The Official Website of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game
- Department of Fish and Game
- Commissioner Mary B. Griffin
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Ebb & FlowThe Division of Ecological Restoration Ebb&Flow #2- January, 2010 An electronic newsletter from the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration Greetings Ebb&Flow Readers - Happy New Year! The Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) is off to a great start in 2010, with the Eel River Restoration in Plymouth well underway and the Ox Pasture Brook Restoration in Rowley near complete. Both of these projects involve dam removal; in 2009 alone five dams were removed, almost doubling prior efforts in one year. In 2010 we anticipate more great success on the project front, with 15 salt marsh restoration projects slated for construction. We are proud to announce that the new DER website has been launched, please send us your feedback and book-mark us. In our effort to promote aquatic ecosystem restoration and protection efforts, DER is contributing to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs brand new Great Outdoors Blog. See recent posts on the Eel River restoration, The Wild and Scenic Westfield River, a visit from a delegation of environmental leaders from Ireland and a post on River Instream Flow Stewards or RIFLS volunteers. Feel free to submit your comments to these posts. See you on and along the rivers and marshes soon. Sincerely,
Tim Purinton, Acting Director Hunt Durey, Acting Deputy Director
A River Restoring Itself…with a little help By Alex Hackman, DER project manager [(617) 626-1548; alex.hackman@state.ma.us] For the first time in a more than a century, the tide now flows past the site of the former Lower Dam on Ox Pasture Brook in Rowley. Last month, work crews removed the old earthen, stone, and concrete dam located at the ‘head-of-tide’ on this small coastal stream. The dam prevented natural tidal flushing from moving upstream, blocked fish passage, impacted wildlife habitat, and degraded water quality. Now that the dam has been removed, brackish waters are extending upstream, and the old river channel is again finding its way again through the former impoundment.
The removal of the Lower Dam on Ox Pasture Brook is the first dam removal project to be completed in Essex County. Located within the 2,000-acre William Forward Wildlife Management Area, the dam and surrounding lands are owned and managed by the Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW). In 2005, the dam was identified as a priority restoration site in the Great Marsh Aquatic Habitat Restoration Plan, prepared by the Wetlands Restoration Program (WRP). The reason was obvious – the dam created an unnatural barrier to fish and wildlife movement, and impacted natural riverine processes that contribute to the health of the Great Marsh, such as the movement of sediment and nutrients. In 2006, the Massachusetts Riverways Program (Riverways) took on the dam removal as a ‘pilot’ project, hired Woodlot Alternatives of Topsham, Maine (an engineering and consulting firm; now part of Stantec, Inc.), and funded the completion of a feasibility study to evaluate the dam removal. Working with a team of project partners over the next three years, Riverways staff spearheaded the completion of engineering designs (by Stantec, Inc.), an evaluation of sediment quality, project permitting, and fundraising to complete the dam removal. Key project partners included the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Restoration Center, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, American Rivers, DFW, and WRP. Project funding came from a variety of sources, including grants from NOAA, USFWS, American Rivers, Trout Unlimited, and DFG. The consulting firm ERM of Boston donated technical services to the project via the Massachusetts Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership (CWRP), a non-profit organization linking environmental businesses with restoration projects. Total project costs were approximately $130,000, including approximately $50,000 for (de)construction in December. The dam was the first on Ox Pasture Brook, blocking natural connections with downstream aquatic habitat and resources including the Mill River, Parker River, and Plum Island Sound. Now that the dam has been removed, biologists expect that rainbow smelt, American eel, and possibly other diadromous (migrating to/from fresh to salt water) fish from the Atlantic Ocean will use the stream for spawning and rearing habitat. Several dozen eels were observed swimming upstream during the dam removal process! Post-restoration monitoring will be conducted by DER for several years to track the results of the dam removal. The project marks the one of the first successful dam removal accomplished by DFG ’s new Division of Ecological Restoration (DER), formed in July 2009 by a merger of Riverways and WRP. The project also marks the first successful collaboration between DER and the Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control and Wetlands Management District (the District) on an aquatic habitat restoration project. The District generously donated construction labor, equipment, fuel, logistical support, great spirit, camaraderie, and hard work to the construction phase of the project. Local resident Tim Toomey kindly allowed daily construction parking and vehicle access to and from the site from his private property in Rowley.
DER looks forward to more river and wetland restoration project on the beautiful North Shore of Massachusetts. For project press coverage, check out the December 19th story in the Newburyport News and the EEA press release. Readers are encouraged to visit and enjoy the public lands of the William Forward Wildlife Management Area for hiking, biking, scenic beauty…and a special chance to see a river naturally find and carve its way home again. $30 Million NRCS Cape Cod Restoration Plan Authorized by Congress On December 16, 2009, the U.S. Congress authorized the Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The $30 million plan will provide federal funding matched by non-federal contributions to complete 76 different projects over the next ten years. Restoration efforts will focus on salt marsh, shellfish, and anadromous fish resources by restoring tidal flow, treating polluted stormwater, and improving fish passage. DER staff worked closely with NRCS and other partners since 2002 to help prepare the plan, and will now play a lead role helping Cape communities implement the 26 priority salt marsh restoration projects. We offer our sincere gratitude and congratulations to the NRCS, Barnstable County Commissioners, Cape Cod Conservation District, and all 15 Cape Cod towns who collectively had the vision and determination to develop this important restoration plan. We also want to thank Senator Kirk, Senator Kerry, Congressman Delahunt, and their staff for the crucial role they played in obtaining authorization from Congress. The impressive coalition of plan supporters, led by the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, also deserve tremendous credit for their persistence and determination over many years to help shepherd the plan through authorization. This federal investment of $26 million – to be matched by $6 million in non-federal contributions – is the largest regional restoration effort to date in Massachusetts and marks an important and exciting milestone for the advancement of habitat restoration on Cape Cod and throughout our Commonwealth. Five million dollars of federal funding will be available immediately to advance a number of salt marsh, anadromous fish, and shellfish restoration projects. DER looks forward to working with Cape towns and many other partners to implement these projects which will generate important and lasting benefits for the environment and economy of communities across Cape Cod. Click here to read a Cape Cod Times news story on this project, and here for the NRCS’ fact sheet on the project. Mother Nature Restores Degraded Salt Marsh in Orleans – the Easy Way Mother Nature skirted all environmental permits while single-handedly restoring Orleans’ Cranberry Bog Marsh in late October. The project site, near The Narrows area of Pleasant Bay, featured a relic cranberry bog berm across a salt marsh with a small clay culvert that severely restricted tide flow. In late October, a strong Nor’easter sent high water and waves over the berm, which eventually gave out around the culvert. A 15-foot hole was blown through the berm, making for the easiest and most cost-effective salt marsh restoration project on record!
