The Official Website of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game
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October 19, 2006 In this issue: Keeping Water Local" Demonstration Project 2005 Winner: Lancaster's Environmental Overlay Districts Dear River Advocates, Starting with this edition, the e-mail version of Riverways’ NewsNotes will utilize a new format, one that we hope will be more user-friendly and will allow us to share photographs and other content in a more concise way. Please let us know your reaction and suggestions. The 2006 River Advocates Brown Bag Supper will be held on Wednesday, November 29th from 6:30-8:30 PM at The Trustees of Reservations’ Doyle Center in Leominster. In response to requests from some watershed associations to resurrect the Brown Bag Suppers that were so popular in the early 1990s, Riverways sent out a survey last spring to determine if there was broad interest in the revival. Responses were positive and five watershed leaders agreed to help with the planning. The planning group determined that the purposes of the meeting are: (1) to learn about the key issues watershed associations are currently grappling with; and (2) to discuss the topic: “Looking ahead: Watershed Associations’ suggestions for the river agenda for the next four years”. Thanks to a planning committee who helped us plan the agenda: Ian Cooke (NepRWA), Glen Ayers (Sawmill), Mike Young (Westfield ) and Ivan Ussach (Millers). Thanks also to Andrea Donlon (Connecticut) for her additional suggestions. The committee recommended quarterly meetings. We look forward to seeing you! Restoration Projects Stream Daylighting: Dam Removal: Dam Removal: Dam Removal: This week Riverways co-sponsored a short course with the University of Wisconsin and American Rivers entitled “Succeeding with a Dam Removal Project” on October 16-18th in Amherst. This course drew experts and interested parties from state and federal agencies, non-profits, and consulting firms to learn more about the process for dam removal and associated issues. Brian Graber presented a Dam Removal Overview and a talk on the Economics and Liability Issues of Dam Removal; Tim Purinton was on a panel discussing permitting and dam removal. Cindy Delpapa has initiated a task force on wastewater, stormwater and their effects on streams both in terms of water quality and flow. The Task Force will be a “cousin of the Massachusetts Instream Flow Task Force”—to deal with water pollution issues. The first meeting, in October, resulted in a lively discussion—and listing --of issues and a decision to focus on nutrients from both storm water and wastewater and their effect on stream integrity. The initial Task Force meeting determined that the meetings would be a combination of presentations and discussions. The next meeting will be late November/early December. The group also discussed the DEP wastewater regulations that are open to comments until November 6th. If you are interested or have suggestions about the task force, please email Cindy at cindy.delpapa@state.ma.us Adopt-A-Stream will be soliciting proposals for their Implementation Awards again this year. These Stream Team Implementation Awards can be used by existing Stream Teams or local river groups to implement projects, or by local watershed associations or municipal boards to help start new Stream Teams. Proposals should be for work that supports river stewardship and conservation, as part of a Stream Team Action Plan or a project that has developed from Stream Team work. Check our the Adopt-A-Stream webpage for the upcoming RFR to be posted in November. Proposals will be due on December 11, 2006. NewsNotes #22’s lead article, by Riverways staff member Margaret Kearns, reports on the Town of Lancaster’s drafting of Environmental Overlay Districts to help ensure that new development “keeps water local” by facilitating groundwater infiltration that replenishes aquifers and provides baseflow to streams. This lead article is followed as usual by a cornucopia of timely grant opportunities, events and Web resources compiled by Russ Cohen. Please check appropriate grants right away because some have fast-approaching deadlines. See you on the rivers! Joan Kimball , Director P.S. The Mass. Watershed Coalition (MWC)’s “mwc-list” listserv is a great source of information on river- and watershed-related funding and job opportunities, upcoming events, recent articles and more. Many of the posted items are time-sensitive and can’t wait until the next edition of NewsNotes. You can access the mwc-list listserv at http://lists.topica.com/lists/mwc-list@igc.topica.com, where you can subscribe to receive the posted messages to your e-mail address, or simply read them on-line. Highly recommended! While there’s some overlap, you might also want to join and/or read prior postings to the “NEWatersheds” listserv maintained by River Network – see http://rapids.rivernetwork.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/newatersheds.
"Keeping Water Local" Demonstration Project 2005 Winner: Lancaster's Environmental Overlay Districts by Margaret Kearns, Mass. Riverways Program Many of you may have seen our request for applications for the “Keeping Water Local” Demonstration Project last month. These demonstration projects promote innovative wastewater, stormwater, and water supply techniques that help to maintain the natural hydrologic balance in a sub-watershed by reducing water withdrawals, increasing groundwater recharge, or otherwise keeping water local. Another, equally important, goal of the demonstration projects is to educate concerned citizens and decision-makers about the wealth of innovative technologies and approaches that are available to help protect local aquatic habitats and water availability. Last year’s winning pilot project was the development of environmental overlay districts for the Town of Lancaster. (To read the full report, click here.) Overlay districts are designated areas within a town where special rules apply to development and/or activities on the land. The goals of this project were to create performance criteria for overlay districts that provide for:
