Volume 10 • Number 1 Spring 2004 IERRAN M A S S A C H U S E T T S IERRAN www.sierraclubmass.org INSIDE: Explore, enjoy and protect the planet Reaching More Than 26,000 Sierra Club Members in Massachusetts 3 News Briefs Cape Cod toasts the coast in 2004; the Pioneer Valley group rides again; North/South Rail Link garners legislator support. 4 Environmental Injustice and Our City Parks Cities and towns that are most in need of open space are losing their parks. Gil Woolley tells us why. 6 In My Opinion State Senator Pam Resor calls for a renewed commitment to preserving our open space. 7 Local Residents Strive for Compromise Dedicated citizens lessen the environmental impacts of Pittsfield’s airport expansion. 9 Outside Interests Push to Hijack Sierra Club As fewer and fewer members vote in national Sierra Club elections, the club has become vulnerable to a takeover by a radical minority. 11 Hiking Close to Home One of a series of occasional articles on less-known, short hikes in eastern Massachusetts. 12 A Tragedy of the Commons The decimation of our fisheries: book review by Diana Muir. 13 Department of Defense Wages War How the DoD excused itself from the Endangered Species Act. 15 Meetings and Announcements
Transcript
Volume 10 • Number 1 Spring 2004
�IERRANM A S S A C H U S E T T S�IERRAN
www.sierraclubmass.org
I N S I D E :
Explore, enjoy and protect the planet
Reaching More Than 26,000 Sierra Club Members
in Massachusetts
3 News BriefsCape Cod toasts the coast in 2004; the Pioneer Valley grouprides again; North/South Rail Link garners legislator support.
4 Environmental Injustice and Our City ParksCities and towns that are most inneed of open space are losing theirparks. Gil Woolley tells us why.
6 In My OpinionState Senator Pam Resor calls for arenewed commitment to preservingour open space.
7 Local Residents Strive forCompromiseDedicated citizens lessen the environmental impacts ofPittsfield’s airport expansion.
9 Outside Interests Push toHijack Sierra ClubAs fewer and fewer members votein national Sierra Club elections,the club has become vulnerable toa takeover by a radical minority.
11 Hiking Close to HomeOne of a series of occasional articles on less-known, short hikesin eastern Massachusetts.
12 A Tragedy of the CommonsThe decimation of our fisheries:book review by Diana Muir.
13 Department of DefenseWages War How the DoD excused itself fromthe Endangered Species Act.
For information on local environmental issues, membership, meetings, outings, and any other Sierra Club events, call or write the group or issue leaders listed below.
Annual dues in the Sierra Club are $39, of which $1 is for a subscription to the Massachusetts Sierran.
M A S S A C H U S E T T S�IERRANVol. 10 No. 1 • Spring 2004
On the cover: Flowering dogwood Photograph by Paul Mozell
Alewife Reservation ForestDo not let your local forest threat go untended. The winter issueof the Sierran describes the threat to the silver maple stand nearthe Alewife T Station, including an ancient Mother Tree and heroffspring. Preserving this keystone forest would represent a social,environmental, and civic victory that would rank with the preser-vation of a threatened redwood grove in California or tracts ofrainforest in the Amazon.
For 20 years I have worked to preserve forest land in my redwoodcountry home in Northern California, and have traveled to south-ern Chile to see remnant Alerce cedar groves. In my eyes, theAlewife forest is equal to these forests because of its uniqueposition in the overall social ecology of the Cambridge-Belmont-Arlington region. Generations of children and their childrendeserve an integrated, functioning example of how humans, trees,towns, commerce, and animals can stand together in commonnatural respect and harmony. The citizens of your region have aspecial opportunity to demonstrate to the world how humanactivity can abide with the earth.
Andy BarnettHumboldt County, California
A Mighty WindI read the official Sierra Club stance on wind farms with muchinterest. It seems to me that the chapter is taking far too strident aview toward this new energy source. It is prudent to tread carefullywith any new venture, but given the choice between a new energysource that visibly kills 1,100 birds per year, and the numerous oldenergy sources that invisibly kill plants, animals and humans, thechoice seems clear.
It is my belief that the Sierra Club should shower the wind farmmovement with support and enthusiasm. I am not a wind farmer,nor do I own stock. I am simply tired of the slow rate of change
without the written consent of the Massachusetts Sierran.
continued on page 15
The New Year’s Day parade in WoodsHole has become a Cape Cod traditionfor environmentalists and other community residents. Prospero, thewizard from Shakespeare’s play, TheTempest, leads a holiday proces-sion past the laboratories andgovernment offices that are partof the Cape’s scientific commu-nity. At the ocean’s edge, indi-viduals “toast the coast” withnon-alcoholic beverages. Stew-ards promise to protect CapeCod and its residents during thenew year.
The Cape Cod group startedthe New Year’s celebration inWoods Hole in 2001. The eventnow includes several humanrights, environmental, and reli-gious organizations that areactive in the area. Musicians play car-nival music from Brazil and the WestIndies, children and their parentsdance, and visitors appear in holidaycostumes. Representatives from theCape Cod group speak, very briefly,about the group’s community con-cerns and current projects.
Cape Cod’s natural environment isbeautiful and fragile. Residents worryabout overdevelopment, the excessiveuse of pesticides and chemical fertilizers,and continuing threats to beaches,wetlands, and drinking water supplies.Energy costs and housing costs arevery high and low-income families are
North/South Rail LinkIn December, 2003, 121 state senators and representatives signed a letter urgingGovernor Romney to include building a link between North Station and South Station in the commonwealth’s long-rangetransportation plan. The link would beadded as an “illustrative project,” meaningthat funds do not need to be appropriatedfor it at this time.
The North/South Rail Link, which wouldconnect North Station and South Stationby rail tunnel, has received increasing sup-port from legislators in recent months.According to former governor MichaelDukakis, “continuing to try to run aregional commuter rail system that has toturn its trains around when they arrive ateither end of downtown Boston makesabsolutely no sense. This is a project thatwill add a lot of capacity to the existingsystem, take 60,000 cars off the roadevery day, and will be more cost-effectiveand efficient than other projects support-ed by the governor.”
Including the project in the long-termtransportation plan would make futurefunding more likely and, most important-ly, prevent other construction that couldpreclude building a tunnel between thetwo stations.
Mass Transportation ReportIn spite of the billions of dollars we spendon roads, traffic and pollution are on therise in Massachusetts. Did you know that:Massachusetts traffic has been ranked asfourth worst in the US?The average Boston driver spent 42 hoursstuck in traffic in 1999?Massachusetts has the highest asthma rateand among the worst air quality in thecountry?
To learn how investing in public trans-portation can turn things around, checkout Mass Money, Mass Roads, Mass Trans-portation, the Sierra Club report on roadsand public transportation, now availableon the chapter Web site: http://www.sierraclubmass.org/issues/conservation/sprawl/sprawl.html.
