Woodlands Partnership Members Receive State Grants

09:19AM / Wednesday, September 28, 2022Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON, Mass. — The Baker-Polito Administration has announced the awarding of $253,200 for ten grants to seven communities and two organizations within the Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership (MTWP).

Communities receiving Fiscal Year 2022 MTWP grants include the Towns of Adams, Clarksburg, Heath, New Ashford, Peru, Rowe, and Shelburne. Additionally, Lever, Inc. and the Massachusetts Forest Trust are also receiving grants this round. The grants are administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and are for projects that support the goals of the partnership, such as improving access to outdoor recreation in town and state forests, improving the safety of outdoor recreation, and implementing climate-smart forestry practices.

"The Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership grants serve as a great example of the Baker-Polito Administration’s proactive approach to protecting the Commonwealth’s natural resources by working with local communities and organizations in an effort to continue to improve these outdoor spaces for the public to enjoy," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card. "With the state still recovering from the COVID-19 public health emergency, it is even more important to support local initiatives, such as the conservation and effective management of forest areas for natural resource-based economic development, which achieves climate goals, supports job creation, and grows local economies."

The Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership is a grassroots-led effort that was developed after dozens of local meetings to shape a program based on conserving forests and supporting their sustainable management in a way to improve the economy of small communities along the Vermont and New York state borders.

Following the passage of "An Act Supporting the Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership" in 2018, the Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership was created to improve rural economic development based on sustainable forest conservation and tourism, and support the fiscal stability of the communities within the region. These communities are some of the most rural and forested areas in the Commonwealth.

For more information regarding the Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership, the participating municipalities, and the program’s objectives, please visit the MTWP’s webpage.

Projects receiving MTWP Grants are:

Municipality	Project Name	Project Description	Total Grant Request
Adams	Forest Center Exhibits	This project will design and complete exhibits within the new Greylock Glen Outdoor Center focusing on the many benefits of the region’s forest and the benefits of wood buildings.	$20,000
Clarksburg	Land Survey and Forest Plan for Town Forest Property	This project will complete a boundary survey for the 80-acre town property and complete a forest stewardship plan to guide sustainable forestry.	$20,000
Heath	Winter Sports Grooming Equipment	This project will purchase a groomer for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat tire winter biking for the new trail system developed via past grants.	$15,000
Lever, Inc.	Creation of a Wood Processing Center in Charlemont	This project will expand the wood processing at Hall Tavern Farm by creating a business and marketing plan and web site, launching two new businesses, and creating a long-term management organization.	$60,000
Massachusetts Forest Trust	Chain saw safety training and tours of demonstration forestry projects.	The MA Forest Trust will be providing chain saw and harvesting safety training to first responders and woodland owners and provide monthly tours of demonstration forestry projects.	$18,200
New Ashford	Expansion of hiking trail and access to Mt. Greylock from the Town.	New Ashford will continue to work with DCR to expand hiking access from the Town to the State Reservation, which has had very limited access.	$20,000
Peru	Pierce Scenic Way Restoration	Peru will rehabilitate all the drainage along this seasonal road to reduce erosion and allow access for hunting and fishing to a Wildlife Management Area. The grant pays for gravel and town match does the rest.	$20,000
Rowe	Town Forest Trail Restoration and Education	Rowe will mark the many miles of trails and add maps and educational exhibits in the 5 kiosks recently installed as well as build a boardwalk in a 300-foot section to improve access for resident and tourist.	$20,000
Rowe and Heath	Regional Trail Design and Location	Rowe and Heath have envisioned a new regional trail from downtown Shelburne Falls across a mountainous region north of Route 2 over many miles to Mohawk State Forest. The project would document land ownership and the most scenic layout.	$40,000
Shelburne	Climate-oriented Open Space Plan and Baseball Field Renovations	The Town will prepare and open space and recreation plan with a focus on climate resilience and renovate the town ballfield for safe use and to also be used as a winter skating rink.	$20,000

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Special Minerals Agrees to Pay Adams, River Groups Over River Discharge

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
02:58PM / Friday, May 03, 2024

Adams plans to use the $50,000 it will get in the consent decree toward the removal of the Peck's Road Dam.

BOSTON — Specialty Minerals is expected to pay $299,000 for a discharge of calcium carbonate into the Hoosic River nearly three years ago in a consent decree with the Attorney General's Office.

The river turned visibly white from Adams to the Vermont state line from the mineral that leaked out from the plant's settling ponds on Howland Avenue in November 2021.

Calcium carbonate, also known as chalk or limestone, is not toxic to humans or animals. However, the sudden discoloration of the water alarmed local officials and environmentalists and prompted an emergency session of the Northern Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee.

"We allege that this company violated its permits, disregarded federal and state law, and put the Hoosic River — a resource cherished by the Adams community — at risk," said AG Andrea Campbell in a statement. "I am grateful for this collaboration with our state agency partners and committed to holding polluters accountable and working to bring resources back to communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms."

If approved by the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the consent decree will require Specialty Minerals to pay a total of $299,000, which includes payments to the town of Adams and three community groups in Northern Berkshire County that will be used to benefit water quality and prevent stormwater impacts.

Once approved, most of the settlement would fund multiple projects to benefit water quality, including infrastructure improvements and native plantings to mitigate stormwater impacts in the Hoosic River Watershed. Specifically, the proposed settlement provides for:

$50,000 to the town of Adams for infrastructure improvements in a tributary of the Hoosic River
$50,000 to Hoosic River Revival for stormwater mitigation projects
$50,000 to Hoosic River Watershed Association for a native plant garden and other projects to mitigate stormwater impacts and benefit water quality
$50,000 to Sonrisas to fund invasive plant removal and native plant habitat establishment at Finca Luna Búho, a community land project that centers the voices and prioritizes the decision-making of those living in marginalization.

It will also provide $30,000 in civil assessments to the state's Natural Heritage Endangered Species Fund and $20,000 in civil penalties for violation of state law, as well as $49,000 to offset the costs of the AG's enforcement efforts.

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