Tag: News

Protecting the state’s protected lands Opinion | Commonwealth Magazine | March 18, 2022 https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/protecting-the-states-protected-lands/ Jane Winn is executive director of the Berkshire Environmental Action Team, or BEA;, Judy Lehrer-Jacobs is executive director of the Friends of the Blue Hills; and Paul Atwood is treasurer of the Upper Charles Conservation Land Trust. We often think of floods, hurricanes, snowstorms and the like as threats to our normal way of life, but the Covid pandemic has shown us a unique threat that affects everyone in a very different way — isolation and inability to gather together. What brought many of us through the last few years was the availability of nearby open spaces for outdoor passive recreation. As much as we need to plan for 100-year floods, we also need to plan for 100-year pandemics. Enter the Public Lands Preservation Act. Massachusetts has a wonderful collection of State Parks with a huge variety of sites and activities along with Mass Audubon, The Trustees, The Trust for Public...

Dighton’s Trails Committee Invites Community Members to Attend Sweets Knoll State Park Improvement Plan Forum Taylor O'Neil | Client News, City/Town News | March 16, 2022 https://jgpr.net/2022/03/16/dightons-trails-committee-invites-community-members-to-attend-sweets-knoll-state-park-improvement-plan-forum/ Chairman Jeffrey Carvalho and the Dighton Trails Committee would like to invite community members to attend the upcoming Taunton River Trail at Sweets Knoll State Park Improvements Project Public Listening Session. The Taunton River Trail at Sweets Knoll State Park Improvements Project Public Listening Session will be hosted by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) virtually on Tuesday, March 29, from 6-7:30 p.m. To register for the event, click here. “We encourage all those in our community to virtually attend this upcoming public listening session to learn more about the proposed plans for the Sweets Knoll State Park Improvements Project,” said Carvalho. “Not only will this forum give community members the opportunity to hear about the project from the team spearheading the endeavor, but it will also allow them the time to ask questions and share any...

Senators Markey, Warren and Reps. Trahan, Moulton Applaud Essex National Heritage Area Reauthorization in Federal Budget Spending Package Press Release, Office of Senator Ed Markey | March 15, 2022 https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-warren-and-reps-trahan-moulton-applaud-essex-national-heritage-area-reauthorization-in-federal-budget-spending-package Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representatives Seth Moulton (MA-06) and Lori Trahan (MA-03) today applauded the reauthorization of the Essex National Heritage Area in the 2022 Fiscal Year package. The recently passed spending bill reauthorized the heritage area until 2023—extending the Essex National Heritage Area’s ability to receive federal money. The provision authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to the Essex National Heritage Area expired on September 30, 2021. “The Essex National Heritage Area strengthens our local economies and preserves the North Shore’s rich history, culture, and natural resources. I am glad that the 2022 Fiscal Year package heeded our call to extend the Essex National Heritage Area’s authorization, enabling it to receive the federal funds it needs to continue to support partnerships between Massachusetts...

Urban forests may store more carbon than we thought, study finds Barbara Moran | WBUR | February 16, 2022 https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/02/16/forest-fragments-northeast-us-climate-change-soil-respiration Urban forests are little oases of nature, but they don't get a lot of respect. The trees near the road get sprayed with salt and choked with soot; the boulders get tagged with graffiti, the trails through the woods are often littered with candy wrappers, soda bottles and plastic sacks of dog poo. But despite the abuse, these small patches of forest may play an outsized role in combatting climate change, at least here in the Northeast. Two studies from Boston University find that trees around the edges of urban forests grow faster, and the soil gives off less carbon dioxide, than scientists expected. That means these scruffy edges are surprisingly good at pulling carbon dioxide out of the sky, and storing it underground. The research suggests that fragmented urban forests, often dismissed as degraded remnants of their former selves, maybe be doing more for...

Mass Audubon president prods Legislature for more parks funding Jon Chesto | The Boston Globe | March 14, 2022 https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/03/14/business/mass-audubon-president-prods-legislature-more-parks-funding/ When David O’Neill took over as president of Mass Audubon nearly two years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic had just hit the state. But the fight for land preservation dollars was well underway.In the ensuing two years, those two issues became intertwined. Environmental advocates such as O’Neill argued that the pandemic underscores the need to protect the state’s open spaces, which proved their immense worth when indoor recreation opportunities were essentially shuttered. The job required O’Neill to quickly get up to speed on the Byzantine world of Massachusetts state government. His career had been in the Washington, D.C., area, most recently as chief conservation officer at the National Audubon Society. (With its $37 million annual budget and 125-year history, Mass Audubon is the largest and oldest independent affiliate of the national group. O’Neill said the state Legislature only set aside about $15 million for land preservation...