—Roberta Tovey
SPRING 2004 Massachusetts Sierran 3
NEWS BRIEFS TRANSPORTATION NEWS
Toast the Coast 2004:Cape Cod Walk for Environmental Justice
GROUP NEWS
Pioneer Valley Group on the MoveSierra Club members in Western Massa-chusetts gathered Sunday, February 1,to discuss recent events and future direc-
concerned about their financial future. Environmental justice on Cape Cod
requires careful attention to humanneeds and to environmental quality.On New Year’s Day in Woods Hole, the
Cape Cod group brings communitypeople together to celebrate the worldthat they share. Each year, the samequestions are asked at Waterfront Park:“How can we care for each other in thisspecial place? What can we do, in themonths ahead, to become wise stewards?”
—Robert Murphy
Robert Murphy, vice chair of the CapeCod group and former editor of the NewEngland Sierran, organized this year'sToast the Coast celebration.
tions for the Pioneer Valley group. Thegeneral membership meeting was oneof the best-attended in recent memo-ry, with a large number of new mem-bers coming to their first meeting.
The discussion covered a lot ofground. Members expressed interestin reestablishing an outings programfor Western Massachusetts, concernabout the development plans for Routes9 and 66, and a desire to protect theMt. Holyoke Range and open space ingeneral. Other topics included fund-ing for approved bicycle paths and
In our News Briefs in the Winter 2002–03issue, we neglected to say that the Dirty DozenAward is given by the Toxics Action Center, a New England environmental group (www.toxicsaction.org). We regret the omission.
continued on page 8
More than 200 Cape Cod residents cameout for the 2004 New Year's Day parade in Woods Hole.
Phot
ogra
ph b
y C
hris
Pol
loni
Article 97 was added to the Massachusetts state constitution in 1972 to provide pro-
tection for public open space. It has not succeeded. While wealthier cities and townsfiercely protect their often extensive park sys-tems, less affluent towns, whose lower-incomeresidents need the parks the most, are losingthem year after year. This is environmentalinjustice at its most pernicious. Parks and openspace are very important to all and especiallyto those who have few resources for travel.
Before public open space can be convertedto any other use, Article 97 requires a two-thirdsvote by the state legislature and approval bythe governor. While this sounds like a difficultrequirement, approximately 150 Article 97 landtakings have been approved since 1989, mostof them by a unanimous vote. Sixteen ofthese have been for schools.
The voting record shows that the legis-lature usually supports proposals pertainingto a local issue if initiated by the city or towngovernment and approved by the local leg-islators. Most legislators are inclined to votefor any proposal that attracts state funding.
The Massachusetts Sierra Club has assist-ed citizens in several communities who havetried to save urban parks, but the odds areheavily against preservation. In each of the
cases in which the club intervened, the parkwas the only significant public open space, pri-marily serving lower-income residents.
More clout for Article 97To strengthen Article 97, State Senator PamResor (D-Acton) has introduced legislation inseveral recent sessions that would require com-pensatory parkland “of equal value” to replacethat lost with “no net loss.” The Article 97 billwas recently passed in the state Senate and isawaiting action in the House.
Even if the bill is enacted in the next ses-sion, however, it may not protect all urbanparks. That depends upon exactly how equal isdefined and interpreted by the courts. For exam-ple, in Everett, the proposed replacement parkis larger than the existing Glendale Park, but ismore than two miles away. In order for resi-dents to get there they must cross more than20 intersections. That is too far for a womanpushing a baby carriage, or for parents whonow feel comfortable letting their children playin the park across the street. Furthermore, thenew site is heavily polluted from a former chemical facility.
4 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2004
Phot
ogra
phs
by A
gnes
Foy
e
Environmental Injustice and Our City Parks: Despite Article 97, cities are losing more and more of their open space By Gil Woolley
Glendale Park Terracesfrom the left and rightsides of the field. Note the large number of maturetrees and beautifulhillside. All this wouldbe lost to the newschool constructionincluding the tot lot.
The Glendale Park taking in Everett was tem-porarily delayed when the National Park Ser-vice, which had provided funding to improvethe park, required an Environmental ImpactReview (EIR). Then, in a move that trumped allhands, a former Everett resident and majorfundraiser for the Republican Party approachedPresident Bush for help in getting the takingapproved. As a result, jurisdiction was takenfrom the park service and given to the InteriorDepartment, which is expected to overrule theEIR requirement. Depriving our less fortunatebrothers and sisters of a park is evidently soimportant that the highest office in the landhas to be called in to defeat due process! (Forthe complete story of the fight to save GlendalePark, see the article in the spring 2003 issue ofthe Massachusetts Sierran (www.sierraclubmass.org/sierran/sierran.html).
SPRING 2004 Massachusetts Sierran 5
Jackson Park
The most recent proposal to take a park as a school site is Jackson Park in
Swampscott. After rejecting several other sites, the Swampscott School Committee and Board of Selectmen chose the park as the site of a new high school. The only substantial park in the town, Jackson Park includes an area of mature woodland that is home to several species of wildlife. A town-wide referendumapproved the taking by a narrow 52 to 48 percent majority.Residents in the precinct where the park is located, however,voted two to one against the taking.
At the request of several Sierra Club members in Swampscott, the Massachusetts chapter investigated theissue and testified against the taking at a hearing of the JointCommittee on Local Affairs. Despite Sierra Club opposition,both houses of the state legislature approved the Article 97legislation. A modified version of the original school proposalis currently undergoing MEPA review.
Sierra Club members who live in Swampscott had anopportunity to express their views about the Jackson Park taking at a meeting sponsored by the Massachusetts chapterin the Swampscott Public Library on Saturday, January 10.Opponents of the taking spoke of the loss of town parklandand the rejection of other alternatives, and cited anotherenvironmental organization’s opposition to the taking. Advocates for the taking said that the town urgently needed
a new school and talked about the length of the process that ended in selecting this site. If the present plan is notapproved, they fear that Swampscott will lose its chance toget state funding because of the current moratorium on new school projects.
— Gil Woolley
Pileated woodpeckerand trees in JacksonPark, Swampscott.
A false choiceLow-income and minority residents are oftentold that they have to choose between a parkor a school. Since education is critical for theirchildren, they are naturally inclined to supportany plans to build a new school—even thoughit means sacrificing their only park.
But this is a false choice. There is almostalways an alternative. For example, it may bepossible to enhance the existing school build-ing. If the school site is too small, some eminentdomain taking of a small amount of adjacentproperty or land may be required, but the totalcost is usually less than building a new school.More often than not, these old buildings aresolidly constructed and have architectural merit.
The Massachusetts Sierra Club is deeply committed to environmental justice, and will
continued on page 14
Phot
ogra
phs
by H
al R
eyno
lds
There are disturbing signals comingout of the Romney administration
that the state’s unprecedented effortto preserve open space is about to grindto a screeching halt. Already wellbehind the pace set by the previousadministration, the Romney admin-istration’s budget people are floatingtrial balloons calling for a completeend to state efforts to preserve openspace. This would be a grave mistakeMassachusetts can ill afford to make.
Administration officials are oper-ating under the misguided assump-tion that belies the tangible benefitsof investment in environmental infra-
structure, namely that land acquisi-tion and preservation is contrary toeconomic development and afford-able housing goals. Nothing could be further from the truth. Identifyingenvironmentally-sensitive land parcelsnow, before they are swallowed up ina development free-for-all, accomplishesmany long-term goals that will assistplanned development, something theadministration claims to promote.
