Massachusetts Rivers Alliance

?? Join us for the second Dam Busters 101 dam removal tour! ?? ?? When: October 23rd, 12 PM - 1 PM ?? Where: River Street dam removal site, Acton ?? For more info and to sign up, visit Dam Busters: https://lnkd.in/etBmAPvG ?? Space is limited! If we're full, you'll automatically go on the waitlist. We'll reach out if a spot opens up.

A great opportunity for an of our Dam Busters 101 participants who are interested in more information about managing sediment at a dam removal site! Thanks American Rivers!

?? Happy Birthday to the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration! “The work DER does to bring rivers back to life has been transformative for our state— each dam removal, each cranberry bog restoration, and each culvert replacement improves the health of our rivers and their wildlife, enhances community climate resilience, and often includes a public safety benefit," said?Julia Blatt, Executive Director of?Massachusetts Rivers Alliance. https://lnkd.in/eap762zW

We were thrilled to host our first in-person site visit through Dam Busters 101! We visited the??Monatiquot River Restoration Project in Braintree to take what we have learned during the Dam Busters 101 webinars over the past year and see it live and in-person! Thanks to our partners at the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration and Charles River Watershed Association along with the Town of Braintree for hosting us. Thanks to all who joined and keep an eye out for an additional site visit in October!

?? The Massachusetts Rivers Alliance is looking for a part-time?Bookkeeper/Office Manager to support running the day-to-day administrative and financial operations for the organization.?The position is based in Somerville, Massachusetts, and the office is currently operating on a hybrid schedule. Join us! https://lnkd.in/erPW_Gd2

REMINDER! Written comments are due this Friday, August 30th.

Have you explored Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game's five-year strategic plan yet? Focusing on solutions at the intersection of biodiversity, climate change, and environmental justice, the plan outlines five key priority areas for growth & expansion: ?? Conserve key landscapes & double the pace of land protection ?? Restore habitats & connectivity ?? Decarbonization & carbon sequestration ?? Ensure equitable access to nature ?? Increase food security By 2030, we will double the pace of land protection, working to protect an average of 6,000 acres per year, to support the state’s goal of conserving 40% of Massachusetts by 2050. We will complete five landscape-scale conservation projects, expand river and wetland restoration efforts, promote carbon storage and sequestration, and develop decarbonization and resilience plans for all facilities. We will also create new & inclusive recreation opportunities for underserved and EJ communities, improve language access, and increase accessibility and use of Department programs, facilities, and resources. We will foster respectful, mutually beneficial partnerships with Indigenous peoples and collaborate with Tribes to identify resources they may wish to access for traditional and cultural uses. Finally, we will increase food security by expanding venison donations and connecting environmental justice communities with fresh, local seafood. But this is just the beginning—dive into the full plan to see all we hope to accomplish by 2030 > https://lnkd.in/eiZmPTEU

The 2023-2024 legislative session ended on August 1, 2024 and Mass Rivers was there through it all to advocate for strong environmental and climate policies that will protect and restore our rivers. Check out an in depth legislative session debrief on our blog to find out where our priorities landed >> https://lnkd.in/eK28Madc

Mass Rivers is thrilled to welcome Lydia Olson as our new Technical Specialist! ?? Lydia grew up in the Greater Boston Area and found her love of the environment while volunteering as a water monitor in high school. She continued her passion academically, receiving a degree in Environmental Science and a Master’s degree in Applied and Environmental Geosciences. Lydia will oversee and implement Mass Rivers’ technical programming to protect river flow and water quality statewide.

?? The legislative session ends in 8? days and we need your help to pass the Drought Bill?? Thanks to our community advocacy, the Drought Bill passed the Senate in June as part of a large Climate and Energy Bill. Unfortunately, it was not adopted in the House version of the same bill. Now the two branches must reconcile their versions of the bill before the legislative session ends on July 31. We need your help to ensure that the conference committee RETAINS drought management as part of the final bill! ?? Send an email to the conference committee letting them know that you want climate adaptation & preparedness to be a part of this year's Climate Bill! Follow the simple instructions in our blog post ?? https://lnkd.in/eFJRz_jz