In the News
CALENDAR OF EVENTS Advocacy News (Includes how to reach your legislators) DEP Enforcement Actions In The Berkshire Please send items of interest to kristen@thebeatnews.org |
||||||||
Comment Period Open for Draft Clean Water Act Guidance The Army Corps of Engineers has just released their Draft Clean Water Act Guidance. Here is the Request for Comments:http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/reg/11/spn050211.pdf On May 2, 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) jointly published in the Federal Register their proposal to issue clarifying guidance for determining which waters and wetlands are protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA) programs. The agencies are soliciting comments on the proposed draft guidance from interested parties, and the comment period will be 60 days. The proposed draft guidance is intended to improve the consistency, predictability, and transparency of jurisdictional determinations and be fully consistent with the CWA, applicable regulations, and Supreme Court decisions. You may submit comments, identified by docket number EPA–HQ–OW–2011–0409, by any of the following methods:
After the comment period has ended, the agencies will thoroughly consider all comments received as they develop final guidance. The 2008 Clean Water Act Guidance will remain in effect until final guidance is published in the Federal Register. A copy of the proposed draft guidance is available through the USACE webpage at |
||||||||
MA Clean Energy Plan Unveiled On Monday, May 23rd David Cash, Undersecretary with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, will explain in a public presentation how the Patrick/Murray Administration proposes to grow the clean energy economy, reduce energy costs, become more energy independent and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% below 1990 levels by the year 2020. The presentation will be a good opportunity for residents, students, and the business community to get an overall view of energy use and conservation measures across the state. The presentation will be held in the City Council Chambers in Pittsfield City Hall at 7:00 pm. The Mass. Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020 describes that several measures, already in place, will get Massachusetts much of the way toward that goal. Existing policies include the Green Communities Act, which steers funding for energy project towards communities that have achieved Green Communities status. To date Becket, Lenox, Pittsfield and Williamstown have been designated at Green Communities, and another 5 Berkshire communities are actively working towards designation. “We welcome Mr. Cash and the team from Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to Pittsfield and the Berkshires, where we are leading in Green Energy,” said Pittsfield Mayor Ruberto. “ I encourage both residents and business leaders to come out and hear the plans for reducing the state’s carbon footprint and how they can be a part of it.” A targeted portfolio of additional policies, chosen because they promise overall cost savings, will allow the Bay State to reach the most ambitious target for GHG reduction of any state in the country. The plan estimates that 42,000 to 48,000 jobs could result from full implementation of the plan in 2020, in both jobs that fill every niche in the clean energy supply chain and jobs throughout the economy as lower fossil-fuel energy expenses lead to more spending on in-state goods and services. The Conservation Law Foundation has said this about the plan: “The vision presented in this report is both bold and well-grounded in the facts and opportunities we face. It will serve the citizens and economy of Massachusetts, and New England, well. It took a lot of courage to put this out there. It will take even more courage, and determination, to make it happen. We at CLF look forward to helping it become a reality.” The Clean Energy and Climate Plan 2020, both the full report and the executive summary, can be viewed on the Energy and Environmental Affairs website at http://www.mass.gov/Eoeea/docs/eea/energy/2020-clean-energy-plan.pdf . |
||||||||
Mercury from Cement Plant Just West of the Berkshires About 100 local citizens of Ravena, New York (upwind from the Berkshires), attended a meeting on January 6, 2011, at the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk High School to hear Michael Bank of the Harvard School of Public Health discuss the results of a study based on testing of mercury levels in 172 people. According to Bank, nearly one person in 10 of those tested had blood levels high enough to warrant a visit to their doctor. The study found that fish consumption was not the source of the mercury. Local citizens have organized Community Advocates for Safe Emissions to push for tougher controls on mercury pollution from the Lafarge cement plant, which uses coal fly ash from power plants and fires its kilns with coal. The plant is New York State’s second-largest emitter of mercury. Coal fly ash is a fine gray powder residue produced by coal-fired power plants and used to make cement. Modern pollution controls in coal plants capture the fly ash before it becomes airborne. As a result, heavy metals such as mercury are concentrated in what the EPA considers "recycled air pollution control residue." In New York's Hudson Valley, the Lafarge cement plant releases between 380 and 400 pounds of toxic mercury per year, equivalent to the four largest coal plants in the state.