State officials and environmentalorganizations can pinpoint land parcelsthat meet multiple preservation goals.The land we protect is either biologi-cally significant for protection of plantand animal species, vital to the pro-tection of public water supplies, orrecreationally significant, providingpeople with enhanced opportunitiesto enjoy the outdoors in our increas-ingly sedentary times. Oftentimes wecan meet all of these goals in the sameproject, such as with the 14,000-acreSoutheastern Massachusetts Bioreserve.
In 2002, more than 200 environ-mentally-aware organizations cham-pioned the $753 million Environmen-tal Bond package so that Massachusettscould make a calculated, long-terminvestment in protecting our naturalresources before they disappear for-ever. Massachusetts Audubon estimatesthat our state loses 44 acres a day tothe bulldozer. But between 1999 and2003, for the first time in recent mem-ory, Massachusetts actually protectedmore land each day than was beingdeveloped. Now is not the time to quitthe battle we were finally winning,especially when interest rates are at
historic lows.Unabated devel-opment trends,even in this slug-gish economy,will gobble up
the most environmentally significantland within a decade.
As important as “smart growth” is,open space preservation does morethan just prevent land from develop-ment: it enhances public health byguarding public water supplies; it promotes agriculture and forestryindustries upon which our state econ-omy relies; and it draws in out-of-statedollars by improving our state parksystem to promote tourism.
And open space bond expendituresare fiscally sound. Between 1999 and2003, Massachusetts used its borrow-ing power to protect 150,000 acres ofopen space. The state accomplishedthis while spending less money thanit had taken to preserve the previous100,000 acres the state protectedbetween 1991 and 1998, by using creative methods such as buying devel-opment rights in the form of conser-vation restrictions and partnering withorganizations such as the Trust for
Public Lands, The Trustees of Reser-vations, Massachusetts Audubon,regional land trusts, individual com-munities, and other conservation-minded organizations and individu-als. These partners stand ready todayto keep us on the right track.
It is also a fallacy that environ-mental preservation and affordablehousing goals must be in conflict. Thebasic tenets of smart growth promotethe reuse of already developed areas,not the wanton development of virginland. The answer is to move forwardon both fronts, simultaneously pro-tecting environmentally-sensitive landwhile creating incentives for afford-able housing on already developedland. Or put another way, abandon-ing our worthy land protection goalswill do absolutely nothing to relievepressure on our overheated housingmarket.
Furthermore, our cash-strapped citesand towns rely on the state to assistthem in land purchase. Throughoutthe commonwealth, cities and townsare trying to compete with developersin purchasing one-time farms andorchards in an attempt to preserve thatvital resource. Through various stateprograms like the Self Help and UrbanSelf Help, and the Agricultural Preserva-tion Restriction programs, we are help-ing communities realize their own pre-servation goals, so that they, too, canmake smart-growth planning decisions.
Finally, land preservation, as oneexpenditure under the State Bond Cap,should be part of a comprehensivebond authorization plan of any admin-istration. The whole idea of bondingopen space protection and other long-term investments is to remove theseimportant quality of life goals fromthe vagaries of year-to-year budgeting.Massachusetts has little time to wasteif we want to leave a legacy of richbiodiversity, scenic vistas and cleandrinking water for future generationsto enjoy. ❖
State Senator Pam Resor (D-Acton) ischair of the Natural Resources and Agriculture Committee.
Reprinted with permission of the Metro WestDaily News.
6 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2004
Now is not the time to give up on stopping sprawlBy Senator Pam Resor
“…between 1999 and 2003, for the first time inrecent memory, Massachusetts actually protected more land each day than was being developed.”
IN MY OPINION
For several years, Pittsfield, Massa-chusetts has been planning to
improve its municipal airport. TheAirport Commission forecasts that air-port use will double over the next 20years, partly due to corporate jet useby local companies like GE Plasticsand KB Toys and partly due to high-end tourist traffic destined for Berk-shire attractions like Tanglewood andCanyon Ranch Spa.
The improvements will include alonger runway, so that the airport canbe used in weather conditions thatnow require diversion to other, largerairports. Pittsfield’s high elevation contributes to winter runway ice, mak-ing landing difficult, and low-densityair in the summer heat, making full-load takeoffs impossible for some jets.The Airport Commission and busi-ness community believe that the ren-ovations will make for a safer, moreusable airport, which will help thelocal economy.
The Airport Commission submit-ted the Draft Environmental ImpactReport in November, 2003 and theextended comment period has closed.Throughout the process, an organiza-tion of affected residents and otherinterested individuals, Citizens for aSensible Airport Plan (CSAP), foughtto reduce the scope and impact of theproject—but to no avail.
Plan and counter planThe Airport Commission’s plan callsfor the runway to be lengthened andshifted closer to downtown—too closeto a densely settled residential area.The proposal also calls for the cre-ation of a large earthen berm, whichwill fill in over six acres of wetlands.A popular neighborhood through roadwill be dead-ended at the berm. Therenovations will take over nearly half
of Wild Acres, a conservation areaabutting the end of the runway.
To replace the Wild Acres losses,the plan is to take 80 acres from anadjacent farm, although the owner isabsolutely opposed to selling his land.State law discourages taking of farm-land, especially for a purpose such as this. A lengthy court battle mayensue, delaying the whole project.
CSAP presented a compromise thatwould mitigate many of the environ-mental and social impacts. While itdoes not solve all problems, it showedlocal officials and the public that thereare real options to the all-or-nothingdeal offered by the plan’s proponents.
By means of minor adjustments tothe plan, the road could remain openand avoid incursion into one wetland.Less fill would be needed for the berm,and more fill would be provided onsite, reducing trucking impact and cost.
Although Wild Acres has been gradually surrounded by runways andtaxiways over the years, rendering itfar from wild, it remains popular forchildren’s fishing derbies, bird-watch-ing and hiking. Its pond, which con-tains the endangered Chestnut Sedge,must be left alone along with the
SPRING 2004 Massachusetts Sierran 7
Local Residents Strive for Compromiseon Pittsfield Airport Expansion
By Tom Sakshaug
continued on page 8
Phot
ogra
phs
by T
om S
aksh
aug
Area surrounding Mud Pond
Wild Acres Pond dam. Berm will be within 30 feet.
There were also new ideas aboutsolutions to political issues like themoney owed to the PVTA from thestate and changing regulations for rareand endangered species in Massachu-setts. A group has agreed to work ona transportation committee involvedin examining issues of development,possibly with help from the Massa-chusetts chapter transportation chair.
The Pioneer Valley group will sched-ule another general membership meet-ing in late spring to discuss develop-ments and additional projects.
For more information, please con-tact Elisa Campbell ([email protected] or 413-256-4247) or go to http://sierraclubmass.org/groups/pvg/pvg.html.
For more information about theoutings leader training in August,please contact Deborah Holt ([email protected]).
—Todd Felton
Todd Felton is a newly-active member ofthe Pioneer Valley group.
