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Beacon Hill Weekly Roundup - 1/16/09
Jack Clarke, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations
Jennifer Ryan, Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs
This Week:
Governor Signs Land Conservation Incentives into Law
This week was an exciting one for conservationists as Governor Patrick signed into law a Mass Audubon legislative priority providing a tax credit for donations of certain land to public or private conservation agencies. Eligible donors, after gaining approval from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, will receive a credit equal to 50% of the appraised fair market value of the land, up to $50,000 per gift. These tax credits will apply to land donations that result in the permanent protection of drinking water supplies, or wildlife habitat and biological diversity, scenic and cultural values, and agricultural and forestry production. Please read the full bill for more information. In consideration of the current fiscal climate, implementation will be delayed until January 1, 2011 and a $2 million annual cap is in place. This outstanding team effort was lead by The Nature Conservancy. Congratulations! Many thanks to Governor Patrick; Secretary Ian Bowles and staff at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs; legislative champions Senator Stephen Brewer, Representative Stephen Kulik, and House Minority Leader Bradley Jones; Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition; Mass Green Agenda; Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, Environmental League of Massachusetts and many others!
Good News at Mass Audubon
Mass Audubon Partners with Department of Conservation and Recreation On December 31, Mass Audubon acquired 134 acres of high priority forest in the Berkshires, at Upper Spectacle Pond in Otis. This was a pre-acquisition for our longtime partner, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Our purchase of this property became necessary to accommodate the seller's need for a transaction to take place in calendar 2008 when DCR's acquisition process would not permit that agency to do so. We will convey the property to DCR in early February 2009 and be reimbursed for all costs except for staff time. The conservation of this property is significant for a variety of reasons, including the proximity to our 1,000-acre Cold Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, and the highly intact forested landscape in which it exists. In fact, this property was one of the last remaining unprotected tracts in that broader landscape. The protection of unfragmented forest areas such as this is all the more important in the context of climate change. Conservation science indicates that these will be the areas where native species of plants and animals will have greatest resilience, as climate-related changes occur across Massachusetts. Norman Smith Environmental Center It seems that this is the year for change: State Senator Brian A. Joyce co-sponsored a bill, which Governor Deval Patrick signed last week, to rename the Chickatawbut Hill Education Center in the Blue Hills Reservation. This center, the site of Mass Audubon's Blue Hills summer day camp, is now called the Norman Smith Environmental Center, in honor of our own director of the Blue Hills Trailside Museum. Senator Joyce called the change "a small token of appreciation for Norman's invaluable service to the fields of conservation and education, as well as to the Commonwealth." Norman started volunteering at Trailside when he was a teenager and has worked for Mass Audubon since 1974, including being director of the museum and Chickatawbut Hill Education Center for nearly 20 years. Senator Joyce praised Norman's "unwavering advocacy" for the museum, education center and the Blue Hills Reservation. As any of us who know Norman know, there couldn't be a more appropriate way to recognize his enthusiasm for education and for providing learning opportunities for children. Congratulations, Norman, from all of your colleagues at Mass Audubon!
Department of Conservation and Recreation News
Vision for DCR Forests DCR has launched a public involvement process on "Renewing a Commonwealth Vision for DCR Forests." This process will involve an open, interactive dialogue with experts, stakeholders, and the public to assess the role of forest management in the stewardship of hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands. It will result in recommendations on how to balance and integrate the myriad public interests supported by the forests including recreation, tourism, aesthetics, wildlife habitat, renewable forest products, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. A series of public meetings will be held, dates and locations TBD. Proposed DCR Timber Harvesting Projects The latest semi-annual postings of newly proposed timber harvesting projects are now available on DCR's website. Comments can be submitted through February 20, 2009 to Timber.Comments@state.ma.us.
