Mass Audubon | Advocacy | Beacon Hill Weekly Roundup

Beacon Hill Weekly Roundup - 5/11/12
Jack Clarke, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations
Karen Heymann, Legislative Director
Christina McDermott, Assistant to the Director of Public Policy & Government Relations

Mass Audubon signed on to a letter this week urging House leaders to oppose attempts to eliminate funding for the National Ocean Policy. The Policy aims to improve stewardship of America’s coasts and oceans by directing government agencies to coordinate and work better together.

Boaters' Input Needed

As Mass Audubon chairs the Massachusetts Ocean Advisory Commission tasked with writing, updating and implementing the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan, we want to bring to your attention that starting this spring, a number of ocean- and boating-related groups are partnering to conduct the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey. The survey will document saltwater recreational boating routes and define boaters’ contribution to state and regional economies. Survey results will help us consider recreational boating activity during ocean planning and when reviewing proposals for new coastal and offshore development projects.

68,000 randomly selected boaters will be contacted by mail and asked to participate, and those that do not receive an invitation in the mail are encouraged to participate in a separate volunteer survey. See the complete list of partners and participate in the volunteer survey at www.neboatersurvey.org.

New Leadership

The Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, of which Mass Audubon is a member, has announced the hiring of Chuck Knox as its first executive director. Chuck has served as executive director of the Five Rivers Conservation Trust in New Hampshire and the Androscoggin River Watershed Council. He also served as Director of Public Affairs and Outreach for New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Congratulations, Chuck, we look forward to working with you.

Senate Budget Out Next Week

As Massachusetts’ FY13 budget season continues, Senate budget writers are set to release their version next week. Look for our analysis in an upcoming Roundup.

Calendar

Earthfest
Come see Mass Audubon at Earthfest this year. The annual event hosted by Radio 92.9 is a free, family-friendly celebration for the earth, showcasing national and local music acts, environmentally-friendly products and local non-profit environmental organizations produced in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Festival details:
Saturday, May 19, 2012
DCR’s Hatch Memorial Shell
Boston, MA

Learn more at: http://www.myradio929.com/earthfest.aspx

Shaping the Future of Your Community Workshops
Mass Audubon’s Shaping the Future of Your Community Outreach and Assistance Program has two workshops scheduled for this spring:

Smart Growth in Suburban Commercial Corridors: Route 9
Sponsored by Mass Audubon’s Shaping the Future of Your Community Program and the MetroWest Regional Collaborative

Join us for this exciting program, kicking off the Route 9 MetroWest Smart Growth Plan. If Route 9 were to be built out with no regard to regional planning, it could become a true traffic nightmare. This workshop will discuss methods of development and re-development for use along Route 9 to minimize traffic congestion, encourage pedestrian, bicycle and public transportation access, and promote the health of both humans and wildlife. Featuring speaker Randall Arendt, Senior Conservation Advisor at the Natural Lands Trust and an expert landscape planner, site designer, author and lecturer.

Workshop details:
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
7:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Dwight Performing Arts Center
Framingham State University
Framingham, MA

Free, registration required. To register, please contact shapingthefuture@massaudubon.org or call 781-259-2146.

Conservation Subdivision Design Workshop
Sponsored by Mass Audubon’s Shaping the Future of Your Community and Metropolitan Area Planning Council

This workshop session, also featuring Randall Arendt, will present a practical, easy-to-use technique that enables developers and local officials to work together to accomplish their different objectives, namely the construction of full-density residential subdivisions in such a way that helps to build a community-wide network of permanent conservation land. The program will be extensively illustrated with numerous financially successful examples of conservation subdivision design, together with a straight-forward four-step methodology of laying out residential developments around the central organizing principle of open space conservation.

Workshop details:
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Dean College
99 Main Street
Franklin, MA
**Dinner will be provided (sandwiches)

Free, registration required. To register, please contact shapingthefuture@massaudubon.org or call 781-259-2146

Learn more at http://www.massaudubon.org/shapingthefuture/outreach.php#workshops

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

Stay In Touch
Senators and Representatives need to hear from their constituents! Contact your legislators and share with them the environmental issues that are important to you.

Find out who represents you in the Senate and House.

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)
617-523-4183 (fax)