Lancaster is a typical town within the influence of the Interstate 495 corridor, facing rapid growth and struggling to protect its significant natural resources, including a portion of the Central Nashua River Valley Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Despite the growth pressure, the northern end of the Town of Lancaster is currently experiencing a lack of economic development that has resulted in a relatively high municipal property tax rate. The Town believes that this is largely due to the unavailability of water and sewer service in that section of Town. In response, the Town embarked upon a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan, with the intention of sewering south Lancaster and is piloting an Integrated Water Resources Management Plan for the central and northern portions of town. This is an improvement over the traditional Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan, which, contrary to its name, often results in a narrowly-focused wastewater facilities planning document that does not address how the new sewers might impact population density, drinking water, stormwater, waterways, recharge and wetland resources. The DEP’s new draft Integrated Water Resources Management Plan is a multi-disciplined approach that, while integrating planning for wastewater with water supply and stormwater, still does not address some of the other detrimental effects of increased runoff, particularly increased pollution, warming of streams and channel erosion. To combat these issues, with funding from Riverways’ Keeping Water Local grant, Lancaster developed environmental overlay districts that address both water quantity and quality issues. In addition, the final report provided a significant tool to evaluate the impact of future sewering and other scenarios on the hydrologic cycle. The environmental overlay districts were presented to the Board of Selectmen last summer and the town is now investigating technical assistance and funding options to incorporate the overlay districts into a bylaw and implement them. Riverways funded Lancaster not only to develop an environmental overlay district and performance criteria in Lancaster but also to promote this as a model for other communities to use in order to prevent many of the unintended consequences of development on water quality and hydrologic balance. The environmental overlay districts employ a multi-layered approach that includes three overlay districts: 1. Fisheries and Aquatic Habitat Overlay District 2. Expanded Water Resources Protection District 3. Stormwater Overlay District i) Recharge is required for groundwater depths greater than four feet in the following amounts: Type A soils (well-drained) 1.25 inches Type B soils 1.00 inches Type C soils 0.65 inches Type D soils (not well-drained) 0.10 inches ii) A water quality volume of 1 inch over the impervious surface must be treated to remove pollutants before being discharged to surface waters. (In all cases, the stormwater water quality volume must be treated through either infiltration or an underdrain discharge system that allows the water to cool before being discharged.) iii) Post-development peak flows may not exceed pre-development peak flows for the 2-, 10- and 25-year, 24-hour storms. iv) 24-hour extended detention of the 1-year, 24-hour storm must be provided. This is not required for direct discharges to a lake, estuary or 4th order stream. v) Special considerations are made for steep slopes over 25%. How Much Water Will Be Kept Local? To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed environmental overlay districts (EOD) in increasing groundwater recharge, Lancaster ’s consultant, Comprehensive Environmental Inc. (CEI) prepared a hydrologic model of “virgin”, current and hypothetical buildout scenarios. Here’s the amount of annual groundwater recharge the model estimated: Current 4,374,131,229 gallons/year (12.3 million gallons/day or MGD) Buildout without EOD 3,775,639,196 gallons (10.3 MGD) Buildout with EOD 4,524,562,728 gallons (12.4 MGD) The model estimates that use of environmental overlay districts would result in an increase of 749 million gallons per year (2.1 MGD) more groundwater recharge at buildout than without the districts. In addition, if the environmental overlay districts are implemented as proposed, CEI’s model predicts that 150 million gallons per year (.5 MGD) more groundwater would be recharged at buildout than is currently occurring! More Information For the complete environmental overlay district final report or more information about the Keeping Water Local Demonstration Projects, see http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/river/keepingwaterlocal.htm or contact Riverways at 617-626-1540. Grant and Award Opportunities The U.S. EPA' s Region 1 New England office is seeking applications for two national funding programs designed to assist local groups working to reduce environmental risks in communities: the “EJ Small Grants” and “EJ Collaborative Problem-Solving” programs. The “EJ Small Grants” projects, worth $50,000 each, must be designed to form collaborative partnerships, educate the community, develop a comprehensive understanding of the local environmental and/or public health issues and identify ways to address these issues at the local level. The “EJ Collaborative Problem-Solving” projects, worth $100,000 each, must address an existing local environmental and/or public health issue but cannot focus only on education or training. Eligible applicants must be either a §501(c)(3) or state-recognized non-profit organization. The application deadline for these grants is October 23. Go to http://www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice/grants/index.html or contact Davina Wysin at (617) 918-1020 or wysin.davina@epa.gov for more info. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)’s Pulling Together Initiative provides support on a competitive basis for the formation of local Weed Management Area (WMA) partnerships. These partnerships engage federal resource agencies, state and local governments, private landowners, and other interested parties in developing long-term weed management projects within the scope of an integrated pest management strategy. The deadline for pre-proposals is October 27th, 2006 , with full proposals due by December 15th. Go on-line to http://www.nfwf.org/programs/pti.cfm or contact Lynn Dwyer at (631) 289-0250. Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, “Make A Difference Day” is a national day of helping others -- a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors in which everyone can participate. Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October (the next event is Saturday, October 28, 2006). In 2005, 3 million people cared enough about their communities to volunteer on that day, accomplishing thousands of projects in hundreds of towns. Your project can be as large or as small as you wish! Look around your community and see what needs to be done. Or let the Idea Generator help you find a project idea to help your community. The following April, hundreds of good deeds done on the previous Make A Difference Day are selected for honors, headlines and charitable donations. Paul Newman, who donates all after-tax profits from sales of Newman's Own products to educational and charitable purposes, will donate $10,000 each to 10 selected projects. After participating Oct. 28, send in an entry form to be counted among the millions of volunteers and be considered for an award (the deadline for form submission is Wednesday, November 15th). The University of St Andrews and ConocoPhillips have announced the call for entries for the ninth international Andrews Prize for the Environment. The primary objective of the prize is to find innovative solutions to environmental problems. The solutions should be practical, combining good science, economic reality and political acceptability. Applications are invited from individuals, multi-disciplinary teams or community groups for the 2007 annual prize of $50,000 for the winner and $10,000 for each of the two runners-up. Anyone wishing to enter the 2007 prize should submit a single page project summary of no more than 500 words by October 31st, 2006. The short-listed entries will be invited for a more substantial submission in January 2007 and the winners will be announced at a seminar at the University of St Andrews in May 2007. Contact Doug Allsop at doug@mearns-gill.com or go to http://www.thestandrewsprize.com for more info. The Mass. Office for Commonwealth Development is pleased to announce the 2006 Smart Growth Awards program. The purpose of the awards is to recognize outstanding efforts to promote sustainable development and smart growth throughout the Commonwealth. The Smart Growth Awards will honor selected nominees in the following categories: Smart growth development projects that have been completed within the last two years; Adoption of innovative land use plans, zoning plans or urban designs that advance smart growth within the last two years; or Acquisition, protection or creation of open space, conservation or recreation areas that advance smart growth within the last two years. Entries for Smart Growth Awards must be submitted by a public sector entity and are due by 5:00pm on Wednesday November 1st, 2006 . Award winners will be recognized at the Smart Growth Conference on December 1st (see Calendar below). Call OCD at (617) 573-1380 for more info. American Rivers, through its habitat restoration partnership with the NOAA Community-Based Restoration Program, provides financial support for dam removal or fish passage enhancement projects that restore and protect the ecological integrity of rivers and improve freshwater habitats important to migratory (diadromous) fish. Eligible applicants (which include just about any person, organization or business) should demonstrate how their project: (1) will successfully restore anadromous fish habitat, access to existing anadromous fish habitat, or natural riverine functions; (2) is the correct approach, based on ecological, social, economic, and engineering considerations; (3) will minimize any identifiable short- or long-term negative impacts to the river system as a result of the project; (4) has had community involvement in project decision making and may have community involvement in the implementation; and (5) will have the potential for public outreach and education. Although a formal 1:1 federal:non-federal match is not required, such matching funds greatly enhance the merit of the application and are strongly encouraged. The next deadline is November 1st. Potential applicants should contact American Rivers to discuss potential projects prior to submitting an application; contact Serena McClain at (202) 347-7550 x3004 or rivergrants@amrivers.org. More info about this grant opportunity is also posted at http://www.americanrivers.org/site/DocServer/Funding_Guidelines_April_1_06.doc?docID=3562. The Boat U.S. Foundation is accepting applications for the 2007 Boating Safety Grant Program. Over the past 16 years, the Foundation has given more than $700,000 to small, local nonprofit organizations to promote safe boating. Go to http://www.boatus.com/foundation/Grants/index.htm for more info. Applications are due November 1st. The American Hiking Society’s National Trails Fund (http://www.americanhiking.org/alliance/fund.html) grants give local organizations the resources they need to secure access, volunteers, tools and materials to protect America 's cherished public trails. Activities eligible for funding include: securing trail lands, including acquisition of trails and trail corridors, and the costs associated with acquiring conservation easements; building and maintaining trails resulting in tangible improvements in ease of access; improved hiker safety; avoidance of environmental damage; and constituency building surrounding specific trail projects - including volunteer recruitment and support (higher preference is often given to projects utilizing volunteer labor). The next application deadline is (postmarked by) November 1st. Contact Ivan Levin, AHS Trail Programs Manager, at (301) 565-6704 x 208 or ILevin@AmericanHiking.org for more info. The U.S. EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) recently announced an Innovations Pilot Projects Request for Applications (see