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Round 2 Draft Restoration Plan for Housatonic River Watershed to be Presented for Public Comment August 3 in Lenox State and Federal Environmental Officials Also Open 30-day Comment Period BOSTON – State and federal environmental authorities have scheduled an informational meeting and set up a comment period concerning the Draft Restoration Plan and Supplemental Environmental Assessment (RP/SEA) for the Massachusetts portion of the Housatonic River watershed as part of the General Electric/Housatonic River Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) case settled in 2000. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), comprising the Massachusetts SubCouncil of the Housatonic River Natural Resource Trustees, have scheduled the public meeting for Tuesday, August 3, 2010, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Lenox Town Hall, 6 Walker Street. “This is an important milestone in this process, which will help to restore the watershed’s precious resources,” said EEA Secretary Ian Bowles, who serves as the Commonwealth’s Trustee for natural resources. From January through May 2009, the Massachusetts SubCouncil solicited proposals and ideas from the public for various types of projects that would restore or enhance the Housatonic River watershed in Massachusetts. The Draft RP/SEA presents the Massachusetts SubCouncil’s proposed restoration projects for Round 2 of a compensatory restoration program to restore, rehabilitate, replace, or acquire the equivalent of injured natural resources or the services provided by those resources. The purpose of the public meeting is to present the results of the Round 2 Evaluation. The Round 2 solicitation provides a means to disburse $1.3 million for the implementation of restoration projects from approximately $7.75 million received as part of the NRDAR case. In the first round, Trustees awarded $4 million in 2008 for restoration projects ranging from invasive species control and restoring river flow to implementing an environmental literacy program. Current Trustee Representatives responsible for administering the General Electric/Housatonic River Natural Resource Damage funds to restore the Massachusetts portion of the Housatonic watershed are Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection NRD Coordinator Karen Pelto and USFWS Contaminants Specialist Kenneth Munney. The Draft RP/SEA is now subject to a 30-day public comment period following its release to the public through www.ma-housatonicrestoration.org; hard copies will also be available at local libraries. The Massachusetts SubCouncil will receive public comment on the project Draft RP/SEA during the informational meeting. Additional public comment will be accepted from Wednesday, July 21 until Monday, August 23 at 5 p.m. Written public comments can be sent to: Housatonic Draft RP/SEA, Stantec Consulting Inc., 30 Park Drive, Topsham, ME 04086. Information about the Housatonic River Watershed Restoration Project in Massachusetts is available online at www.ma-housatonicrestoration.org. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Todd Chadwell of Stantec Consulting Inc., at todd.chadwell@stantec.com or by calling 207-729-1199. |
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Two of BEAT's priority pieces of legislation are moving forward. 2. On Thurday, July 22, the State Senate Caucus moved the Updated Bottle Bill from the Senate Rules Committee to the Senate Ways and Committee. The good news is, the bill is continuing to move (last week, it was given a favorable report by the Telecom & Energy Committee). The bad news is, another committee just means another stop along the way, and time is very short. The Legislature is scheduled to end this session on July 31, just a few days from now. And if the bill is not passed through the House and the Senate by then, it starts back at square one in January 2011. |
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PATRICK-MURRAY ADMINISTRATION AWARDS RECREATIONAL TRAILS GRANTS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH. BOSTON - In keeping with the Patrick-Murray Administration’s commitment to environmental stewardship, Governor Deval Patrick today announced that the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is awarding $1.17 million in grants to local communities and nonprofit organizations to fund 41 trails projects across the Commonwealth under its Recreational Trails Grants Program. The DCR program is part of the national Recreational Trails Program funded by the Federal Highway Administration. Recreational Trails Grants are awarded for the construction and stewardship of hiking trails, bikeways, snowmobile trails, and an array of other trails throughout the state. This can include improvements to long-distance trails and rail trail development, ATV trail maintenance, and creation or maintenance of municipal trails. Each recipient matches its grant with at least an additional 20 percent in funding or in-kind services. “These improvement projects will ensure that Massachusetts continues to be a prime destination for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and experiences,” said Governor Patrick. “I have been a long-time champion of providing recreational services for all of our residents,” said Massachusetts Congressman James McGovern. “So I’m very pleased with the funding to improve access for all members of our community at Broad Meadow Brook in Worcester. It’s a terrific facility, and I commend the Mass Audubon Society for their terrific work.” "I have always been an enthusiastic supporter of recreational trails in western and central "The Recreational Trails Program is an excellent example of a community, state, and federal partnership that supports a wide variety of local initiatives and the people who implement them," said DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. "Recreational trails help connect communities, provide recreational opportunities, and offer an alternative to driving." Grant awards range from $600 to $113,813, depending on the scope of the project. Since 1993, DCR has awarded more than $5 million in Recreational Trails Grants in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Advisory Board. The federal funds are distributed to individual states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both motorized and nonmotorized recreational trail uses. This year's grants include $22,560 to the town of Wayland to construct a wheelchair-accessible trail around the perimeter of the former Nike missile site that will connect to the Bay Circuit Trail; $45,871 to the city of Lawrence to construct 500 feet of riverside trail along the Spicket River Greenway; and $4,510 to the Sudbury Conservation Commission to build new bridges over five wetland areas. “Anytime the Commonwealth is able to make improvements to our green spaces, including greenways, trails, and parks, we move in the right direction for conservation and improved recreational opportunities for our residents,” said Representative Bill Straus, chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Agriculture. For more information on the Recreational Trails Program or the statewide greenway plan, contact Amanda Lewis, DCR’s Recreational Trails Program Coordinator, at 413-586-8706, ext. 19, or at amanda.lewis@state.ma.us. Lists of this year’s projects are attached. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), an agency of the |