8 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2004
surrounding trees. The CSAP compro-mise keeps the pond area accessibleand adds surplus airport land to it.
The bulk of the park, however, isto be relocated. One possible location,a 100-acre parcel that includes MudPond and its associated calcareous fen,is quite close, but has far less noisefrom aircraft. Another possibility is a13-acre parcel now slated for the con-struction of a construction-and-demo-lition waste transfer station that manystrongly oppose. Its location along apristine branch of the Housatonic Riveradjacent to a large city park makes ita prime location for a land swap. WithWild Acres relocation, a minimum offarmland would be taken.
Continuing problemsEven with the compromise, problemsremain. Wetland incursion, the visu-al blight of the berm and the leveledsurrounding area, and noise extensioninto new neighborhoods are difficul-ties that may never be resolved. TheConservation Commission has alsonot embraced the idea of relocatingWild Acres.
However, because CSAP, the onlyorganized opponent to the plan, waswilling to move from flat-out opposi-tion, the Airport Commission and cityofficials have been willing to movealso. The new mayor and several mem-bers of the commission have offeredtheir support for the compromise.With less public opposition, the air-port project can progress more rapid-ly and more in line with the desiresof the city. The neighbors and theenvironment will sacrifice a great deal,but they will receive at least some ben-efit in exchange.
What you can doCSAP is a volunteer, no-budget orga-nization, and hopes to accomplish itsgoals without the expense of legalcounsel. Please send suggestions orcomments to the author at [email protected] or by mail at 50 VistaStreet, Pittsfield, MA 01201. ❖
Tom Sakshaug is a dentist living, working,and becoming politically active in Pittsfield.
Pittsfield Airport Expansion(continued from page 7)
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA)bus routes and building lines of com-munication within the group and withthe Massachusetts chapter office inBoston. Members also discussed waysto re-energize the group and grow par-ticipation from all corners of PioneerValley. Special attention was given toways to include people and concernsfrom the Springfield area as well asFranklin County.
Among the most exciting new devel-opments to come out of the meetingwas the identification of members will-ing to take on leadership of the outingsprogram. While it is unclear how muchcan be done before leaders are official-ly trained, Joyce Harper has agreed toserve as the coordinator. Ideas for out-ings ranged from hikes along theHolyoke Range and the Rail Trail to atrip to the invasive species exhibit atthe US Fish and Wildlife building inHadley. A number of members are alsoexcited about joining the Sierra Clubtraining for outings leaders in August.
Pioneer Valley Group on the Move(continued from page 3)
The internal Sierra Club electionthis spring could prove pivotal and
could dramatically alter the directionand mission of our organization. Infact, the Sierra Club we all joined mayhave a very different look to it nextyear, depending on the outcome ofthe 2004 board of directors election.That’s because current members of theSierra Club board of directors haveopenly recruited candidates with agen-das widely different from the club’shistoric conservation mission.
The Sierra Club’s direct electionsmake us unique—and vulnerable. Oneof the most important opportunitiesSierra Club members have is thechance to select our own board ofdirectors. Every year members selectfive directors for three-year terms onour fifteen-member board. But as theclub has grown, the proportion of ourmembers who vote has declined.
And now the Sierra Club is in trou-ble—our own democratic process isbeing used against us to take over ourorganization and hijack our agendaand assets. Because fewer and fewermembers are voting, it has left us vulnerable to take-over efforts by peo-ple and parties with narrow, person-al, one-issue agendas—like animalrights and anti-immigration. Theseoutside groups can recruit and runpetition candidates from outside theclub who share their ideology.
And that’s exactly what’s happen-ing—with help from some currentmembers of the club’s board of direc-tors. Director Paul Watson outlinedthis effort at an animal rights confer-ence earlier this year, just weeks afterhe was first elected to the club’s board.“One of the reasons I’m on the SierraClub board of directors right now isto try to change it,” Watson pro-claimed.
“And once we get three more direc-tors elected, the Sierra Club will nolonger be pro-hunting and pro-trap-ping and we can use the resources of
the $95-million-a-year budget toaddress some of these issues,” saidWatson, who calls fishermen “sadisticbastards”—even though about a sixthof the club’s membership fishes.
Watson noted his task will be madeeasier by low voter turnout in clubelections: “The heartening thing aboutit is that, in the last election, of the750,000 members of the Sierra Club,only 8 percent of them voted. So, youknow, a few hundred, or a few thou-sand people from the animal rightsmovement joining the Sierra Club—and making it a point to vote—willchange the entire agenda of that orga-nization.”
Noted outdoors writer Jim Shepherdcharacterized this statement as an“attempt to hijack the Sierra Club,” aneffort Watson confirmed at the club’sannual September meeting, when headmitted that he’s trying to “take over”the Sierra Club and its agenda.
In addition to Watson’s efforts tocommandeer the Sierra Club, the anti-immigration forces, which have beentargeting the Sierra Club for more thana decade, have now joined forces withthe animal rights activists. Club DirectorBen Zuckerman, another club directorwith close to zero club experiencewhen he was elected to the board, hasrecruited candidates to run for theSierra Club board from an obscureorganization called the DiversityAlliance for a Sustainable America(DASA). This organization shares hisdesire for the club to become involvedin closing down immigration into theUnited States. The DASA has beenfunded in part by grants totaling
$125,000 from foundations controlledby the notorious Clinton hater andright-wing patron Richard MellonScaife and his family. According to theWashington Post, “Scaife and his fam-ily’s charitable entities played a cen-tral role in the rise of the right, givingat least $340 million to conservativecauses and institutions.”
Director Zuckerman’s principalfocus on the board has been a relent-less effort to persuade his fellow direc-tors to overturn the membership voteseveral years ago to unite the club byremaining neutral on the question ofimmigration policy. Zuckerman hascompared immigration to cancer,defended Colorado Congressman TomTancredo—an anti-immigration zealotwho earns an average LCV score of 15percent—as “the person in Congressdoing the most for the environment,”and called for the club to work on halt-ing immigration as a means of fight-ing the war against terrorism. A num-ber of anti-immigration Web sites haverecently been urging people to jointhe Sierra Club in order to elect thecandidates recruited by Zuckerman.
These unrelenting efforts to under-mine the Sierra Club, its conservationagenda, assets, and democratic processprompted the Southern Poverty LawCenter, perhaps the nation’s leadingorganization in exposing hate groupactivities, thus to advise the club’s volunteer leadership this fall: “Wethink that members of the Sierra Clubshould be fully alert to the methodsand motives of some of those who are trying to shift it from its historicmission.”
