The River Current ~ March 11, 2010 ~ Issue 107

The e-newsletter of the Charles River Watershed Association
...bringing our backyard river to your door...

 

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In this issue

• Action Alert on off-road vehicles
• CRWA events
• Other events

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1) Action Alert: Protect sensitive ecosystems from off-road vehicles

Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) use is growing in Massachusetts, and illegal riding on public lands - often unique and sensitive areas protected with public dollars - damages public property and degrades the public trust. Lack of enforcement can lead to extensive and long-term environmental damage on private and public land. An Act to Regulate the use of Off Highway and Recreation Vehicles (SB 2257), passed the Senate in January and now needs to move to the floor of the House for a final vote. 

Please contact your state Representative and ask them to speak to House Ways & Means Chairman Charles Murphy expressing support for S.2257!  For more information on this bill, read a letter by MassAudubon delivered on Monday to all the house members.

To find out who your state Representative is, enter your address here and look for the "Rep in General Court." If you know your Representative's name, you can just call the House switchboard at 617-722-2000. You can also send an email. Look up email addresses here .

What to say:
State your name, where you live, and ask to speak to the Representative.  If they are not there, you can speak to staff. Tell them that you are calling in support of Senate Bill 2257, which is currently before House Ways & Means. Say that you hope your Representative will speak to the House Ways & Means Chairman soon and let him know that it is an important bill to you.

Thank you for helping to protect the nature of Massachusetts!

2) Upcoming CRWA Events

Annual Meeting
Wednesday, March 31, 5:30 - 8:30pm at Newton Marriott Hotel.
Our yearly celebration of the Charles River and CRWA's accomplishments will feature guest speaker Curt Spalding, the new Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator for New England. Tickets are available by clicking here or calling 781-788-0007. 

Brown Bag Lunch on Ipswich River watershed study
Thursday, April 15 at 12:30pm at CRWA's office.
Join CRWA staff and friends to hear a presentation by Sara Cohen, Water Resources Specialist at the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation, who will discuss results from DCR's 5-year study to address critical low flow conditions in the Ipswich River Watershed through low-impact development (LID) and water conservation. The presentation will describe the nine LID and water conservation pilot projects implemented under the grant, and will also review the USGS modeling conducted under the study.

11th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup
Saturday, April 24, 9am-12pm.
More than 3,000 volunteers will be spread along the banks of the river and local streams, picking up litter to help keep the river clean and healthy. Click here for more information or to join the efforts.

Run of the Charles Canoe & Kayak Race
Sunday, April 25 all day.
Paddlers of all ages and skill levels will race on the Charles in an exciting yearly event. Sign up to race yourself, volunteer to help out, or just come out to cheer on the paddlers.Click here for more information.

3) Other environmental events

Massachusetts Land Conservation Conference
Saturday, March 27 at Worcester Technical High School.
Governor Patrick will be the featured speaker, and there will be more than 30 workshops offer something for everyone. Click here for more information. 

Sixth Annual Allston Brighton Green Gathering
Wednesday, April 7, 6-8:30pm at the German International School of Boston.
The Allston Brighton CDC and Allston Brighton Green Space Advocates (ABGSA) are celebrating the ABGSA's work over the past year in the name of green and open spaces, and sustainability in the community. CRWA’s Pallavi Mande will provide information about the exciting Everett Street Greening Project that will break ground at the German International School in April. For more information, please contact Gustavo at 617.787.3874 x217 or quiroga@allstonbrightoncdc.org.

Earth Night Tickets Now Available! 
Saturday, April 10, 7-11 pm at the Back Bay Events Center, Boston.
Earth Night is an annual gala benefit for the Environmental League of Massachusetts, this year featuring a tribute to Roger Berkowitz, CEO of Legal Sea Food, an environmental leader promoting sustainability in the fishing industry. In addition, Charles River Watershed Association will be honored by ELM with one of their Green Star Awards. For more information and to buy your ticket now, visit www.earthnight.org.