The BEAT News

April 9, 2010

In the News

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Environmental Monitor
Public Notices Alphabetically by town
The BEAT News Archives

Advocacy News (Includes how to reach your legislators)

DEP Enforcement Actions In The Berkshire

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Help Wanted - Turtle Crossing Monitor Miner Rd, Lanesborough

Hi all,
BEAT is looking for someone to survey the area near the bridge on Miner Road in Lanesborough 4 times this year looking for turtles.        1.) once during the last week of May,  2.) once during the second week of June,   3.) once during the last week of June,  4.) once during the first two weeks of Sept.    We will hold a training for all Turtle Watchers in mid-May. Please let Jane know if you'd like to help either at Miner Road or another location. We are developing quite a list of volunteers for this project.

Jane
jane@thebeatnews.org
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40th Anniversary EarthDay Celebration Activities in the Berkshires (through May 15th)

April ongoing

Plant Sale - The Berkshire Conservation District is proud to offer a wide variety of tree seedlings, ground covers, flowering shrubs, and perennials for spring planting. Most trees and shrubs are sold dormant, bare root and hardy. Info at: http://www.berkshireconservation.org/plantsale.html.

April 9 

Stephen Petronio: I Drink the Air Before Me – 8pm
Hunter Center, MASS MoCA, North Adams
Stephen Petronio celebrates his company’s 25th Anniversary Season with this dynamic and elemental work inspired by the power of extreme weather and storms, both atmospheric and internal. Widely regarded as one of the leading choreographers of his generation, sound, visual art and fashion collide in Petronio's dances to produce powerfully modern landscapes for the senses. Co-presented with Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Galleries open until 7:30 PM on Saturday. Tickets $38 orch/$32 mezz/$20 students.

April 10

Go green at Little Red – 9am to noon
The Little Red Schoolhouse on Route 7 in South Williamstown, home of the nonprofit Williamstown Cooperative Nursery School, is holding an Earth Day recycling event. The public is invited to bring cans and bottles that can be redeemed for deposit to the school. The cans and bottles will be brought to the Northern Berkshire Container Redemption Center to benefit the preschool. The public also is invited to bring gently used children's clothing and toys as well as household items (no appliances please) for Little Red's upcoming tag sale on May 1. The school also will serve as a drop-off site for the Center for Ecological Technology's 15th annual Textile Drive, where people can bring adult clothing as well as blankets, gloves, socks, paired shoes and winter boots, sheets, towels and curtains. (Rugs, carpeting and pillows will not be accepted.) Clothing collected will be resold when possible or recycled, and donations will support CET's environmental programs. In addition, Williamstown's COOL Committee, a group of volunteers from Williamstown working to implement the town’s Climate Action Plan, will have an informational table and activity for children. Info at 413-458-8668.

April 12

Garbage Docs: NO IMPACT MAN – 7:30 p.m. - Images Cinema
Author Colin Beavan leaves behind his liberal complacency for a vow to make as little environmental impact as possible for one year. No more automated transportation, no more electricity, no more non-local food, no more material consumption…no problem. That is, until his espresso-guzzling, retail-worshipping wife Michelle and their two year-old daughter are dragged into the fray. "The value of No Impact Man, a compelling and suitably exasperating documentary about one family’s attempt to not harm the environment for a year, is that it forces viewers to reflect on their own casual consumption and waste."-THE ONION A.V. CLUB. “Garbage Docs” is supported in part in part with a grant from the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

April 15

Climate Change Avatars: Virtual Bodies in the Fight for the The Future – 7:30 p.m.
WIlliams College, Paresky Student Center
Eban Goodstein '82 is the Director of the Bard Center for Environmental Policy and CoFounder of the National Teach-In on Global Warming Solutions. Goostein is the author of the college textbookEconomics and the Environment, and The Trade-off Myth: Fact and Fiction about Jobs and the Environment. Sponsored by the 1960s Scholars Program in Environmental Studies.