The site now appears to receive full tidal exchange, which is a boon to the 4 acres of existing degraded salt marsh, in addition to the 3 acres of shrub and maple swamp that was historically tidal wetland and will likely revert back to salt marsh over time. After the storm, DER staff measured salinity in the swamp area at 30 parts per thousand, indicating the entire 7 acres now receives full tidal inundation on a regular basis. Up until the storm, DER was actively working with the private landowners to assess the feasibility of restoring the marsh, and funded a feasibility study to determine the best restoration alternative. After several meetings with DER, the landowners were considering restoration options when the problem fixed itself. In addition to the landowners, the Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fisherman’s Association was a project partner, providing coordination and communication assistance. In the realm of ecological restoration, sometimes storm damage can be a good thing! Phase I Completed on Marshfield Green Harbor River Restoration Project
In December 2009, work was completed on Phase I of the Green Harbor River Restoration Project in Marshfield. The 1,000+ acre Green Harbor River historic estuary was cut off from Green Harbor and Massachusetts Bay in the late 1800s when an earthen dike and causeway were constructed across the tidal river for agricultural and development purposes. The Phase I restoration replaced a water control structure on the dike with an adjustable “fish-friendly” combination sluice gate (see photo), that will allow greater tidal exchange between the river and harbor. During this initial phase of the project, changes in water levels will be confined to the existing river boundaries, which will restore tidal influence to approximately 60 acres of estuarine habitats. One fundamental concern that needed to be addressed during project planning was potential flooding of nearby low-lying residential areas and an airport that had been developed within the floodplain since the dike was constructed. To monitor tidal water levels in the estuary, an innovative water level monitoring and telemetry system was installed to record water levels and provide near-real-time information for web-based viewing. This equipment was purchased with grant funds from the ERM Foundation through the Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership and installed pro-bono by the UMass Boston Coastal Environmental Sensing Networks (CESN). Other project partners include the Town of Marshfield, DER, Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment – NOAA Habitat Restoration Partnership, NOAA Restoration Center, the Center for Student Coastal Research, Laurie Bianchi, M.Ed, and students from the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School. The results of Phase I restoration and data collection will help project partners evaluate additional options to potentially restore tidal influence to a much larger area of the former estuary. $450,000 Obtained for Jacobs Meadow/James Brook Restoration Project, Cohasset During an early November visit to the Town of Cohasset, Governor Deval Patrick announced a $450,000 capital infrastructure improvement grant for the Jacobs Meadow culvert and tide gate infrastructure project. Jacobs Meadow is a 14-acre tidally restricted salt marsh, nominated by Cohasset and accepted as a DER Priority Project in 2006. The site is surrounded by downtown Cohasset and the harbor front area. James Brook (see photo), which flows through Jacobs Meadow and downtown Cohasset, drains a 600 acre watershed that ultimately flows to the harbor through the culvert and tide gates located at Border Street.
The existing undersized culvert is severely deteriorated and has partially collapsed, exacerbating a flooding condition that occurs when heavy rains increase stream flow beyond the culvert’s capacity. The restricted tidal flow into the meadow, restrictions in stream flow through the culvert, and changes in stream flow associated with upstream development have all contributed to Jacobs Meadow being overrun with the invasive Phragmites reed. The restoration project complements other recent resource and water quality improvements, including a CZM Coastal Pollution Remediation (CPR) stormwater project, that are all part of a holistic resource protection and restoration strategy. The state grant will fund the development of final engineering plans and construction of the culvert and tide gates. The grant will be administered by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management in coordination with other partners including DER, NOAA Habitat Restoration Partnership-NOAA Restoration Center, the Mass. Bays Program, and the US EPA. Wetland monitoring in the Meadow has been performed by the Center for Student Coastal Research, with financial assistance from DER. This project is an excellent example of a dual-purpose infrastructure repair/environmental restoration investment that will not only replace and upgrade deteriorated infrastructure but will also, at the same time, address flooding issues and ecological restoration goals. Construction is anticipated to occur this summer. Click here to read news coverage of Governor Patrick’s Jacob’s Meadow announcement. Grant, Prize, Contest, Award and Fundraising Opportunities (presented in rough chronological order by application/nomination/entry deadline) The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (GOMC) and the National Marine Fisheries Service's Community-based Restoration Program recently announced a Request for Proposals for their joint Habitat Restoration Grants Program, which funds projects focusing on restoration of habitats in streams, coastal wetlands, and sub-tidal coastal environments located within the Gulf of Maine watershed (including all Mass. coastal watersheds from the elbow of Cape Cod in Chatham north to the NH border - see map). Grant awards typically range from $40,000 to $100,000. Mandatory Full Proposal Applications must be submitted to the GOMC via the restoration applications website (http://www.gulfofmaine.org/grantapp/) between March 1 and April 2, 2010.Visit the GOMC's Habitat Restoration Web Portal for more info. The Mass. Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is seeking proposals for its Coastal Habitat Grants Program. Up to $102,000 is available to support pro-active efforts to implement demonstrable steps and actions to further coastal habitat protection, restoration, and assessment within the Massachusetts coastal zone, including outreach and education activities. Cities, towns, and other public entities; academic institutions; watershed associations or similar nonprofits; and other private organizations are eligible to apply for grants up to $25,000. A 25% non-federal match of the total project cost is required. Priorities for Fiscal Year 2010 Coastal Habitat Grants are: habitat feasibility studies and design activities, water quality, pre- and post-restoration activities, and invasive species. To view the Request for Responses (RFR), go to http://www.comm-pass.com, click on “Search for \Solicitations”, and enter ENV 10 CZM 02 in the “Keywords” box. Applications are due by February 8, 2010 and projects must be completed by December 31. [Click here for info on the federal Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) funding for FY11. Projects will be selected by March and passed along to the feds shortly thereafter. To discuss potential CELCP project ideas with CZM, contact David Janik at (508) 291-3625 or david.janik@state.ma.us.] The New England Grassroots Environment Fund (NEGEF)’s Small Grants Program provides grants to groups working on community-level issues within the six New England states. Small grants are intended to support community groups who represent the most exciting energy in the environmental movement and that are not being reached by traditional funders. Its next application deadline is February 15, 2010. Contact Ginny Callan at (802) 223-4622 or callan@grassrootsfund.org for info on either of these grant programs. [Click here for info on NEGEF’s “root$hare” TM initiative, where small donations are pooled to enhance NEGEF’s ability to provide financial and technical assistance and networking services for community groups around the region]. The