The BEAT News

September 14, 2011

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

Please send items of interest to kristen@thebeatnews.org

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Farmers and Growers: Contact Your Local USDA FSA Offices with Estimates of Loss and Restoration Costs from the Floods and to Apply for Programs to Assist Recovery Where Applicable

A handout provided by Rep. Olver’s office is attached detailing current federal programs available to those impacted by Irene which may be copied and handed out to the public.

USDA Contacts are as follows:


BERKSHIRE COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY

FEDERAL BLDG 78 CENTER ST

PITTSFIELD, MA 01201-6171

(413) 443-1776 ext 2

(413) 499-4169 Fax
aimee.thayer@ma.usda.gov

FRANKLIN COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY

55 FEDERAL ST

GREENFIELD, MA 01301-2546

(413) 772-0384 ext 2

(413) 774-4949 Fax
lori.carver@ma.usda.gov

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY

195 RUSSELL ST

HADLEY, MA 01035-9521

(413) 585-1000 ext 2

(413) 586-8648 Fax

ted.smiarowski@ma.usda.gov
Aimee Thayer, State Outreach Coordinator
Massachusetts Communications Team
Tel: 413-443-1776 xt 104
Fax: 413499-4169

NOTICE to Hispanic or Women Farmers: If you believe USDA improperly denied you farm loan benefits during 1981-2000, see farmerclaims.gov or call 1-888-508-4429 for info.

FSA is an equal opportunity lender, provider and employer

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Woods Forum to Provide Information to Forest Land Owners

If you are a forest land owner in the northern Berkshires and have questions about forest management, timber harvesting or planning for the future of your land, you are invited to a Woods Forum on Wednesday September 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. The forum will be held at the headquarters of the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, Sheep Hill, 671 Cold Spring Road in Williamstown.

According to the MassWoods Website, over 60% (3.1 million acres) of Massachusetts is forested, making it the 8th most forested state by percent of forest cover. 79% of those forests are in private ownership,
the vast majority owned by families and individuals. This forum aims to help private forest land owners navigate the complexities of managing their valuable resource.

The Woods Forum is hosted by the UMass Keystone Project, the WRLF, and the Berkshire Environmental Action Team, and is seen as an opportunity for forest land owners to share questions, concerns and experiences with each other in an informal manner. Local forestry and conservation officials will be on hand to give advice and information.

The evening is free and open to the public. An RSVP is required. To RSVP or for more information contact Paul Catanzaro, UMAss Forest Resources Specialist at 413-545-4839, or the WRLF at 413-458-2494.

Sheep Hill is located on Cold Spring Road (Route 7) about 1 mile south of the Williamstown rotary.

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Hudson Valley Farm Beginnings: Hawthorne Valley Farm

The Learning Center at Hawthorne Valley Farm is once again offering our whole farm planning course, beginning in October 2011, called Hudson Valley Farm Beginnings®. This program will take place at Hawthorne Valley Farm in Ghent , NY ( Columbia County , NY ) and will include seven classroom sessions in on-farm goal setting, strategic and business planning, marketing, and financial management, for those interested in developing or expanding farming enterprises. Hudson Valley Farm Beginnings is farmer led and farmer taught so participants will gain access to many local and regional farmer-mentor colleagues during the classroom sessions and during four additional field days at local, sustainably managed farms. After completing a fully articulated and written business plan, participants will be able to have the plan reviewed by a farmer-mentor of their choosing.

Hudson Valley Farm Beginnings is based on curricula developed by the Land Stewardship Project and Angelic Organic’s Learning Center, programs which have graduated over 500 farm entrepreneurs in past years. This course will bring apprentices, new farmers, current landowners and future farm entrepreneurs together to work toward making their agricultural dreams a reality.

For information about this program, please access our website, http://hawthornevalleyfarm.org/farm-beginnings#whole-farm-planning-course. For questions, or to submit an application, please contact Caroline Smialek at 518-672-7500, x232, or caroline@hawthornevalleyfarm.org.

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Berkshire Organics presents Farmageddon

Join Berkshire Organics on Thursday September 22 for an early screening of Kristin Canty's FARMAGEDDON- The Unseen War On Family Farms.

The threat of local farms being shut down is not just a far off myth. Discover what is truly happening to family farms around the country and how their absence will affect you!