[13] The EPA reclassified fly ash from waste to a reusable material in the 1980s. The agency adopted rules favoring cement produced with fly ash in 1983. In 1988, it reported that fly ash was not a hazardous material. The agency exempted ash from regulations for hazardous waste beginning in 1993. With new findings of increased toxic mercury levels, states including New York, Virginia, and Maryland are considering stricter rules to regulate mercury emissions from cement plants.[13] To find out more visit Source Watch's Mercury and Coal . ↑ 13 "Fly ash: Culprit at Lafarge? Residue of coal-burning is being examined as possible source of mercury pollution," Times Union, October 26, 2008. |
||||||||
Walking tour highlights river's role in North Adams In an effort to raise public awareness of the integral part the Hoosic River plays in the city -- both past and present -- the Hoosic River Revival Coalition has created a self-guided walking tour of the river. The brochure, "Hoosic River History: A Walking Tour Through North Adams," follows the river for about two miles View Full Story |
||||||||
Massachusetts Coal- and Oil-Fired Power Plant to Close Dominion will cease operating two of the four units at Salem Harbor Power Station by the end of the year and plans to retire all four units on June 1, 2014, because pending environmental regulations and market conditions are making the power station uneconomical to operate. Company officials today told ISO-New England, the independent system operator for the region's electric grid, that it will not seek to negotiate an agreement that could keep the station operating beyond existing commitments. "This was a decision we had to make given the significant costs required to keep the station in compliance with pending environmental regulations and the falling margins for coal stations selling electricity in New England," said David A. Christian, chief executive officer of Dominion Generation. According to the Conservation Law Foundation, "ISO-NE presented its preferred option for upgrading the transmission system to relieve any need for the polluting, obsolete, and un-economic coal- and oil-fired plant. The solution is simple, cost-effective, and clean. nstead of propping up the 60-year-old plant with above-market payments to be on call when electricity demand is highest, a transmission solution would upgrade the lines so they can carry more power into the area. The advantages are clear: by upgrading the transmission infrastructure, ratepayers will reap the benefits of a reliable system for years into the future at much lower cost than continuing to operate an out-of-date plant that emits tons of toxic pollution into the air each year." |
||||||||
“Plan Nord” and Northern Pass: New England needs its own plan The scale of Plan Nord is hard to overstate; Premier Jean Charest is proudly proclaiming that Plan Nord is the “project of a generation,” “a sweeping, human adventure,” and “unique both in its scope and its approach.” The plan adds that “the scope of the Plan Nord will make it in the coming decades what the development of La Manicouagan and James Bay were to the 1960s and 1970s.” The land area covered by the plan is about twice the size of Texas. The formal public launch of Plan Nord is an opportunity to think about what Québec’s plans may mean for New England and our regional energy future. A fundamental part of Plan Nord is developing the region’s energy resources, including new hydroelectric generating capacity totaling 3,000 megawatts. (This amount of power is equivalent to five Vermont Yankees.) While important to the plan’s projections of provincial energy needs, these facilities are also integral to Québec utility Hydro-Québec’s strategy to step up exports of electric power to the northeastern United States, including New England. The plan itself notes Vermont’s recent renewal of a long-term agreement to import 225 megawatts of power from Hydro-Québec as a key early success. Although Québec has marketed Plan Nord as at the vanguard of “sustainable development,” any plan this massive and costly should inspire a fair amount of skepticism, especially when its scale is compared to the breathtaking ecological manipulations of Québec’s recent history. Indeed, the plan’s economic focus on new investments in mining suggests less than a total commitment to sustainability. On the other hand, as our colleagues at the Pew Environment Group’s International Boreal Conservation Campaign noted yesterday, the plan commits to protection of 50% of Québec’s northern land area for environmental protection and safeguarding biodiversity. It remains to be seen if this commitment is meaningful; if it is, it would be a historic and farsighted move. CLF is deeply concerned about what this plan – including its focus on resource extraction