http://www.epa.gov/oswer/docs/grants/06-08.pdf)soliciting creative proposals testing innovative and collaborative approaches to: restore contaminated properties to environmental and economic vitality; increase America's homeland security; promote stewardship and resource conservation consistent with the Agency's Resource Conservation Challenge, and encourage voluntary efforts to clean up sites. The application deadline is Monday, November 20, 2006. Go to the Innovations Initiative website at http://www.epa.gov/oswer/iwg/index.html or contact Catherine Allen at (202) 566-1039 for more info. Since 1993, the Anheuser-Busch (A-B) Adventure Parks have recognized the outstanding efforts of K-12 students and teachers across the country who are working at the grassroots level to protect and preserve the environment. The annual SeaWorld/Busch Gardens/Fujifilm Environmental Excellence Awards provide school and grassroots community groups with a monetary award, national recognition and some well-deserved fun at one of A-B’s theme parks. Eight winning groups are selected each year to win $10,000. One environmental educator/leader each year receives $5,000. Note that this is an awards program, not a grant; project applicants should be able to demonstrate significant accomplishments that have occurred prior to the submission deadline. All entries must be received by 5 pm on Thursday, November 30, 2006 . Call (toll-free) (877) 792-4332 or go on-line to http://www.swbg-animals.org/conservation-matters/eea/index.htm for more info. The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s North American Wetlands Conservation’s Small Grant Program http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/Small/index.shtm is a competitive, matching grants program that supports public-private partnerships carrying out projects that further the goals of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and (for projects in this region) the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture. These projects must involve long-term protection, restoration, and/or enhancement of wetlands and associated upland habitats for the benefit of all wetlands-associated migratory birds. Grant requests may not exceed $75,000, and funding priority is given to grantees or partners new to the Act’s Grants Program. The next funding deadline is December 1st. For more info, contact Andrew Milliken at (413) 253-8269 or Andrew_Milliken@fws.gov. Do you have an idea for a cutting-edge technology that could protect the environment while growing the economy? The U.S. EPA is offering college professors and their students an opportunity to turn ideas into reality through its P3 (People, Prosperity and the Planet) grants competition. P3 is a student design competition for sustainability. Previous P3 winners have already taken their innovations to the next level - including starting successful businesses,winning additional awards, and providing environmental solutions to developing countries. The P3 request for ideas is open until December 21, 2006 . Interdisciplinary student teams will compete for $10,000 grants to research and develop their design projects during the 2007-2008 academic year. EPA expects to award approximately 100 new grants from the eligible applications in the summer of 2007. See http://www.epa.gov/P3 for more info. Grants from Wildlife Forever are targeted for habitat restoration and acquisition, research and management, and educational projects. Special emphasis is placed upon grassroots programs that involve local conservation, sportsmen's or outdoor recreation groups. Wildlife Forever grants are challenge grants, and funds must be matched on at least a one-to-one basis from a third-party donor. The typical range for these grants is $1,000 to $10,000; both non-profits andgovernmental agencies are eligible. Wildlife Forever offers three grant programs, the Wildlife Forever Challenge Grants Program, the Sportsmen's Challenge Grants Fund, and the Friend's Challenge Grants Fund. The next application deadline is January 1st. Go to http://www.wildlifeforever.org/grants/overview.aspx for more info. The Bafflin Foundation (which does not have a website) provides grants ranging from $10,000 - $500,000 to tax-exempt organizations with §501(c)(3) status as well as recognized state or federal agencies for natural resource, land and wildlife conservation and protection. The Foundation has a rolling deadline (i.e., no specific application deadline). Potential applicants should first submit a Letter of Inquiry, which should be sent to: Paul Silver, Bafflin Foundation, c/o Hinkley, Allen & Synder, 1500 Fleet Center, Providence, RI 02903. Telephone: (401) 274-2000. The Cottonwood Foundation (http://www.cottonwoodfdn.org/) is dedicated to promoting empowerment of people, protection of the environment, and respect for cultural diversity. The foundation focuses its funding on committed, grass roots organizations that rely strongly on volunteer efforts and where foundation support will make a significant difference. While unsolicited grant applications are discouraged by the Foundation, it may add a very small number of new organizations as Cottonwood Partners in the future – check this web page for the current status of this initiative: http://www.cottonwoodfdn.org/grantapp.html. A cooperative project of EPA Region 1 New England and the University of Southern Maine’s Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service, the purpose of the New England Environmental Finance Center (NE/EFC, http://efc.muskie.usm.maine.edu/index.html) is to further the cooperators’ goal of researching, publishing, and extending creative approaches to environmental protection and management, especially respecting the associated “how-to-pay” questions. In particular, the Center works to advance the understanding and practice of “smart growth” throughout New England ; to build local capacity to deal with related issues; and to develop and apply techniques that go beyond compliance with government regulations. Resources at NE/EFC’s website (see http://efc.muskie.usm.maine.edu/tools.html) include: an on-line course in conservation finance; a watershed planning tool; info about