CLICK HERE to help support this newsletter. Thank you!
Transcript of CLICK HERE to help support this newsletter. Thank you!
February19,2020
DearFriend,
ThispastSaturdaynight,wewitnessedwhatitmeanstobeacommunitythatloveswildlife.Over
500ofyoucameouttolearnaboutmountainlions,shareknowledgeandexperience,andsupport
BEAT.Thankyou!
Thisyear,we'reexcitedtobepartofthe10x10festival.Twoeventscomingup(freeandopento
all):Thursday, joinElizabethatSpringsideParkforawalk introducingwinterbotanyinthefield.
Friday,joinEliaatBurbankParkforanintroductiontowildlifetracking.
And on an entirely different note: the Massachusetts Dept. of Agricultural Resources Pesticide
Board Subcommittee is having a public hearing on March 13 to consider "the findings of a
scientific literature review that the Pesticide Board Subcommittee will use when determining
whether current uses of neonicotinoid insecticides pose unreasonable adverse effects to the
environment as well as pollinators, and whether current registered uses of neonicotinoid
insecticides should be altered." You can learn more about this hearing, and a whole bunch of
importantenvironmentalissuesaroundtheregion,onourpublicnoticespage.
That'sitfornow,folks.
Thankyouforallyoudotoprotecttheenvironment,
Jane,Elia,Rose,Jake,Mary,Logan,andElizabeth
CLICKHEREtohelpsupportthisnewsletter.Thankyou!
What a crowd! 500 people came together on Saturday night at BerkshireCommunityCollegeforSueMorse'stalkaboutcougars. Itwassuchaspectacularshowing,thankyou!
InTheNews
FrustrationchurnsduringHousatonicRiverInitiativemeeting
aboutplannedPCBdump
AMANDADRANE|THEBERKSHIREEAGLE
[BEATNOTE:OurpositionontheSettlementAgreementcanbefoundonoursite,here.
PleasestaytunedforfutureBEATeventsaboutthisimportantissue.]"Horrified."Violated."
"Sellout."ResidentsstronglyvoicedoppositionMondayinameetingaboutanewcleanupagreement
betweenGeneral Electric Co. and Berkshire towns bordering the Housatonic River's contaminated
shores. A local dumping ground for soils contaminated with PCBs is the main point of
contention.READMORE
'IFeelVictorious':BUProfessorEndsHungerStrikeOver
WeymouthCompressor
MIRIAMWASSER|WBUR
BostonUniversityProfessorNathanPhillipswillendthehungerstrikehebegantwoweeksagoover
whathecalled"seriouspublichealthandsafetyviolations"attheWeymouthnaturalgascompressor
constructionsite.READMORE
WinteradaptationsoftheruffedgrouseMARYHOLLAND|NATURALLYCURIOUSWITHMARYHOLLAND
RuffedGrousehavebothbehavioral(divingintothesnowoncoldnights)andphysicalstrategiesfor
dealingwiththecold,snowandiceofNewEnglandwinters.Threeofthephysicalchangesthattake
placeinthefallareevidentbylookingcloselyatagrouse’slegs,feetandbeak.Thefeathersonits
legs grow thicker and further down towards its feet, to provide better insulation. Small comb-like
growthsofskin,calledpectinations,developalongeithersideofeachtoe.READMORE
BreakFreeFromPlasticPollutionActdebutsinCongress,
instigatingpackagingEPRdebateEACRUNDEN|WASTEDIVE
Federal lawmakers debuted the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act on Tuesday, aftermonths of
build-upkickingoffwhat is likely tobeaheated fightover the legislation.Thebillwouldenshrine
extendedproducerresponsibility(EPR)forplasticbottles,packagingandassorteditems,alongwith
creatinganationalcontainerdepositsystem.READMORE
Findmoreclimateandenergyarticlesfeaturedinthisweek'sNoFrackedGasinMass
WeeklyNewsCheck-In.Findthenewsandsubscribehere.