ARPA money needed for nature, open space David O'Neill & Deb Markowitz | Commonwealth Magazine | March 8, 2022 David O’Neill is the president of Mass Audubon and previously served as the chief conservation officer and senior advisor to the CEO at National Audubon Society. Deb Markowitz is Massachusetts director for The Nature Conservancy. She previously served as Vermont’s Secretary of State. https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/arpa-money-needed-for-nature-open-space/ Last fall, the Massachusetts Legislature invested $4 billion of state and federal funds in a COVID recovery. The lawmakers’ priorities – support for essential workers, investments in housing and healthcare systems, and initiatives in education and workforce development – are laudable and at the time were truly necessary and addressing them was time-sensitive. And yet, the pandemic has laid bare the need for nature and open spaces in the most-impacted communities. Unfortunately, substantial investment in parks and open space as part of the American Rescue Plan Act COVID relief was pushed to another day. Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised: Massachusetts has underfunded...

Governor Hogan, Lt. Governor Rutherford Tout $75 Million Investment in Maryland State Parks Press Release | The Office of Governor Larry Hogan | February 22, 2022 https://governor.maryland.gov/2022/02/22/video-release-governor-hogan-lt-governor-rutherford-tout-75-million-investment-in-maryland-state-parks-new-state-parks-in-western-maryland-eastern-shore-to-open-this-summer/ ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan today visited Greenbrier State Park in Boonsboro to tout the investment of $75 million in the governor’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget for the Maryland Park Service, which represents a 20-year high. The governor also announced the opening of new state parks in Western Maryland and on the Eastern Shore this summer. The governor was joined for today’s announcement by Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford, who has now visited 60 of Maryland’s 75 state parks as part of his State Park Bucket List, and Secretary Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. “Maryland truly is open for business, and so are our state parks,” said Governor Hogan. “I want to sincerely thank the incredible Maryland Park Service staff, the countless volunteers, and all of the camp hosts who work tirelessly every single day to...

DCR Announces February 2022 School Vacation Programming Press Release | Department of Conservation & Recreation | February 18, 2022 https://www.mass.gov/news/dcr-announces-february-2022-school-vacation-programming The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) announced today that it will offer free and low-cost family-friendly programs during the upcoming February school vacation week. Programming begins on Saturday, February 19, 2022 and is available throughout the state. Visitors will be able to participate in a variety of programming, including scavenger hunts, wildlife tracking, crafting activities, trail hikes, and more. A full list of activities and programming can be found on DCR’s website. “The Department of Conservation and Recreation is pleased to announce our expanded park program offerings across the state during the upcoming February school vacation week,” said Acting DCR Commissioner Stephanie Cooper. “We encourage children and families to get outside, enjoy the fresh air, and take advantage of these free programs while embarking on their own outdoor adventures.” During the school vacation week, public skating hours have been extended daily from 10:00AM to 2:50PM....

New Trails We Can Look Forward to in Eastern Mass. in 2022 Christian MilNeil | Streetsblog MASS | February 7, 2022 https://mass.streetsblog.org/2022/02/07/new-trails-we-can-look-forward-to-in-eastern-mass-in-2022/ From the Berkshires to Boston, construction crews are putting the finishing touches on a dozen new off-street biking and walking paths that are expected to open to traffic in 2022. There are so many projects in the works that we’re splitting up this rundown into two articles: we’ll be highlighting new trails coming to Central and Western Massachusetts in a separate article, linked below: https://mass.streetsblog.org/2022/02/08/new-trails-we-can-look-forward-to-in-central-and-western-massachusetts-this-year/ Here’s a rundown of the new trails we can look forward to biking, wheeling, or walking along later this year: Community Path extension, Somerville and Cambridge One of the most eagerly-awaited trail projects to open in 2022 will open up an off-street path connection that will traverse the City of Somerville and connect the Minuteman Bikeway to the Charles River. Somerville’s Community Path Extension (pictured below) will still be used as a construction staging area for the Green Line Extension project...

Mass. DCR Pushes to Add Quality Lifeguards, Offering Competitive Pay and Bonuses Eli Rosenberg | NBC 10 Boston | February 23, 2022 https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/mass-dcr-pushes-to-add-quality-lifeguards-offering-competitive-pay-and-bonuses/2652873/ With Wednesday's weather providing a hint of what's to come in spring and summer, the Massachusetts agency responsible for providing lifeguards at state-run beaches and waterways is planning to offer some of the highest wages in the nation to attract quality lifeguards. "We want to make sure we are getting the best and most qualified candidates," Stephanie Cooper, acting commissioner for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Cooper says the DCR needs about 550 lifeguards to staff its beaches, pools and waterways. Last year, as in many industries, it was hard to attract enough quality candidates. "Our hourly rates are among the most competitive in the country, so we now pay between $21 and $26 an hour, which is greater than last year," Cooper said. She says the DCR is also offering a $500 signing bonus for qualified candidates who sign up by...

