Tag: News

Marlborough Panther Trail Will Get Water Crossings After DCR Grant Neal McNamara | Patch | June 22, 2023 https://patch.com/massachusetts/marlborough/marlborough-panther-trail-will-get-water-crossings-after-dcr-grant MARLBOROUGH, MA — Hiking all of Marlborough's new 26.2-mile Panther Trail isn't easy, but a new state grant for the trail will make it a little less difficult. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation last week gave out $11 million worth of state trails grants to facilities across the state, including $13,000 for the Panther Trail. The grant will be sent to the Marlborough Conservation Commission to construct stream crossings, including one major crossing over Millham Brook. Years in planning, the Panther Trail fully opened in October, looping around Marlborough and connecting notable green places like the Assabet River Rail Trail, Callahan State Park and Williams Lake. The trail is also part of the planned 33-mile Boroughs Loop trail, which connects Marlborough, Southborough, Westborough and Northborough. To read the full story, click here....

Olmsted Parks in the Era of Climate Change Jared Green | The Dirt | May 24, 2023 https://dirt.asla.org/2023/05/24/olmsted-climate-change-would-be-his-crucible/ Frederick Law Olmsted, the founder of the profession of landscape architecture, was designing nature-based solutions 150 years before the term came into favor. He designed with nature, conserved landscapes and ecosystems, and incorporated native plants — all of which are now contemporary approaches to increasing resilience to climate change. But now, many of Olmsted’s parks, and those of his sons, are being tested like never before. “Olmsted parks are on the front lines of climate change,” said Dede Petri, CEO of the Olmsted Network, during an online discussion as part of Olmsted 200. And his parks are also increasingly test-beds for new solutions, too. In a discussion moderated by Dinah Voyles Pulver, national climate reporter at USA Today, Erin Chute Gallentine, public works commissioner with Brookline, Massachusetts, said her city’s Olmsted parks are dealing with climate impacts such as flash flooding and drought. Parks’ trees are now “increasingly vulnerable to pests and...

H2wOw! Connecting Climate Water and Community https://allevents.in/plymouth/h2wow-connecting-climate-water-and-community/80005918897054 Don't miss this exciting conservation conversation! Saturday June 24: Spire Center for the Performing Arts25 Court Street Plymouth MA 02360Doors open at 9:30 AM for coffee and treatsPresentations begin at 10 AM Featuring: David Abel Filmmaker and Climate Reporter for the Boston Globe will present 'A Journalist's Perspective on Climate Change.'​​ Abel will conduct a live interview with Massachusetts' first-ever Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer. The results of a two-year study of Plymouth's hydrogeology and the town's vulnerability to saltwater intrusion will be presented by UMass Professor Dr. David Boutt PhD.  Stay after for an opportunity to meet our guests and socialize with your neighbors and Town staff. Then take a hike! Join one of four hikes designed to explore Plymouth's unique hydrogeology. Hike leaders include:  Melissa (Harding) Ferretti Chairwoman/President and Jill Lauzon Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe —Herring Pond Wampanoag Culture History and Place-Based Knowledge; Town of Plymouth Department of Marine and Environmental Affairs Director David Gould —Urban Adaptation and Resiliency Hike; Hike the Eel River Headwaters with Plymouth's Trails Guru Malcolm MacGregor; Join a Coastal Plain Pond exploration with Frank...

Central Mass could get a big money boost from a proposed rail trail. Will it happen? Henry Schwan | Telegram & Gazette | May 30, 2023 https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/30/proposed-rail-trail-in-central-mass-could-provide-economic-boost/70254618007 An old railroad line could bring public health benefits and an economic boost to the tune of the millions of dollars to parts of Central Massachusetts, if it's ever finished. It's all detailed in a new report that delves into converting the former Central Massachusetts Railroad that shut down in the early 1900s into a 104-mile bicycle and pedestrian path that runs from Boston to Northampton. The work will be a challenge, according to studies done by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. However, the state is taking a hard look at the project. How much will it cost? One of the so-called elephants in the room is how much it will all cost and who will pay for it. State transportation officials aren’t ready to give a price tag after conducting feasibility studies. “Please note the feasibility study did not address...

New Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioner eyes long tenure with new administration after turnover at the top Chris Van Buskirk | Boston Herald | May 12, 2023 https://www.bostonherald.com/2023/05/12/new-massachusetts-department-of-conservation-and-recreation-commissioner-eyes-long-tenure-with-new-administration-after-turnover-at-the-top/ New Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Brian Arrigo said he wants to be the “longest serving” person in the role after a report released Friday pointed out turnover at the top of the department within the last decade. To read the full story, click here...

Three Years After a Fateful Day in Central Park, Birding Continues to Change My Life Christian Cooper | The New York Times | May 26, 2023 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/26/opinion/birds-freedom.html Early in the morning of May 25, 2020, I biked from my apartment on Manhattan’s Lower East Side to Central Park to go birding in the Ramble. Despite the uncertainties of the time — New Yorkers were living in a hot spot of the raging Covid pandemic, with no vaccine in sight — I strove to start this warm, sunlit Memorial Day on a happy note by wandering my favorite urban woodlands in search of migrating songbirds. I was focused on the end-of-season hunt for a mourning warbler, a small yellow and gray skulking bird that’s difficult to spot and relatively rare. I hadn’t yet seen one that year. Visiting the park in the morning to look for birds has long been a springtime routine for me. I wake before sunrise and grab my Swarovski binoculars — a...

Parks Group Welcomes New Northeast Director to Lead, Expand Work Across Region Press Release | National Parks Conservation Association | May 22, 2023 https://www.npca.org/articles/3518-parks-group-welcomes-new-northeast-director-to-lead-expand-work-across Holyoke, MA – The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) today announces new leadership for the Northeast with the appointment of Kristen Sykes as Northeast regional director. For decades, NPCA has prioritized park protection work in the Northeast, successfully leading campaigns to create the first national park site dedicated to LGBTQ history with Stonewall National Monument in New York City and preserving one of the last large landscapes in the Northeast with the addition of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine. With a robust presence in New York City, NPCA has been instrumental in securing significant funding for our urban national parks and improving access to better connect younger, more diverse communities to green space nearby at places like Gateway and along the Appalachian Trail. In her new role, Kristen will lead the strategic direction for NPCA’s work throughout the Northeast focusing our efforts in...

The Importance And Status Of Unpaved Accessible Trails Shelby Lee | The Shoestring | April 25, 2023 https://theshoestring.org/2023/04/25/the-importance-and-status-of-unpaved-accessible-trails/ NORTHAMPTON – When local artist and accessibility advocate Meg Bandarra gets out into nature, the resulting landscapes she paints offer stunning renderings of the region’s beauty. And cutting through some of those landscapes are the thing that makes her work as a painter possible: unpaved universally accessible trails. “I advocate for trails because I know the difference they make in my life,” Bandarra told The Shoestring. “Getting back into nature after being removed from it because of physical barriers was a really powerful, immersive experience. I felt compelled to capture that feeling of reunification, and to this day the need to capture those beautiful fleeting moments I get to experience while out on a trail is why I paint the landscape.”  A year and four months have passed since City Council members in Northampton voted to appropriate $100,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to the “Rocky Hill...

Arrigo has big challenge ahead at DCR Kathy Abbott | Opinion, Commonwealth Magazine | May 9, 2023 https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/arrigo-has-big-challenge-ahead-at-dcr/ WHAT’S IT LIKE having the job as commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation? Ask a budget analyst on Beacon Hill and you’ll get an answer like: Manage a $250 million annual capital and operating budget, 500,000 acres of beaches, parks, and forests, and more than 600 miles of historic parkways ringing Greater Boston. Be responsible for hiring more than 600 lifeguards each season; combat invasive species threatening native wildlife; manage skating rinks, swimming pools, campgrounds, playgrounds, and 3,000 miles of hiking and biking trails; while also supplying safe clean drinking water to more than 2.5 million people each day in Metropolitan Boston. And do all of this while inviting more than 26 million annual visitors to enjoy the state properties you are charged with stewarding. All true, and all in a day’s work, but we’d say a better and more inspiring answer might be:...