CourtrulesagainstNarragansettTribeinpipelinedisputePROVIDENCEJOURNAL
A federal appeals court ruled against a Rhode Island tribe Friday in a dispute over a natural gas
pipelinebuilt inMassachusettson landwithceremonialstonegroupings.TheU.S.CourtofAppeals
for theDistrict of ColumbiaCircuit dismissed a petition by theNarragansett Indian Tribe’s historic
preservationofficeforlackofjurisdiction.READMORE
CarbongardeningADRIANAYRESFISHER|ECOLOGICALLANDSCAPEALLIANCE
Gardenersnew to theconceptof carbongardeningoftenask these twoquestions:Whatgoodsoil
managementstrategieswillhelpmaximizecarbonsequestration?And,whatwouldbeagoodplant
palettetohelpaccomplishthis?Goodquestionsboth,towhichIwishIcouldgivedetailed,specific
answers.Carbongardening innorthern Illinois,where I live,differs fromcarbongardening inother
regions;eachwillrequireregion-specificstrategiesandplantpalettes.Everythingdependsonwhere
thegardenerlivesandtheconditionsinwhichtheyaregardening.READMORE
KeepupwiththefightagainstfossilfuelsattheNoFrackedGasinMassNewsletter
SUBSCRIBEHERE
JOBS
Welistjobsrelatedtotheenvironmentfromavarietyoforganizations.
SeasonalStewardshipCrew|BerkshireNaturalResourcesCouncil|Pittsfield
TrailCrew|BerkshireNaturalResourcesCouncil|Pittsfield
FarmConservationProgramProjectManager|MountGraceLandTrust|Athol
ExecutiveDirector|MassachusettsClimateActionNetwork|Boston
EcologicalRestorationOperationsSpecialist|Div.ofEcologicalRestoration|Boston
EcologicalRestorationCommunicationsSpecialist|Div.ofEcologicalRest.|Boston
EcologicalRestorationPartnershipSpecialist|Div.ofEcologicalRestoration|Boston
RiverStewardsInternships|HousatonicValleyAssociation|CT&MA
EcologicalRestorationGrantsManager|MADept.ofFish&Game|Westfield
PhilanthropicServicesAssociate|BerkshireTaconicCommunityFoundation|Sheffield
CampusOrganizer|MASSPIRGStudents|Holyoke&Westfield
StrategicCommunicationsDirector|Highstead|Remote/CT
ExecutiveDirector|MassachusettsClimateActionNetwork|Boston
COMMUNITYCALENDARWelisteventsfromavarietyoflocalandregionalorganizationsandindividuals.
BEATeventsareinbold.BerkshireCountyeventsarelistednorthtosouth,outofcountyeventsare
WEDNESDAY,FEBRUARY19
KidFriendlyMountainMindfulness-Lanesborough
SnowshoeHike-Lenox
MassProtestatWeymouthCompressorStationSite-Weymouth
HabitatneedsandmanagementfortheMonarchButterfly-Webinar
SeriesLaunch:MultifactorialOriginsofCancer,CaseStudiesofEnvironmentalChemicals
andCancerRisks,andaSystemsApproachtoPrevention-Webinar
THURSDAY,FEBRUARY20
IntroductiontoWinterWoodlandBotany-Pittsfield
WaterQualityintheHoosicRiverWatershed-NorthAdams
SpecialSchoolVacationEdition:NiceandEasyTrailHike-Lanesborough
InformationalMeetingonPFASinDrinkingWater
MapsandLegends-TurnersFalls
CommunityPesticideReductionVideoCall
GettingItRight:PricingStrategies-Webinar
FEBRUARY21-23
WinterTrackingIntensive-EastChatham,NY
FRIDAY,FEBRUARY21
InvasiveVineExtravaganza-Pittsfield
IntroductiontoWildlifeTracking-Pittsfield
LogLunch:Clark’snutcrackers&whitebarkpine-Williamstown
AllAboutOwlsChildren’sProgram-NorthAdams
WinterTreeIdentificationHike-Lanesborough
KidleidoscopeStoryHour:Rabbits-TurnersFalls
YogaForPreschoolers-TurnersFalls
Rising:DispatchesfromtheNewAmericanShore-Millbrook,NY
FEBRUARY22-23
WinterOutdoorSkillsAdventureWeekend-Conway
SATURDAY,FEBRUARY22
DarkWatersScreening-Williamstown