mission of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation is to promote healthy lifestyles and the delivery of quality health care in company communities throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. To meet the challenges of an aging society, the Foundation is committed to funding Healthy Aging programs for adults ages 60 or older. Targeted grant categories include Vibrant Lifestyles, which supports exercise, nutrition, recreational, and disease prevention programs for seniors. [This could include projects that enhances seniors’ knowledge of, access to and use of smooth-surface trails, especially those going through natural landscapes, which would enhance seniors’ ability to get healthful exercise as well as the psychological benefits of being out in nature.] The upcoming deadline for letters of inquiry is January 25, 2010; full proposals will be due March 24, 2010. Click here to take the on-line eligibility quiz and submit a letter of inquiry. [Click here to read an excerpt of the Dec. 2009 edition of the National Park Service’s Conservation + Recreation newsletter for several examples of projects like this from other regions, and here for related info.] The Northbrook, Illinois-based Kinship Conservation Fellows environmental leadership program annually selects 18 Fellows to receive a $6,000 award and join its dynamic fellowship of conservation leaders. Fellows take part in an intensive, month-long program that combines conservation leadership training with business and economic tools in the context of real life project work. With expertise in environmental economics; business and finance; conservation planning; and natural resource management, and a wealth of on-the-ground experience in conservation projects, our elite faculty will mentor and guide your progress. Join an exceptional group of dedicated conservation leaders next summer in Bellingham, WA and gain a deeper understanding of how market-based tools can improve conservation practice globally. The deadline to apply for the 2010 Class of Fellows is January 18, 2010. Applicants should be innovative conservation professionals with five or more years of experience, who are mission-driven and committed to leadership. Click here or call (847) 714-1702 for more info. The Charles Bullard Fellowship in Forest Research, sponsored by Harvard University’s Harvard Forest, supports advanced research and study by individuals who show promise of making an important contribution, either as scholars or administrators, to forestry and forest-related subjects from biology to earth sciences, economics, politics, administration, philosophy, humanities, the arts or law. The Fellowship is a highly competitive program which only accepts 5 to 7 recipients a year from an applicant pool of many dozens. The application deadline for the 2010 Class of fellows is Monday, February 1. Click here for more info, and here to learn more about the 2009-2010 Bullard Fellows. Switzer Environmental Fellowships, funded by the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation, provide one year of financial support ($15,000), as well as long-term career and professional development support, for graduate students in New England and California whose studies are directed toward improving environmental quality and who demonstrate the potential for leadership in their field. Awards have been made to students pursuing environmental policy, economics, land and water conservation, public health, journalism, architecture, environmental justice, business and law, as well as the more traditional sciences of biology, chemistry, and engineering. Candidates for the Switzer Fellowship are chosen not only for their excellence in academic and scientific work, but also on their true dedication to aggressively pursue practical solutions to environmental problems. Past Switzer Fellows are recognized environmental leaders working in the non-profit, public policy, academic and business communities. Applications are due February 1, 2010; read the Fellowship program guidelines and the Call for Applications or contact Don Brackett, Administrative Officer, at (207) 338-5654 for more info. Massachusetts landowners who would like technical and financial help protecting wildlife habitat and valuable ecosystems on their property should sign-up for the federal Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) by February 1, 2010. WHIP is a voluntary program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Examples of eligible lands in Massachusetts include privately owned grasslands, shrub lands, and young forest, freshwater wetlands, upland oak forest, pitch pine/scrub oak habitat, coastal habitats, and rivers and streams. While WHIP sign-up is continuous throughout the year, land owners are encouraged to apply now in order for their applications to be reviewed and ranked for possible funding from the total $98,000 currently available for Massachusetts projects. Click here or contact your local NRCS office for more info. The Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence recognizes extraordinary contributions by K-12 educators who are elevating the level of science literacy through creativity in the classroom and motivation of students. In 2010, the program will recognize 34 teachers from the communities in which Amgen has staff and facilities, including locations in Massachusetts (Cambridge). Each honored teacher will receive an unrestricted cash award of $5,000 and a $5,000 cash grant for the recipient’s school to be used for the expansion and enhancement of a school science program, science resources, or for the professional development of the school’s science teachers. Applications must be submitted by February 5, 2010; click here for more info. [The Amgen Foundation also makes grants (including environmental grants) to enhance community life in the communities it has facilities; call the Foundation’s Hotline at (805) 447-4056 for more info.] The FY10 focus of the 604(b) Grant Program, administered by the Mass. DEP, will be for watershed or sub-watershed based non-point source assessment activities that support DEP’s assessment efforts, including data needs that are identified in: the Massachusetts Watershed-based Plans; the EEA Watershed Action Plans; the Mass. Nonpoint Source Management Plan; DEP watershed water quality assessment reports; the Massachusetts Estuaries Project; TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) development; and water supply source protection planning. DEP plans to hold two pre - RFR Informational Meetings to discuss potential projects before the FFY10 604(b) RFR is issued. It is highly recommended that potential respondents attend one of these meetings to discuss your ideas on new projects. The first will be held in the Concord Room at DEP’s Central Regional Office in Worcester on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 from 10:00 AM to Noon; the second meeting will be held in Conference Room 2C at DEP’s Boston Office at One Winter Street on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 from 10:00 AM to Noon. The anticipated deadline for release of the RFR is January 29, with a proposal deadline of March 27. The federal AmeriCorps program has in the past funded environmental improvement programs such as Mass. Community Water Watch, and trail and other maintenance projects at Mass. Forests and Parks. With the passage of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, there is enormous potential growth for AmeriCorps across the country and in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Service Alliance ( MSA ) is offering “AmeriCorps 101” trainingsessions in several regions of the state in early February to explain how your organization can participate in the program (click here for training dates and locations). To register for a training, contact Kristen Nelson, Administrative Coordinator at (617) 542-2544 ext. 221 or knelson@mass-service.org. The Five Star Restoration Grant Program, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), provides modest financial assistance on a competitive basis to support community-based wetland, riparian, and coastal habitat restoration projects that build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach and training activities. The deadline to apply is Thursday, February 11, 2010 - click here to access the full Request for Proposals document. At least $200,000 of the current grant round will be made available to support urban conservation and restoration in seven metropolitan areas (including Boston). To be eligible for this urban conservation and restoration funding, projects must include a spring community service day in which funding partners can participate in a restoration project (e.g., planting trees or native plants, pulling invasive plants, removing trash from urban waterways, installing rain gardens, etc.). All Five Star-funded projects must: (1) include on-the-ground wetland, riparian, in stream and/or coastal habitat restoration (in the targeted metropolitan areas, urban restoration projects may also include the creation of backyard wildlife habitat and “green infrastructure” through tree plantings, rain gardens, pollinator gardens, etc.); (2) integrate meaningful environmental education into the restoration project either through community outreach, participation, and/or integration with K-12 environmental curriculum; (3) involve a diverse set of community partners to accomplish the project’s objectives; (4) result in measurable ecological and educational/social benefits. NFWF hosted an on-line webinar last December which provided supplemental information regarding the grants program and responded to questions (click here to see it). The U.S. EPA’s Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program is making $2 million available in 2010 to reduce pollution at the local community level. CARE is a community-based program that works with county and local governments, tribes, non-profit organizations and universities to help the public understand and reduce toxic risks from numerous sources, including those found in water. EPA will award CARE cooperative agreements in two levels. Level I awards range from $75,000 to $100,000 and will help establish community-based partnerships to develop local environmental priorities. Level II awards, ranging from $150,000 to $300,000 each, will support communities that have established broad-based partnerships, have identified the priority toxic risks in the community, and are prepared to measure results, implement risk-reduction activities and become self-sustaining. Applications for the CARE grants are due March 9, 2010. EPA will conduct three Webcasts to answer questions from prospective applicants about the application process on Feb. 2, 23, and 26, 2010 from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Click here and here, or contact Dennis O’Connor at oconnor.dennis@epa.gov or (202) 343-9213 for more info. The Skoll Foundation’s mission is to advance systemic change to benefit communities around the world by investing in, connecting and celebrating social entrepreneurs, who see opportunities where others see problems and crises. They apply innovative solutions to social and environmental issues, empowering people and communities to envision and create positive change. The Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship support people whose work has the potential for large-scale influence on critical challenges of our time: tolerance and human rights, health, economic and social equity, peace and security, institutional responsibility, and environmental sustainability. Addressing water scarcity is one of the Foundation’s priorities. In addition to core support, the Skoll Foundation supports the participation of Award recipients in the annual Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship. The next application deadline is February 17, 2010; click here for more info. The Draper Richards Foundation provides selected social entrepreneurs with funding of $100,000 annually for three years. The funds are specifically and solely for entrepreneurs starting new non-profit organizations. The Draper Richards Fellowships are highly selective; only six fellowships are awarded per year. The Foundation does not fund local, community-based organizations (i.e., one that focuses on a defined region or location and does not plan to expand its reach or service area). Proposals are accepted throughout the year; click here for more info. The Swansea, MA-based Robert F. Stoico/FIRSTFED Charitable Foundation has given and pledged nearly fifteen million dollars to the communities of southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island since 1998. The Foundation’s mission is to strengthen the community by enhancing opportunities for education, job development, affordable housing, accessibility to health care and accessibility to the arts. Requests for small grants ($5,000 or less) can be submitted any time; the next deadline for larger-sized grant proposals is February 28, 2010. Click here for info on how to apply, and here for examples of recently-funded projects, or contact Cecilia Viveiros, Executive Director, at (508) 235-1368 or Cecilia@stoicofirstfed.org for more info. The William P. Wharton Trust supports conservation, study and appreciation of nature through projects with tangible and lasting results, those that seek partnerships and that leverage funds to gain matching contributions. The Trust seeks to support projects that directly promote the conservation, study, and appreciation of nature, particularly (in order of priority): Natural areas preservation, primarily in Massachusetts and New England, including funding acquisitions of land for conservation purposes; Management techniques designed to improve environmental quality and species diversity; Bird and forestry research and management, especially at the applied level rather than the theoretical or molecular level; and Creation of materials or projects designed to foster an appreciation of and a concern for wildlife and natural systems. The Trust’s next preliminary application deadline is March 10, 2010 at 2:00 PM. For more info, click here or contact the Trust c/o Choate Hall & Stewart, Two International Place, 32nd Floor, Boston, MA 02110, williampwhartontrust@choate.com, or call Sybil Williams, Trust Administrator, at (617) 248-4067. The Family Grants Committee of the Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust Fund recently announced a revised set of guidelines for applicants. While the Trust will continue to make grants in New England in the fields of education, environment and health, the focus has narrowed: Education: early learning, out-of-school time; Environment: habitat conservation, concentrating on fresh and marine water protection; Health: access to health care. The Fund has also moved from a quarterly to a semiannual meeting cycle; the deadlines for submission of concept papers are March 15 and September 15; click here to see the Guidelines for Applicants. The Trust encourages potential applicants to contact Kirstie David, Program Manager, at kdavid@gmafoundations.com, with any questions. Each question will receive an individualized response, and frequently asked questions will be posted on the Trust’s web site. The Dominion Foundation supports nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the economic, physical, and social health of the communities served by Dominion's gas companies (which include the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York). The Foundation’s areas of interest include civic and community development and the environment. Prospective applicants can increase their chances of receiving a grant by passing the eligibility quiz and reading the FAQ page. Contact Daniel A. Weekley, Northeastern U.S. Region Contributions Committee, Attn: Dominion Millstone Station, Rope Ferry Rd., Waterford, CT 06385 for more info. Administered by the Norcross Wildlife Foundation, the A. V. Stout Fund makes grants to support research on New England wildlife and its habitat, as well as improving management techniques through innovative ideas and programs. Eligible applicants include college and university students, qualified individuals and organizations. The Fund’s grants will average approximately $1000 and usually will not exceed $3000. In certain cases, as determined by the Selection Committee, grant amounts could exceed $3000. The Fund encourages applicants to supplement A.V. Stout funds with other sources of funding. Applications are accepted anytime, and are usually reviewed within one month after receipt. All applications must