The mission of the
Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT)
is to work with you
to protect the environment
of Berkshire County, Massachusetts and beyond.
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July 2008 - Better Roads for Wildlife in the Berkshires
Major road planning in Berkshire County just became a little more wildlife friendly! Wildlife habitat impacts will now be considered in ranking all major highway projects, something BEAT has been pushing for as a member of the Berkshire County Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC).
A couple of years ago, BEAT began videotaping the Berkshire Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO), which approves all the major road projects in the county. One of BEAT’s major issues of concern is the impact of the transportation network on wildlife and ecosystems. We had been told by Defenders of Wildlife Habitat and Highways program that the BMPO was the most likely place to be able to have an impact. However, road planning often takes10 years, so we didn't think BEAT would have much impact for quite a while.
Last year BEAT was invited to join the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) to the BMPO. This group is supposed to represent diverse interests and provide more public input on transportation issues. [So if you have environmental issues that you would like represented please contact Jane and let her know.]
The two issues that BEAT repeatedly raises are:
bicycling as transportation - not the bike path - all roads when they received state or federal money should be required to accommodate bicycles.
decreasing the impact on roads on the surrounding ecosystem.
On this second point we have scored two major victories -
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's GIS (Geographical Information Systems – mapping) and transportation staff are working very hard to try to quantify ecosystem impacts. BEAT helped arrange a presentation by Scott Jackson from UMass on the Conservation Assessment and Prioritization System for the BRPC staff. This is a work in progress, but real consideration is being given to wildlife habitat and state-listed species habitat.
Mass Highway District 1 (our district of Mass Highway) and the BMPO have new Transportation Improvement Project criteria. These criteria, with numerical values attached, are used to rank various road projects. These new criteria (look at the right most column) include improved stormwater assessments and WILDLIFE HABITAT ASSESSMENT!
Thank you to Alison Church, Transportation Planner at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) and Peter Frieri at Mass Highway for helping to make these changes possible. Peter also pointed out that when BRPC and Mass Highway work with the towns, it gives them a chance to get the town Departments of Public Works to use these same criteria, so we expect this to have broad reach in improving road projects!
Bear Tracks Photo by David Ellis
wildlife monitor for
Berkshire Keeping Track
Bears are just one of the large mammals that may have trouble crossing roads in Berkshire County. By buildling passages under roads to accomodate wildlife both human and wild lives may be saved. Not all passages have to accomodate large mammals. In many cases, just using an open-bottom culvert and maintaining the natural bottom for a passages below the road is enough. adding fencing to guide the animals toward the culvert is another option.
Jefferson salamanders
Ambystoma jeffersonianum
April 2008 - BEAT Presented Two Workshops on Vernal Pools
We are working on a web page about Vernal Pools, that so far has just a description of how to find an on-line map of Certified and Potential Vernal Pools.
Berkshire Environmental Action Team presented Vernal Pools – Ecology and Conservation with Tom Tyning, a workshop that provided an in depth look into the science and policy of vernal pools for Conservation Commissioners, City Planners, foresters, educators, and anyone else whose profession brings them into contact with these natural wonders - and Vernal Pool Certification Training Workshop for lay-people, volunteers, and concerned citizens. This afternoon workshop offered a FREE crash course in vernal pool certification to anyone willing to commit to certifying at least one pool over the coming year.