a new 52-minute film and accompanying written guide entitled Growing Together: Consensus Building, Smart Growth, and Community Change; and a Watershed Funding Directory where you can search for funding (both public and private sources) by targeted searches or geographic area. For more info, contact the NE/EFC at neefc@usm.maine.edu. Based on a study conducted by the Open Space Institute (OSI) entitled Western Massachusetts: Assessing the Conservation Opportunity (http://www.osiny.org/PDF/WesternMass/westmass_assessment.pdf), the Mt. Kisco, NY-based Kohlberg Foundation provided $2 million to set up a new revolving fund loan program (see http://www.osiny.org/loan_prog.asp) to assist conservation land purchases in that region (the portion of Mass. west of Worcester), plus another $75,000 for small grants to loan recipients to help cover other transaction-related costs. Contact field coordinator Rich Hubbard (see http://www.osiny.org/field_coordinators.asp) for more info. The Boston-based Barr Foundation (http://www.barrfoundation.org/about/index.html)‘s primary areas of interest are education and the environment. “Making a More Livable City” concentrates on increasing the quality and quantity of open space and water resources, developing environmental citizenship, supporting environmental justice, as well as facilitating regional development planning and urban design in the Greater Boston area. While the Barr Foundation does not invite or accept unsolicited grant proposals, it welcomes suggestions and feedback on its current and future efforts, and provides a form on its website for that purpose. On a similar note, the Boston-based Herman and Frieda L. Miller Foundation devotes its grants to the improvement of life for residents of urban areas in Greater Boston. Most grants target disadvantaged individuals, families and neighborhoods, and others support projects that benefit the public as a whole. The Trustees wish to encourage innovation, community participation, grassroots organizing, the preservation of a humane physical environment, and opportunities for self-sufficiency in healthy communities. While the Foundation only accepts proposals that have been invited by the trustees, phone inquiries to staff are welcomed. For more information, contact Amy Shorey, Administrator, Grants Management Associates, at (617) 426-7080. The Boston-based The Philanthropic Initiative, Inc. (TPI, http://www.tpi.org) is a not-for-profit organization offering individuals, foundations, institutions and corporations a disciplined and results-oriented approach to philanthropy. Since it was founded in 1989, TPI has helped hundreds of donors to have an impact on some of society's most complex challenges through strategic philanthropy. In addition, TPI encourages a positive climate for philanthropy and actively promotes giving though its work with community foundations, Regional Associations of Grantmakers and others. TPI has researched and developed grants initiatives targeting a wide range of issue areas, including education; diversity; issues affecting children, youth and families; hunger and nutrition; housing and homelessness; community and economic development; environmental issues; and the arts. While TPI’s main clientele are donors, charitable organizations may benefit from TPI’s advice on how to cultivate donors and promote philanthropy. [On a similar note: the Boston-based Associated Grant Makers (AGM)’s Giving in Massachusetts report (http://www.agmconnect.org/givingreport.pdf) issued in May 2005 (but based on 2002 data) provides statistics on the largest foundation and corporate donors to charities in the Commonwealth as well as a discussion of philanthropic trends – see also the Massachusetts-based foundations listed at the Association of Small Foundations’ webpage (http://www.smallfoundations.org/about_asf/asf_members/members_by_state) as well as http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/statistics/pdf/10_top50_tg/2004/ma_04.pdf ]. Kathy Robertson from DEP’s Wetlands Circuit River Program will be presenting workshops entitled Wetlands Protection Act/Programmatic General Permit and the Design of Stream Crossings on Thursday, October 19th at 8PM, and Riverfront Area Regulatory Review on Thursday, November 16th, 2006 at 7PM. Both workshops take place at the Townsend Memorial Town Hall and are sponsored by the Townsend Conservation Commission. Contact Kathy at (508) 767-2725 or kathy.robertson@state.ma.us or go on-line to http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/compliance/cridr.htm for more info. Stormwater Management: Where We've Been And Where We're Going, a full-day conference sponsored by the Mass. Association of Conservation Commissions, is scheduled for two convenient times and/or locations: Saturday, October 21st at the MassBay Community College in Wellesley Hills and Saturday, November 4th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pittsfield. To learn more and register go to: http://www.maccweb.org/edu_fall.html Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion on two cases that may change the way wetlands are regulated under the federal Clean Water Act. The cases, Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, split the court, leaving the future of wetlands protection uncertain at best. This is the subject of a New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC)-sponsored Vulnerable Wetlands Forum, to be held at the Westford Regency Inn & Conference Center on Thursday, November 9th. For more info and to register, please visit www.neiwpcc.org/vulnerablewetlandsforum/ or contact Beth Card at (978) 323-7929 or bcard@neiwpcc.org. The U.S. EPA and the International City/County Managers Association are jointly hosting a free conference entitled “Brownfields 2006: Revolution in Redevelopment and Revitalization” at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on November 13-15, 2006. The conference will offer exceptional educational sessions and workshops, as well as mobile workshops and walking tours, networking opportunities, 200-plus exhibitors, a Brownfields transaction forum, receptions, film series, and career events. Educational sessions will cover community