So consider yourself alerted to thesetake-over efforts, this deliberate attemptto undermine our democracy and hijackthe agenda chosen by a majority ofSierra Club members. Consider all thatis at stake in this Sierra Club election—our democracy, our direction, our abil-ity to stop the Bush administration’s
SPRING 2004 Massachusetts Sierran 9
Outside Interests Push toHijack Sierra ClubBy Drusha Mayhue
In March you will receive in the mail your national Sierra Club ballot, which willinclude information on board of director candidates. The board sets club policy andbudgets at the national level and works closely with staff to run the club. The peopleyou elect will determine the future direction of the Sierra Club. PLEASE VOTE! For more information about the elections and candidates, visit the Sierra Club election Web site: http://www.sierraclub.org/bod/2004election.
continued on page 10
directions they want the organizationto go,” says Sierra Club President LarryFahn. “I urge all our members to studythe candidates carefully. And I urge allmembers to vote. It is member par-ticipation that has made the SierraClub the most effective environmentalorganization in the world. It is mem-ber participation that will empower usto stop George Bush, and will allow usto carry on our wonderful tradition ofeffectiveness into the future.” ❖
Drusha Mayhue is a long time Sierra Clubgrass-roots leader, and has held manypositions including chair of the HoustonGroup. She currently sits on the MontanaChapter Executive Committee. If you havecomments or questions, or would like fur-ther information, please contact Drushaat: [email protected] or contact Blossom Hoag at: [email protected].
assault on our environment and over-come some of the most serious envi-ronmental challenges we have ever faced.
Don’t sit on the sidelines this elec-tion. Vote.
Ballots will be mailed to all clubmembers at the end of February, andmust be filled out and received back bythe Judges of Elections by April 21. EverySierra Club member will receive a bal-lot and an accompanying statement, inwhich each candidate describes his orher background, qualifications, and goalsfor the organization. These last are oftenwritten in rather general language, butthe club and the candidates provideinternet mechanisms through whichthey can be questioned more specifi-cally about their views. Take the oppor-tunity and question them.
“Sierra Club board elections are afine opportunity for our members tolook at our club and determine the
10 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2004
YES! I want to save America’swild lands and wildlife before ourchance to do so disappears forever!
Contributions or gifts to the SierraClub are not tax deductible as charitable contributions. Annualdues include subscription to Sierra($7.50) and chapter publications ($1),and other member-only benefits.
■■ Check ■■ Mastercard ■■ Visa
Cardholder Name
Card Number Expiration
Enclose payment and mail to:
Sierra ClubP.O. Box 52968,Boulder, CO, 80322
F94Q W999001
W— 3000
Outside Interests Push to Hijack Sierra Club(continued from page 9)
AD SALES OPPORTUNITY
The Massachusetts Sierran is looking for a self-starter to sell advertising for this high-demographic, 26,000- circulation quarterly. Generous com-mission structure. Work from home.Send resume to James McCaffrey [email protected] or by regular mail at the chapter office. No phone calls please.
N
Parking for trail walking
Pulpit Rock
Bak
er S
tree
t
Sawmill Brook
To Mt Ida College
St. Joseph’s Cemetery
Route 1
MBTA
MBTA
VFW Parkway
Gardn
er Street
Sawmill Brook Parkway
Ch
arle
s R
iver
Brook Farm
Gethsemane Cemetery
Nahanton Street
Wells Ave
Millennium Park
NEWTON
Charles River
Canoe Launch
¡¡
¡
¡¡
¡¡
¡
¡
¡¡
¡¡
¡
¡
¡¡
¡
¡¡
¡¡¡
¡¡
¡ ¡
¡
¡¡
¡¡
¡
¡
¡¡
¡¡
¡ ¡
¡¡
¡ ¡ ¡¡
¡¡
¡
¡
¡¡
¡¡
¡
¡ ¡
¡¡
¡
¡¡
¡¡
¡¡¡
¡
P2
P1
P
P
P
Solomon Schechter School
Information Booth
1
2 3
West RoxburyHigh School
Home Depot
Spring Blossom Restaurant
Sawmill Brook
Legend
Boundaries
Creek
Roads
Trails
Marsh¡¡
1 Site of Margaret Fuller Cottage2 The Print Shop3 Site of the Hive
SPRING 2004 Massachusetts Sierran 11
Hiking Close to HomeBy Gil Woolley
One of a series of occasional articles on less-known, short hikes in easternMassachusetts. More than a half of our chapter members live withinRoute 495; these brief pieces are addressed primarily to them. Membersliving further north, west and south have a variety of well-known stateparks close by. People living within 495 often drive a considerabledistance to hike, even though there may be interesting, but little-used, trails on their doorsteps.
Before the recent government reorganization, the plan was to
provide a paved trail along the CharlesRiver all the way from Boston to Medfield. This walk is one of the manysegments that have not yet been con-nected. It is marked by triangular metalplates bearing the stylized image of ablue heron.
The most obvious and convenientstarting point for this short, but pleas-ant, trail is the Millennium Park. Thepark, which sits on the top of the nowclosed and capped city of Boston land-fill, is itself well worth a visit for theextensive views over the middle Charleswetlands and, on a clear day, of thecity in the distance. And you don’t
Blue Heron Trail at Charles River Total Distance: Less than 3 miles
to Newton and back; Brook Farmabout the same. Unless it’s been raining, special shoes notnecessary.
Hiking Time: 1½ hours
even have to walk: there is a parkinglot on the summit of the man-madehill.
Access is from the VFW Highway(Route 1) in West Roxbury along Gardner Street north (on the right forwestbound traffic) at a traffic lightlocated about a hundred yards beyondthe first entrance to the Home Depotparking lot. The Spring Blossom restau-rant is on the corner and there is alarge blue sign for the MillenniumPark. Gardner Street crosses a bridgeover the MBTA line to Needham andenters the park. At the first junctionbear left. A few yards further is anoth-er junction; bear left to the CanoeLaunch. The right turn is to the sum-mit parking lot (P2 on the map) andthe view.
Leave your car at the Canoe Launchparking lot (P1), the most convenientlot for starting the hike. Continue onfoot for about half of a mile, keepingto the paved trail alongside the SawmillBrook, and you will come to a foot-bridge over the brook. Crossing thebridge you will find an easy trail (youcould ride most of this trail on a bike).
Less than half a mile in is a forkwith a sign post. The trail to the rightleads to Brook Farm and the Gethse-mane Cemetery (access is from BakerStreet, West Roxbury); the left forkleads to Newton. In Newton, the firststreet access is from the Saw Mill BrookParkway, but you can continuethrough the woods to Wells Avenue.Access is through the children’s play-ground of the Solomon SchechterSchool. A narrow and rough trail con-tinues to Nahanton Street just beforethe bridge over the Charles River.
The trail to the site of Brook Farmis an interesting side trip. The site,which is a national historic landmark,was home to the most famous Tran-scendentalist experiment in commu-nal living from 1842 until 1846, whenit was abandoned after a disastrousfire. An information office on the siteis open until 4:00 PM daily.
Please send any ideas for this seriesto the Sierran editor: editor@sierra clubmass.org, or to Gil Woolley: [email protected]. ❖
Gil Woolley is a member of the Massa-chusetts Chapter Executive Committeeand chair of the Conservation Committee.
On a September day in 1871 theBritish warship HMS Thetis inter-
cepted an Arab slave ship in the Indian Ocean with 271 enslaved blackAfricans on board. Britain had recentlysigned an agreement with the power-ful sultan of Zanzibar to end the flour-ishing East African slave trade. By cap-turing that ship, Britain signaled itsdetermination to end the Indian Oceanslave trade even though the sultan hadno intention of abiding by the treatythat he had signed.