Friday April 16

Who says buying local food can’t be easy? - 12:00 p.m., The Log, Spring Street, WIlliams College Center for Environmental Studies
Environmental Studies Log Lunch presentation by Alejandro de Onis, Director of Business Development, and Tom Haskins-Vaughan, Director of Application Development, Harvest Cloud. Lunch $4. Reservations: 597-2346 or szepka@williams.edu. All are welcome.

April 17

Discover Life in a Vernal Pool - , 10AM – 12NOON
Bartholomew’s cobble, Weatogue Rd., Sheffield, 413.229.8600
Trustees of Reservations naturalist, Rene Wendell, will explore a shallow spring pond, enjoying a hands-on search for the egg masses of wood frogs, spotted salamanders, and many other forms of life. Expect to get wet and muddy! Members: Adult/Child $4; Family $10. Nonmembers: Adult/Child $6; Family $15. Please pre-register.

April 19

Garbage Docs: Garbage Warrior – 7:30 p.m. - Images Cinema Williamstown
For 30 years New Mexico-based Reynolds and his green disciples have devoted their time to advancing the art of "Earthship Biotecture" by building self-sufficient, off-the-grid communities where design and function converge in eco-harmony. However, these experimental structures that defy state standards create conflict between Reynolds and the authorities. When communities are devastated by tsunamis and hurricanes. Reynolds and his crew seize the opportunity to lend their pioneering skills to those who need it most. Shot over three years and in four countries, Garbage Warrior is a timely portrait of a determined visionary, a hero of the 21st century. “Garbage Docs” is supported in part in part with a grant from the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

 

April 19-29

Earth Day Art Show – 9am-4pm except on April 22, open till 9pm – Lenox Town Hall
High School student sculptures and art work using recycled materials from our daily lives and Elementary school students’ works on the theme of environmental stewardship and responsibility featured in the auditorium and town foyer.  Come view their work and take the lenox unplugged pledge, showing your commitment to your community and its energy challenges. Sponsored by Lenox unplugged and the Lenox Public Schools.

April 20

Falconry and the Medieval World 1 p.m. in the Theater
Featuring six species of live birds of prey, learn how these amazing animals were used for both sport and warfare by man. See how these birds hunt from above and use the element of surprise to capture their prey.
Free with Museum admission. Call 413.443.7171 ext.17 for more information.

Feeding our Schoolchildren: Slow Food and the Food Revolution – 7:00 p.m. Brooks Rogers Recital Hall
Joshua Viertel, President of Slow Food USA, has made significant contributions to the sustainable food movement in the past as a teacher, farmer, and activist, and, for the past six years, as a co-founder and co-director of the Yale Sustainable Food Project. At Yale, Viertel oversaw the University’s transition to a local sustainable food program, created and managed an organic farm on campus, and built educational and academic programming around food and agriculture. Under his leadership, the Yale Sustainable Food Project has earned a reputation as a leader in the national and international sustainable food movement.

April 21

Spring Walk & Talk at Springside, 5PM walk, 7PM talk
Springside Park, Rt. 7, Pittsfield, 413.298.3239 x3003
Join Trustees of Reservations naturalist Rene Wendell for a 5pm guided walk to some wonderful stands of bloodroot and trillium along the trails of Springside Park, or join him for the 7pm slide show about spring wildflowers. FREE. Cosponsored by the Springside Greenhouse committee.

Earth Day – April 22

Firefly Watch Citizen Science program – Berkshire Museum
12:30-1:30PM- Firefly craft activity in Berkshire Backyard Gallery
1:30-2:30PM- Firefly Watch Citizen Science Training in the Theater
Fireflies have been a part of the magic of summer for countless generations and they are disappearing, learn how you can help scientists figure out why. Celebrate Earth Day at the Berkshire Museum as we team up with the Boston Museum of Science and help scientists study and track one of the world’s most fascinating insects. Free with Museum admission Call 413.443.7171 ext. 17 for more information.

Earth Day Eco-Volunteers = 9AM – 12NOON
Bartholomew’s Cobble, Weatogue Rd., Sheffield 413.229.8600
Pitch in to protect biodiversity at the Berkshires one and only National Natural Landmark. Discover why Bartholomew’s Cobble is such an amazing place for spring wildflowers. Trustees of Reservations staff will teach you how to identify and pull out garlic mustard so that you can protect the native plant populations. Bring gloves, long sleeves and long pants. FREE. Please call in advance for information.

