TURNERS FALLS — With a new federal grant in hand, the local conservation district will be able to move forward with local emergency planning and erosion control projects on area rivers.
State Energy and Environment Secretary Matthew Beaton joined Senate President Stanley Rosenberg and Rep. Stephen Kulik at the Great Falls Discovery Center Monday morning to announce the two $42,000 grants, one each for the Franklin district and the Hampden-Hampshire district.
Beaton said the grants were authorized through the Legislature as part of the 2014 environmental bond bill and awarded through the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. They’ll provide $250,000 of total funding to the state’s 13 conservation districts, which were formed after the Dust Bowl to help protect and preserve land in water nationwide.
The grants, called Conservation District Innovation Grants, are administered by the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service.
“We’ve done a great job in Massachusetts over the years of conserving property throughout the Commonwealth, and we want to continue to preserve those beautiful resources,” Beaton said of the grants. “We also realize there’s a need for stewardship of those lands, and these 13 districts are great partners and do amazing work as a liaison between state and local organizations and the landowners, who are the stewards.”
Franklin County’s district will receive $42,000, which will be used to erosion control projects along local rivers, including the Deerfield and Connecticut Rivers that were heavily affected by Tropical Storm Irene, emergency planning and to help secure larger federal grants, said Deerfield Selectboard Chairwoman Carolyn Shores Ness, who has worked on issues related to the local watershed and rivers.
Rosenberg noted the commitment of local conservation organizations to supporting the efforts the districts work on. “It’s really hard when there’s so little money and so much competition, and the fact that you won these grants out here is a testament to the quality of your effort, your vision and your dedication.”
Kulik said Tropical Storm Irene served as the catalyst for his interest in conservation districts and the work they do about five years ago.
“The amount of damage that was caused by Irene … the Connecticut River, Mill River, Deerfield were really hard hit with some very severe and unexpected kinds of impacts,” Kulik said. “Conservation districts are uniquely positioned to deal with those kinds of things and do the planning that’s important to alleviate these things in the future.”
Ness said the grants are small, but critical to push the district’s work forward and keep them alive.
“Climate change is affecting us daily,” she said. “Our farmers and our communities need the help of conservation districts.”
You can reach Tom Relihan at: 413-772-0261, ext. 264
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