Richard Ellis’s powerful book bringsthis obscure bit of history forcefullyto mind. Because fish are so valuableand human greed so great, unless someforce as powerful as the British Navyintervenes, the ocean will very soonbe empty despite the several inter-national treaties designed to protectfish stocks.
Of tuna and sealsSkip the opening pages—a pedanticrehash of fisheries depletion—and startreading on page 28 with the “Greatand Wonderful Tuna.” Ellis is at hisbest when his writing gets into thewater with the fish, and he is mar-velous when he explains the ironiccomplexity of fishing. Harp seals, forexample, have long been hunted asaggressively as possible by men withabsolutely no compunction aboutkilling every last seal. Yet, unlike vir-tually every other marine mammal,their population has never beenreduced to the point of endangerment.This is because seals do not haul out
to breed on islands. Harp seals pup onice floes, and despite truly heroicefforts, sealers could never locate everylast chunk of ice drifting in the Arctic Ocean.
Sadly, Ellis explains that globalwarming is reducing the volume ofdrift ice so rapidly that harp seals maysoon be extinct—not from overfishing,but from loss of habitat.
Bluefin tuna, by contrast, are en-dangered because sushi is one of thefinest things in life. Unfortunately, Ishare my taste for raw tuna with 126million Japanese, and they can affordto indulge it. A top-quality bluefingoes for as much as $391 at the TsukijiFish Market in Tokyo. That’s $391 perpound. $173,600 per fish. And you canconfidently expect that price to riseas the number of bluefins declines.
The road to extinction Toothfish, a.k.a. Chilean sea bass, onlymade it to the big time in 1982 whenthe first, shimmering, white forkfulwas served in a Los Angeles restaurant.Two decades from the discovery of acreature’s desirability to endangeredstatus is fast, but it is hardly a worldrecord.
It took just 27 years from themoment a European first met a Stellar’ssea cow to the day a Russian hunterkilled the last one. Sea cows were cousinsto manatees, but the sea cow was 30feet long and had a layer of subcuta-neous fat nine inches think to keep it warm in the icy waters between Kamchatka and Alaska. The fat was
“yellow like May butter… Its odor andflavor are so agreeable that it can noteasily be compared with the fat of anyother sea beast.” We must accept GeorgWilhelm Stellar’s description, since thelast sea cow was eaten in 1768.
Who’s in charge here?The decimation of our fisheries is atragedy of the commons: since every-one has access to the oceans, no nationhas the kind of proprietary interestthat might lead it to decide to preservea fishery for tomorrow instead of catch-ing all the fish today. Not that nation-al stocks are necessarily well-managed.In the United States we extended ourterritorial claims 200 miles out to seaand appointed a group of fishermento set sustainable quotas. In no timeat all, the New England fleet caughtvirtually every cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder on George’s Bank.Now the fishermen are unemployed.
It didn’t have to happen that way.If a responsible authority had set sus-tainable catch limits and enforcedthem, George’s Bank could have pro-duced a bountiful catch forever. Iceland manages its cod fisheries in asustainable manner.
The larger problem is that fish donot respect 200-mile territorial limits.Bluefin tuna tagged in the Bahamashave been recaptured in Newfoundland,Norway, and Uruguay. There is alwaysa fisherman greedy enough to catchendangered fish, and a nation-statecorrupt enough to register rogue boats.
Ellis is fascinating when writingabout fish, but he is savage whenrevealing the inability of internationalorganizations to protect decliningmarine populations. Which is why Ikept thinking about the British Navyas I read about boats that are on thehigh seas stealing our children’s future.Britain did not wait until the inter-national community agreed to endslavery. If we were as serious aboutpreserving ocean resources as nine-teenth-century England was aboutending the horrors of slavery, wewould be talking about sending thenavy, too. ❖
Diana Muir is working on a new book onthe role of overpopulation in history.
12 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2004
BOOK REVIEW:
A Tragedy of theCommonsReviewed by Diana Muir
The Empty Ocean:Plundering the World’s Marine LifeBy Richard EllisIsland Press, A Shearwater Book355 pages, $26.00
SPRING 2004 Massachusetts Sierran 13
For years the Department of Defense (DoD)has attempted to create exemptions for itself
within the Endangered Species Act (ESA) andthe Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).In 2003, it succeeded. In a rider attached to theDefense Authorization bill passed by Congressand signed by the president last November, theDoD won its exemption and much more.
The rider was included in what was largelyconsidered “must pass” legislation given thecurrent political climate, the focus on the waron terrorism, and the war in Iraq. In the past,the DoD was limited to a specific number ofspecies it could take (injure or kill) in a par-ticular area. Under the new law, the DoD is nolonger limited to the number of marine mam-mals it can take, nor is it limited to a specificrange.
The rider also creates a tremendous loop-hole in the MMPA by loosening the definitionof harassment. The National Marine FisheriesService (NMFS) defines harassment rather broad-ly. According to NMFS, it includes any activi-ties that have the potential to affect endangeredspecies’ behavior, including feeding, mating,and migrating. The new definition now putsthe burden of proof on the NMFS to prove harmbefore the MMPA can be exercised.
The ramifications of these sweeping exemp-tions are great. The DoD manages 25 millionacres of land. Among other things, the DoDdevelops environmentally-detrimental tech-nology like low-frequency sonar. The courts pro-hibited the use of low-frequency sonar last fall,but their ruling and agreement with environ-mental groups now may be bypassed entirely.
Unfortunately, Congress was dealing withthe energy bill and the healthy forests bill whenthis bill was passed. So little focus was placedon this egregious example of the Bush admin-istration’s attempts to dismantle decades ofenvironmental progress and dilute the coun-try’s most favored environmental legislation.Considering that there already was a mecha-nism for exemptions for military readiness underthe ESA, the new DoD exemption suggests thatthe administration wants to bypass key envi-ronmental legislation entirely.
Several congressmen have saidthat they intend to regain somemarine mammal pro-tection nextyear whenthe MMPAcomes up for reauthorization.Among these is SenatorSnowe (R-ME), who chairsthe committee that overseesthe MMPA.
What you can doYou can help these effortsby contacting your elected officials andexpressing your outrage that any federal entity would be allowed to ignore vital environ-mental laws. ❖
Megan Amundson is a member of the GreaterBoston Group Executive Committee, the Marineand Coastal Habitat Committee, and the LegislativeCommittee.
Department of Defense Wages War on Endangered SpeciesBy Megan Amundson
ESSEX GROUP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEMarilyn GravesDeb Longman-MarienJoan LongwellMargaret Reny
GREATER BOSTON GROUP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEMegan Amundson . . . two yearsR.P. Dowds . . . . . . . . one yearChris Hallgren . . . . . . two yearsDeb Holt . . . . . . . . . . two yearsLisa LaBrecque. . . . . . one yearMichelle Salisbury . . . two years
SIERRA CLUB GROUP AND CHAPTER ELECTION RESULTS
Drawing by Kimberley C. Blozie
parkland in perpetuity. If they are awareof the lack of legal protection, they mayhave second thoughts about donatingland to a city or town as a park.