MA Forest Stewardship Program – Earth Day Workshop For Landowners and Natural Resource Professionals - 6:30 P.M to 8:30 P.M
DCR Western Region Headquarters, 740 South Street, Pittsfield, MA, South Mountain meeting room
Featuring a presentation of invasive species management by Jess Toro and Sari Hoy of Native Habitat Restoration, LLC, this workshop aims to help landowners and natural resource professionals identify and control harmful exotics, and is the perfect opportunity to have your questions answered. Invasive species are the second greatest threat to global biodiversity next to habitat destruction costing an estimated global $1.5 trillion per year in environmental and economic damage. Information on technical assistance and financial incentives available to landowners will be presented by Michael Downey, DCR Forest Stewardship Program Service Forester and Kate Parsons, NRCS District Conservationist.  Currently, cost-sharing is available in the areas of forest planning, wildlife habitat improvement, soil and water protection, carbon, forest-based business, wood production and others. For information, contact Michael Downey, 413-442-8928 x135.

Green at Hancock Shaker Village, the City of Peace – 2p.m.
Celebrate Earth Day in the Shakers’ Heaven on Earth. This family-friendly event will feature a tour of Hancock Shaker Village’s historic-to-modern green and environmentally-friendly features. Included will be information on sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, architectural design and construction, smart growth town planning, and more. There will be a demonstration of the 1858 water power turbine in Laundry and Machine Shop and up-close investigation of the historic passive solar features of Shaker buildings, compared with Hancock Shaker Village’s new solar photovoltaic array, which generates 89.9 kilowatts, supplies 66% of the Village’s electrical energy needs today, and is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 3.7 million pounds over the life span of the system. Free with general admission.

The Politics of Climate: Building Trust in the New Energy Economy – 7:30 p.m.
Wege Auditorium, Thompson Chemistry 123, Williams College
A lecture by David Moulton, Director of the Climate Policy and Conservation Funding for the Wilderness Society. Moulton played a key role in enabling the passage of the 2007 Energy Act requiring the increase of fuel economy standards for America's passenger vehicles by at leat 10 mpg by 2021. Sponsored as part of Earth Week by the Center for Environmental Studies.

April 23

Lenox Town Hall Earth Day Celebration: The Lorax at 7:00 and Taking Root – 8:15 p.m. - donation
Bring the family to enjoy the classic Dr. Seuss best environmental film ever: The Lorax. (“UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.”) Perfect for kids! Cookie break. Screening of Taking Root. Powerful, inspiring film. Planting trees for fuel, food and timber is not something that anyone would imagine as the first step toward winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Yet with that simple act, Wangari Maathai of Kenya started down the path that helped to reclaim her country’s land from a century of deforestation while providing new sources of livelihood to rural communities. She gave previously impoverished and marginalized women the tools to participate for the first time in the political processes of their communities and the growing movement to end Kenya's twenty-four-year dictatorship.

“think green, it’s Friday!” – all day – downtown Lenox
lenox unplugged, a Western Mass Take Charge campaign, will launch its first "think green it's Friday!"  Local businesses and organizations who have taken the unplugged pledge will offer customers "green and unplugged" incentives that reward customers for thinking green, offers like discounts for using reusable bags, green-minded menus at restaurants, and dollar coffees with a reusable mug.  Lenox residents can take their pledge at www.townoflenox.com/lenoxunplugged and Berkshire County residents can go to www.cetonline.org/takecharge.php. Lenox unplugged will be sponsoring events throughout the town during the week of Earth Day.  Check the website www.lenoxunplugged.wordpress.com for the schedule and to see a list of all the deals and incentives on "think green, it's Friday!" 

