This past week, Mass Rivers organized a sign-on letter opposing updates to the state hydropower dam regulations that could potentially harm rivers. The sign-on letter was supported by 70 organizations from across New England. The Issue Recently, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) put forward a proposal to change state hydropower regulations so that hydropower generators would have… Read more »
Yesterday the Senate and House signed off on a budget for FY20 that included increases for our three top river-related budget priorities! This is our second year in a row seeing significant increases for our top funding priorities. A HUGE thank you to you, our members, that lobbied for these priorities on Lobby for the… Read more »
The state legislature has taken its first step to move forward a bill that would require public notice in the event of sewage discharges into waterways. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville), Representative Linda Dean Campbell (D-Methuen), and Representative Denise Provost (D-Somerville), received a favorable vote on Wednesday from the Joint Committee on… Read more »
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has proposed new regulations for hydropower dams that would harm our rivers. DOER is proposing that generators would have to undergo just one review to receive a lifetime certification as a river-friendly facility. This certification would entitle them to a lifetime of benefits from the state as providers of environmentally sustainable energy. … Read more »
Recently, the Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee released their proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2020. Mass Rivers prioritizes and advocates for funding for three state environmental agencies that are tasked with improving and protecting rivers in the Commonwealth. These agencies include the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Fish and Game’s Division of… Read more »
This past Thursday, Mass Rivers hosted our second Lobby for the Rivers Day. This day of advocacy on Beacon Hill provides an opportunity for our member organizations, individual members and residents to engage with their elected officials and raise their voice for rivers across the state. The event was sponsored by Representative Carolyn Dykema and… Read more »
In 2018, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Wild and Scenic River System. In the wake of the impressive anniversary successes, however, one might ask, “So, now what?” Luckily, the rivers community asked that question some time ago. The Massachusetts Rivers Alliance was an enthusiastic contributor to the 50th anniversary, celebrating… Read more »
We are excited to announce the kick-off for our 2019 Lobby for the Rivers Day! With environmental regulations being rolled back weekly at the federal level, it is more important than ever that we have strong protections for our waterways at the local level. We need your help to make sure that happens! For those… Read more »
Thank you to all the 200+ attendees of our 2018 Annual Meeting and Dinner! We were delighted to have a great group of river activists, enthusiasts and practitioners gathered for this event. A special thank you to our Guest Speaker, Tim Palmer, author and photographer of the Wild and Scenic Rivers movement, who helped us… Read more »
Despite challenges at the federal level, our team at Mass Rivers has just pulled off tremendous victories to protect our waterways, improve public health and safety, and increase climate resiliency. As the Massachusetts 2017-2018 legislative session comes to a close, we wanted to share some of our biggest successes with you. Here are a few… Read more »