and exploitation - means for Québec, New England, and indeed the global environment. Hydroelectric developments on the scale contemplated by Plan Nord involve inundation of vast land areas, which in turn results in the destruction of wide swathes of Canada’s boreal forest – one of the world’s largest intact carbon sinks - as well as methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing vegetation and releases of heavy metals from flooded soils. Hydropower reservoirs in Québec already cover an area greater than the size of New Hampshire, and further inundation will be required for Plan Nord projects. These projects have dramatic impacts on indigenous people and their way of life; at least some indigenous groups appear deeply dissatisfied with the public process that led to the Plan Nord. With Plan Nord moving forward, the time is now for the U.S. Department of Energy to answer CLF’s call for a regional, comprehensive analysis of the nature and extent of the need for energy imports from Québec. Québec clearly has a plan for its future, and – laudable environmental “commitments” aside – that plan is all about enriching Québec; New England and the northeastern U.S. need a coherent plan of our own that reflects our energy policies and environmental values. |
||||||||
Public Hearings on the Use of Recreational Vehicles
|
||||||||
Certificate Program in Sustainable Food and Farming |
||||||||
Get Updated on the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act Due to positive response from attendees at a presentation given at the MACC Annual Conference this spring, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) has scheduled a series of presentations about the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) across the state. Interested conservationists, property owners, conservation commissioners, planning boards and commissions, other city and town officials, land managers, conservation organizations, and land developers are invited to attend. The presentations will be given by Dr. Eve Schluter, NHESP Endangered Species Review Biologist. Schluter will provide an overview of the Act, an explanation of the 2010 MESA regulation changes, information on Priority and Estimated habitat mapping and NHESP role in reviewing activities and project located in rare species habitats. Presentation dates are: Tuesday, June 7, 2011 – Lenox Town Hall, 6 Walker Street, Lenox 7 - 9 PM Wednesday, June 22, 2011 – Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 525 South Pleasant Street, Amherst 7- 9PM Can’t make the talks? For information on the 2010 revisions, go to the Natural Heritage area of DFW’s website to: www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/nhesp/regulatory_review/mesa/mesa_proposed_change.htm. For more information, call the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program at (508) 389-6360. |
||||||||
The 2011 Kodak American Greenways Awards Do you know an organization that is working to create or improve a greenway, trail or waterway? Apply for a Kodak American Greenways Award grant, and your organization could receive up to $2,500 in grant funds and recognition that comes with selection by this prestigious national program. Please see the application at http://grants.conservationfund.org for full details and to apply for consideration of your greenway project for Kodak American Greenway Award funding. This year's application deadline is June 15th. Most grants range from $500 to $1,000. The maximum grant is $2,500. To learn more about the grant awards program, please visit our website or click here to go directly to the grant application. Questions? E-mail or call at (703) 525-6300. |
||||||||
Holyoke Landlords Face Fines for Failing to Notify Tenants about Lead Paint According to a complaint filed by EPA’s New England office, Atlas Property Management of Holyoke and the three affiliated property owners are charged with 27 counts of violating lead-based paint disclosure requirements between Feb. 2007 and Nov. 2009 when they rented 11 housing units at 10 properties. Specifically, the parties are charged with failing to give tenants required lead hazard information pamphlets, failing to include lead warning statements in leases, failing to include disclosure statements regarding lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards, and failing to provide records or reports pertaining to lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards. The allegations are based on documents obtained from Atlas during a Sept. 2007 EPA inspection, as well as from the company’s responses to an Aug. 2009 EPA information request. Atlas is based in Holyoke and manages more than 250 residential rental units. The federal lead disclosure rule, a part of the Toxic Substances Control Act, helps ensure that tenants get adequate information about the risks associated with lead paint before they sign any lease obligating them to rent the unit. Infants and young children are especially vulnerable to lead paint exposure, which can cause developmental impairment, reading and learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, hyperactivity and behavioral problems. Adults