April 24

Annual Earth Day Clean-up, Great Barrington, Housatonic River Walk - 9AM to 2 p.m.
Lunch provided and tours provided after 2 PM.
See http://www.gbriverwalk.org/riverwkInfo.html

Rachel Fletcher
Housatonic River Walk
413-528-3391
river@gbriverwalk.org

Wild Oats Market’s third annual Earth Day Celebration - noon to 4 pm.
Free, food demos, informational booths from local area organizations and businesses
involved in environmental issues, workshops on composting, photovoltaics, and spring planting (for kids & adults), kids' activities, music from staffer Mike Wood and his "Rebel Alliance" band, and music from world music DJ Mike Card, and more. Spring bedding plants, composting bins and other garden
supplies will be available for sale. And, chef Greg Roach will be grilling local foods on the grill, weather permitting.
Robin Riley, Marketing/Member Services, Wild Oats Market
Williamstown, MA
(413) 458-8060  marketing@wildoats.coop

The Return of the Winged Ones – 8:00 a.m.
Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation - www.wrlf.org - Celebrate Earth Day and the return of the Winged Ones! Join Leslie Reed Evans, WRLF Executive Director for morning bird watching and identification in the meadow. Beginners welcome!

“E RECYCLES” (that’s “E” for Egremont) – 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. – Town Parking lot
Second annual volunteer roadside clean up and recycling event organized by the Egremont Green Committee. Here’s how it works:  volunteers are asked to sign up for a small stretch of an Egremont road.  On the day of the event volunteers are given trash bags and safety vests and scour their assigned road for all that unsightly trash that seems to pop up when the winter snows melt.  They are then invited back to the Egremont Green Committee’s recycling information center where their “booty” is sorting and recycled (if applicable).  Eco-friendly giveaways, healthy refreshments and pats on the back and hearty cheers will then go out to all of our civic minded volunteers. The event is part recycling, part Earth Day celebration, part community pride and part wellness activity.  At last year’s event over 100 volunteers participated and over 94% of Egremont’s roads were covered.  The Egremont Green Committee has their fingers crossed for 100% this year!  

April 25

No Impact Man –Triplex, Great Barrington – 11am - FREE
Saving the world, one family at a time. Follow the Manhattan-based Beavan family as they abandon their high consumption 5th Avenue lifestyle and try to live a year while making no net environmental impact. Speakers and food after the film.

 

Secrets of Spring Wildflowers: Guided Walk - 10AM – 12NOON
Bartholomew’s Cobble, Weatogue Rd., Sheffield - 413.229.8600
Visit now, at the peak of the spring wildflower season, to find out why this National Natural Landmark such an amazing place to view and identify spring wildflowers. On your walk you will be guided by Trustees of Reservations naturalist Rene Wendell. Members $5. Nonmembers $7. Please pre-register.

April 26

Garbage Docs: MARINA OF THE ZABBALEEN - Images Cinema – 7:30 p.m.
Enter the extraordinary world of seven-year-old Marina. Through her magical eyes, you'll be led into the never-before-seen Muqqattam garbage recycling village in Cairo, Egypt. An impressionistic portrait of childhood and family, the film also tells the story of the resourceful Zabbaleen, a Coptic Christian community of recyclers whose entrepreneurial waste management system produces the highest recycling rate in the world. No people has felt the ramifications of the Swine Influenza pandemic more acutely than the Zabbaleen, whose way of life was devastated by the government-ordered eradication of the country’s pig population earlier last spring.

Thursday April 29

Simple Solutions, Packaged Deals, and a 50-Year Farm Bill – 8:00 p.m. - MainStage '62 Center, Williams College
Poet, essayist, farmer, and novelist, Wendell Berry is the author of more than 30 works of prose and poetry. About his work, a reviewer for the Christian Science Monitor wrote: "Berry's poems shine with the gentle wisdom of a craftsman who has thought deeply about the paradoxical strangeness and wonder of life." He has taught at New York University and the University of Kentucky, received fellowships from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundations, a Lannan Foundation Award, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

May 7-8

Plant Sale - Berkshire Botanical Gardens
Info at: http://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/index.html

May 15

Stockbridge’s Green Team is partnering with the Climate Crisis Coalition for the "Runners Take Charge" race and festival that will take place in Stockbridge on Saturday May 15.   For information, please call Sally Underwood-Miller at CCC 413-243-5665. Race is 4 miles, or 1 mile fun-run/walk followed by environmental fair.
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Project Native Open Volunteer Days

Friday mornings (9:30 – noon) are open volunteer times at the farm. Everyone is welcome, bring your friends or come and make new ones. The weather is supposed to be beautiful tomorrow so we're hoping to play outside. Should you prefer to remain indoors to clean some more seeds or write tags that'd be fine too. Outdoor work will most likely include cutting back garden beds and getting a head start on weeding. :-) Dress appropriately and bring your clippers if you have them.  Come for an hour or the morning.  This is an ongoing event, so if you can’t make it this week there is always next week!

