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Beacon Hill Weekly Roundup - 9/25/09
Jack Clarke, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations
Jennifer Ryan, Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs
This Week:
Help Keep Off-Highway Vehicles Off Sensitive Ecosystems!
Mass Audubon recently testified at the State House in support of House Bill 3330 (Representative Frank I. Smizik) and Senate Bill 366 (Senator A. Baddour) which would bring much needed reform to the commonwealth's outdated Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) laws. This is one of our top legislative priorities. Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle use is growing in Massachusetts with sales of all terrain vehicles increasing by more than 300% over the past decade. The lack of enforcement is well documented in the state, and the need for reform was the focus of the 2007 Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Off Highway Vehicle Enforcement Working Group in which Mass Audubon participated. Trespass by OHVs on public and private property is a significant and still growing problem in Massachusetts, as a recent Boston Globe article discusses. The lack of enforcement leads to extensive and long-term environmental damage on private and public land and unsafe conditions. On the 160,000 acres owned by the Department of Fish and Game alone there are close to 300 miles of illegal trails. Illegal riding on public lands, often unique and sensitive areas protected with public dollars for wildlife and sensitive ecosystems, damages public property and degrades the public trust. It is expensive to restore sites, and may be impossible as damage to wetlands, wildlife, and endangered species can be permanent. Many environmental and sportsmen's organizations have weighed in supporting the effort. Thank you for your advocacy! If you'd like to add your voice of support, you can still submit testimony to the House and Senate Chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, Senator James A. Timilty James.Timilty@state.ma.us and Representative Michael A. Costello Rep.MichaelCostello@hou.state.ma.us. Be sure to send a copy to your senator and representative. To find out who represents you at the Massachusetts State House, visit http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php.
Climate Change News
Development and Mitigation Can Coexist It is possible for climate change mitigation and global development to go hand-in-hand, concludes a recent World Bank publication. The report, titled "Development and Climate Change", discusses the benefits of "climate-smart" strategies, which focus on lowering carbon emissions during the installation of new infrastructure. The success of these strategies, however, relies on our ability to distribute low-carbon technology to developing countries on a wide scale. For more information, please view the full report. National Climate Change Strategy The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a strategic plan to guide global warming response efforts at the national level. The plan, available for public review and comment during the next 60 days, addresses impacts like sea level rise, changing wildlife migration patterns, and the spread of invasive species and is broken into sections on adaptation, mitigation, and engagement. The Fish and Wildlife Service's Climate Change Strategic Plan is part of a Department of the Interior (DOI) strategy to establish a framework through which Interior bureaus will coordinate climate change science and resource management. For more information, view the full plan at: http://www.fws.gov/home/climatechange/. Public comments may be submitted electronically through November 23, 2009. Preparing for Coastal Climate Change Curious about the expected impacts of climate change along our coastlines? The House Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change will host a public hearing addressing climate change adaptation in coastal communities, with presentations from local experts including Maggie Geist of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod and Andrea Cooper, Shoreline Floodplain Management Coordinator for the Office of Coastal Zone Management. Presenters will address available adaptation options and tools relative to storm surge, salt marsh changes, building codes, erosion, and other climate change issues. Hearing details:
Friday, October 2, 2009
10:30 a.m.
Yarmouth Senior Center
Yarmouth, MA For more information, contact Kayla Race at 617-722-2676 or Kayla.race@state.ma.us.
Renewable Energy in New England
The recently released "New England Governor's Renewable Energy Blueprint" reveals that New England has over 10,000 MW of untapped renewable resources (this includes on-shore and off-shore wind power potential, as well as other low-carbon resources). Developing even a fraction of this maximum potential would allow New England to meet its renewable energy goals and reduce reliance on carbon-emitting fuels. In Massachusetts, electric distribution companies must solicit long-term contracts for the purchase of renewable power, and companies can submit for the Department of Public Utilities to approve contracts to meet their obligations under the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). After purchasing renewable energy or renewable energy credits (RECs), distribution companies can sell the energy to customers, and retain RECs for the purpose of meeting their RPS requirements; sell the energy wholesale and sell the purchased RECs through a competitive bid process; or select an alternative approach.
For more information, please view the full report at http://www.nescoe.com/uploads/September_Blueprint_9.14.09_for_release.pdf or visit Mass Audubon's clean energy webpage at http://www.massaudubon.org/cleanenergy/.
