The BEAT News
October 17, 2006

Plans to develop Great Barrington Fairgrounds re-emerge 10/16

The next step in the developer - F Group's plans could be submitted in about a month. F Group, whose lead local attorney is Phillip Heller of Lenox, has said that the plans will remain about the same as their previous submission, that the Secretary of Environmental Affairs decided would require the submission of a Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). Mr. Heller said F Group would begin with the town's Conservation Commission, Planning Board, and Board of Selectmen. According to the Berkshire Record (10/13-10/19/06) this would be the largest mixed-use development in the county.

BEAT will watch this process carefully. Nearly the entire area is at least floodplain. We are concerned about the Mean Annual High-Water line being accurately determined. If you take the highest level the river reaches each year, and then take the average of those, you determine the MAHW line. More practically, the line is determined by looking at the surrounding vegetation for undercuts on banks or high water marks on trees. Where ever the MAHW line is determined to be, that is where the edge of the river is, and where the 200 foot River Front Area is measured from.

For more on this project see BEAT's Great Barrington Fairgrounds page.

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Pittsfield "Green Drinks" Gathering Scheduled 10/17

The first Pittsfield "Green Drinks" will be held at the Brew Works, 34 Depot Street in Pittsfield. The inaugural gathering will take place on October 17th beginning at 5:15 p.m. and every third Tuesday of the month there after. It is co- sponsored by the Center for Ecological Technology (CET) and the Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT).

What is Green Drinks? Green Drinks is an international forum where people who work in the environmental field meet for a beer and snacks at informal sessions. There will be a lively mix of people from Non-profit organizations, academia, government and business.

Green Drinks is a great way of catching up with people you know and for making new contacts. These networking events are very simple and unstructured. Come along and you'll be made welcome.

CET & BEAT look forward to seeing you there. There are also Green Drinks in Great Barrington on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:15 pm at the Barrington Brewery, and in Northampton on the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Northampton Brewery.

For more information about Pittsfield Green Drinks, contact Jamie Cahillane at CET (413-445-4556 ext. 14) or Jane Winn at BEAT (jane@thebeatnews.org or 413-230-7321).

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Wildlife Passage Feasibility Workshop 10/21
from MassLand Trust e-newsletter

The public is invited to participate in a Saturday afternoon workshop on
October 21, 2006 to review and comment on the Walden Passage Feasibility
Study. The workshop will take place at 2 PM at the Concord Carlisle High
School cafeteria, 500 Walden Street, in Concord MA. This workshop is the
first of three planned over the next nine months to encourage public comment
and review of the project, and to present and discuss potential wildlife
crossing sites and designs.

State highways with high traffic volumes, such as Massachusetts Route 2
represent a significant barrier for wildlife. The loss of habitat
connectivity caused by roads disrupts the natural movement of wildlife and
causes physical isolation, increased wildlife mortality, and traffic hazards
for drivers. In order to mitigate the effect of major highways on wildlife,
ecologists, landscape architects, and engineers have joined together in
projects across the United States and Europe to help wildlife gain safe
passage across roads. The stretch of Route 2 between Crosby Corner and the
Sudbury River is currently under consideration for a combined wildlife and
pedestrian overpass.

Habitat connectivity is not only important for wildlife - it is also
important for humans who benefit from the opportunity to travel through a
series of connected and protected "green" spaces. This study will examine a
wildlife passage structure that crosses over the road, accommodating both
humans and wildlife. The possible siting of a wildlife/human passage in the
study area has cultural as well as ecological significance. Thousands of
people visit the area annually to see and learn about Henry David Thoreau,
and to hike the Bay Circuit Trail. Thus, this project has the real potential
for regional, national and international recognition.

The project was initially proposed by the Walden Woods Project in 2004 and
is currently being managed by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC),
the Regional Planning Council for the Boston Metropolitan region. The study
is funded by the Federal Highway Administration's Transportation Community
and System Preservation Program (TCSP). The MAPC has contracted with an
interdisciplinary team of UMass Amherst faculty and graduate research
assistants to examine the feasibility of establishing a wildlife and
pedestrian overpass. The project team includes experts in: wildlife
biology, conservation planning, landscape architecture, landscape history,
and engineering.

