BEAT Receives $35,682 Grant From Massachusetts Environmental Trust!
BEAT is very pleased to be the recipient of a water protection grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust. The grant is
Sale of license plates such as the one pictured here, fund the Massachusetts Environmental Trust program.
funded through the sale of environmental license plates such as the one shown here. BEAT’s program manager, Elia Del Molino will be in charge of the new project. You can help support the program that funded us by purchasing one of these license plates.
The following is from the state’s official press release.
Baker-Polito Administration Announces Grants for Water Protection and Habitat Restoration
BOURNE – July 24, 2015 – At an event at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito today announced $480,568 in grants from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET) for projects to protect and restore rivers, watersheds, and wildlife across the Commonwealth.
“The Environmental Trust has been investing in the waters of Massachusetts for over twenty-five years,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Our coastal regions and rivers are just some of the natural resources that make Massachusetts such a great place to live and visit, and these grants will continue to improve these incredible resources.”
Since it was founded in 1988 as part of the Boston Harbor cleanup, MET has awarded more than $20 million in grants to organizations statewide that provide a wide array of environmental services, from supporting water projects in communities to protecting coastal habitats. Funding for this program comes from the sale of the state’s three environmentally-themed specialty license plates: the Right Whale Tail, the Leaping Brook Trout and the Blackstone Valley Mill.
“The grants being awarded by the Baker-Polito Administration will help to open miles of rivers to fish, improve water quality, and provide new recreational opportunities,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “This funding has been made possible because over 40,000 drivers in Massachusetts choose to purchase one of the three environmental license plates, and I applaud our state’s residents for their continued commitment to the Commonwealth’s environmental well-being.”
The grants will help support twelve projects in Arlington, Barnstable, Belmont, Bourne, Boxford, Chilmark, Falmouth, Hanover, Milton, Pittsfield, Wareham, and Wellfleet.
“This award will help the Berkshire Environmental Action Team implement a visionary partnership with local college students focused on protecting Berkshire County’s most valuable natural resources,” said State Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D- Pittsfield). “The Massachusetts Environmental Trust has funded such initiatives across the Commonwealth for decades, and I am pleased to see the Baker Administration continue to support these important environmental protection efforts.”
Berkshire Environmental Action Team, Inc. (Pittsfield) – $35,682 has been awarded to develop a program for training citizen scientists to survey stormwater outfalls during dry weather conditions. The proponents will create a digital survey form for mobile phones that can be used in the field and take photos that will be geocoded and downloaded at the end of the survey. A GIS layer will be created with attached photos and forms documenting the size, material and condition of the pipe, and note any problems associated with each outfall. When dry weather flows are found, trained personnel will sample the flows and the samples will be tested by a certified lab and by Berkshire Community College students for a new water quality course.