its aesthetic, recreational, liberty, and/or property interests without Due Process and causes irreparable harm. Additionally, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network seeks a declaration that FERC’s reimbursement funding structure is unconstitutional; a declaration that FERC’s ability to grant the power of eminent domain is unconstitutional; and/or a declaration that FERC’s authority to preempt local and state laws with regards to natural gas pipelines is unconstitutional.
Delaware Riverkeeper Network (DRN) is a nonprofit membership organization working throughout the 4 states of the Delaware River Watershed including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and New York. DRN provides effective environmental advocacy, volunteer monitoring programs, stream restoration projects, public education, and legal enforcement of environmental protection laws.
Schumer, Gillibrand Urge FERC to Reject Proposed Permit Application for Northeast Energy Pipeline (NED) Project
Press Release dated March 9, 2016
NED Pipeline Would Cut Through Five Counties Broome, Delaware, Schoharie, Albany, and Rensselaer & The Hudson River in New York – And Three Additional States, Including Pennsylvania, Massachusetts & New Hampshire Schumer, Gillibrand: The potential long-lasting and negative environmental, quality-of-life and health impacts are clear; New Yorkers would bear all the environmental and health risks while receiving no benefit from the pipeline once it is built.
Albany, N.Y. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, today urged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reject the current permit application for the Northeast Energy Pipeline (NED) pipeline project proposed by the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan. The $5 billion NED pipeline covering over 400 miles would cut through the Schoharie Valley to Albany and Rensselaer Counties in the Capital Region. It would also require compressor stations in Delaware, Schoharie and Rensselaer counties.
“I keep an open mind on energy infrastructure projects, but in this case it seems that too many residents’ quality of life, health and safety are being compromised for a pipeline that has not demonstrated any long-term benefit to the communities it impacts. We have asked the company multiple times to consider less impactful sites for the compressor stations, and to demonstrate the benefits to New Yorkers, but they have failed to satisfactorily address either concern,” said Senator Schumer. “So I am urging FERC to reject the permit application because this proposed pipeline would result in New Yorkers bearing all the environmental, security, quality-of-life and health risks while receiving none of the benefits from the pipeline.”
“The NED pipeline represents a redundant expansion of natural gas infrastructure in New York State,” said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee. “The potential impacts to the communities and their residents along the proposed route far outweigh any stated benefit. It remains unclear if NYS rate payers will ever benefit from this proposal, but what is clear, the health, safety and quality of life of hundreds of New Yorkers could forever be altered.”
Last April, Schumer and Gillibrand called on the FERC to expand the range of the scoping meetings to include communities that are also impacted by the compressor stations, valve stations and meter stations. In the beginning community meetings were held only where the pipeline would be positioned. Residents in these meetings all expressed serious concerns of the project; these concerns were also addressed in hundreds of calls and letters to the senators.
In their letter, the senators explained the proposed project represents a redundant expansion of industrial natural gas infrastructure on a route that travels from Pennsylvania and through a number of rural communities in New York State in Broome, Delaware, Schoharie, Albany, and Rensselaer Counties. Schumer and Gillibrand noted that at no point did Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline make a case that there is a compelling economic need for this project in New York and explained that these New Yorkers would bear all the environmental, safety, quality-of-life and health risks while receiving no benefit from the pipeline. Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company officially filed its formal application last November.
Full text of the senators’ joint letter is included below:
Dear Chairman Bay:
We write to express our opposition to the Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline (NED) (Docket No. PF14-22-000) project proposed by the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, and request that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) reject the current permit application for construction of this project.
The NED Pipeline project represents a redundant expansion of industrial natural gas infrastructure on a route that travels from Pennsylvania and through a number of rural communities in New York State in Broome, Delaware, Schoharie, Albany, and Rensselaer Counties, which will bear all the impact and risk, while receiving little to no benefit from this project. Since the announcement of this project, our offices have received comments from community leaders, advocacy groups and individuals all who have legitimate concerns about the safety and potentially negative environmental impacts of the proposed pipeline and associated infrastructure. Most specifically, the gas compressors stations proposed for Rensselaer and Schoharie counties, have the potential to negatively impact air quality,public health, and the quality of life currently being enjoyed in these communities.