be completed on the application form. Download a copy by clicking here, type your response and send in via USPS first class mail to The A. V. STOUT FUND c/o The Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Inc. P. 0. Box 269 Wales, MA 01081. Contact Program Officer John G. McMurray at john@norcrossws.org for more info. In addition to the grant opportunities listed above: the Library section of the Mass. Land Trust Coalition (MLTC)’s web page (highlighted in Ebb&Flow #1) contains a spreadsheet, compiled by David McGowan of the Massachusetts Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, of state and federal land conservation and/or ecological restoration grant programs for which land trusts, and sometimes other entities, are eligible. The spreadsheet shows which project types (dam removal, wetlands restoration, etc.) are eligible for each grant opportunity. MLTC membership may be required to view this info, and is strongly encouraged in any event. [Click here to access grant and loan info from the Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), such as the Conservation Partnership Grant Program, which is having a second funding round in FY10;Go to http://www.comm-pass.com, click on “Search for Solicitations” and then enter EEA 10 DCS 06 into the “Keywords” box. Application Deadline: March 1, 2010, 3 PM.] As part of its commitment to healthy food, healthy people, and a healthy planet, Stonyfield Yogurt’s Profits for the Planet Program (PFP) gives 10% of the company’s profits to efforts that help to protect and restore the earth. Stonyfield awards PFP funding and accepts grant requests throughout the year. PFP -supported projects help protect and restore the environment and generate measurable results (click here to learn more about the organizations receiving a total of more than $1.6 million in PFP grant money in 2008). To apply for a PFP grant, send Stonyfield a written request of 500 or fewer words with the following info: who you are; what you’ve accomplished; what your mission is; what your goals are; how you plan to achieve them; and how you’d use the grant. Include a detailed project budget and proof of §501(c)(3) status, if applicable. Send your request by e-mail, mail or fax to: President’s Office, Special Projects Manager, Stonyfield Farm, 10 Burton Drive, Londonderry, NH 03053, (603) 437-8915 (FAX), pfp@stonyfield.com. PFP staff typically takes six to eight weeks to review each request. Equal Exchange, a West Bridgewater, MA-based worker-owned co-op, specializing in fairly traded, environmentally sustainable coffee, chocolate, nuts and other food, partners with non-profit groups on fundraising programs, where the participating groups keep a portion of the proceeds of any Equal Exchange products they sell. Click here to read the FAQ page and here to request a fundraising packet. For a less caloric fundraising alternative, the Boston area-based car wash company ScrubaDub offers a similar fundraising arrangement, where participating groups sell pre-paid car wash coupons and get to keep 50% of the proceeds. Click here for more info. Save the date and Call for Presentations: the Working Waterways and Waterfronts: National Symposium on Water Access 2010, scheduled to take place from September 27-30 in Portland, Maine, will provide a forum to help communities, organizations, businesses, and individuals address waterfront access challenges by showcasing successful models and tools from around the country. Applications for abstracts are now (until 1/22/10 ) being accepted and are encouraged from the following sectors: federal, state, regional, and local government officials, staff, and decision-makers; members of the commercial and recreational fishing, boating, marine, and tourism industries; port, harbor, and navigation district authorities; commercial and residential real estate developers; residential property and business owners; economic development, community development, and historic preservation professionals; nonprofit organizations; environmental and maritime consultants; attorneys; academic researchers and students; and others with unique perspectives to share. Abstract submissions are due January 22, 2010 – click here or contact Kristen Grant, Maine Sea Grant and University of Maine Cooperative Extension, at kngrant@maine.edu or (207) 646-1555 ext. 115 for more info. The Annual January Workshop of the Mass. Congress of Lake and Pond Associations (MA COLAP) is scheduled for Saturday, January 23, 2010 (snow date 1/24) at the Student Center, Worcester State College, from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Click here or contact Al Collings at (508) 867-7165 or afc@charter.net for more info. The New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA) will host its 2010 Annual Conference & Exhibitionin Boston from January 24-27, 2010. The NEWEA conference is the largest wastewater environment conference held in New England and features a large exhibit area with more than 180 vendors. Technical sessions will focus on industrial waste, collections systems, plant operations, wetlands, government affairs, hazardous waste, and watershed management. Click here for more info. The Appalachian Mountain Club, a non profit organization that promotes the protection, enjoyment and stewardship of the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of the Appalachian region, is hosting its 2010 Annual Meeting on January 30, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza Boston North Shore (formerly the Sheraton Ferncroft Resort) in Danvers. Workshops hosted during the event will focus on conservation, climate change, family activities, ending overfishing, a historical filmfest, and much more. The keynote speaker is Jonathan Waterman, photographer, paddler, adventurer and author of Where Mountains are Nameless; Passion and Politics in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Click here or contact Kayla Burmeister at amcvrintern@outdoors.org for more info. The New England Grows Conference is scheduled to take place from February 3-5, 2010 at the Boston Convention Center. Session topics include: Delivering Better Water Management with Sustainable Garden Design; Ecological Restoration Techniques: A New Direction in Design; and The Scientific Underpinnings of Sustainability by Tom Wessels. Click here to download a brochure or call (508) 653-3009 for more info. The Massachusetts Watershed Coalition (MWC) is hosting a free workshop entitled Community Stormwater Solutions: Keeping Your Streams Alive on Thursday, February 11 from 4:30 PM – 8:15 PM at The Trustees of Reservations’ Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster. Pre-registration is requested - call (978) 534-0379 or e-mail mwc@commonwaters.org. The workshop will be followed by a short MWC Annual Meeting business meeting. Are you an expert instructor on land conservation issues? Do you have a unique land trust experience you'd like to share? The Land Trust Alliance (LTA) is looking for proposals for workshop and seminar presentations for Rally 2010: The National Land Conservation Conference, to be held from October 2-5, 2010 in Hartford, CT. Click here to see the workshop tracks, but feel free to propose other great ideas or suggestions for sessions. All proposals are due by February 16, 2010; click here to submit a proposal or for more info. The Ecological Landscaping Association is hosting its 16th Annual Conference & Eco-Marketplace - Expanding the Ecological Landscape: Maximize Biological Potential, Minimize Environmental Impact, and Love the Results! on Thursday, February 25 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Seventeen sessions offer multiple tracks focused on water use, landscape design, pest control, and application of practical skills. Experienced educators and practitioners provide sessions covering many aspects of ecological, sustainable, and organic landscaping (CEUs available). The concurrent Eco-Marketplace presents opportunities to explore new options in landscaping products and services. Call (617) 436-5838 for more info. The Mass. Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC)’s Annual Environmental Conference is scheduled for Saturday, February 27, 2010 at theHogan Campus Center, Holy Cross College in Worcester. Click here, here or call (617) 489-3930 for more info. Sponsored by the Water Environment Federation in cooperation with many other organizations, a conference entitled Urban River Restoration 2010is scheduled to take place from March 7-10, 2010 at the Boston Marriott Cambridge (located in Kendall Square ). The Conference will focus on the role of revitalized urban rivers and waterfronts within the context of two major trends: an increased focus on sustainable practices that benefit the environment, and a population shift back to cities, which leads to a renewed emphasis on a livable urban environment. Click here to download the conference brochure (discount registration fees available until 2/3/10). [Note: A related conference, entitled Cities of the Future, has been scheduled to coincide with the Urban River Restoration Conference. ] The International Day of Action For Rivers (originally called the International Day of Action Against Dams: For Rivers, Water, and Life), sponsored by the San Francisco-based group International Rivers, is scheduled for Sunday, March 14, 2010. Click here and here for more info on how your group can participate in this event. The 34th Annual Meeting of the New England Association of Environmental Biologists, hosted by the RIDEM Office of Water Resources, will take place from March 17-19, 2010 in Newport, RI. NEAEB provides a forum to coordinate and improve communications regarding water resource policies, issues and research. The three-day conference brings together those in New England and New York State involved in water resource management, including participants from state and federal agencies, NGOs, the private sector and academia. The 2010 NEAEB meeting will foster impromptu discussion, networking and formal information sharing through a mixture of presentations, including technical workshops as well as plenary, concurrent and poster sessions. Click here for info on how to submit an abstract for a conference poster or presentation. The Great Outdoors, a new blog hosted by the Mass. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), is dedicated to Massachusetts wildlife, parks, and agriculture, and outdoor activities and events held across the Commonwealth. Posts will range from tips about the greatest state park hikes, how to help wildlife biologists spot bald eagles, to recipes for preparing seasonal, locally grown produce and photographs of native fish species. Participating bloggers are employees of EEA agencies who are experts in wildlife biology, wetlands protection, farmer’s markets, and outdoor recreation (click here to meet them.). The most recent (October 2009) edition (#88) of the U.S. EPA’s Nonpoint Source News-Notes is chock-full of interesting articles and notes on a variety of topics, including: Nonpoint Source and Stormwater Outreach: Achieving Results with Tight Budgets; EPA's Total Maximum Daily Load Web Site Redesigned; New York City Welcomes Back the Alewife; Pervious Pavement Project Gains Nationwide Attention; Restoring a Watershed, One Neighbor at a Time; and Stream Corridor Restoration Tools Now Available Online. Click here to download a .pdf file of this issue; the lower half of the front page contains hyperlinks to each article and news item. The EPA's Nonpoint Source Grants Reporting and Tracking System (GRTS) is the primary tool for management and oversight of state Nonpoint Source (NPS) Management Programs under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. EPA recently added new tools to the GRTS database to enable the public to search for information about NPS pollution control projects. You can do a criteria-based query to find 319 projects that meet certain conditions; for example, NPS projects that implement a Total Maximum Daily Load to control mine waste, or projects implementing best management practices for waters polluted by urban runoff. To search for projects, visit http://iaspub.epa.gov/grts/projects. You can also use the new interactive map to browse for project information by watershed. Simply use the find, pan, and zoom buttons to navigate to the location of interest, and the 319 projects will appear, summarized by watershed. At a regional scale, projects are displayed by sub basins (8-digit hydrologic units), and at a local scale, by sub watersheds (12-digit hydrologic units). Check out the GRTS Map Viewer at: http://iaspub.epa.gov/grts/map. The EPA's Watershed Academy recently released an on-line module titled The Effect of Climate Change on Water Resources and Programs. This module is based on EPA's National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change. The module provides basic information on climate change, the water-related effects of climate change in the United States, and the implications for EPA's National Water Program. The Watershed Academy sponsored a Webcast this past October on Working Together to Address the Effects of Climate Change on Water Resources; click herefor more info. The EPA recently spiffed-up itsWaterSense website, which promotes water conservation and efficiency, by adding new content, such as a “rebate finder” that tells you which water suppliers are currently offering rebates on the purchase and installation of water-efficient appliances. Click here to check it out. The Fall 2009 edition of the Narragansett Bay Journal, the publication of the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, contains a number of articles on interesting subjects, such as on the newly-Federally-designated Taunton Wild and Scenic River. Click here to download the compete issue. In case you missed A Conference on Massachusetts Water Resources: Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Massachusetts Environmental Trust , which took place last month in Worcester, many of the PowerPoint presentations made at the Conference are now available on-line in .pdf format, including: The Power of Water, by E. Bruce Berman, Jr.; StormSmart Coasts: Tools for Massachusetts Communities, by Bruce K. Carlisle; Stormwater Management, by Christine Tabak; Pharmaceuticals and Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in Cape Cod Surface Waters and Groundwater, by Laurel Schaider; Unquenchable, by Robert Glennon (keynote speaker); Mercury Pollution: Why It’s a Problem; What’s Being Done About It; What You Can Do To Help, by C. Mark Smith PH.D, M.S. and Sharon Weber; and Statewide Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Efforts, by Tim Purinton
The Mass. Dept. of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) recently announced the publication of Terra Firma #8 – Rooted in History: Preserving Historic Farms. Working with Commissioner Scott Soares of the Mass. Department of Agricultural Resources, DCR developed the bulletin to broaden public understanding of farms as historic landscapes and to build a bridge between agricultural protection programs and historic preservation tools. This and other Terra Firma bulletins can be downloaded by clicking here. Paper copies are available upon request by calling (617) 626-1389 or emailing wendy.pearl@state.ma.us. The Mass. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)’s Water Conservation Grants Program recently announced the recipients in its latest round of Water Conservation Grants. $538,000 was awarded to help fund 13 projects to reduce drinking water losses. Click here to learn more details about the projects receiving funding. ast but not least: are you a “lobbyist”? The new Massachusetts Lobbying Law, otherwise known as An Act To Improve The Laws Relating To Campaign Finance, Ethics And Lobbying and which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2010, expands the definition and lowers the threshold of activities which trigger a requirement that you and/or your nonprofit organization register as a lobbyist and comply with the reporting and other rules regulating that activity. The actions of staff, board members, even volunteers at non-profit organizations that communicate with state or municipal employees seeking to influence Mass. state legislation or an Executive Branch employee’s decision may fall under the new law. The following on-line resources are available from the Mass. Secretary of State’s office to inform people and organizations as to if the new Mass. Lobbying Law applies to them, and, if so, how to comply with it: an Are You Lobbying? Flowchart (http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/prepdf/areyoulobbying.pdf); a Lobbying in Massachusetts educational seminar (required of all registered lobbyists); and a frequently-asked questions (FAQ) page. Non-government On-line Resources (in rough alphabetical order) American Rivers The link above takes you to a newly-issued report entitled Natural Security: How Sustainable Water Strategies Prepare Communities for a Changing Climate. The report documents examples of “green infrastructure” solutions across the country (one of which is the Charles River Valley Natural Storage Area) that can provide clean water, protect and restore ecosystems, and work with nature rather than against it. The green solutions highlighted by the eight cities spotlighted in the report are forging a path to a healthier, more secure future and also serve as models for how communities nationwide can prepare for the impacts of climate change. [Click here to download a full copy of the report, and here for resources on dam removal as well as a recent interview on that topic of staff member Andrew Fahlund on NBC’s Nightly News.] Aquapedia Hosted by Tufts Univrersity’s Information Technology (IT) office, Aquapedia is a virtual world of reliable, relevant, and readily available water information and wisdom collected and synthesized by users and producers of explicit (water information) and tacit (water wisdom) knowledge. The initial content of the AquaPedia consists of case studies drawn from Tufts’ Fall 2008 University Seminar on Water and Diplomacy: Integration of Science, Engineering, and Negotiations. Big Tent BigTent’s goal is “to connect people with the communities they care about, making it easy for groups and their members to participate, communicate, and organize”. BigTent enables your group (which need not be incorporated or have tax-exempt status) to; consolidate all your community information in one place, under a single “big tent”; use its free Web tools to organize and manage your group with ease; rest easy knowing your group's personal information is private and secure; and provide fun new ways for your members to connect and participate. The free software enables your group to automate its membership renewal process, track volunteers for activities and events. Clean Angler Sponsored by a broad coalition of government agencies, non-profit organizations and businesses, the purpose of this web page is to educate anglers and others about the harm caused by invasive and other nuisance aquatic species on fishing and other uses and functions of rivers and other waterways, and to enlist anglers to take the pledge to inspect, clean and dry their fishing and/or boating gear after each use. Pledge takers are eligible to receive a free subscription to the Clean Angling News, a monthly electronic newsletter that keeps you up to date on invasive species news of interest to anglers. This website also provides instructions on how to promote the Clean Angling Pledge via your organization’s website. Climate Change and Wildlife Alliance - Massachusetts Resulting from the groundbreaking Responding to Climate Change: Working Together to Conserve Land, Wildlife, and Habitat Conference held at Bentley College on Nov. 15, 2008, which brought together nearly 200 conservation leaders, including scientists, land stewards, hunters, anglers, government officials, advocates, foundation officers, and policy-makers, the Alliance is intended to perpetuate the enormous interest and support for maintaining the momentum and collaboration generated by the Conference. Attendees realized that the problems posed by climate change were too big and pervasive to be solved by organizations working in isolation. Resources available at this website include a Special Conference Report and video highlights of the day’s events, compiled by the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Organizations, individuals and others are encouraged to become an Alliance Affiliate (click here to do that) – signing up costs nothing and is a great way to connect with others in Massachusetts concerned with climate change adaptation and its impacts on wildlife and habitats, and to make our collective voice heard. Conway School of Landscape Design Located in Conway, MA, this school specializes in providing hand-on training opportunities for its students. To that end, the school is interested in partnering with communities, agencies, and non-profit organization “clients” that could benefit from a team of Conway School graduate students on a variety of project types, including:
Click here or contact David Nordstrom, Associate Director, at (413) 369-4044 ext. 6 or projects@csld.edu for more details on this opportunity. Environmental Business Council of New England (EBC) The EBC recently announced that photos of and presentations made at many of its past meetings are now available on-line via the above link. These include: “Dam Safety in New England ” (5/27/09); “Dam Removal and River Restoration” (7/16/09); and “The Role of Water Reuse and Reclamation in Sustainable Systems”. Freshwater Institute A program of The Conservation Fund, the Freshwater Institute is one of the nation's premier research and development facilities dedicated to the sustainable use of water. From its campus in Shepherdstown, WV, the Institute's staff combines applied scientific research, engineering, and economic development skills to show the critical role fresh water resources play in the achievement of economic and environmental goals. The Institute provides a variety of services to clients and partners including government agencies, nonprofit organizations, education and research institutions, communities, businesses, and individuals to shape sustainable, environmentally responsible solutions to water resource management (click here for examples). Frogloop Frogloop, Care2’s non-profit on-line marketing blog, contains lots of helpful suggestions on how to cultivate and engage supporters for your cause, using the latest social networking tools. Click here to read a blog posting and accompanying slide show entitled Multi-Channel Fundraising: Strategies and Tools to Engage Donors through Integrated Campaigns. [Click here and here for similar fundraising tips available on-line.] Green Hearts Institute for Nature in Childhood Green Hearts is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to restoring and strengthening the bonds between children and nature. It believes that frequent, unstructured childhood play in natural settings is a crucial stage in the development of life-long conservation values -- and thus helps lead to adult conservation behaviors. Resources at this website include a downloadable booklet entitled A Parents’ Guide to Nature Play. Contact Ken Finch at kfinch@greenheartsinc.org or (402) 344-8711 for more info. New England Governor’s Conference This past September, the NEGC, a non-profit association formed in 1937 to promote economic development in the six-state region, released A Lasting Legacy: Recommendations of the New England Governors Blue Ribbon Commission on Land Conservation, part of a larger document entitled Report of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Land Conservation. According to Bernie McHugh of the Mass. Land Trust Coalition, “the Commission offers a set of guiding principles upon which to base the Governors’ actions, including: • It is now insufficient to view land conservation as a ‘good’ solely for its natural benefits; it must today be linked directly with economic and social benefits, as well; • Multi-state collaboration toward New England land conservation, to protect and preserve this important natural heritage at a regional scale, is a matter of national interest, particularly in light of climate change and its impacts; and is, therefore, deserving of federal support; and • Whatever the Governors may ask of the federal government in this regard, it needs be expressed in terms of advancing the national interest and, perhaps, proposed as a pilot project for the nation. The Commission also recommends five compelling goals for regional collaboration across New England, a set of policy priorities upon which to build a regional conservation strategy. These are: 1. Keep Forests as Forests; 2. Keep Farmlands in Farming; 3. Connect People to the Outdoors; 4. Protect Wildlife Habitat; and 5. Safeguard