Karen Lyness LeBlanc
Project Native
342 North Plain Rd.
Housatonic, MA 01236
(413) 274-3433
(413) 274-3464 - FAX
www.projectnative.org
projectnative@verizon.net

Recipient of the New England Wildflower Society’s 2008 Education Award for outstanding efforts in educating the public about stewardship of native plants and landscapes.
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2010 Mass Envirothon

The 2010 Mass Envirothon takes place Thursday, May 13, at Otter River
State Forest, just off Route 2 in Baldwinville (Templeton).  Volunteers
are needed for all kinds of tasks to make this 400-participant event a
success.

More than 40 high school teams from across Massachusetts are signed up
to come together on that day for a series of challenging tests on
forest, water, wildlife, and soil resources; student-team presentations
on groundwater protection; lunchtime roundtables; and a community
service project.

This is a chance to see this leading high school environmental education
program in action. It's also a chance to spend a day outdoors with
others who care about our Massachusetts environment.

More information is at http://www.maenvirothon.org/volunteer.htm. You
can also contact Susan Benoit, volunteer coordinator, at
susan.benoit@state.ma.us or at (508) 389-6393, with your questions.

Interested volunteers can also fill out and return the form (by emailing
it to Susan Benoit) found at
http://www.maenvirothon.org/2010%20Volunteer%20Form.doc.
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Preschool Nature Program at Sheep Hill to Begin in May

The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation will be holding a series of nature classes for preschoolers (3 and 4 year-olds) at its Sheep Hill headquarters in Williamstown in May.  Sheep Hill provides a safe and accessible venue for observation and exploration and a backdrop for stories, activities and discovery walks to engage children in gentle exploration of nature. Basic principles of observation will be involved as we experience the return of spring and connect to the natural world around us.    The sessions are one hour weekly for four weeks, from May 4 –26, 2010, rain or shine, and the classes will be held on Tuesday mornings from 10-11 AM or Wednesday afternoons from 1 -2 PM. Cost is $50 per session, $40 for current WRLF members. A parent or guardian must accompany each child.

The Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation is a non-profit member-supported conservation land trust working to preserve the rural New England character of Williamstown and surrounding areas. The WRLF holds nature education programs throughout the year and hosts a variety of programs at its conservation properties.  For more information about the preschool class or summer programs for children, please email  the WRLF at ruraland@wrlf.org. 
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WORK FOR WILDLIFE ON APRIL 24 AT MASS AUDUBON’S
BERKSHIRE, PLEASANT VALLEY WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Come Join the Fun on Mass Audubon’s Fourth Annual Statewide Volunteer Day

PITTSFIELD, Mass.—What better way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day than by rolling up your sleeves and helping Mass Audubon sanctuaries get ready for spring visitors on Saturday, April 24, from 9am until noon? Mass Audubon’s fourth annual Statewide Volunteer Day will offer projects suitable for all ages and abilities. With your help, we’ll spruce up trails and gardens and dive into other spring cleaning projects across the state and at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Pittsfield, MA.  And, if you bring a family member who needs to fulfill a community service requirement, Mass Audubon is happy to provide a verification letter after the event.

Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary is looking for volunteers to assist with trail clearing, cutting and possibly burning invasives that grow in our wet meadows and fields, and preparing the Hummingbird Garden for spring and summer.

After a morning of hands-on work, participants are invited for a free pizza lunch, and to explore the sanctuary. It’s amazing how much can be accomplished in just three hours. At last year’s Statewide Volunteer Day we prepared the hummingbird and butterfly gardens for spring and summer; removed invasive plants; split firewood and cleared trails.