and economic development, financing and investment, real estate and deal making, greening of redevelopment and more. A charrette on the morning of the 15th will develop a design for the riverfront district in Attleboro. Attending this conference will bring you together with over 5,000 participants interested in Brownfields redevelopment, remediation and reuse. Click on more information on the 2006 Brownfields Conference or go on-line to http://www.Brownfields2006.org for more info and to pre-register, or contact Cynthia Greene, Brownfields 2006 Conference Coordinator, at (617) 918-1431 or greene.cynthia@epa.gov. Earth Night, a party to benefit the Environmental League of Massachusetts, will take place on Saturday, November 18th from 6:30PM to 11:00PM at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Boston's biggest annual environmental bash Earth Night features award-winning food, dancing to great live music, and an exciting live and silent auctions include everything from nights out on the town to trips to destinations around the globe - even an adventure vacation in the Amazon! For more info, call (508) 698-6810, send an email to atclassic.pr@verizon.net or go on-line to http://www.earthnight.org. The goal of the 2006 Massachusetts Smart Growth Conference, to be held on Friday, December 1st at the DCU Center in Worcester , is to provide those concerned about growth and development with practical information they can utilize to implement smart growth measures in their communities. Land and natural resource protection, housing, energy, transportation, and many other sustainable development issues will be covered in 18 breakout sessions. This year's conference’s keynote speaker will be Ed McMahon, a fellow at the Urban Land Institute (a non-profit education and research institute dedicated to providing responsible leadership in land use), where he is responsible for research and educational efforts related to green and sustainable development practices. There will also be an opening address from Julie Campoli and Alex MacLean, a landscape architect and aerial photographer respectively, whose book Above and Beyond: Visualizing Change in Small Towns and Rural Areas, utilizes aerial pictures to illustrate how growth and development takes place. Contact sgconference@state.ma.us or (617) 626-1190 or go on-line to http://www.mass.gov/envir/sgconf.htm for more info. The 6th International Symposium on Ecohydraulics will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand from February 18th-23rd, 2007. The symposium will focus on bridging the knowledge gap between hydraulics and biology, i.e., address the latest understandings on the performance of biota as a function of hydraulic habitats and flow regimes, and how these dependencies can be better modeled. The world is passing through a period of considerable change - whether social, economic, scientific or technological. The Symposium will incorporate these new ideas and encourage the continued development of interdisciplinary methods, including water management planning/policy tools, that will help resolve the conflicts arising from increasing water use and environmental demands. Go to http://www.conference.co.nz/index.cfm/ecohydraulics2007to register or for more info. Last but not least: the Massachusetts Environmental Police remind you that state law requires that anyone in a canoe or kayak from now until May 15th of next year must be wearing lifejackets. This requirement applies to waterfowl hunters in these craft as well. Most boating fatalities in Massachusetts are due to accidents in small craft when boaters fail to wear life jackets in cold water and/or cold weather situations. The U.S. EPA has posted draft guidance on its Web site that will provide technical assistance to states, territories, tribes, and municipalities for managing hydromodification and reducing nonpoint source (NPS) pollution of surface and ground water. The document describes examples of practices that can be used to reduce NPS pollution from activities associated with channelization, channel modification, dams, and streambank and shoreline erosion. Implementation of the guidance will result in increased use of scientifically sound, cost-effective hydromodification management measures, and will support states in their efforts to implement their NPS Control Programs. The draft document is available at http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/hydromod/index.htm for review/comment. To submit comments or for additional info, contact Chris Solloway at (202) 566-1202 or Solloway.Chris@epamail.epa.gov. Conservation Commissions, Boards of Health, as well as interested citizens living with beaver are encouraged to visit MassWildlife’s updated beaver web page at http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_beaver_law.htm for several new helpful publications relating to beavers. Beavers and The Law: A Citizens Guide to Addressing Beaver Conflicts is designed to explain, step by step, how people can seek relief if they have a problem with beavers or muskrats. Living with Beavers is a flyer intended to provide basic natural history information and tips on avoiding and resolving conflicts with beaver. Guidance documents for Boards of Health, Conservation Commissions and Highway Departments and an updated FAQ can also be found on this website. Contact MassWildlife Furbearer Biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel at (508) 792-7270 or colleen.olfenbuttel@state.ma.us for more info. The Mass. Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA)’s Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) has partnered with MassGIS to create a Coastal Public Access Sites viewer. CZM has completed a statewide inventory of all publicly-accessible coastal waterfront properties owned by government agencies and non-profit land conservation organizations. The database contains data about over 1,000 beaches, parks, conservation areas and ways to the sea, including access points to and/or along many coastal rivers and estuaries. The viewer displays maps and site-specific information (even high-resolution photos), a useful tool for prospective visitors to the Mass. coastline. Go to http://maps.massgis.state.ma.us/czm_access_locator/viewer.htm and try it out yourself (it helps to read the user guide first. Hint: the more you “zoom in” on an area of interest, the more detailed and useful the map becomes). Direct any technical questions about the Data Viewer to Aleda.Freeman@state.ma.us; non-technical questions about the public access data collected should go to Dennis.Ducsik@state.ma.us. Non-government On-line Resources Jeff Milder, a Ph.D. candidate at Cornell and co-author of Practical Ecology for Planners, Developers, and Citizens (Island Press, 2005), a book on ecologically-based land use planning and design, has put out a helpful on-line guide entitled “Conservation and Limited Development Projects: A resource for land trusts, developers, planners, public officials, and interested citizens” . This web page contains a seven-part set of guidelines for carrying out successful limited development projects based on the accumulated knowledge and experience of land trusts around the United States that Jeff consulted during his research. Contact Jeff at jcm85@cornell.edu or (607) 351-8604 or go to http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/jcm85/ for more info. According to Boston tax attorney Stephen J. Small, author of Preserve Family Lands and the nation's leading authority on private land protection options and strategies, “The biggest problem land conservation faces in this country is that private landowners are not getting enough information. Landowners don’t know they have choices other than selling to a conventional developer.” In response, LandChoices, a national non-profit organization, works to reach landowners and provide them with choices that conserve land before they make the decision to subdivide their land for conventional subdivision development. For landowners interested in preserving parts or all of their land, the LandChoices website provides land protection information and initial assistance to explain the different options, then refers landowners to the appropriate organization that can assist them further on the ground. For landowners who have decided to sell their land for development, LandChoices.org informs them about conservation subdivision design and how it can be more profitable than conventional subdivision development. Last but not least, LandChoices can help spread the word about and attract financial support to protecting special open space lands at significant risk of being lost to development. Contact info@landchoices.org for more info. [On a related topic: click here for Steve Small and others’ comments on the new federal conservation tax incentivesenacted earlier this year.] Launched earlier this year by publisher Peter Lowy, massnonprofit.org is a news and information website about and for the large and growing nonprofit sector in Massachusetts (which employs 1 out of every 7 people in the Commonwealth). News, features, Expert Advice articles, and other info about and/or useful to non-profits are welcomed, as well as suggestions for resource listings (e-mail them to editor@massnonprofit.org). Call (781) 326-9980 or e-mail peter@massnonprofit.org for more info. Recent offerings at the nonprofit support center Techsoup.org’s website include: (1) How to Record, Edit, and Promote a Podcast (http://ga0.org/ct/P11tyQs1QXRn/) – “Podcasting is a useful, affordable way for nonprofits to broadcast their message, expand their reach, and further their missions. We'll walk you through the process of creating and posting your own podcasts”; (2) Removing Spyware, Viruses, and Other Forms of Malware (http://ga0.org/ct/Pd1tyQs1QXR8/) – “For nonprofit staffers who use computers all day, system glitches can bring important work to a grinding halt. We'll show you how to eliminate malicious software so you can stay productive”; and (3) A Nonprofit's Guide to the Blogosphere (http://ga0.org/ct/pp1tyQs1QXRh/) – “Web logs can be a valuable source of information you won't find elsewhere. Nonprofit bloggers explain why you should consider blogging, how you can find blogs that cover your interests, and ways to make your blog stand out”. CollectiveGood (http://www.collectivegood.com) recycles mobile devices (phones, pagers, PDAs) and all of their related accessories, usually in partnerships with charities, companies, and/or governments. If you have spare cell phones, pagers or PDAs sitting on a shelf or in a drawer, you can turn them in to CollectiveGood, which will recycle them in an environmentally and socially responsible manner, either by passing on usable devices to underserved populations in developing countries, or by recycling unusable devices via the non-profit Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation. Charities can benefit from CollectiveGood either by getting on the list from which donors designate to benefit from their equipment donation (see http://www.collectivegood.com/donate1.asp?CTid=2 for the current list of eligible environmental organizations) or by partnering directly with CollectiveGood on a device collection campaign. CollectiveGood also offers a corporate donations program for company-sized collection campaigns. Contact CollectiveGood at (770) 856-9021 or Info@CollectiveGood.com for more info. Getting married (or know someone who is)? Then you should know about the I Do Foundation, created in 2000 by a group of nonprofit leaders dedicated to developing new avenues of support for charitable organizations. The foundation links engaged couples with a host of charitable giving options at their wedding. The foundation website enables couples to choose to support one of its established charitable partners or suggest their own. Nonprofits can benefit from the foundation’s services by telling their volunteers, donors, and constituents how they can raise funds for your organization through their weddings. The I Do Foundation’s organization’s vision is that, in time, charitable giving will become an integral part of the culture of weddings and other life events. By incorporating a charitable focus into life celebrations, it is hoped that families will establish a pattern of giving that will last a lifetime. Go to