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Still Some Berkshire Beaver Grant Funding Thanks to a grant from the Nion Robert Thieriot Foundation, the MSPCA has funding to assist with installation of water flow devices to humanely, non-lethally, and ecologically mitigate beaver-related flooding in the Berkshires. Who can participate? Any individual, town, business, or organization in the Berkshires. What are the criteria? A willingness (of all parties involved) to resolve problems non-lethally for the long term, a site that is conducive to flow device usage, and permission of the landowners and the local Conservation Commission to install water flow devices. Funding assistance: The amount of funding offered to each applicant will depend on the number of requests, the amount of each viable request, and the ability of each requester to pay for part of the flow device, or the maintenance contract for the device, themselves. Send requests to: Linda Huebner, MSPCA, 350 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130 or via email to: Lhuebner@mspca.org. |
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OVER 19,000 PROTECTED ACRES June 30 marked the end of FLT's 2010 fiscal year, and what a busy year it was! In all, FLT helped local farmers and other landowners protect over 1,000 acres of land, for a total of over 19,000 acres of land protected to date. Most recently, we facilitated several projects in Sunderland, Heath, Plainfield and Montague. |
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Emerald Ash Borer found in Saugerties,NY New York Department of Conservation (NY DEC) announced today that U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the finding by NY DEC of the presence of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in Saugerties, NY. Saugerties is 25 - 30 miles west of Connecticut’s northwest corner. EAB unlike Asian Longhorned Beetle(ALB) is very host specific and poses a significant threat to white, black and green ash trees in Connecticut, approximately 3% of all trees in state or ~22,408,000 trees. Unlike ALB however EAB is highly mobile and very difficult to detect. There are no known cost effective options to eradicate it. The following links provide information on EAB identification, reporting, and the latest find. Please get familiar with this information. http://readme.readmedia.com/Emerald-Ash-Borer-Detected-in-Steuben-and-Ulster-Counties/1636686 http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=953175 http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=KOA%2C%20saugerties%2C%20ny&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl USDA - APHIS - Newsroom<http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/emerald_ash_borer/emerald_ash_borer.shtml> * * BEAT Note: Asian Longhorned Beetle appears to no longer be coming into this country. If we can eradicate the ones that are here, we can beat this pest. No so easy with EAB. |
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Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust Commonwealth Corps Program The Massachusetts Land Initiative for Tomorrow (MassLIFT) is a new AmeriCorps program developed by a collaboration of seven regional land trusts to meet critical community needs for land protection, including the initiation of new projects, stewardship of protected lands, outreach to the broader community, and service learning opportunities to engage young people in conservation. MassLIFT is seeking applicants for 20 AmeriCorps positions to serve full-time from October 6, 2010 through August 31, 2011. AmeriCorps members will serve in one of a dozen land trusts and partner organizations across the state and in one of four positions: land steward, regional conservationist, service learning coordinator, or outreach coordinator. Application specifics and further information about MassLIFT partners and service positions can be found on the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust website: www.mountgrace.org For further information about MassLIFT partners and service positions around Massachusetts, or To apply for a MassLIFT AmeriCorps position contact Program Manager, Dee Robbins at 978-833-4192 or robbins@mountgrace.org. Below are short descriptions of each position Community Outreach Coordinator The Community Outreach Coordinator will engage and network with community groups to encourage community-wide use of land protected by Mount Grace. The coordinator will build a network of member organizations, volunteers and supporters in each community that benefits from, and supports local conservation projects. Responsibilities include planning and promoting community events on Mount Grace lands and other public lands, working to identify conservation projects that meet community needs, and planning service projects for community volunteers. Applicants should have a strong background in community organizing, including experience managing projects to completion, planning and promoting events, and networking to build coalitions. Strong identification with the goals of land conservation and stewardship is also important, as is a familiarity with the cultural resources and existing community networks of the region. This full-time position requires a volunteer time commitment of 1,700 hours and carries a stipend of $11,800 plus a a $5,350 education award upon satisfactory completion of the program. See www.mountgrace.org/americorps-massLIFT.html for more information. Service Learning Coordinator The Service Learning Coordinator will design, develop and deliver service learning experiences to school children and youth groups. The coordinator will establish long-term working program relationships with teachers, farmers, foresters and conservation professionals, develop informational and presentation materials, make classroom presentations, and facilitate service learning experiences on farms and in forests. Applicants should be experienced in outdoor education and in designing informative text and graphic based presentations with Microsoft software. Applicants