Friends of Upton State Forest Newsletter re: Park Funding To download and read the FUSF Winter Newsletter, click here: https://friendsofuptonstateforest.org/the-friends/newsletters/. The President's Message The state has about $2 billion in remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to distribute and the Massachusetts Conservation Voters (MCV) organization is encouraging citizens to send a message to their state legislators to allocate $100 million of these funds to state parks. The Friends Board agrees and will be sending a letter to legislators in support of allocating $100 million of the ARPA funds to the state parks. If you want to send a message to your legislators, the MCV website, massconservationvoters.com, provides a convenient way you to do that via email. It has a draft email that can be customized, and it will automatically send it to your legislators based on your zip code. This will be the second distribution of ARPA funds. The state recently passed legislation that distributed nearly $3 billion in ARPA funds and...

DCR Issues One More Call for Feedback on Arborway Redesign Christian MilNeil | Streets Blog Mass | February 14, 2022 https://mass.streetsblog.org/2022/02/14/dcr-issues-one-more-call-for-feedback-on-arborway-redesign/ The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is hosting one more round of public input for a major renovation of the Arborway in Jamaica Plain that would convert multiple motor vehicle lanes to parkland and fill a missing link in the Emerald Necklace with new bicycle and pedestrian paths. It’s a project that has been in the works for two years now, and judging by the updates from a recent online public hearing, it’s hard to tell whether the project is actually moving forward, or just going around in circles like a car stuck on one of the Arborway’s notorious rotaries. The last public hearing on the Arborway Improvements Project, which we covered in October 2020, outlined three alternative designs, which all strive to preserve trees and reduce the Arborway’s paved footprint while adding new bike paths, sidewalks, crosswalks, and greenspace. At that meeting, DCR...

The Federal Money Spending Challenge: What's Next for Massachusetts? State House News Service | January 25, 2022 Some of the $4 billion of the federal funds allocated to Massachusetts from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) have been spoken for. But the discussion between Gov. Charlie Baker and the Legislature over how to spend the remaining $2.3 billion in ARPA funds is very much alive. How are key lawmakers making spending decisions as a recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill directs even more federal aid to Massachusetts? It’s a once-in-a-generation position to use billions in federal dollars for projects and initiatives all across the state. The choices legislators and administration officials make in the next few months will impact generations to come. Join MASSterList for a virtual State House News Forum with Rep. Dan Hunt, chair of the House Committee on Federal Stimulus and Census Oversight, MassBudget President Marie-Frances Rivera, Lizzi Weyant of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and Doug Howgate of the...

Governor Hochul Announces Another Record Year for State Parks in 2021 Press Release | Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State | February 8, 2022 https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-another-record-year-state-parks-2021 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York's State parks, historic sites, campgrounds, and trails welcomed a record-setting 78.4 million visits in 2021, continuing the robust level of visitation seen since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. "From Niagara Falls to Montauk Point, our State Parks and Historic Sites are a treasure that every New Yorker should be able to enjoy," Governor Hochul said. "During the pandemic, parks and public spaces have become more important than ever -- providing New Yorkers with safe and enjoyable outdoor spaces for gatherings and recreation. New York was proud to welcome a record-setting number of visitors to our State Parks last year, and we look forward to modernizing our parks system as we approach its historic 100th anniversary in 2024." Total visits statewide increased in 2021 by more than 427,000, driven by...

Questions for you. Answers for your Park. Massachusetts Forest and Park Friends Network | February 7, 2022 http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/1495467/9d91ff94bb/546750267/e8871384b1/ Where do you go for exercise, inspiration, quiet? Where can you find wildlife, wildflowers and wonder? The answer should be Massachusetts’ State Parks. But while we love to boast how we compare to other states in terms of education, history and tourism, Massachusetts spends less than 46 other states on parks and recreation. It’s no wonder that there is a billion-dollar backlog of deferred maintenance and crumbling infrastructure at Massachusetts State Parks. You see it on your walk, your hike, as you kayak or canoe. You see it from horseback, on your bicycle, from the top of the hill. ARPA Funds to the Rescue! We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend $100 million dollars on park infrastructure through the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds* —But we must ask for it! *More about ARPA at the MCV website. PLEASE TAKE OUR VERY SHORT SURVEY Tell us where you would spend the $100 million ARPA funds. We will send your answers...