with high lead levels can suffer difficulties during pregnancy, high blood pressure, nerve disorders, memory problems and muscle and joint pain. Federal law requires that property owners, property managers and real estate agents leasing or selling housing built before 1978 provide certain information to tenants and buyers, including: an EPA-approved lead hazard information pamphlet called “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home;” a Lead Warning Statement; statements disclosing any known lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards; and copies of all available records or reports regarding lead-based paint and/or lead-based paint hazards. This information must be provided to tenants and buyers before they enter into leases or purchase and sales agreements. Property owners, property managers and real estate agents each bear responsibility for providing lead disclosure information and must keep copies of records regarding lead disclosures for at least three years. More information: |
||||||||
New Farmers' Market opens in Williamsburg Center on May 12th! The Burgy Thursday Market will run every Thursday from May 12th to October 27th, 2:30-7:00 pm on the Meekins Library riverside lawn (closing time may vary seasonally). The market will feature fresh produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, flowers, baked goods, maple products, specialty food products and local crafts from regular vendors Bread Euphoria (Haydenville), Crabapple Farm (Chesterfield), Good Field Farm (Williamsburg), Mockingbird Farm (Easthampton), Paul's Sugar House (Williamsburg), Power of the Petal (Williamsburg), Town Farm (Northampton) and Twin Maples Farm (Williamsburg) and a wide variety of rotational vendors. Come to the market to support local farmers, visit with your neighbors, enjoy the live music, and learn more about what's going on in town. Be a part of the Burgy Thursday bustle! For more information or to sign up for our e-newsletter, please contact Andrew Huckins at burgymarket@gmail.com |
||||||||
Stop the HMA (Hot Mix Asphalt) Plant! in Sheffield and Canaan No Asphalt! Defense Fund has two public information meetings coming up. The first is on Thursday May 12th at 7 pm in the Parish Hall of the Trinity Methodist Church in Ashley Falls. The second is on Saturday May 14th at 5 pm in Dewey Hall in Sheffield. Here is the neighbors’ letter, as well as updated 4-page information sheet. Feel free to pass these on to those you think would be interested. NADF (for No Asphalt! Defense Fund) Contributions to the following address are most welcome: |
||||||||
Family Fun Day at Pleasant Valley Mass Audubon’s Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary welcomes all to Family Fun Day on Saturday, June 4 at 472 W. Mountain Rd., Lenox, from 10 am to 4 pm, rain or shine. Underwritten by Greylock Federal Credit Union, all events are free of charge. Dr. Marmalade’s puppets perform “Maggie’s Garden” at 11 am, and musician David Grover entertains at noon. Naturalist Tom Tyning presents live Fabulous Frogs at 1:30 pm, followed by raptor rehabilitator Tom Ricardi’s Live Birds of Prey at 3 pm. Fiddler George Wilson will welcome visitors with traditional tunes. Children may make castings of animal tracks, and—new this year—build a bug to take home. Berkshire Environmental Action Team will explain how to keep our rivers clean, and Tony Pisano of the Northern Berkshire Beekeepers Association will answer questions about honeybees. Guided nature walks are offered all day. Lunches, snacks, and Project Native plants are for sale. Mass Audubon family memberships will also be available at half-price. Throughout the day, families are invited to explore the sanctuary’s seven miles of pond, forest, and stream trails. For more than sixty years, the sanctuary’s daycamp has offered outdoor education and fun for children. Its birds, wildlife, plants, and natural environment have attracted visitors from around the world. For further information: 413-637-0320 or www.massaudubon.org. |
||||||||
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom Spring Newsletter, Summer Workshops and Graduate Course Greetings, I am sending you a link to the Spring Newsletter of Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom. I am also sending you the full list of our Summer Workshops on the Farm for Educators and information on Our Three- Credit Summer Graduate Course. Click here to read the Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom Spring Newsletter. Articles include:
Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom is Sponsoring 12 Workshops for Educators on Farms This Summer Join us for one of more of our summer workshops and gain knowledge and resources while you explore local farms. Each workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., offers classroom-ready activities and focuses on one unique aspect of agriculture with exploration of the work that takes place at that farm. The fee of $30 includes pdp’s, lunch (unless otherwise indicated in the workshop description) and materials. We hope to see you this summer. Wednesday, June 29 Dairy Farming in Massachusetts, Our Family Farms in Leyden Wednesday, July 6 Herbs, Gardening for Biodiversity, Nursery and Microgreens Workshop Quansett Nursery, South Dartmouth Thursday, July 7, 2011 Gardening in Containers & Horticultural Therapy Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown Tuesday, July 12, 2011 Horticulture and Environmental Education at Heritage Museum & Gardens, Sandwich Thursday, July 14 Woods of the World, Sustainable Forestry & Wood Gasification Workshop at the Botanic Garden of Smith College and Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Northampton Tuesday, July 19, 2011 Canning and Preserving of Locally Grown Foods Derrick Farm in Oakham and Warren Farm and Sugarhouse, North Brookfield Thursday, July 21, 2011 Embryology in the Classroom, Raising Chickens and Turkeys at Ouimet Family Farm, Westfield Tuesday, July 26 Cranberries, Bogs and Soils Workshop, Garretson’s Cranberry Farm, Marshfield Wednesday, August 3, 2011 Teaching Sustainability Using the School Garden, Jackson Street School in Northampton Thursday, August 4, 2011 Honeybees, Beekeeping, Nutrition and Composting at the School, Leicester Primary School and Small Bit Farm in Leicester In the afternoon, travel to the Community Garden in Leicester which abuts the playground at the Primary School. Occupational Therapist Michele Connor and Speech and Language Pathologist Sarah Mahoney integrate work in the garden with activities in the classrooms and therapy rooms. Classes have ground corn and investigated seed saving as well as using materials from the garden for art projects. As Special Educators, Michele and Sarah rely on many hands on activities to facilitate retention of concepts being taught. Then Nutritionist and educator Rita Brennan Olson will discuss connections between gardens and good nutrition. (Lunch included.) Tuesday, August 9, 2011 Oyster Farming and Water Quality at East Dennis Oyster Farm on Cape Cod Thursday, August 11, 2011 The Old and the New of Agriculture in Massachusetts Carlson’s Orchard in Harvard and Flintlock Farm in Still River Following a farm lunch we’ll car pool to nearby Captain Pollard’s Flintlock Farm, a 1780's period (post Revolution Farm). Owner Phil Wilson and farm educator Jenna Sweeney will tell you about the lost arts associated with the subsistence farmers who colonized this area. You will learn about the Physic garden, neoclassical landscaping, farming with draft animals, the organic practices of the times as well as the farmer’s class war of the Shay’s Rebellion. This farm is connected to the first local scientific farmer, Isaac Marshall, who is connected to the use of rock phosphates and other soil amendments. Three Credit Summer Graduate Course for Teachers Our popular 3 Credit Summer Graduate Course for educators returns for the summer of 2011. Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom, collaborating with Fitchburg State College, will offer this three-credit graduate course, titled "Growing Agriculture in the Classroom," using Massachusetts farms as classrooms. Teachers will participate in agricultural-literacy training through fun, hands-on study and investigation of agriculture education resources. It will help enhance curriculum and meet many MCAS requirements. The course will meet on Tuesdays, June 28 and Tuesday, August 16 at the Brigham Hill Community Farm in North Grafton from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Using Massachusetts Farms as your classroom, learn how agriculture can enhance your curriculum, enthrall your students and meet many of the MCAS requirements. Workshops offer hands-on, open-ended experiences, activities and resources related to a variety of agricultural topics. Each participant must attend both sessions and also participate in six additional workshops during the summer, selected from the twelve workshops listed above, on a variety of topics in locations across the state. Participants will also keep a journal of their agricultural journey and developing a classroom project, which they will present to their peers on August 16. The fee for this eight-day course is $500 and includes all materials; farm workshops; some meals and three graduate credits from Fitchburg State College. For more information on any of the programs listed above, visit our website at www.aginclassroom.org or contact: Debi Hogan |
||||||||
2011 Aquatic Habitat Restoration and Revitalization Priority Projects The purpose of issuing a pre-RFR announcement is to give potential Priority Project applicants a chance to freely discuss project ideas with DER staff, with the objective of strengthening the quality of submissions and to help ensure that submitted projects closely fit the DER Priority Project criteria. Once the RFR is issued, DER staff is no longer free to discuss proposed projects with applicants and can only respond to technical questions (like which forms need to be submitted in response to the RFR). So, after you’ve read the pre-RFR announcement, if you have an idea for a project that appears to meet the DER Priority Project criteria, you are encouraged to contact us to discuss before the RFR is issued (expected in mid-to-late May). To read the pre-RFR announcement