Public Input Opportunity: Forest Visioning
The Department of Conservation and Recreation is undertaking a Forest Futures Visioning process to develop recommendations for future management of state parks and forests. The outcome of this vision will influence management of hundreds of thousands of acres of state conservation lands. Mass Audubon is providing input, including suggestions for expansion and permanent protection of a network of large forest reserves, improved public participation and oversight in management of timber harvesting outside of the reserves, and strengthening of enforcement to prevent illegal use of All Terrain Vehicles that are causing widespread damage to soils and habitat. You can have your say in what your public lands mean to you and how you would like to see them protected and managed. Submit comments to: MODR@umb.edu.
Calendar
Mass Audubon's Free Workshop Series: Get involved and make a difference! This fall, Mass Audubon's Shaping the Future of Your Community Outreach and Assistance Program is holding free workshops in communities throughout the state. Make a difference in your town's future -- join us and learn effective strategies for working with your local officials to guide your community's development, ensuring a high quality of life for years to come. Over the past 40 years, the landscape of Massachusetts has been dramatically transformed. In June 2009, Mass Audubon released Losing Ground: Beyond the Footprint, documenting changes in Massachusetts' land-use and exposing the harsh reality of unplanned development's impacts on natural resources and community character. Shaping the Future of Your Community is Mass Audubon's response to the issues revealed in Losing Ground. Working together, we can maintain the Commonwealth's natural heritage for the benefit of this and future generations. Free, pre-registration strongly encouraged. For schedule information or to register, mailto:shapingthefuture@massaudubon.org or visit http://web.massaudubon.org/site/R?i=wlMrItrCVgtXEpKye75qXQ.. Blowing in the Wind: Managing Renewable Energy Siting Conflicts Tuesday, October 6, 2009
9:30 a.m. -- 4:30 p.m.
Doyle Conservation Center
Leominster, MA Organized by The Trustees of Reservations, Mass Audubon is among the co-sponsors for this seminar that looks at the complicated process of siting and building renewable energy structures. The event is designed for staff and volunteers from planning boards, conservation commissions, open space committees and land trusts, elected officials and others who care about conservation and sustainability in their communities. Registration required; Mass Audubon members get a reduced rate. For more information please contact Miriam Scagnetti at 978-840-4446 x1935 or mscagnetti@ttor.org. Friends of the Blue Hills Annual Meeting
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
6:30 p.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church
1 Blue Hill River Rd.
Canton, MA The focus of this year's meeting will be on wind power in public parks. Building wind turbines in public parks, like the Blue Hills Reservation, can create controversy, particularly among people who usually agree on the need for clean energy and protecting and preserving open space. Come learn more about the effects of wind turbines on local wildlife populations and how wind policy trends in Massachusetts could influence where and how wind turbines are built in the Blue Hills. With presentations by Mass Audubon's Jennifer Ryan, Legislative Director and Taber Allison, Vice President for Science and Ecological Management. A light dinner will be served. Reservations required. $25/person; $40/family. RSVP at info@FriendsoftheBlueHills.org or 781-828-1805. Forestry lecture
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
6:30 p.m. -- 8:30 p.m.
Agawam Senior Center
954 Main St.
Agawam, MA
Free to the public The Friends of Robinson State Park will host an evening focused on global and local forests, featuring talks from Dr. Lee Frelich and Robert Leverett. These lectures will include topics that tie into Massachusetts' Forest Futures Visioning Process. Click here for more information, or contact carol@oneilz.com. 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, November 6-8, 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. Registration required. A Water Resources Conference: Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Massachusetts Environmental Trust Hogan Conference Center
Holy Cross College
Worcester, MA
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 Established as part of the Boston Harbor cleanup, the Trust has infused over $17 million into projects for water quality, aquatic species, environmental education and more. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, the Trustees are hosting a one-day conference on Tuesday, November 10, 2009. The conference is intended to bring together practitioners engaged in the work of protecting and restoring water quality and the continuity of aquatic systems. For more information contact Susan Lanza at 617-626-1068 or email Susan.Lanza@state.ma.us
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
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Senators and Representatives need to hear from their constituents! Contact your legislators and share with them the environmental issues that are important to you.
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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)
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