The UMass team will conduct the public meeting and manage a Web site with
information about the project.

Contact Information
Dr. Jack Ahern, Project Leader, Department of Landscape Architecture and
Regional Planning
109 Hills South, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA 01003
Phone: 413 545 6632
Email: jfa@larp.umass.edu

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New Climate Change Report for the Northeast

Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast was released October 4. This 30-page report of the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment (NECIA) outlines the findings of new state-of-the-art research on recent and projected changes in our regional climate-from rising temperatures to reduced snow cover, increased sea level, and more extreme weather events. NECIA is a collaboration between a team of more than forty independent experts and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).

The findings are striking. Summers in Massachusetts could resemble ones in South Carolina if emissions continue unabated. Cities and urban areas are particularly affected by increasing temperatures. In Boston, the number of days per year over 90 degrees Fahrenheit could increase from today's average of 10 to over 60 days by the end of the century.

While some warming is inevitable, the most severe consequences for our region and state can be avoided if we begin reducing global warming emissions now. Choices made in the Northeast alone, of course, cannot determine our climate future; but as a global leader in technology, finance and innovation, and as a major source of carbon dioxide emissions, the Northeast is well-positioned to spur global progress with our own committed action-solutions that correspond to the urgency of the problem.

Using new state-of-the-art research on recent and projected changes in the Northeast’s regional climate, the study finds that without strong leadership and action, by late-century:

• Northeast winters could warm by eight to 12 degrees Fahrenheit and summers by six to nearly 14 degrees.
• The length of the region’s winter snow season could be cut in half.
• The frequency of short-term droughts could increase significantly.
• Sea-level could rise from eight inches to as much three feet.
• Many Northeast cities can expect about 25 days per year over 100 degrees. (Currently, Northeast cities experience this type of heat only once or twice a year.)

The report provides an accessible overview of these new climate findings and outlines what we can do to reduce global warming pollution from energy use, vehicles, and buildings and industry. Reducing heat-trapping emissions is the most important step to curbing the rate and extent of climate change.

To learn more about the report’s findings, view interactive maps and charts from the study, and see how you can reduce global warming pollution in your every day life--check out the new UCS Climate Choices website for the northeast .

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Global Warming's First Victim? 10/16

Frogs have made the cover of international Newsweek issues this week. They are not on the US issue due to coverage of other issues. It is a shame because this is an important story with a beautiful photo. Follow the link for the international cover photo and full story.

Why the Frogs Are Dying

Climate change is no longer merely a matter of numbers from a computer model. With startling swiftness, it is reordering the natural world.

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Partnerships to Conserve Open Space in Rural America
from MassLand Trust e-newsletter

The USDA Forest Service has released a publication on open space
conservation titled Cooperating Across Boundaries: Partnerships to Conserve
Open Space in Rural America.

Who should read this publication:
County and municipal officials, landowners, State and Federal agencies,
non-profit organizations, private companies, citizens, and others interested
in conserving rural open space.

Purpose of the Document:
Encourage cross-boundary partnerships to strategically conserve open space
across the landscape. Share research on the importance of open space and how
growth trends may affect the benefits these lands provide to society. Offer
Forest Service resources and information to help communities balance growth
and conservation.

This Document includes:
* Key Research findings from Forest Service and other researchers.
* Case studies of how communities across the US are conserving open space
and guiding growth in rural areas.
* Examples and highlights of how the Forest Service can help.

The report discusses the impact of rural development on open space and how
its loss affects forestry. It also highlights the responsibilities of
landowners and local elected officials to work together to find solutions
and meet the challenges of open space conservation.

The Forest Service plans to conduct a series of listening sessions this fall
to gather ideas and input on efforts to conserve open space. Download a copy of the
report (pdf).

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New Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Atlas Available
from MassLand Trust e-newsletter

The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program (NHESP) of the
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife has released the newest
Massachusetts Natural Heritage Atlas, which displays regulatory habitats of
endangered species. The Natural Heritage Atlas shows boundaries of 'Priority
Habitats,' for use with the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act
regulations, and 'Estimated Habitats,' for use with the Wetlands Protection
Act regulations. Unless certain exemptions apply, proponents of all projects
or activities within delineated Priority Habitats are required to file their
project plans with MassWildlife's NHESP for review. This 12th Edition of the
Atlas is the product of a multi-year updating and improvement of Priority
Habitat and Estimated Habitat boundaries across the state to reflect the
most recent endangered species data, the latest in scientific understanding
of species biology and habitat requirements, and the newest GIS technology
and data.

