Massachusetts Rivers Alliance

🔥 Drought conditions = increased wildfire risk 🔥 Recent fires across Massachusetts—including over 100 acres burned in Salem—show just how vulnerable we are during droughts. With parts of the state currently experiencing Level-1 drought conditions, and climate change making droughts more frequent and severe, it is clear that we need a coordinated, statewide response. Mass Rivers has and will continue to advocate for the Drought Bill, legislation that would give the state power to enact a proactive, statewide drought response. Coordinated action is critical to reduce the risk of fires in our communities, manage water resources, and protect our rivers and water supplies. https://lnkd.in/ePVvk_vC

🍁🍂fall weather + 🤔 curious and excited dam busters = beautiful day for a dam removal site visit! Thanks to friends at the Town of Acton, MA, Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration and Charles River Watershed Association for taking us through the River Street Dam removal process. While the site is still in progress, we loved learning about the work done and look forward to the park that is being built at the site. This concludes our Dam Busters 101 programming for 2024. But, don’t fret the next iteration of Dam Busters will begin in 2025!

🎉 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