on-line, go to http://www.comm-pass.com, click on “Search for Solicitations”, then enter DER 2011-01 into the “Keywords” box. The text of the pre-RFR announcement is also provided below. DER 2011-01 The Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) of the Department of Fish and Game will issue a Request for Responses (RFR) in early June seeking nominations for aquatic habitat restoration and revitalization Priority Projects. Selected projects will be eligible to receive technical assistance from DER staff, technical services by qualified contractors paid for by DER, and/or direct grant funding. These projects will remain on the Priority Projects list and maintain eligibility for support in subsequent years until they are completed or new information warrants a revision of status. A list and description of current Restoration and Revitalization Priority Projects is available at http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/der/der_maps/pp_map.htm Interested applicants are encouraged to discuss potential projects with DER staff prior to the issuance of the RFR, expected on or about May 18, 2011. Under state procurement regulations, Department of Fish & Game, and other Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA), staff will not be able to discuss projects with proponents once the RFR is issued. The RFR will be posted at the Commonwealth’s procurement site, http://www.comm-pass.com under Open Solicitations, Department of Fish and Game. Please direct all questions to Nick Wildman (617-626-1527; nick.wildman@state.ma.us). PROJECT ELIGIBILITY Project description:
Restoration is defined as an action that assists in the recovery of natural aquatic ecosystems that have been degraded, altered, or destroyed. Restoration activities restore natural processes, reduce or remove ecosystem stressors, increase ecosystem resiliency, and are self-sustaining to the maximum extent possible. Urban stream revitalization is defined as improving the inter-connection between water quality and quantity, aquatic ecology, physical river structure, and land use, taking into consideration the social, cultural, and economic landscape. Projects will result in habitat and ecosystem improvement and/or restoration of functions such as flood capacity, water quality, and linkage between the urban corridor and the river, thus improving public access and urban vitality. The DER will only support voluntary, proactive restoration projects that have no direct connection to compensatory mitigation and/or have no independent prior obligation to perform restoration/mitigation pursuant to statute, regulation, ordinance, consent decree, judgment, court order, permit condition, contract, enforcement order or other requirement of law. Project proposals must be accompanied by a letter signed by the landowner(s) demonstrating strong commitment to pursue restoration.
APPLICATION PROCESS Nominations for Priority Project Status must meet the eligibility requirements and follow the specific format outlined in the RFR. Nominations will be evaluated by a DER review committee. DER anticipates Priority Project selections will be made by August 2011.
REVIEW CRITERIA Project proposals will be assessed by DER staff according to 3 main criteria:
SELECTION PROCESS FOR PROJECTS AND SUPPORT For each application, DER will review the information provided and conduct a two-part assessment. The first part will be a desktop GIS analysis, whereby the project will be reviewed against data from MassGIS and other sources to assess the existing and potential ecological or community value of the proposed project area. Second, if the staff is not already familiar with the project site, a field visit may be conducted to facilitate the subsequent evaluation of project benefits, costs, and preliminary feasibility. A review team will then evaluate each proposal using materials supplied by the applicant as well as information from the two-part DER assessment. Project selection will be based on consensus of the review team and the availability of DER resources to meet the needs of the project. Once a project is selected it will be eligible to receive support that may include (1) technical assistance from DER staff (as time and resources will permit), (2) technical services from contractors, and/or (3) grant funding. The type and level of support will be determined annually until project completion or new information warrants a revision of project status. Technical assistance from DER staff may include: planning, project scoping, conceptual design consultation, fundraising support, project planning, site reconnaissance, permitting support, community organizing, GIS assessment, support of community outreach, partnership building, and design review. Technical services from pre-approved DER contractors (chosen through a competitive process) may include: data collection and assessment, feasibility studies, community-based planning, restoration conceptualization, design, engineering, permitting, construction oversight, and pre- and post-restoration monitoring. Direct funding may be provided to the project proponents/partners –as applicable- for project implementation.