Federal Updates
Final Environmental Impact Statement Issued for Cape Wind The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on the Cape Wind project by the Minerals Management Service has been issued after seven years of government review - a positive step for offshore renewable energy development in Massachusetts and the nation. The findings of the US Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion state that the project would not jeopardize the Federally listed Roseate Tern and Piping Plover populations, a conclusion consistent with the results of Mass Audubon's preliminary review described in our Cape Wind Challenge (March 27, 2006). We are conducting a detailed review of the FEIS to determine if our recommendations as outlined in our Cape Wind Challenge and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) comment letter have been addressed, especially with regard to mitigation and post-construction monitoring and impact assessment. View Mass Audubon's Press Release. Taunton River Wild and Scenic Designation Update The U.S Senate has passed a bill declaring the Taunton River part of the national Wild and Scenic Rivers System, marking progress in a decade-long fight to protect the river. The bill moves onto a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives next week. See section 5003 of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 for bill details.
Calendar
Climate Change and the Marine Environment Conference
February 5th, 2009
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Moakley Courthouse
Boston, MA
*Free, registration required (please e-mail vcataldo@neaq.org) SAVE THE DATE Greening the City: Fostering Inspired and Innovative Leadership for Just and Sustainable Urban Communities A conference sponsored by Lesley University's graduate Division of Environmental Studies and Mass Audubon, March 20-22, 2009. Join more than 150 urban environmental leaders from throughout New England at the main campus of Lesley University in Cambridge, MA to explore key strategies for fostering inspired and innovative urban environmental leadership. "Greening the City" is geared toward environmental practitioners and thinkers from nonprofits, higher education institutions, local community groups, government agencies, and businesses. It will feature prominent environmental thinkers and practitioners from academia and government agencies, as well as from for profit and nonprofit organizations. There will be keynote talks, workshops, and an exhibit area, and other interactive ways to engage with the challenges and solutions arising from our increasingly urban world. Keynotes will include well known environmentalists like Julian Agyeman, environmental social scientist, activist and academic from Tufts University. Other keynotes will be announced shortly. The conference is meant to engage in-depth and meaningful dialogue among participants while addressing the difficulties and opportunities faced in cultivating just and sustainable urban communities. Conference registration will begin in early 2009. All efforts will be made to keep registration fees as low as possible and need-based scholarships will be available.
Please contact us if you have any questions at: action@massaudubon.org.
About The Beacon Hill Weekly Roundup
The Beacon Hill Weekly Roundup tracks the legislative priorities of Mass Audubon, focusing on the protection of the nature of Massachusetts. We encourage you to forward this newsletter to friends, family, and colleagues and to enlist their support.
If you are not already a member of Mass Audubon's Action Network, we encourage you to join by filling out our online form or by e-mailing us. Membership dues provide vital support for Mass Audubon's advocacy work on Beacon Hill and across the state. If you are not already a Mass Audubon member please join today.
Legislative Tool Kit
Stay In Touch
Senators and Representatives need to hear from their constituents! Contact your legislators and share with them the environmental issues that are important to you.
Find out who represents you in the Senate and House.
Senate and House Sessions Go Live
Consistent with the theme that decision-makers act differently when they know they are being watched, House and Senate sessions are now available on live webcast. Tune in to view live web stream broadcastings of the Senate and House and watch as the Massachusetts legislative process unfolds!
Current Legislation
Access the text of current legislation, bill histories and Massachusetts General Law by visiting one site. We encourage you to visit The General Court's website frequently as it is an important tool for conservation advocates like you!
How to Lobby
Discover effective ways to convey your environmental interests to your Senator or Representative.
View Mass Audubon’s How to Lobby document, and get started now!
How the Law is Made
Learn about the steps a bill takes before becoming law. You can also use our graphic charts to guide you through the life of a bill, from when it is first filed, to when it is signed into law.
 Mass Audubon Advocacy
6 Beacon Street, Suite 1025
Boston, MA 02108
617-523-8448 (phone)
617-523-4183 (fax)
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