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MassachusettsCONSERVATION CONNECTIONAn occasional update on conservation activities in the Bay State June 2006 In this Connection:
State Conservationist’s CornerWhere do we go from here?By Cecil B. Currin No one builds a house without a blueprint or starts on a 500-mile journey without a map. Whatever we want to accomplish, we need to begin with a vision and proceed with a plan. NRCS is no different. If we want to preserve America’s natural resources and get conservation on the land, we need a vision for what needs to be done and a practical plan to bring our vision into reality. And we have one. USDA provides up to $30,000 and technical assistance for stabilization of Rockport, Mass. damThe USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has approved up to $30,000 in federal funds for work to stabilize the Millbrook Dam in Rockport, Mass. The funds are being provided to the Town of Rockport through the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program administered by NRCS. The agency is also providing technical assistance for the work. New publication helps Mass. farmers maintain sustainable grasslandsSustainable Grasslands, a new publication produced collaboratively by the Franklin County Conservation District and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), will help Massachusetts farmers protect and restore grasslands, which contribute to the agricultural economy of New England and many other regions of the United States. Graze-it-up with fellow graziers on new on-line discussion groupMassachusetts livestock graziers are invited to join a new on-line discussion group to learn about educational grazing events and share information. The "Graze-it-up" group can be joined by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/graze_it_up/ and click on the “Join This Group” button. Jump Starting Succession: NRCS helps Friends of Wissatinnewag restore native grasses at burial siteA 70 foot gravel embankment at a Native American burial site in Greenfield, Massachusetts, will soon be carpeted in native grasses if the recent efforts of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service staff and local volunteers are successful. NRCS and MassAudubon partner to restore salt marsh at Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, South DartmouthNormal tidal flow to a seven acre South Dartmouth salt marsh has been restored thanks to a partnership between the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Through the federal Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP), NRCS provided $13,128 in cost-share assistance, as well as technical assistance, to replace a culvert in the Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary that was too small. Land of Opportunities: NRCS helps Nuestras Raíces restore urban land for farmingIn 2004, Nuestras Raíces, a grass-roots organization that promotes economic, human and community development for the Latino community in Holyoke, Massachusetts, contacted the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field office in Hadley for assistance with conservation planning on land the organization had recently purchased along the Connecticut River. Earth Day dedication celebrates protection of Plymouth cranberry land and restoration of Eel RiverA partnership of local and federal agencies and non-profit organizations marked Earth Day 2006 by announcing the protection of 95 acres of open space in Plymouth that will be open to the public and known as the Eel River Preserve. Bay State high school students compete at 19th annual Massachusetts EnvirothonNearly 300 Bay State high school students from 40 public and private schools across the commonwealth, along with nearly 200 coaches, judges and volunteers, converged on the Blackstone River Canal and Heritage State Park in Uxbridge today for the 19th annual Massachusetts Envirothon, a statewide competition that tests students’ knowledge of aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife, and environmental issues. Mass. Agriculture in the Classroom honors Frederic WinthropFrederic Winthrop of Ipswich was honored recently as founding member of Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom at a dinner at the Topsfield Fairgrounds. The celebration also marked the group's 25th anniversary and was attended by farmers, friends and past and present board members of the statewide organization. To receive the Massachusetts Conservation Connection by e-mail, to be removed from the list, or to submit news items, please send an e-mail message to Diane.Petit@ma.usda.gov. The Natural Resources Conservation Service provides leadership in a partnership effort to help people conserve, maintain and improve our natural resources and environment. NRCS Massachusetts State Office: 451 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002 | 413-253-4350 | fax 413-253-4395 | www.ma.nrcs.usda.gov Cecil Currin, State Conservationist Massachusetts Conservation Connection editor: Diane Baedeker Petit, Public Affairs Specialist NRCS field offices are located at USDA Service Centers in
Barnstable, Greenfield, Hadley, Holden, Pittsfield, Westford and West Wareham.
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