Why donate?

In 2006,
almost 97% of our spending went to programs,
less than 3% was spent on management and general,
and less than 1% was spent on fundraising.

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In 2002, a small group of people started BEAT when we watched as the system of laws and regulations failed to protect a vernal pool, even though the regulators at both the local and state level were aware of the concerns we raised.

This led BEAT to start videotaping the meetings of the Pittsfield Conservation Commission and broadcasting these meetings on local community television. Now these meetings are usually carried live. Not only did this make a difference in the way these meetings were conducted, but also the public became more aware of what the function of a conservation commission is (there are now many fewer questions about zoning issues, instead sticking to wetlands and conservation issues), and even better - one person came running into the meeting breathless, having seen the meeting on television and wanting to add their comments about the issue.

BEAT now videotapes several other meetings including the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Pittsfield Municipal Airport Commission, and the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority, as well as environmental meetings throughout the county.

In 2005, BEAT helped RATSSS (Residents Against the Transfer Station on South Street), stop a construction and demolition transfer station from being located on the bank of the only non-PCB polluted branch of the Housatonic River and 500 feet from peoples homes. BEAT proved the engineer had shown the riverfront boundaries incorrectly on the plans. The new location for this facility is about where we suggested would be an appropriate alternative site in the very beginning of the 3 year battle.

In 2006, a citizen came to us complaining that no matter who he complained to the city of Pittsfield was going to sell land along the Housatonic River that he said had been given to the city as conservation land, to a commercial venture to use as a parking lot. BEAT was able to have the Pittsfield Conservation Commission document that the land was indeed (it was stated in the deed) given as conservation land. The Commission then demanded that the property no longer be used for parking and eventually forced the city to install a barrier to prevent parking there.

In 2006, a volunteer came to BEAT asking for assistance starting a Keeping Track® wildlife monitoring group. Together we formed Berkshire Keeping Track. In 2007, the first group of BKT wildlife monitors graduated from training and are starting to monitor wildlife habitat in the Berkshires with a vision of maintaining and enhancing the wildlife habitat connections among protected landscapes in and around the Berkshires and, with our partners, all the way up through Vermont into Quebec.

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Green Drinks
at the Pittsfield Brew Works

A few of our other accomplishments:

• With the Center for Ecological Technology started Pittsfield Green Drinks - a gathering on the 3rd Tuesday of every month for people interested in in the environment to come together and discuss environmental issues and events.
• With Housatonic River Initiative, Housatonic Environmental Action League and others, BEAT led the push to have the General Electric Company and the US Environmental Protection Agency monitor the flow of Unkamet Brook. This highly toxically contaminated brook flows into the Housatonic River in Pittsfield ABOVE the entire "cleanup" of the river.
• BEAT pushed hard to have the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection codify their regulations in 2005 to require developers to submit "proof of mailing" for the abutter notifications - not just submitting a signed paper saying they sent the notices. This had an immediate effect here in the Berkshires.
• BEAT submits dozens of written comment letters every year, and gives verbal testimony at hearings, on regulations changes, policy changes, and large projects with an environmental impact in the Berkshires.
• BEAT is a member of numerous collaboratives and partnerships. Together with many partners we can accomplish much more across the state than any of us would be able to do individually.

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