The River Current

|| The River Current || May 18, 2004|| Issue X

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

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In this issue:
1) ACTION ALERT: Call your state senator TODAY to save our parks
2) VOLUNTEER: Count fish with CRWA
3) GET OUTSIDE: Join CRWA and Mass Audubon’s Broadmoor Sanctuary for a lecture and paddle

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Dear friends of the Charles River,

Today, a friend of the Charles River also needs to be a friend of the parklands.  The Commonwealth’s parks represent vital open space in our watershed, and good management of our parklands means a healthier community, watershed and river.  In Boston alone, over 93,000 residents live within half a mile of the Muddy River and its parklands.  Millions of visitors use the Esplanade every year.  Our parks are important, central features of our communities.  Please call your state senator and tell them not to leave our parks behind. 

1) Tell the Senate how important parks are to the Commonwealth!

URGENT ACTION NEEDED TODAY!

Visit the action alert page or continue reading.

The proposed Senate budget cuts spending for parks and recreation; transfers operation and maintenance of Parkways to Mass Highway; threatens Community Rowing.

Senate debate on the budget begins TOMORROW, May 19.


Please Call Your Senator Today!

Please call your state Senator and Senate President Robert Travaglini, TODAY (May 18) and ask them to support increased funding for the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), stronger protection for Parkways, and support for Community Rowing.  You must call today or early tomorrow, as the early floor number of many of the amendments involved mean they will come up early in the debate.

When you call (or e-mail if you can’t call), you may want to mention specific amendment numbers that will improve the proposed budget.  Below are CRWA’s positions on the following amendments (each has a floor number and a clerk number).  

Find your Senator’s phone number here.

Senator Robert Travaglini’s number is: (617) 722-1500.

The Amendments:

Have these amendment numbers handy when you are speaking with your senator. 

Support Floor # 133, Clerk # 173 and Floor #135, Clerk #477 – by Senators Hart, Joyce, Morrisey, Tolman, Sprague and Tisei.  This amendment would increase funding for the Department of Urban Parks and Recreation from the proposed $18,833,715 to $19,596,478.  This department includes all of the Metropolitan Parks System. 

Support Floor # 130, Clerk # 668 – by Senators Resor, Brewer, Creem, Creedon, Moore, Nuciforo, Tucker, Morissey, Barrios, Wilkerson, Hedlund, Joyce, Fargo, O’Leary, and Walsh.  This amendment would increase funding for the Department of State Parks and Recreation from the proposed $17,699,682 to $18,264,818.  This department includes the former DEM system. 

Support Floor # 73, Clerk # 235 – by Senators Walsh, Resor, Creem, and Tesei.  This amendment would give DCR more control over the maintenance and operations of the parkways if they are transferred to MassHighways. 

Support Floor # 151, Clerk # 241– by Senator Walsh.  This amendment would prohibit commercial use or the display of signs along parkways without the approval of DCR.

Support Floor # 113, Clerk # 651, and Floor # 112, Clerk # 420 – by Senators Ms. Resor, Mr. Brewer, Ms. Creem, Mr. Creedon , Mr. Moore, Mr. Barrios, Mr. Morrissey, Ms. Wilkerson, Mr. O'Leary, Mr. Joyce, Ms. Walsh, and Messrs. Tisei and Tarr and Mrs. Sprague.  Increases DCR administration from $3,773,905 to $5,023,416 (the House provided $3,773,905; FY04 level was $4,983,543).  This amendment would increase funding for administrative costs, including Commissioner Abbott’s office.

Oppose Floor #144, Clerk # 724 – by Senator Morissey.  This amendment would add Daley Rink to the list of DRC rinks considered for privatization.  CRWA opposes privatizing this rink at this time because it is the home for Community Rowing and needs to be considered separately from other rinks. 

You can read the full text of the amendments here.

2) Volunteer with CRWA’s Fish Monitoring Program

Volunteers are needed to count fish hourly at the Watertown Dam in Watertown.  For more information, visit the Great Herring Count 2004’s webpages.

Or call Ariel Dekovic at 781-788-0007 x200 for more details.

3) Join CRWA and Mass Audubon’s Broadmoor Sanctuary for a special lecture and canoe trip

Living Waters: Protecting and Exploring Freshwater Ecology

Lecture: Thursday, June 17, 7-9pm
Canoe trip: Saturday, June 19, 10am-3pm

Fee: $35 for members of CRWA or Mass Audubon, $40 for non-members 
(Lecture only: $10M, $12NM)

The state’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program recently completed a conservation plan to protect our freshwater biodiversity. Join us in this two-part program to learn about and explore our local waters. An evening slide show, led by Chloe Stuart, NHESP Living Waters project manager, will introduce concepts of freshwater ecology and discuss the state’s new plan. Then join us for a canoe trip on nearby Lake Winthrop in Holliston, designated by the state as a core habitat critical to the survival of rare species. During the trip, led by Chloe and Liz Brousseau, Living Waters ecologist and Holliston Conservation Commissioner, we’ll explore the lake for rare freshwater mussels, dip-net for aquatic organisms, and explore the shoreline’s natural communities.  This trip is for adults and is not suitable for children below the age of 18.  Canoe trip is limited to14 people. 

To register, please call 508-655-2296. or send an email to broadmoor@massaudubon.org for more info.