What you can doPlease contact your local representativesand urge them to support passage ofSenator Resor’s Article 97 bill. ❖
Gil Woolley, a frequent contributor to thesepages, is a member of the MassachusettsChapter Executive Committee and chairof the Conservation Committee.
14 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2004
continue to help citizens defend pre-cious open spaces. The chapter is readyto work with legislators to make tak-ings more difficult. “Developmentpressure is mounting to convert park-land to other than its intended use,”says Chapter Director James McCaffrey.“We lose 44 acres of open space inMassachusetts every day, making it allthe more necessary to preserve whatwe have. There are almost always otheralternatives to taking a park, but cur-rent funding mechanisms at the stateand local level actually encourage thetaking of parks.”
Sierra Club chapters and groupsacross the nation are fighting to pro-tect open space from politicians andgovernment bodies who see parklandas a sort of landbank—a convenientand free site for schools, incinerators,water-treatment facilities and othermunicipal services. In reality, the truemonetary value of a park or open spaceis the cost of replacing it on the openmarket.
Takings may also deter potentialdonors of open space. Land for manyparks is donated by generous indivi-duals who want it to be dedicated to
Environmental Justice and Our City Parks(continued from page 5)
Phot
ogra
ph b
y H
al R
eyno
lds
Lease Extension at the Massachusetts Military ReservationBy David Dow
The September 25, 2003 issue of the Cape Cod Times featured a picture of GovernorRomney and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, Ray Fatz, complete with jet and
assembled troops in the background. The two were signing a lease that will extend military use of the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) until 2051. Governor Romney has argued that we need the 25-year extension because the MMR is importantto the economy of Cape Cod, and because the Department of Defense is consideringlocating a Northeastern Homeland Security Center there.
The Sierra Club, along with several environmental groups on Cape Cod, opposed the lease extension, citing many unresolved issues including public water supply and theslow pace of the cleanup of contaminated groundwater and soil from past military trainingactions. The public voiced strong opposition to the lease extension at a June 30 meeting,run by Chief of Commonwealth Development Douglas Foy and Director of Public SafetyEdward Flynn. As a result, the two-week comment period was extended to a month.
One of the environmental groups, the Alliance for Base Cleanup (ABC), filed a “failsafe” petition with Ellen Roy Herzfelder, Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmen-tal Affairs (EOEA) under provisions of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA)to allow residents more time to consider this issue. But the MEPA petition was denied.The Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) then filed comments, stat-ing that under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) a major federal action likethe MMR lease extension requires an environmental impact statement.
However, Governor Romney’s version of the lease (released on September 25) containedno changes from the one presented at the June public meeting. The cleanup and water sup-ply issues are discussed only in sidebar letters which do not appear to be legally enforceable,since they only make general promises about the Pentagon’s good intentions.
On November 20, ABC and PEER announced a lawsuit against the Pentagon for notcomplying with NEPA.
Unlike the Swift administration, Romney does not seem interested in developing public consensus on issues related to the MMR. Backroom negotiations between theCommonwealth and military, along with the governor’s unilateral decision-makingprocess, have only worked to reinforce public distrust. ❖
What you can doIf you’d like to get involved with MMR issues, contact David Dow 508-540-7142; e-mail: [email protected].
David Dow is a member of the Executive Committee and treasurer of the Cape Cod group.
Tall trees at Jackson Park,Swampscott
SPRING 2004 Massachusetts Sierran 15
THE FUTURE OF FISHING IN NEW ENGLANDMarch 14Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PMPlace: The Parish Hall of the Unitarian
Universalist Church, 26 Pleasant Street,Newburyport
David Lincoln is an environmental consultant to the Gloucester Fishermen’sWives Association and advisor to theHabitat Committee of the New EnglandFishery Management Council. The com-mercial fishing industry in New Englandrecently took its first major steps towardsensuring a sustainable fishery. Althoughground fish species have begun aremarkable comeback, not all of thestocks are increasing at the same rate.Fishermen have recently proposed aplan to quickly end overfishing on most stocks including cod in the Gulf ofMaine and to phase-in an end to over-fishing over the next several years onother fish. This talk will look back at fishing practices of the last century andforward to the emerging trends in cooperative research for habitat protec-tion and selective fishing methods.Upcoming topics in the Essex groupspeaker series: wind power (April); mercury poisoning and other chemicalpollutants (May). Call the chapter officefor more information: 617-423-5775.
OUTINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
TRACKING CAPE COD’SWILDLIFEMarch 13Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PMPlace: Sandy Neck Beach,
West Barnstable. Meet atbeach parking lot by thebeach (not by the gate house).
Join wetland biologist and wildlife tracker,C. Diane Boretos, from Call of the WildConsulting and Environmental Servicesat Sandy Neck Beach, West Barnstable.This outing will focus on tracks and signs of indigenous prey and predatorsat one the Cape’s last remaining wildplaces. Limit 20 participants. Bring warmclothes, sturdy boots, and lunch. Register by March 10 with Pam Polloniat 508-563-2312 or by email [email protected].
WINDFARM HIKE/SNOWSHOEAT MT. WACHUSETTMarch 14Time: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PMPlace: Visitor’s Center, Mt. WachusettHike or snowshoe at Mt. Wachusett,depending on terrain conditions.Moderate hike of 1.5–2 hours to summit,lunch at the top, and return. View ofwind farm along the way. Trail maps andfacilities available at Visitors’ Center bythe trail head. Mt. Wachusett is inPrinceton, Massachusetts, about an hourwest of Boston on Rte. 2. Carpoolingencouraged. To sign up and get direc-tions, please contact Kristina Cairns [email protected]. Dogs welcome,if on a leash. Leader: Deborah Holt.
GLOUCESTER DOG TOWN HIKEApril 25Time: 12:00 PM – 4:00 PMFor more information and to register,contact Deborah Holt, leader, [email protected].
BLUE HILLS SKYLINE TRAIL HIKEMay 23Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PMFor more information and to register,contact Emily Caner, leader, [email protected].
PEDDOCK’S ISLAND SERVICE OUTINGTBD Saturday in MayJoin the Sierra Club and the Friends ofBoston Harbor Islands for a day onPeddock’s Island clearing invasive plants.There will be time for a walk to see theremains of Fort Andrews, built by the US Government in 1900 in the wake ofconcern stirred by the Spanish-AmericanWar for the harbor’s defense system.Transportation from Long Wharf will beprovided. Bring a lunch and water anddress appropriately for weather and work.For additional information and to register,contact Deborah Holt at [email protected].
PROVINCE LANDS TRAIL BY BIKEJune 27Time: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PMFor more information and to register,contact Deborah Holt, leader, [email protected].
Events and General Membership Meetings
towards alternative energies. When Ifinally see hope on the horizon, I donot expect the Sierra Club to quibbleabout relatively small consequences—not when the enormous consequencessweeping over the past century couldfinally be turned back.
As always, thank you for reportingon these issues.