The overwhelmingly negative feedback we have received from the public during scoping sessions hosted by FERC, and community meetings hosted by Kinder Morgan, has made it clear that this project, both the construction of the pipeline and building of these compressor stations in New York, does not have the support of our constituents. The proposed infrastructure would disrupt the lives of hundreds of New Yorkers, many who rely on the land for their livelihoods and have resided in and contributed to these communities for generations. At no point has it been made clear that there is a compelling economic need for this project in our state, however, the potential for long lasting environmental and health impacts is clear. It is for these reasons that we must express our opposition to this project and ask FERC to consider alternatives to this proposal.
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand
United States Senator
Baker cuts spending on energy and environment
By Andy Metzger
The Berkshire Eagle online
March 3, 2016
Gov. Charlie Baker’s budget for energy and the environment includes a slight reduction over current spending levels, but the administration still hopes to substantially increase the amount spent on the environment in the future, the governor’s top environmental official testified Tuesday. In an October 2014 gubernatorial candidates forum, Baker promised that within his first few years in office he would increase spending on the environment to 1 percent of the state budget. Baker’s budget proposal for fiscal 2017 includes $39.55 billion in total spending, but allocates $234.3 million for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, a less than 1 percent decrease from anticipated fiscal 2016 spending, according to Beaton.
Environmental advocates calculate that spending on environmental program in Baker’s budget would total less than 0.6 percent of the overall budget. Questioned Tuesday by Rep. Paul Brodeur, a Melrose Democrat, about the timeline for achieving a 1 percent level of spending, Beaton demurred, but said the goal remains.
“One percent for the environment for the commonwealth is still a goal. It is still I believe a tangible, achievable goal,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton told members of the House and Senate Ways and Means committees.
Beaton said the executive office saved money through early retirements and the budget would consolidate human resources departments within the various agencies under his authority, offering a standard level of human resources services throughout the secretariat.
Erica Mattison, legislative director for Environmental League of Massachusetts, which backs the increase in environmental spending, said in a statement, “Secretary Beaton also painted a rosy picture about the state of Massachusetts environmental agencies, but if you look at the numbers, they tell a different story.”
“While it’s good to hear that development permits are getting out the door in a timely fashion, the environmental advocacy community is concerned that other responsibilities, such as monitoring and enforcement, which are important for natural resource protection and safeguarding public health, are lagging,” Mattison said in a statement. She cited a 20 percent cut to the state parks and recreation line item compared to what the Legislature passed in fiscal 2016.
Beaton also touted the success in reopening and improving Massasoit State Park in Taunton, a resource he highlighted during last year’s budget hearing.
The budget, which has yet to be taken up by the House or Senate, would add $950,000 for parks and recreation, increase the amount of retained revenue available for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and spends an additional $908,000 for five additional Department of Public Utilities staffers to manage compliance with a 2014 gas pipe leak law.
“We have the most aggressive pipe-replacement plan in the United States,” said Department of Public Utilities Chairwoman Angela O’Connor. O’Connor told the News Service, the utilities’ plans call for complete replacement of pipe infrastructure within 20 to 25 years, while the national average is “closer to 50” years.
The law was intended to reduce sometimes dangerous and environmentally harmful leaks of natural gas.
Beaton said that employees who should be funded through the operating budget continue to be paid through the debt-financed capital budget, but the administration is working to correct that.
There are about 130 operations employees funded through the capital budget throughout the secretariat, according to Eric Rebello, chief financial officer for Energy and Environmental Affairs. He said when those employees depart, new employees are hired through the operating budget.
Asked the timeline for moving the employees off the capital budget, Beaton told the News Service, “As soon as possible.”