FamilyFriendlyOutdoorAdventures!-Lanesborough
SnowshoeHike-Lenox
BluebirdNestBoxBuildingWorkshop-Lenox
GetinTouchwithWinterandNotGet(Too)Cold-TurnersFalls
BirdingtheNorthShoreOfMassachusetts-NorthShore
SUNDAY,FEBRUARY23
Medicinal&EdibleNativePlants-WestStockbridge
MONDAY,FEBRUARY24
NGICPNationalGreenInfrastructureCertificationProgram-Boylston
East-WestPassengerRailStudyAdvisoryCommitteeMeeting-Springfield
TUESDAY,FEBRUARY25
IntrotoPlantAllies-NorthAdams
WEDNESDAY,FEBRUARY26
ForestsandCarboninalargerframe-NorthAdams
XRBerkshiresGeneralMeeting-GreatBarrington
THURSDAY,FEBRUARY27
PFOAinNewYorkandVermont-NorthAdams
CyclingforGeography,Culture,andHistory-Williamstown
FRIDAY,FEBRUARY28
LogLunch:FishingforJustice-Williamstown
KidleidoscopeStoryHour:Coyotes-TurnersFalls
YogaForPreschoolers-TurnersFalls
SATURDAY,FEBRUARY29
BEATTrackingClub-Washington
RichardsonBrookWildlifeSanctuaryHike-Tolland
ExplodedViewPresents:OpenMic-TurnersFalls
AnnualConferenceMAAssn.ofConservationCommissions-Worcester
MindfulnessintheOutdoors-Cropseyville,NY
SUNDAY,MARCH1
Series:ConfrontingRacisminOurWorkforClimateJustice-Troy,NY
MARCH4-5
ELAConference&Eco-Marketplace-Amherst
WEDNESDAY,MARCH4
ClimateChange,Conservation,andtheRoleofNativePlantHorticulture-Cambridge
MassachusettsEnvironmentalEducationSocietyConference-Worcester
ClimateActionFilmFestival-Albany,NY
CarcinogenHazardsofWomen’sOccupationalChemicalExposures,NitratesinDrinking
Water,andParticulateMatterCompositioninAirPollution-Webinar
CompleteCommunityCalendar
ENVIRONMENTALMONITORFebruary10,2020
The Environmental Monitor provides information on projects under review by the Massachusetts
Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office, recent MEPA decisions of the Secretary of Energy &
EnvironmentalAffairs,andpublicnoticesfromenvironmentalagencies.
BerkshireIndex
Lee–DaleyTransferStation–DraftEIR–Commentsdue3/12/20
PioneerValleyIndex
Chicopee–Chicopee-Reconstruction&RelatedWorkonFullerRd,fromMemorialDr.(RTE33)to
ShawiniganDr.(0.2Miles)–ENF–commentsdue1/13/20
Worthington–NoticeofPublicHearingre:ProposedDispositionofCommonwealthProperty
(pdf)–3.7acresabuttingtheFoxDenWildlifeManagementarea–posted2/10/20
Northampton–NoticeofApplicationfora401WaterQualityCertificate(pdf)–replacementof
bridgesonI-91overUS5&BMRRandHockanumRoad–posted2/10/20
Chicopee–NoticeofIssuanceofaDraftOperatingPermitRenewal(pdf)–ConnecticutValley
SanitaryWasteDisposal,Inc.,operatorsoftheChicopeeLandfill–commentsdue3/11/20
StatewideIndex
NoticeofAvailabilityofAnnualReport(pdf)–MassachusettsWaterResourcesCommission
AnnualReport(linktopdfofreport)–posted1/22/20
NoticeofSubmissionofaYearlyOperationalPlanforNationalGrid(pdf)–includingherbicide
application–commentsdue1/24/20
PUBLICNOTICESPublicNoticeslistedherearefromavarietyofsources,fromtownconservationcommissionsand
selectboardstostateandfederalagencies.TheselistingsareforBerkshire,Hampshire,Hampden,
andFranklincounties.Listingsareonlypostediftheyareenvironmentalinnature.Youcanfindall
publicnoticesforMassachusettshere.
PublicNotices
Howarewedoing?We'dloveyourfeedbackonthisnewsletter.Sendusyourthoughtsorsuggestions by replying to this email. Also, send it to your friends, or tell them tosubscribehere.Thanks!
20ChapelSt.Pittsfield,MA01201|(413)4649402|[email protected]