should understand and be able to interpret natural history and have strong communication and project management skills. Experience in land conservation, organic farming or gardening, forest stewardship, trail design and maintenance, or teaching children and young adults is also a plus. This full-time position requires a volunteer time commitment of 1,700 hours and carries a stipend of $11,800 plus a a $5,350 education award upon satisfactory completion of the program. See www.mountgrace.org/americorps-massLIFT.html for more information. Regional Partnership Conservationist The North Quabbin Regional Partnership Conservationist will work directly with the North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership Coordinator and assist with managing regionally important land conservation projects, planning and recruitment for educational land conservation forums, organizing Partnership executive committee meetings, assisting with land conservation grant writing, and building the Partnership membership and funding base. Applicants should be familiar with microsoft office programs and have strong writing and communication skills, as well as a strong interest in working with landowners and municipalities to protect the important farms, woodlands and natural areas of the North Quabbin region. Experience in local government or civic organizations, or experience in land use planning, grant writing, computer mapping (GIS), real estate transactions or event planning, is a plus. This full-time position requires a volunteer time commitment of 1,700 hours and carries a stipend of $11,800 plus a a $5,350 education award upon satisfactory completion of the program. See www.mountgrace.org/americorps-massLIFT.html for more information. Regional Land Steward A Regional Land Steward will work with the Stewardship Biologist to assist town conservation commissions and local land trusts with baseline documentation reports and annual monitoring visits on conservation lands. The steward will also develop relationships with landowners and, set up workshops to train volunteers from town boards and local land trusts to do baseline reports. This full-time position requires a volunteer time commitment of 1,700 hours and carries a stipend of $11,800 plus a a $5,350 education award upon satisfactory completion of the program. Minimum requirements for this volunteer opportunity include 2 years of college in a natural resource or scientific field or equivalent work experience. Applicants must be experienced with computer mapping (ArcGIS 9.2) and with capturing data using GPS units. Applicants must be experienced at outdoor navigation with map and compass and comfortable working independently outdoors in a range of weather conditions. Applicants should be able to identify local plants and wildlife and also be capable of writing detailed technical reports using Microsoft software. Stewards must have a reliable vehicle. See www.mountgrace.org/americorps-massLIFT.html for more information. Information about AmeriCorps is available at www.americorps.gov |
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Cultivating kids Students learn about food from soil to table Wednesday July 21, 2010 In the garden, students and teachers pluck weeds from the dirt to the tempo of the songs playing on a nearby radio, while others scatter mulch and fill watering cans. Flowers like rudbeckia hirta, and vegetables like corn and eggplants stretch toward the summer sky. From the garden to the dinner plates, everyone was busy learning and growing. Hendon-Wilson and first-grade teacher Susan Weinstein are working with other staff, high school students, school alumni and community volunteers to pilot a summer program centered around the school's nearly year-old garden. The summer pilot currently enrolls 30 children, 5 to 11 years old. They attend twice a week through the summer for four hours at a time. The idea for a garden was planted in March 2009, inspired by first lady Michelle Obama's national healthy food and wellness campaign. By August 2009, members of the elementary school's younger grades, as well as an afterschool program, began sowing seeds in a 2,600-square-foot plot on the side of the school. Weinstein and Hendon-Wilson worked with other teachers to develop a curriculum around the garden, to ensure that it could be a teaching tool on topics from math and science to literacy and health. A logo design contest was held to get students engaged in the project, which the children named the "U & ME Schoolyard Garden," a sort of acronym for Undermountain Elementary. The garden and its programs collectively received about $25,000 in donated funding and supplies, as well as grants given by organizations like the Southern Berkshire Regional School District's Eagle Fund, Janet's Fund, state and federal funding, and a corporate award from Lowe's, the home improvement outfit. "It just kept on evolving from there," said Weinstein, who serves as chairwoman for the garden program. The goal of the program is to have produce for students to harvest in the fall and use in school snacks. In addition, the garden will be an evergreen hub for teaching and learning. "From a nutrition perspective, our goal is to get kids involved in having a healthy relationship with food," said Robert Hoechster, a registered dietitian with the Nutrition Center. Hendon-Wilson said students both at Undermountain Elementary and the adjacent Mount Everett Regional School have contributed their thoughts and hours to what goes in the garden and where. Organizers also take cue from the kids about what activities they like and dislike. "I think the best thing I had was the omelet, with lots of veggies. The worst thing I had was the salad," said rising first-grader Michael Winn. Said his classmate Ben Shannon: "I think I like pretty much everything about here." |
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Richmond Gift Protects Beloved Yokun Ridge.
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Holyoke Youth Corps Gets Rolling This month, we kicked off the fourth year of our Holyoke Youth Conservation Corps. Over the course of eight weeks, our five students will learn about the environment, care for Trustees properties, and serve as environmental ambassadors in their community. |
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Mass Audubon recently completed the protection of additional land on the Yokun Ridge—a regional Berkshire landmark and the focus of protection efforts by many public and private conservation organizations during the last two decades, including the Berkshire Natural Resources Council and others. This land is adjacent to Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, and consists of mixed hardwood forest situated on a very steep slope.