Solar farms can help protect threatened species
Jobs
Landscape Design, Installation, Maintenance, and Nursery Positions Available – Helia Native Nursery & Land Design
We specialize in Native Plants, Ecological Landscape Design, Wildflower Meadows, Site Restoration, Edible and Fine Gardens.
We are expanding and currently have full time openings in the following positions:
Landscape Design – The right candidate will have a strong background, full knowledge and experience in site surveying, base mapping and design, autoCAD and SketchUP, with a good knowledge of plants, especially natives. You must be energetic, hardworking, physically fit and a positive team-oriented person.
Installation Manager – We are looking for a full time, energetic, hardworking, physically fit, positive, and team-oriented person to join our landscape installation team and manage installation jobs. Experience with native plants, garden installation, small machinery, stone work and maintenance is preferred.
Garden Maintenance – Come join our full time fine garden maintenance team. We are looking for energetic, hardworking, physically fit, positive, and team-oriented people to join our team.
Please call 413-274-1400 to apply or email your resume to helialanddesign@gmail.com.
Office Manager – Mass Audubon Berkshire Wildlife Sanctuaries
Mass Audubon is seeking an Office Manager to join our Berkshire Sanctuaries team. The position is based at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox, MA.
Responsibilities
- Perform a variety of office management and administrative duties;
- Manage all financial data including invoice payment, receivables, budget reconciliations, gifts and cash receipts;
- Develop marketing and publicity materials including social media, print pieces, e-newsletter, posters and press releases;
- Oversee online program registrations;
- Greet visitors, answer phones and provide trail information to visitors;
- Work with Mass Audubon headquarters staff to implement statewide initiatives for membership and information security;
- Manage and market facility rental program;
- Manage occasional fundraising or other events;
- Supervise maintenance of office equipment including printers, copiers, and phone system;
- Supervise visitor services staff;
- Manage Canoe Meadows Community Gardens registration;
- Manage Pleasant Valley Day Camp registration;
- Occasional weekend hours for special events;
- Attendance at 2-3 statewide Mass Audubon A-team meetings per year, required;
- Other duties as required.
Qualifications
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
- Excellent interpersonal and customer relations skills;
- Exceptional attention to detail and a highly organized approach;
- Ability to work both collaboratively and independently;
- Ability to manage a wide variety of tasks
- High proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher);
- Basic skills in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop and InDesign) desirable;
- Experience managing social media and electronic newsletters;
- BA or equivalent experience;
- A sense of humor is welcome;
- Valid drivers license
- Must pass a background record check (CORI, SORI and driver’s).
How to Apply
Please email your resume and cover letter with the subject “Office Manager Position” to:
Seasonal Forestry Assistant – MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (Pittsfield)
About the Department of Conservation and Recreation: The Department of Conservation and Recreation manages one of the largest and most diverse state parks systems in the nation and protects and enhances natural resources and outdoor recreational opportunities throughout Massachusetts. DCR is a dynamic agency, and is one of the largest park systems in the nation. The DCR system includes over 450,000 acres of parks, forests, water supply protection lands, beaches, lakes, ponds, playgrounds, swimming pools, skating rinks, trails and parkways.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation seeks qualified applicants for the position Seasonal Forestry Assistant. Seasonal positions may be subject to the recall process and will be filled in accordance with collective bargaining agreements, positions not filled using this process will be interviewed for.
Duties: Forestry Assistants work outdoors in all types of weather; work in isolated areas; may be exposed to the hazards of power tools and equipment such as chainsaws and hoists and travel for job related purposes.
Assists in the preparation of forest management plans designed to provide water supply protection; assists in the interpretation of aerial photos, GPS and GIS data, and other cartographic work regarding forests; assists in the inventory of natural resources and the establishment and maintenance of state forest boundary lines.
Assists in planning and supervision of timber stand improvement work by state forest crews and private contractors.
Assists in the sale of wood products including preparing silvicultural prescriptions, minimizing adverse environmental impacts of harvesting, and ensuring contractual compliance by private contractors.
Cooperates with state and municipal authorities during emergencies and natural disasters such as forest fires, wind or ice storms, and insect infestations.
