License Plates Fund BEAT’s Effort to Make Roads More Environmentally Friendly

BEAT received a financial boost for our work to ensure that every major road repair is an opportunity to help connect wildlife habitat and ecosystems. BEAT received $21,819 from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.

According to Trust Director Dorrie Pizzella, the Trust will provide over $500,000 in grants to more than 30 organizations this year, thanks to motorists who choose to purchase one of the Trusts’ three special license plates: the Right Whale & Roseate Terns, the Leaping Brook Trout, or the Blackstone Valley Mill. “You purchase a plate from the Registry of Motor Vehicles and half the registry fee is donated to the Trust to fund water-focused environmental education and protection programs,” said Pizzella.

“Every major road repair is an opportunity to make that road more friendly to wildlife,” says Jane Winn, Executive Director of BEAT. “We are grateful to the Trust for supporting our work.”

Our transportation network has fragmented wildlife habitat resulting in hot spots of road kill – from deer and bear to turtles and frogs. In many places, the culverts that carry water under our roads won’t even allow fish to swim upstream. BEAT will be trying to identify roads that may undergo major repair in the coming years, survey the existing bridges and culverts to see if they adequately allow fish and wildlife to cross under the road, and map the problem crossings. BEAT hopes to identify places in need of better culverts early enough that they can be incorporated without adding significant expense – or early enough that different funds may be accessed to provide for better crossings.

When you purchase a new car or renew your registration with the Registry of Motor Vehicles, you can help preserve environmental education, conservation, or public awareness efforts. The plates cost $76, which includes a $40 tax deductible donation to the Trust. There is a renewal fee of $81 every two years. Visit your local Registry, or order a plate online, or log onto the Massachusetts Environmental Trust website where you can learn more about the Trust, the programs it supports, and the specialty license plate offerings.