DER anticipates that this will be the only request for restoration and revitalization Priority Projects in fiscal year 2011 (July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011). Decisions on project selection are expected to be made by August 2011. Decisions regarding technical support or project funding for Fiscal Year 2012 will be determined shortly thereafter. The maximum value awarded to each project will vary according to the scope and nature of the project. Direct funding, if provided, shall be provided on a reimbursement for services basis.
To obtain additional program information, indicative summaries of past Priority Projects, or a copy of the RFR (once issued), please contact Nick Wildman, at 617-626-1527; nick.wildman@state.ma.us, or write to Department of Fish and Game, Division of Ecological Restoration , 251 Causeway Street, Boston, MA 02114, Attention: Nick Wildman. Hard copies of the RFR will only be mailed if requested. |
||||||||
Summer Position in South Berkshire County with the Farmington River Watershed Association One part-time summer staff person is needed to do stream assessments, coordinate volunteers, and conduct public programs in the Farmington headwaters towns of Otis, Becket, and Sandisfield in July and August of 2011, with possible continuation on weekends into September for data entry and reporting. Position will be based at Tolland State Forest with some meetings in Simsbury, CT. Duties:
Qualifications: Knowledge of river ecology and river stewardship is a plus. Experience in the following areas is highly desirable: field assessment of rivers and streams; coordinating volunteers; relating to individuals and groups with varied backgrounds, interests, and ages; leading walks outdoors. Applicant should have their own reliable transportation, be able to attend a few weekday meetings as needed in Simsbury, CT, and be able to do at least some work on weekends. Stipend is $2,500 for the season, based on a rate of $15/hour and a work week that averages about 16 hours. To apply: Send cover letter and resume via email or US mail to Eileen Fielding, Executive Director, Farmington River Watershed Association, at efielding@frwa.org or 749 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT, 06070. Closing date: When filled. This position is funded by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust. The Trust is supported by purchases of MA environmental license plates.return to list of articles |
||||||||
Exec Director Search for the Boston Harbor Assn. Vivien Li has served as the Executive Director of the organization since 1991 and was recently promoted to President. The President and Executive Director are full time positions.and will both report to the Chairman. The Search Committee of TBHA Board of Trustee's is actively seeking Candidates for this exciting opportunity. Please review the attached position profile and forward to anyone you think should know about this position and/or would potentially be a good fit. Inquiries and submissions should be sent to this email address: tbhasearch@gmail.com ATTACHMENT: The Boston Harbor Association - Executive Director posting. Thank you! |
||||||||
Ecologist/Wetland Scientist (compensation commensurate with experience) Bioengineering Group is a Salem, MA based engineering, consulting and design firm with a strong focus on sustainable design, and engineering based on an ecological foundation. We have an immediate need for an Ecologist to work with our interdisciplinary team of engineers, scientists and landscape architects. We are looking for someone who can develop adaptive management strategies for the ecological restoration of degraded systems, develop wildlife management programs, write specifications for invasive species control and management, and develop sustainable management plans for public open spaces like reservations and golf courses, as well as corporate landscapes. This is an opportunity to get involved in all phases of a project from inventories to remediation/restoration/management plans to permitting to constructing to monitoring. Activities will include ecological field evaluations for biological resources, sensitive species surveys, wetlands delineation, soils evaluation, watershed and groundwater systems, preparation of biological reports, preparation and implementation of mitigation and restoration plans, permitting and preparation of regulatory reports.
|
||||||||
Urban Garden News, May 2011 Seeking Garden Coordinator,
Urban Garden at First & Melville Streets The coordinator will first help us design this year's garden layout. We have some ideas of what we want to grow and what has worked and what hasn't in the past, but we also want to try some new types of growing as well. We are also venturing into sales this year, keeping it simple (cut flowers, herbs, and eggs). The coordinator will then manage the planting and maintenance of the garden (this doesn't mean DO IT ALL, but rather manage it- there will be a number of volunteers). The coordinator will organize and staff the Garden Days each Sunday from 11-2. Garden Days are an opportunity for community members to come in and volunteer and learn about the garden.
If you have any questions or would like to apply for the position, please email us at Alchemy.Initiative@gmail.com. |