Performs related duties such as maintaining records and attending staff meetings.
Specific Duties:
- Collecting forest inventory data (CFI) including tree measurements, forest assessment, forest understory assessment, and coarse woody debris measurement.
- Processing forest inventory data with a computer.
POSITION INFORMATION:
Position: (2) Seasonal Forestry Assistant
Position 1 Location: Pittsfield Regional Office, 740 South Street Pittsfield, MA 01202
Position 2 Location: Amherst Field Office, 40 Cold Storage Drive, Amherst, MA 01004
Start Date: April 3, 2016
End Date: November 4, 2016
Qualifications:
Minimum Entrance Requirements:
Applicants must have at least (A) one year of full-time, or equivalent part-time experience in forestry or natural resource management, or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.
Substitutions:
- An Associate’s or higher degree with a major in forestry or forestry management may be substituted for the required
experience.*
*Education toward such a degree will be. prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.
Special Requirements: Possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Class D Motor Vehicle Operator’s License
This requisition will remain open until filled; however, first consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 day
Minimum Entrance Requirements:
Applicants must have at least (A) one year of full-time, or equivalent part-time experience in forestry or natural resource management, or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.
Substitutions:
- An Associate’s or higher degree with a major in forestry or forestry management may be substituted for the required experience.*
*Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.
Special Requirements: Possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Class D Motor Vehicle Operator’s License.
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Schedule: Full-time
Number of Openings: 2
Salary: 1,547.60 Biweekly
If you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator:: Agatha Summons Maguire – 617-626-1282
Bargaining Unit: 09-MOSES – Engineers/Scientists
Executive Director – Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC)
CTIC OPENS SEARCH FOR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The board of directors of the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) is searching for a new executive director as Karen A. Scanlon moves to another opportunity at Dairy Management. Inc., where she’ll be helping to support the sustainability and social responsibility initiatives of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.
“We’re sad to see her leave CTIC, but are delighted that Karen has found an exciting new role in the agricultural sustainability space,” said Alan Ayers of Bayer CropScience, CTIC board chair. “Karen has done a great job and has been very successful in moving this organization to new heights, which will ease the transition into new leadership.”
“CTIC has grown significantly in size and scope under Karen’s tenure, becoming a key source of insight on conservation systems, cover crops, nutrient management and economic sustainability for farmers,” Ayers added. “CTIC’s Conservation in Action Tours have set the bar for connecting conservation-oriented people with each other and with the innovative farming systems on the ground. Additionally, the organization has dramatically increased its collaborative projects to become even more effective in building local capacity and championing conservation farming.”
A search committee has begun seeking an experienced leader and manager who can step into a vibrant organization with a dedicated staff and diverse lineup of projects and programs. Candidates for the executive director position should review the job description and contact the CTIC search committee at CTIC@CTIC.ORG. For more information on CTIC, visit www.ctic.org.
Summer Internships – Williams College
Summer Internships on Campus, Berkshire area & U.S. – Also: Summer Internship Funding: Check out dozens of campus and local environmental internships, all eligible for summer funding: Campus Emissions Research, Hopkins Forest Caretakers, Environmental Education, Sheep Hill environmental education, Farm Market/Ag research, Clark Art landscape internship, Environmental Analysis Lab, Hoosic River Watershed Association, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, and more…
http://ces.williams.edu/category/summer-jobs/
National/Global Summer Internships:
Dozens of enviro internships and research positions in the US, many developed specificallyby CES alumnae for Williams students HERE
CES Summer Funding for internships and research information and application form here.
Deadline: March 10 (second deadline: April 8).
Position required to apply for funding.
Commissioner & Associate(s) – Egremont Conservation Commission
Egremont Conservation Commission is seeking an additional Commissioner to join the Commission (about 2-4 hours per week, need not be an Egremont resident), and one or more Associates (non-voting position, flexible, could be suitable for high school student or recent graduate). Both positions offer opportunities to learn more about our local wetlands and ecosystems, to provide a needed public service, and/or to build your resume. Some training may be available.