To view the revised Priority Habitats and Estimated Habitats, you can:

* Purchase a copy of the 12th Edition of the Natural Heritage Atlas with
187 pages of full-color, 11² x 17² maps covering the entire state or a copy
of the Natural Heritage Atlas CD Viewer, which provides statewide coverage
of Priority Habitats and Estimated Habitats using the MassGIS Data Viewer
software. Order form (pdf)

* View the large Priority Habitat and Estimated Habitat maps that have been
sent to the Conservation Commission and Planning Board of each town or city
in Massachusetts with such habitats.

* Use the interactive web viewer.

* Download the Priority Habitat and Estimated Habitat GIS datalayers from
MassGIS for use with GIS software.

For more information about the new Natural Heritage Atlas or about
endangered species regulations and project review, contact MassWildlife's
Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program at 508/792-7270 x200 or email
natural.heritage@state.ma.us

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"Connections" - New DCR Greenways & Trails E-Newsletter
from MassLand Trust e-newsletter

Welcome to Connections, a new electronic newsletter from the Department of
Conservation and Recreation's Greenways and Trails Program. The purpose of
Connections is to provide greenways and trails constituents in Massachusetts
with updated information about DCR's grants and programs, but also to
describe innovative tools, share success stories and serve as a forum for
issues relating to greenways and trails development and management in our
state. Ideally, Connections will help strengthen the network of individuals
and organizations working to create a network of greenways and trails that
will eventually connect the residents of Massachusetts to each other, to our
communities and to our remarkable landscape.

To subscribe, email paul.jahnige@state.ma.us

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King Street Dump comment period will be extended

On September 14, 2006 the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Bureau of Solid Waste (BSW) released their Provisional Comprehensive Site Assessment (CSA) Review, King Street Dump, Pittsfield , Massachusetts. (pages 1-6 and pages 7-14 ) Although CSAs are not usually provisional, DEP BSW knew BEAT and other environmental groups wanted to review and possibly comment on the CSA, so they issued the CSA as provisional to allow us a chance to review the document.

BEAT did not feel that 21 days was enough time to review DEP's Provisional CSA Review, so BEAT has been talking with DEP BSW. They have offered to extend the comment period by 30 days.

BEAT's comments will include a request that other alternatives be analyzed, including complete removal of all the fill and removal of a wide band of fill to form a restored wetland between the dump and the river. This could have the added benefit of reducing flooding at Wahconah Park.

BEAT will be working closely with the Housatonic River Initiative to identify other areas in the Dump that should be tested for PCBs.

BEAT thinks all the abutters should have been notified as well as anyone who has commented in the past. We will be working with the other environmental groups to try to reach out to anyone who is interested in the King Street Dump to help them get information or make comments. If you have questions please email Jane@thebeatnews.org or call 413-230-7321.

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Mt. Greylock roads to be fixed - UPDATE 10/11

In September, new plans were submitted by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation for rebuilding the roads up to the summit of Mount Greylock. On October 11, 2006 the Secretary issued a Certificate (pdf) finding that the project change does NOT require an Environmental Impact Report. The certificate does point out that both electrical lines and a sewer line will be installed within the road bed during this repair job, but will be capped at both ends. Nothing was submitted to show any planned use of these utilities. Any further connection to these lines would require a new notice. [Go to BEAT's Environmental Monitor notice page]

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Save energy and money - computer tips

--A single computer with monitor running 8 hours a day, 5 days a week consumes approximate 850 KWH per year at a local cost of about $60. Activation of the power management features built into your computer can save up to 80% of that energy and cost.
http://pmdb.cadmusdev.com/powermanagement/quickCalc.html
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_management

--Limit screen-saver use. A screen saver does not save energy. In fact, more often than not, a screen saver not only will draw power for the monitor, but also will keep the CPU from shutting down. You can set your computer to go from screen-saver to sleep mode.
http://www.nrel.gov/sustainable_nrel/energy_saving.html

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