Fire towers stay busy as dry conditions pose heightened risk Devin Bates | Spectrum News 1 | April 14, 2023 https://spectrumnews1.com/ma/worcester/news/2023/04/14/fire-towers-stay-busy-as-dry-conditions-pose-heightened-risk PRINCETON, Mass. - It's been a very active spring fire season in the northeast, and state fire authorities are doing their best to stay on top of it with the help of some key fire towers across the state. What You Need To Know Massachusetts has seen 340 forest fires in 2023 174 of those fires have occurred in the last week alone Fire towers, like the one atop Mount Wachusett, have been key in spotting them early Fire authorities said the public also has a role to play in fire prevention So far this year, Massachusetts has seen 340 forest fires. On top of Mount Wachusett, the state's tallest fire tower allows spotters to coordinate with lower elevation towers and pinpoint where the danger is.  “We have 42 towers across the state, and on any given high fire danger day we try to get 22, 23 of our key...

Texas Senate committee approves historic state parks funding bill Press Release | Environment Texas | April 13, 2023 https://environmentamerica.org/media-center/texas-senate-committee-approves-historic-state-parks-funding-bill/ AUSTIN, Texas –– The state Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee on Thursday voted unanimously in support of two bills creating a Centennial Parks Conservation Fund. This new entity would invest at least $500 million to buy more land for the state parks system. The legislation, SB 1684 and SJR 74 (Parker), would establish the fund and amend the state constitution to authorize it. SB 1 (the Senate version of the state budget) appropriates $500 million for state parkland acquisition, contingent on passage of these bills. According to a study by Texas Tech University, the state needs to add more than one million acres of state parks by 2030 to keep up with public demand. A 2023 poll by Texas 2036 found that 73% of Texans, including majorities of Republicans, Democrats and Independents, support investing $1 billion to create new — and expand existing — state parks. In response, Environment Texas Executive Director Luke Metzger,...

Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo to Join Healey-Driscoll Administration as Conservation & Recreation Commissioner Press Release | Department of Conservation & Recreation | April 10, 2023 https://www.mass.gov/news/revere-mayor-brian-arrigo-to-join-healey-driscoll-administration-as-conservation-recreation-commissioner BOSTON — Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca L. Tepper announced today the appointment of Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo as Commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Arrigo will officially resign as Mayor on April 21st and start in the Healey-Driscoll Administration on April 24th.   “Policymaking is about more than laws and budgets – it’s about building happy, healthy communities for our residents. Mayor Arrigo understands, as I do, that DCR is central to those efforts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “He has extensive experience transforming Revere’s waterfront and managing public lands. I know he will work tirelessly so everyone in our state has access to well-maintained green spaces and fun activities for all ages.”  “I’m thrilled to have my friend and fellow mayor Brian Arrigo on our team,” added Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, who worked closely with Mayor Arrigo through the...

Report: MA Fatal Pedestrian Crashes Up 35%; More Than 70% Occurred In Environmental Justice Neighborhoods Press Release | WalkBoston | March 30, 2023 https://walkboston.org/2023/03/30/report-ma-fatal-pedestrian-crashes-up-35-more-than-70-occurred-in-environmental-justice-neighborhoods/ WalkBoston calls on MassDOT to release an action plan for safe streets, and for the legislature to fund staff and resources to support eliminating fatal crashes BOSTON (March 30, 2023) – A report released today by WalkBoston, a statewide pedestrian advocacy organization, shows fatal pedestrian crashes in Massachusetts are up by 35% in 2022 compared to 2021, with 71% of crashes taking place in Environmental Justice Census Block Groups.  Fatal Pedestrian Crashes in MA (2022) also shows that of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, 60 had a fatal pedestrian crash in 2022, and older adults were hit and killed at a higher rate than those in other age groups.  “The sharp rise in fatal crashes is extremely troubling,” said Brendan Kearney, Deputy Director of WalkBoston. “Unsafe road design is creating fatal consequences for communities across the Commonwealth. Designing our streets to reduce...

Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces the 17th Annual Park Serve Day Press Release | Department of Conservation & Recreation | March 23, 2023 https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-announces-the-17th-annual-park-serve-day BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced that registration is now open for the 17th annual Park Serve Day, which will take place on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, 2023. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) holds Park Serve Day annually, in conjunction with Earth Week, to provide volunteer opportunities throughout the Massachusetts State Park system. Volunteers will help clean coastlines, clear trails, pick up litter, plant flowers, and paint at state parks across the Commonwealth, among other important tasks. "Massachusetts’ state parks play an invaluable role in our physical and mental wellbeing, which is why it is critical we maintain our open spaces,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Our administration looks forward to continuing this tradition and preparing our parks and beaches for visitors to enjoy ahead of the spring and summer seasons.”    “We must protect and preserve our parks to ensure residents have access...