For more information please email concom@egremont-ma.gov.
Office Manager, Part-time –
Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC)
Berkshire Natural Resources Council, a private, non-profit land trust based in Pittsfield, MA, seeks an energetic and organized person to become its Office Manager. The Office Manager supports BNRC’s programming as it pursues an ambitious conservation vision for the Berkshires.
Duties of the position include general clerical work and maintenance of accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank reconciliations, financial statements, and insurance policies. Proficiency in Quickbooks required; familiarity with real estate transactions is a plus. 20 hours per week with some flexibility; competitive salary. Send resume to Sally Cornwell, BNRC, 20 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201 or scornwell@bnrc.net. No phone calls, please.
2016 Berkshire Land Conservation Summer Internships –
Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC)
Berkshire Natural Resources Council (www.bnrc.net), a private, non-profit land trust based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is offering its 2016 Rice Fellowship to individuals exploring a career in the environmental field.
The internship dates are May 16 to September 2, with flexibility on both ends.
The 40-hour/week fellowship provides a stipend and lodging in a rustic cabin on Onota Lake in Pittsfield. There is a mix of approximately 90/10 field/office work. Fellows will gain valuable experience in resource management at a successful environmental organization while performing meaningful work in the Berkshires. BNRC is a small organization (staff of seven) unburdened by administrative formality. Rice Fellows enjoy an unusual level of independence compared with many internships; a large amount of self-motivation is required.
Responsibilities
- Public outreach (e.g., leading hikes and coordinating events)
- Land management
- Trail maintenance and construction
- Conservation restriction stewardship
- Invasive plant control
- Boundary work
- Other land management tasks as required
Requirements
- Ability to work unsupervised
- Comfort with being alone in the woods
- Ability to carry a 30 pound pack for 10 miles over rough terrain
- Willingness to work outside in all weather conditions
- Solid communication skills
- Personal transportation required
Fellows will gain:
- Trail-building skills
- Leadership skills
- Understanding of conservation restrictions
- Orienteering and boundary maintenance skills
- Understanding of ecological restoration theory and practice
- Basic understanding of land management techniques and challenges for land conservation
Interviews will begin on February 16, 2016. Please feel free to contact with questions or for more information. Applicants should email cover letter, résumé, and contact information for three references to:
Michael Leavitt, mleavitt@bnrc.net, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, 20 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201. (413) 499-0596
2016 Berkshire Trail Crew –
Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC)
Berkshire Natural Resources Council (www.bnrc.net), a private, non-profit land trust based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is hiring 2 trail crew members for the 2016 season.
The season runs from May 31 to September 2 with some flexibility on both ends.
BNRC maintains more than 50 miles of trail, with more to be built in 2016. Trail crew members will work with the Trails and Outreach Coordinator to maintain existing trails and construct new ones. The crew will work with and alongside youth and professional trail crews. Some backcountry camping may be required. Members must have a high level of self-motivation, as the crew will often work without supervision. An hourly wage and free housing in a rustic cabin on Onota Lake in Pittsfield is provided. A head trail crew position is available for the right applicant.
Responsibilities
- Trail maintenance and construction
- Work with youth and professional trail crews
- Public outreach (e.g., leading hikes, communicating with hikers, etc.)
- Other stewardship/management tasks as needed
Requirements
- Experience with hand tools required
- Trail crew experience preferred
- Ability to work unsupervised
- Comfort with being alone in the woods
- Ability to carry a 50-pound pack for 5 miles over rough terrain
- Willingness to work outside in all weather conditions
- Experience working with youth preferred
- Personal transportation required
Head Trail Crew Position Requirements
- Trail Crew experience required
- Leadership experience preferred
Interviews will begin on February 16, 2015. Please feel free to contact with questions or for more information. Applicants should email cover letter, résumé, and contact information for three references to:
Michael Leavitt, mleavitt@bnrc.net, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, 20 Bank Row, Pittsfield, MA 01201. (413) 499-0596