So bring your friends and family and get your hands dirty for a great cause! To sign up, visit www.massaudubon.org/workforwildlife. For more information, call 781-259-2161 or the Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary at 413-637-0320.

Mass Audubon works to protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and wildlife. Together with more than 100,000 members, we care for 34,000 acres of conservation land, provide educational programs for 225,000 children and adults annually, and advocate for sound environmental policies at local, state, and federal levels. Mass Audubon's mission and actions have expanded since our beginning in 1896 when our founders set out to stop the slaughter of birds for use on women's fashions. Today we are the largest conservation organization in New England. Our statewide network of wildlife sanctuaries, in 90 Massachusetts communities, welcomes visitors of all ages and serves as the base for our work. To support these important efforts, call 800-AUDUBON (283-8266) or visit www.massaudubon.org.

Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
472 West Mountain Road
Lenox, MA  01240
413-637-0320
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Mass. Preservation Projects Fund (MPPF) Grant Program

Secretary William F. Galvin, Chair of the Massachusetts Historical Commission is pleased to announce that Round 16 of the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund (MPPF) grant program has been scheduled.  Administered by the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC), the MPPF is a state-funded 50% reimbursable matching grant program established in 1984 to support the preservation of properties, landscapes, and sites listed in the State Register of Historic Places. Applicants must be a municipality or nonprofit organization. The program is administered in accordance with 950 CMR 73.00. Please note that grant disbursement is subject to reauthorization of the capital accounts and the availability of sufficient allocated funds.  Applications are due April 9, 2010. For MPPF program information, downloadable Application/Instructions, lease visit http://www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc/mhcmppf/mppfidx.htm or call the MHC at 617-727-8470.
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Work at proposed Walmart site halted
By Jennifer Huberdeau
Posted: 03/31/2010 02:19:09 AM EDT

Wednesday March 31, 2010
North Adams Transcript
NORTH ADAMS -- Tensions mounted at Tuesday night’s Conservation Commission meeting, as lawyers representing Della Concrete and Ceruzzi Properties, which owns the gravel banks once belonging to the city and the concrete company, declined to answer questions and address environmental concerns raised by several members of the public.
Ceruzzi Properties plans to develop the property as a Walmart Supercenter.
"I’m not willing to discuss the issues at the site at this time," said Attorney Thomas J. Hamel, representative for Norman Dellaghelfa Jr., owner of Della Concrete. "An unfortunate accident happened. We are working with the state Department of Environmental Protection on that issue. It does not serve a constructive process for us to bring those issues up now."

The Conservation Commission issued a "stop-work" order to Della Concrete and Ceruzzi Properties -- doing business as BVS 5401 Investors LLC -- on Feb. 22 for failing to use erosion control measures required by the commission during construction work to close the former gravel pits, which will be developed into the proposed Walmart Supercenter.
Without proper erosion and sediment controls in place, rains swept sediment into intermittent streams on the west side of the property, a violation of the Wetlands Protection Act.  <more>
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Mass Bike is looking for immediate help in organizing Bike Week in May.  Please read below:

Hi Everyone,

I'm in charge of helping MassBike coordinate the Pioneer Valley Bike Commute Week 2010. So far I've confirmed leaders for most every community in the valley, but I still need some help here in Northampton. The following positions still need to be filled...

-Lead organizer for the Northampton Bike Breakfast
-Lead organizer for any other events (group rides, bike rodeo, film fest, etc)

MBPV, PVPC and MassDOT will be providing the underlying infrastructure for bike week (brochures, media, free helmet, website, etc), but the actual events are up to each individual community. Please consider taking a leadership role for 2010. Let me know asap so we can get the events on the schedule.

Thanks,
John Frey
587-8915
johndfrey1@gmail.com
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Northampton has had very little to say on Earth Day for the last few years.  No celebration.  No educational activities.  No workshops.  Nothing to draw attention to more Earth Friendly actions.

GREEN Northampton, WGBY and The River are working together to make Earth Day a day to remember this year (well not actually Earth Day, but April 25th.  Call it an extended Earth Day celebration).  

