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Beacon Hill Weekly Roundup - 2/22/07
Jack Clarke, Director of Public Policy & Government Relations
Jennifer Ryan, Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs
This Week:
Proposed Government Reorganization
Mass Audubon was the only environmental organization to testify before the Joint House-Senate Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight on February 15, 2007 on Governor Patrick’s proposed reorganization - An Act Relative to reorganizing the Governor’s Cabinet and certain agencies of the Executive Department (H. 2034). While Mass Audubon does not oppose the reorganization we have serious concerns that the environment will get short shrift with the merging of Energy and Environment into one Secretariat. At the hearing representatives from telecommunications testified to their support of the reorganization, as they would no longer be within the same Secretariat as energy they testified that it had been “telecom after 5” as energy was such a consuming topic. We urge the Governor to keep environment at the fore and not foster a culture of “environment after 5” within the proposed Secretariat. Our complete testimony is available here.
Mass Audubon EOEA Budget Recommendations
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) budget hearings originally scheduled for Friday, February 16th were cancelled and will not be rescheduled. These are traditionally held in the fall, and are the time for environmental groups and citizens to voice their funding recommendations and concerns to the administration. Last fall, the outgoing administration did not hold budget hearings saying that it would be more appropriate for the incoming administration to do so. The new administration found that as it was the responsibility of the outgoing administration to hold the hearings, the new administration was not responsible and thus cancelled. Mass Audubon has provided written budget recommendations to Governor Patrick and the legislature, click here. For our 2007 legislative priorities, click here.
Our Endangered Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program
This spring, Mass Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, and the Environmental League of Massachusetts launched a major campaign to restore state funding to the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. In 2004, the Heritage line-item was struck from the state budget, leaving Heritage funded only by project-specific bond monies, federal aid which covers wildlife but not natural communities or plants (of the 442 listed species, 264 are plants), a small but appreciated number of voluntary individual contributions on state income tax forms, and fees from Environmental Review under The Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. This has left Heritage in a tenuous position, leaving rare plant and natural community protection poorly supported and with uncertain and limited funds for rare species research and restoration. Heritage’s mission is to protect the rare species of Massachusetts, their habitats, and the full range of natural community types to conserve the biodiversity of the Commonwealth. Heritage produces widely used conservation planning tools, such as BioMap and Living Waters, and a wide range of state agencies, non-profits, and municipalities regularly tap their expertise, e.g. by providing rare species information about potential land conservation projects and guidance incorporated at the local level by Conservation Commissions. This spring, our organizations will be lobbying for a $1 million line item in the FY08 state budget - this is the funding level needed for a stable, functional Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. We were pleased to see that Governor Patrick listed Heritage as a funding priority in the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters Gubernatorial Questionnaire (http://www.mlev.org/uploads/resources/mlev%20booklet%20email%20version.pdf) and urge the administration to realize in its funding commitment. You may be seeing Action Alert fliers at the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commission Conference, the Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference, and e-Calls to Action from Mass Audubon, Teaming With Wildlife, and others over the next few months. You will be asked to contact your legislators to let them know that you support state funding for Heritage. Help us gain momentum and get the word out whenever you can. Let your legislators know you think Heritage funding is important. We will also be preparing a fact-sheet for the legislature and other supporting materials. These will be posted on the Advocacy website. Supporting organizations: Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions, New England Wild Flower Society, Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition, Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, Teaming With Wildlife, Berkshire Natural Resource Council, and the Trust for Public Land. If your organization would like to join this campaign, contact us now! For more information on the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, go to http://www.nhesp.org/.
Two Major Projects Under Review
Mass Audubon's Advocacy Department is reviewing and will be commenting on two major projects with implications for the environment. The comments will be available on this web site at the public comment deadlines.
Cape Wind Energy Project: please note that the state Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Cape Wind Energy Project is now available for review in both compact disc and hard copy format. Cape Cod National Seashore Environmental Assessment for Off Road Vehicle Management is available:
Chapter 61 Changes Summary Available/ Mass Audubon Welcomes Priscilla Chapman and Christen Smith
Mass Audubon now has a summary available of the recent changes to Chapter 61 which take effect this March, click here.
Mass Audubon’s Advocacy Department is pleased to announce the appointment of Priscilla Chapman to a new position of Taunton Watershed Advocate. Priscilla will reach out to municipal officials and citizens throughout the 43 communities in the commonwealth’s second-largest watershed. She will assist this fast-growing region to meet its economic and social needs while protecting water supplies, wetlands, important wildlife habitat, and the Taunton River. This position is made possible through the generous funding of the Sheehan Family Foundation, as part of the Taunton Watershed Campaign that Mass Audubon is participating in with nine other organizations. Based at the at the City of Taunton’s Boyden Refuge River Center, Priscilla will work on a daily basis with the Taunton River Watershed Alliance. For more information, contact pchapman@massaudubon.org or see the Taunton Campaign website at: http://www.campaign.savethetaunton.org/. We also welcome Christen M. Smith as Mass Audubon’s Assistant to the Director of the Advocacy Department. Christen comes to us from the private sector and before that Michigan State University where she majored in social relations, political theory and constitutional democracy. She was an intern at the Michigan State House where she was highly recommended by Speaker of the House Andy Dillon. Christen will be managing our administrative affairs at both our Beacon Hill Legislative Office, and Advocacy Headquarters in Lincoln. She will also be taking on special projects.
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
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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
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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)
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