Coastal and Estuarine Lands.” Click here to download a copy of the Report, here to read the Recommendations, and here to read the Governors’ Resolution on Land Conservation. New York Times: Toxic Waters The link above takes you to series of articles appearing in the New York Times over the past several months about “the worsening pollution in American waters and regulators’ response”. Articles in this series include: Tap Water Can Be Unhealthy but Still Legal, discussing the failure to update the federal Safe Drinking Water Act to reflect the emerging knowledge about contaminants in drinking water; As Sewers Fill, Waste Poisons Waterways, pointing out that many sewer systems are frequently overwhelmed, with sewage spilling into waterways and polluting them with excrement and industrial chemicals; and Clean Water Laws Are Neglected, at a Cost in Suffering, which documents that while the rate of water pollution violations is rising steadily, the vast majority of polluters have escaped punishment. [Click here and here to hear interviews with the NYT reporters covering the story on NPR, and here for a related story on the Mother Nature Network (MNN).] Organizers’ Database (ODB) A project of Organizers' Collaborative, a §501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that identifies and develops low-cost, replicable technology, software, and trainings that meet the organizing, outreach, and fundraising needs of small nonprofits, ODB is a free, open source, software donor management database that is truly user-friendly with a minimum of training/orientation, adaptable to a particular organization, and convertible later if or when the organization needs a more sophisticated donor software program. Riffle Fish Riffle Fish is an evolving “webumentary,” or online documentary, about the plants, insects, mollusks, amphibians and fish that live in riffles, or areas of fast-moving water in streams with a rocky substrate. The site, developed and hosted by Ravenswood Media, provides interviews about the science of riffle ecology and the conservation efforts to preserve their biodiversity, along with nice underwater videography. River Management Society (RMS) RMS’s mission is to support professionals who study, protect, and manage North America 's rivers. Dedicated to holistic river management, its diverse membership includes federal, state, and local agency employees, educators, researchers, consultants, and organizations and citizens from the private sector. The link above takes you to the Winter 2009 edition of the RMS Journal, which contains a handful of informative articles relating to river protection and restoration activities and programs in New England, including one on the dam removals at Red Brook, the establishment of the Mass. Division of Ecological Restoration (DER), the Farmington Wild and Scenic River, and the Shepaug River instream flow litigation. River Network’s Clean Water Act On-line Course River Network recently announced its release of version 2.0 of its Clean Water Act online course, based on River Network’s very useful and popular book entitled Clean Water Act: Owner's Manual (2nd Edition). The course is free and is divided into individual lessons, so you can pick and choose your topics, or simply move through each lesson in order. Led by the Rhode Island Land Trust Council and the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, the RI Land and Water Partnership seeks to build the capacity of the state’s 40+ land trusts, watershed associations/councils and other land and water conservation initiatives. Resources at this website include an extensive resource library replete with helpful info on organizing volunteers for clean-up and other outdoor work projects, fundraising and grant proposal writing tips, donor/member retention and database management, “blueways” and water trails, habitat restoration and more. [Click here for info on the 2010 RI Land and Water Conservation Summit, scheduled for 3/27/10.] Small Flows Magazine Produced by the National Environmental Services Center at West Virginia University, Small Flows Magazine (accessible via a free subscription) features news, technical, and educational articles about a variety of small community wastewater issues, including treatment technologies, regulations, and finance. The link above will take you to an article by Eric Eckl of Water Words That Work entitled Make a Splash With Your Communications, which provides guidance on the successful use of “social marketing” techniques to persuade citizens to voluntarily reduce polluted runoff. Southwest Hydrology Magazine Southwest Hydrology is a free bi-monthly publication produced by the Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA) at the University of Arizona (whose Law School is home to Professor Robert Glennon, the keynote speaker at last month’s MET conference). The link above takes you to the November/December 2009 issue of the magazine, which is all about water conservation. Articles relevant to the Northeast include Growth, Cost and Other Excuses: Challenges to Water Conservation; Residential Conservation: How Much and at What Cost?; Designing Conservation Programs for Verifiable Savings; and Can Water Suppliers Afford Conservation?. Water Advocates Water Advocates is a US-based nonprofit focused on increasing public and private-citizen funding for effective water, sanitation and hygiene projects and initiatives internationally. Their goal is to highlight that "The world's most serious health problem remains diseases caused by inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene". Click here to see a full-page ad the group recently ran in the New York Times. The group also recently announced, together with the Global Water Futures Project with, a WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) Universities Initiative, discussing how to raise the profile of WASH in universities and opportunities for interested students. Water Quality Information Network (WQIN) WQIN is a collaborative community for the purpose of exchanging water quality knowledge, i.e., to enable water professionals, researchers, agencies and stakeholders to disseminate other kinds of information that could benefit Water Quality Projects, such as methods, experiences, models, metadata, water quality assessments, opinions and any other relevant knowledge related to the field. Users also post relevant items on WQIN on upcoming water-related conferences, useful web pages and other interesting and useful info.
Support Land and Water Conservation with a "Land and Water" Specialty License Plate Does your car have an environmental license plate? NOTE: Due to the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV)s’ policy regarding specialty license plates, the new MET “Land and Water” plate will not become reality unless and until at least 3,000 people sign up for the plates. You are therefore strongly encouraged to reserve your new plate by sending in a check for $40 payable to Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles along with this form to: Massachusetts Environmental Trust Land & Water Plate, 100 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor, Boston, MA 02114. Once 3,000 checks are received, the MET will forward the checks to the RMV, and then you will be contacted to let you know what else is needed to finish the process of getting your new “Land and Water” specialty license plate. Showyour support for Massachusetts land and water conservation by purchasing a Land and Water Plate! Click here or call the MET at (617) 626 -1045 for more info. Visit the DER Staff page
|
|
|
Recently published by the 
The nation’s clean water and public health and safety would be much better off with a water infrastructure system that incorporates green solutions, according to 
Climate change and an exponential population explosion threaten the world's supply of fresh water, edging us closer to a global water crisis, with dire implications for agriculture, the economy, the environment, and human health. Completely revised and updated since its first edition, 
| Division of Ecological Restoration, Department of Fish & Game, 251 Causeway St., Suite 400, Boston, MA 02114 (617) 626-1540 (main line), (617) 626-1505 (fax) Visit the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Visit the Department of Fish & Game |