If you are interested in helping to plan Earth Day in Northampton this year, please let me know.  The celebration will be in Pulaski Park from 11am to 4pm.    We are looking for volunteers to organize and groups interested in presenting.  One of the activities we'd like to organize is a bike rodeo.  Please send ideas of possible wranglers.  James Lowenthal is not available this year.

To get involved or for questions, email info@GREENNorthampton.org or by phone 413 650 3743.
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Municipal Benefits of an Expanded Bottle Bill
from MassDEP
Printer-Friendly Version: MS Word 70 KB | PDF 29 KB

The Bottle Bill, enacted in 1982, requires a nickel deposit on beer and soda containers. Consumers are allowed to return empty containers to their local retailer or redemption center for a five cent refund. Beverage manufacturers are responsible for the collection and recycling of their products.
An expanded Bottle Bill would extend a nickel deposit to water, juice, energy drink and sport drink bottles, which now represent over 30 percent of the beverages sold in Massachusetts and are the fastest growing segment of the beverage industry. The cost to manage these discarded containers is currently the responsibility of municipalities through collection of public waste receptacles and household trash and recycling programs.
MassDEP commissioned an analysis of the impact of an expanded Bottle Bill on municipal refuse and recycling costs and revenues. In calculating the impact, the study examined the following:

  • Avoided Collection Costs. Expanding the Bottle Bill would remove a significant portion of beverage containers typically collected through trash and recycling programs and make the recycling of them the responsibility of manufacturers. The study estimated the annual cost savings through avoided waste and recycling collection costs at roughly $4 to $5 million.
  • Avoided Disposal Costs. Since Bottle Bill recycling rates are more than double the rate achieved through traditional municipal recycling programs, significant amounts of beverage containers currently going in municipal trash would be diverted to recycling through the Bottle Bill system. This results in a significant reduction in trash disposal costs. The study estimated avoided disposal costs to be $482,000 to $2,334,000 annually.
  • Net Recycling Revenues. An estimated 18,000 tons of beverage containers would be diverted from municipal recycling efforts and recycled through the Bottle Bill system. Communities typically receive some revenue from the sale of these materials. The study estimated these revenues to be nearly $900,000 annually.
  • Litter Abatement. Additionally, the study estimated that an expanded Bottle Bill would save Massachusetts municipalities over $500,000 annually in avoided litter collection costs.

More information on the MassDEP website: http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/exbbmuni.htm
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CET celebrates the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and dedicates new Green Accessibility Ramp

The Center for Ecological Technology (CET) will host a Green Accessibility Ramp dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony on Earth Day, April 22, at 11 a.m. at its office at 112 Elm Street in Pittsfield.

This event is planned to mark the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. 

CET recently completed construction of an environmentally friendly accessibility ramp at the Elm Street office. The ramp incorporates green building practices and environmentally preferable products including decking of black locust wood (Forest Certified), the installation of Techno Metal Posts for supports, and framing using wood infused with recycled glass. Hand and safety railings are made of aluminum which requires no additional maintenance over its lifetime. An automatic, electric door opener has also been installed to make public access to CET easier. The ramp was designed by Hill Engineers with input from CET’s Green Team and constructed by Restoration Inc. of Dalton.

A portion of the ramp was funded through a $10,000 grant from the Pittsfield Community Development Office. Contact Jamie Cahillane at 445-4556 ext. 14 for more information.

CET, a non-profit community organization active in the fields of energy and resource conservation and waste management with offices in Pittsfield, Springfield and Northampton, is funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. CET is an equal opportunity employer and service provider.
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Executive Director / Community Conservation Coordinator
The Hilltown Land Trust and The Trustees of Reservations