6:30pm cocktails & refreshments
8:30pm stay after the film for a special Q&A session.

Purchase tickets now at http://www.facebook.com/l/vAQCIGllrAQDrqNEQBr0fVV8n5nbMn_o2stOyKNmoRgyEEQ/www.berkshireorganics.com/index.php
Or in the Berkshire Organics store [813 Dalton Division Rd, Dalton, MA]
413-442-0888

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9/9/11 - DCR Temporarily Closing OHV Trails in Four State Parks

WHAT: The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has temporarily closed off highway vehicle (OHV) trails in four western Massachusetts forests due to wet trail conditions and trail damage caused by tropical storm Irene and subsequent rainfall.

All motorcycle and ATV trails in Pittsfield State Forest, October Mountain State Forest, Beartown State Forest and Tolland State Forest will be closed until conditions improve and DCR assesses the bridge and trail damage caused by the storms.

DCR will update the status of the trails on its website at www.mass.gov/dcr. You can also contact DCR's OHV Rangers at Pittsfield State Forest (413) 499-5112 for additional information.

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Good News for Rare Species
news from the Center for Biological Diversity


A federal judge has just (9/9/11) approved the Center for Biological Diversity's landmark agreement to move 757 of the country's most imperiled, least protected species toward protection.The judge's signature makes the historic agreement the Center reached with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official and legally binding.

And it's the latest step in a decade-long effort at the Center to get vital federal protection for hundreds of America's most vulnerable plants and animals. All of them now have a fresh shot of survival.

Even before the judge today made our agreement legally binding, we've seen significant progress toward protecting species included in the Center's settlement. Over the past two months, dozens of species listed in the agreement have been proposed for listing. That includes one of the rarest butterflies in the United States, the Miami blue, which has been proposed for emergency protections.

There's never been an agreement like this one: Between now and 2018, the Fish and Wildlife Service will decide on Endangered Species Act protection for hundreds of species, including the American wolverine, the Pacific fisher, Mexican gray wolf, sage grouse and the Pacific walrus.

The deal includes species in all 50 states, including 26 birds, 31 mammals, 67 fish, 22 reptiles, 33 amphibians, 197 plants and 381 invertebrates.

With the judge's approval, we can count on important decisions about the fate of these species to be made in the coming months and years. And because of the ongoing hard work by our scientists, lawyers and advocates in reaching this agreement and continuing to fight for protections for other imperiled plants and animals, we can celebrate knowing that many of these species will finally get the help they so desperately need.

For the wild,
Kierán Suckling
Executive Director
Center for Biological Diversity

P.S. If you'd like to see a full list of the species covered by the agreement -- and an interactive map showing where they are in the U.S. -- check out the Center's interactive website here.

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Register for an EPA Watershed Academy Webcast on "State and Local Policies to Restrict the Use of Lawn Fertilizers" on September 21, 2011

Join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a free Watershed Academy webcast titled “Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Series: State and Local Policies to Restrict the Use of Lawn Fertilizers" on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern. Fertilizers, leaves, grass clippings, animal waste, and eroded soil are all sources of phosphorus and nitrogen. When they are swept or washed into the street or nearest storm drain, they end up in your local lake or river where they can cause algal blooms and other water quality problems. This webcast will highlight legislation passed by Minnesota, Michigan and the Chesapeake Bay states to restrict the use of lawn fertilizers, and will share key lessons learned. This webcast is one in a series on the important issue of nutrient pollution.

Participants are encouraged to download presentations prior to the webcast. To download webcast presentations and to register for this Webcast, please visit www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts. Webcast participants are eligible to receive a certificate for their attendance.

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Description: http://www.massmees.org/images/stories/newsletter/webmail-partners-header.gif
Come Learn with Us!

Experience the 45th Annual NEEEA Conference:"Navigative New England Environmental Education: Charting a Course to an Environmentally Literate Future" October 21-23, 2011 at Prindle Pond Conference Center in Charlton, MA

The Massachusetts Environmental Education Society (MEES) and the 2011 NEEEA Conference Committee are pleased to announce the opening of registration for this years conference! Join us for a dynamic weekend full of enriching and inspiring workshops, adventurous field trips and excellent entertainment. Enjoy networking, learning, and revitalizing yourself and your teaching skills and return home with resources and materials to do the same for your classroom or organization.