http://www.idofoundation.org/about/contact.html for more info. This past summer, Forester Communications (http://www.forester.net/index.html), the publishers of such useful and informative magazines as Stormwater, Erosion Control and On-site Water Treatment, put out its premiere issue of Water Efficiency (http://www.waterefficiency.net/we_toc.html), “The Journal for Water Conservation Professionals”. Topics covered in this inaugural issue include strategies for enhancing public acceptance of water reuse, strategies to reduce outdoor water use, technological advances in leak detection, and the creation of the EPA’s new Watersense campaign to encourage water conservation, along with the new national Alliance for Water Efficiency. FYI, all of the magazines mentioned above are accessible for free on-line or available in print via a complimentary subscription. Rescuing Wetlands Close to Home, a new book by the Trust for Public Land (TPL), celebrates wetlands conservation by New England private property owners--from one woman's effort to restore a salt marsh behind her Rhode Island home to a retired executive's work to conserve a favorite river of his New Hampshire childhood. The book contains ten stories and a list of wetlands conservation resources in the six New England states. Rescuing Wetlands may be purchased on-line for $10.00 from TPL's Web store. The Social Side of Watershed Restoration, printed in the spring 2006 issue of the U.S. Forest Service’s newsletter Wildland Waters, explores the social and human aspects of watershed work. The article discusses the social aspects of watershed management—why restoration is more than a technical task and why collaboration and community involvement take time and skill to do well, but are worth the effort. The article outlines a few approaches to collaborative community-based watershed restoration, followed by a sampler of ways to apply basic principles of collaboration. The article also provides key resources to help guide public/private collaborative work and lists some policy and research needs whose solutions could help create and maintain effective collaborative processes. The Social Side of Watershed Restoration is accessible on-line at http://www.fs.fed.us/wildlandwaters. UNC Chapel Hill Professor J. Robert Cox’s new book, Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere, is the first comprehensive textbook examining the theory and practice of communicating about the environment. How we communicate, according to Cox, can determine the action we and others are willing to take to protect the natural world. The book is a compelling mix of the latest scholarship and real world cases of environmental communication covering numerous topics including green marketing, environmental justice, the use and misuse of science, reporters and the environmental "beat," and a surprising take on the pitfalls of collaboration and consensus in building an environmental movement. Environmental Communication (488 pp., $44.95) can be ordered directly from the publisher, Sage Publications, by clicking on http://www.sagepub.com/booksProdDesc.nav?contribId=529418&prodId=Book226397. Successful greenway design protects landscapes, allowing wildlife to move freely, while finding appropriate ways to bring people into nature. The new book Designing Greenways, by Paul Cawood Hellmund and Daniel Smith, builds on the foundation of the award-winning 1993 book Ecology of Greenways by fully integrating a social perspective into ecological landscape design. The book brings together examples from ecology, conservation biology, aquatic ecology, and recreation design to illustrate how greenways function and add value to ecosystems and human communities alike. Click here to order Designing Greenways directly from the publisher, Island Press, at a 20% discountFrom cities to suburbs to small towns to rural communities, environmentally-sensitive development is improving quality of life, according to the new publication This Is Smart Growth, released last month by the U.S. EPA, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and 30 other organizations, all of which are partners in the Smart Growth Network, a highly diverse alliance that works to encourage development practices that improve the environment, the economy, public health, and the community. Featuring 40 localities around the country, This Is Smart Growth illustrates how communities can improve the quality of development by making tax dollars go farther, reducing the cost of services and infrastructure and offering people more transportation choices. It also shows how communities have protected natural lands, farms and ranches; created safe, convenient neighborhoods with homes people can afford; and boosted public health by reducing pollution and increasing opportunities for walking, biking, and other forms of physical activity. Free copies of This is Smart Growth are available from the EPA’s National Service Center for Environmental Publications at (800) 490-9198 or via e-mail at ncepimal@one.net (ask for publication number 231-K-06-002), or go on-line to http://www.smartgrowth.org for an electronic copy of the report. Contact: Dave Ryan at (202) 564-4355 or ryan.dave@epa.gov for more info. Does your car have an environmental license plate?
The Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET, http://massenvironmentaltrust.org) provides funding to many river and other water resources protection and restoration projects throughout the Commonwealth. A major source of MET’s funding comes from the sale of environmental license plates. Besides the “whale” plate (often accompanied in print ads by “Bob”, MET’s new marketing icon), sale of the “FW” (“fish and wildlife”) and “BV” (“Blackstone Valley”) plates also help fund MET’s grant-making programs. (By the way, these three are the only Mass. specialty license plates that exclusively fund environmental programs). Getting an environmental plate is easy and can be done on-line at http://www.mass.gov/rmv or at your local Registry of Motor Vehicles office. Visit the Riverways Staff page
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| Riverways Program, 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 |