The Trustees of Reservations and the Hilltown Land Trust (HLT) are partnering in an effort to increase their collective capacity to more effectively pursue their common land conservation goals in the Hilltowns region of western Massachusetts.  The part-time Hilltown Land Trust Executive Director / Trustees Community Conservation Coordinator (“ED/CCC”) is an employee of The Trustees of Reservations with primary responsibility for implementation of HLT’s and The Trustees’ joint conservation vision for the Hilltowns.  The ED/CCC provides strategic conservation leadership to the Hilltown Land Trust and serves as the key land conservation staff for The Trustees within the Hilltowns; conducts land acquisition transactions from inception to completion; supports local efforts to raise private and public funds for individual land protection projects and organizational needs of HLT and The Trustees; and oversees the HLT conservation restriction program.  A complete position description is available at http://www.thetrustees.org/about-us/employment/current-openings/hilltown-land-trust-executive.html.  Please send resume and cover letter to The Trustees of Reservations, 193 High Street, Holyoke, MA 01040, Attn: Cynthia Sommer, or to pvregion with subject line “HLT ED/CCC application”.  Resumes will be accepted until April 30, 2010 or until the position is filled; applications will be considered as they are received.
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Vt. town gets $150K grant for salamander crossing
The Associated Press
Posted: 04/02/2010 05:28:47 AM MDT
Updated: 04/02/2010 05:39:43 AM MDT

MONKTON, Vt.—Future generations of salamanders in one Vermont town are going to be getting some help crossing the road.
The Monkton Conservation Commission says it has won a $150,000 state grant to install one or two culverts under a stretch of road to protect salamanders, other amphibians, reptiles and small mammals crossing between a swampy area and the uplands.
The Burlington Free Press says the project will be the first wildlife-crossing retrofit of a Vermont highway.
Reptile expert Jim Andrews says the crossing is "one of the most important of the known amphibian crossings in the state."
For the last nine years a group of Monkton residents has monitored the swamp-side road crossing, in some cases helping the creatures cross the road.
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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/watercooler/ci_14807378#ixzz0jyD3tgzS

BEAT NOTE: You can help identify salamander crossings in Massachusetts! Visit the Linking Landscapes website. Keep track of exactly when and where you observe salamanders crossing the road - and what kind of salamanders (woodfrogs, too). It would be great to get all the crossings on the map!
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EPA Accepting Applications for National Environmental Education Training Program
 
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting grant applications to help manage the National Environmental Education Training Program over the next five years. EPA will award one cooperative agreement, worth approximately $10 million over five years, which will provide teachers and other education professionals with resources and support to enable them to teach about environmental issues more effectively. EPA will accept applications until July 26, 2010.

The purpose of the national training program is to provide environmental education training and long-term support to teachers and other education professionals across the Unites States. Institutions of higher education and non-profit organizations in the United States are eligible to apply.  EPA encourages these institutions to form broad-based partnerships when applying for this program that includes partners, such as Minority Academic Institutions, that represent the demographic diversity of the United States .
 
EPA believes that a broad-based consortium that builds on existing national environmental education resources and programs is the best way to successfully deliver quality training and support to K-12 teachers, faculty at colleges and universities and non-formal educators across the United States.
 
More information about application process for the National Environmental Education Training Program: http://www.epa.gov/education/educate/solicitation.html
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New Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Program in Massachusetts

MassDEP has adopted the 2009 revisions to the California Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program requirements under the Low Emission Vehicle Program regulations, 310 CMR 7.40. The California Air Resources Board (ARB) first adopted the ZEV requirement in 1990 and has modified it four times to reflect the current status of zero emission vehicle technologies (e.g., battery, fuel cell, and hydrogen technologies) in achieving its ultimate goal of near zero emissions from the passenger car and light-duty truck fleet. The 2009 ZEV revisions reflect the findings of an independent panel convened by ARB in 2007 to report on the state of vehicle technologies. After reviewing the panel’s findings, ARB concluded that the ZEV program should again be updated to reflect the state of technology. 

 In summary, the revisions to the ZEV requirements that ARB and MassDEP have adopted continue to require that automobile manufacturers develop and introduce advanced and zero emission vehicle technologies. However, they provide additional flexibility to the automobile manufacturers by allowing a portion of the ZEV mandate to be met with a new class of vehicle, referred to as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), by creating new categories of ZEVs, and by adjusting ZEV credit values. The overall number of advanced technology vehicles should increase as automobile manufacturers take advantage of the 2009 revisions. 

Web Link to View Final Regulations: http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/laws/regulati.htm#lev
Date of Promulgation:  4/2/2010
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