For complete conference offerings and registration please visit the 2011 NEEEA Conference microsite at http://neeea.org/conference/index.html

**Early Bird Registration Has Been Extended to September 9th!**

Don't forget to stay in touch and up to date on all kinds of conference and environmental education news on facebook pages!

MEES: http://www.facebook.com/massmees
NEEEA: http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-England-Environmental-Education-AllianceNEEEA/151056058291416

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Berkshire Grown Celebrates the Harvest with Local Chefs and Farmers

Great Barrington, MA (September 2, 2011) ---Berkshire Grown’s Harvest Supper celebrating local food and farms takes place Monday, September 19, from 6:30-8:30 pm at Eastover Hotel and Resort in Lenox, Mass.

The Farm to Table feast features delicious dishes prepared by local Berkshire Grown member chefs using fresh ingredients from local farms. Food will be paired with samplings from local beverage producers. The evening also features a drawing for shopping sprees and gift certificates to restaurants and a silent auction.

“The Harvest Supper celebrates our local farms and gives us a chance to show why we support eating locally grown food,” says Barbara Zheutlin, executive director of Berkshire Grown. “Locally grown food is delicious and when we buy food directly from local farmers we’re strengthening our local economy.”

Participating restaurants include: Allium Restaurant + Bar, Baba Louie's, cafeADAM, Café Reva, Canyon Ranch, Castle Street Café, Chez Nous, Eastover Hotel and Resort, Firefly Restaurant and Catering, Gala Steakhouse & Bistro @ Orchards Hotel, Gramercy Bistro, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, John Andrews: A Farmhouse Restaurant, Marketplace Kitchen, Martin's Restaurant, Mezze Bistro + Bar, The Old Inn on the Green, The Red Lion Inn, Route 7 Grill, Savory Harvest Catering, Spice Dragon and Williams College Dining. Beverages will be provided by Barrington Brewery, Berkshire Mountain Distillers, and Riverbend Café. Sculptor Joe Wheaton coordinates decorating, and contributes “farm charm” to the celebration of local farms and food.

The dinner is by reservation only and will take place Monday, September 19th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $65 for members and $75 for non-members. Tickets sell out so people are encouraged to call 413-528-0041 for reservations as soon as possible. All proceeds benefit Berkshire Grown, supporting its Buy Local campaign as well as its Share the Bounty project which buys shares in local farms and distributes the fresh food to pantries benefiting low-income people throughout the region.

“We create this special event with a network of generous supporters,” says Zheutlin. The event’s underwriters include Berkshire Bank Foundation, Ginsberg’s Foods, Inc., Lucy Holland and Charles Schulze, Iredale Mineral Cosmetics and The Red Lion Inn; plus Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Judith Burke, Laurily Epstein, Hans and Kate Morris, Honey Sharp and David Lippman, and Zevia; plus Berkshire Co-op Market, Blue Q, Rebecca Gold, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Steven and Roberta Haas, Jonathan Hankin, Lola Jaffe, Lee Bank, Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, Claire Rosenberg, Marion Simon, Robert and Marja Tepper, L.V. Toole Insurance Agency, Inc., The Wainwright Inn, Ward’s Nursery and Garden Center, Wild Oats Market, and Windy Hill Farm.

A drawing will be held at the Harvest Supper with tickets priced at $10 (six for $50). Drawing prizes include fabulous dining packages at Berkshire Grown member restaurants, and shopping sprees at Berkshire Co-op Market and Guido’s Fresh Marketplace.

A silent auction will offer the chance to bid on and win a variety of items: lunch for two at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, dinner at the Library at Wheatleigh, a Cheese 101 class for two at Rubiner’s Cheesemongers, a share in the Farm Girl Farm CSA, a day pass to Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, lunch for four at Blantyre, a day pass for two at Canyon Ranch, a one-night stay with dinner at The Old Inn on the Green, a bidder’s choice prize of either compost or a share in a veggie or meat CSA from Holiday Brook Farm, a sausage making class at The Meat Market, and one-night stays at Stonover Farm Bed & Breakfast and the Inn at Sweet Water Farm.

Berkshire Grown will create a Zero Waste Event. Bob Daley of Daley & Sons in Lee will donate his services to take the waste to Holiday Brook Farm in Dalton, where it will be added to their compost along with the compostable plates, spoons and glasses and will become part of Holiday Brook Farm’s famous “black gold” compost.

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