Moriah Tumbleson-ShawMedford, Massachusetts
We were pleased to read the Massachu-setts Sierran’s recent story “Bird MeetsWind Turbine” (Winter 2003–2004)about wind power and the relativeeffects of turbines on avian populations.The Massachusetts Renewable EnergyTrust is the Commonwealth’s leadagency in efforts to promote renew-able energy development. The trusthas set a goal of 750–1000 megawatts(Mw) of new renewable generation by2009 to mitigate the risk of future cli-mate change. Much of this new gener-ation will likely be wind-powered. Likethe Sierra Club, the trust wants to besure that future wind projects do notadversely affect wildlife populations.
To that end, we are funding researchby the Massachusetts Audubon Societyon bird populations in the area proposedfor the Cape Wind Project in NantucketSound described in your article. Thetrust will also support post-construc-tion monitoring of bird and bat popu-lation impacts of the proposed 30 MwHoosac Wind Project in Florida andMonroe, Massachusetts. This is beingdone as part of the ongoing environ-mental review of the project by thestate’s Executive Office of Environmen-tal Affairs.
Thank you for giving attention tothis important topic in your publication.
Robert L. PrattDirector, Massachusetts Renewable Energy TrustWestborough, Massachusetts
The Sierran welcomes letters from readers. Letters should be limited to 200 words andmay be shortened to fit allotted space. Sendletters to [email protected] or to Editor, Massachusetts Sierran, 100 BoylstonStreet, Suite 760, Boston, MA 02116.
Correspondence(continued from page 2)
M A S S A C H U S E T T S�IERRANReaching More Than 26,000
Sierra Club Members in Massachusetts
Massachusetts ChapterSierra Club100 Boylston Street, Suite 760Boston, MA 02116 617-423-5775
Postmaster: Send all address changes (PS form 3579) to: Sierra Club Membership, 85 Second Street, 2nd FloorSan Francisco, CA 94105
NEW COASTAL AND MARINEHABITAT AND WILDLIFECOMMITTEEApril 3Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PMPlace: Sierra Club officeThis committee will work on fisheriesmanagement; Northern Right Whale conservation, federal legislation to lease or license the ocean’s bottom;Stellwagen Bank Marine SanctuaryManagement Plan; coastal armoring; and the work of the US Commission on Ocean Policy. For more information,please contact Mary Ann Nelson, chapterchair: [email protected];phone: 617-442-0123.
NORTH/SOUTH RAIL LINKCOMMITTEEMarch 16, May 18Time: 7:00 PMPlace: Sierra Club officeThis committee meets on the thirdTuesday of every other month to discussand strategize progress on the North/South Rail Link. The rail link will extendthe northeast corridor national passengerrail service from South Station to NorthStation, New Hampshire, Maine andbeyond, as well as connect the commuterrail system from Rhode Island to NewHampshire. All members are welcome toattend, to learn, and to participate. Pleasecontact Louise Lewis, committee chair, at617-266-5890 for more information.
Conservation and Issue Committee Meetings
ESSEX GROUP EXECUTIVECOMMITTEEMarch 8, April 5Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PMPlace: Unitarian Church,
26 Pleasant Street,Newburyport. Use downstairs side doors.
For more information, call the chapteroffice (617-423-5775); leave a messagefor Michael Dorsey.
GREATER BOSTON GROUPEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE March 9, April 13, and May 11Time: 7:00 PMPlace: Sierra Club office
MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTEREXECUTIVE COMMITTEEMarch 28, May 1, June 12Time: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PMPlace: TBA
Massachusetts Chapter and Group Executive Committee Meetings
The Sierra Club office is located at 100 Boylston Street, Suite 760, Boston.All meeting times may change without notice.
Please consult Web site for updates (www.sierraclubmass.org).
Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation1) Publication Title: Massachusetts Sierran 2) Publication Num-ber: 1071-9229 3) Filing Date: 10/01/03 4) Issue Frequency:Quarterly 5) Number of issues Published Annually: Four 6) Annu-al Subscription rate $1.00 (portion/membership) 7) MailingAddress of Publication: 100 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116Contact Person: James McCaffrey Telephone: 617-423-5775 8)Headquarters Address 9) Publisher Address: Massachusetts Sier-ran 100 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 Editor & Address:Roberta Tovey, Mass. Sierra Club 100 Boylston Street, Boston,MA 02116 Managing Editor & Address: James McCaffrey, Mass.Sierra Club 100 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 10) Owner:Massachusetts Sierra Club 100 Boylston Street, Boston, MA02116 11) Mortgages, etc. None 12) Tax Status – non profithas not changed in the last 12 months 13) Publication Date2002 14) Issue Date for: The Massachusetts Sierran Winter ’02Volume 8, #4 15) Extent and Nature of Circulation Total # ofcopies Average # Copies each Issue during preceding 12 Months:26,237 No. Copies of Single Issue published nearest to FilingDate: 25,500 b1) Paid/Requested outside county (form3541)Average # Copies each Issue during preceding 12 Months: 25,975No. Copies of Single Issue published nearest to Filing Date: 24,673b2) Paid in county Subscriptions Average # Copies each Issueduring preceding 12 Months: n/a No. Copies of Single Issuepublished nearest to Filing Date: n/a b3) Sales through dealers,etc. Average # Copies each Issue during preceding 12 Months:none No. Copies of Single Issue published nearest to Filing Date:none b4) Other classes mailed through the USPS Average #Copies each Issue during preceding 12 Months: 50 No. Copiesof Single Issue published nearest to Filing Date: 50 Total Paidand/or requested Circulation Average # Copies each Issue dur-ing preceding 12 Months: 26,025 No. Copies of Single Issuepublished nearest to Filing Date: 24,723 Free Distribution bymail d1) Outside County (form3541) Average # Copies eachIssue during preceding 12 Months: n/a No. Copies of SingleIssue published nearest to Filing Date: n/a d2) In-County (form3541) Average # Copies each Issue during preceding 12 Months:n/a No. Copies of Single Issue published nearest to Filing Date:n/a d3) Other Classes mailed through the USPS Average # Copieseach Issue during preceding 12 Months: n/a No. Copies of Sin-gle Issue published nearest to Filing Date: n/a Free Distributionoutside the mail Average # Copies each Issue during preceding12 Months: 200 No. Copies of Single Issue published nearestto Filing Date: 200 Total Free Distribution (sum of 15d + 15e)Average # Copies each Issue during preceding 12 Months: 200No. Copies of Single Issue published nearest to Filing Date: 200Total Distribution (sum of 15c and 15f) Average # Copies eachIssue during preceding 12 Months: 26,225 No. Copies of Sin-gle Issue published nearest to Filing Date: 24,923 Copies notdistributed Average # Copies each Issue during preceding 12Months: 12 No. Copies of Single Issue published nearest to Fil-ing Date: 577 Total (sum of 15g & h) Average # Copies eachIssue during preceding 12 Months: 26,237 No. Copies of Sin-gle Issue published nearest to Filing Date: 25,500 Percent paidand/or requested circulation Average # Copies each Issue duringpreceding 12 Months: 99.2% No. Copies of Single Issue pub-lished nearest to Filing Date: 99.2% (15c divided by 15g. times100) 16) Publication of Statement of Ownership (Publicationrequired. Will be printed in the Volume 10, #1 issue of this pub-lication) 17) Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, BusinessManager, or Owner (signed, James McCaffrey).
