Deerfield River Watershed Association receives grant to advance Wild and Scenic River designation study
The Deerfield River Watershed Association, in partnership with the Windham Regional Commission, have been awarded a grant from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to fund a Wild and Scenic River designation study on the Vermont portions of the Deerfield River Watershed.
The Deerfield River Watershed Association has accepted the $5,000 state grant, which will be matched by a $5,000 contribution from the association. The grant will support a detailed assessment of the Deerfield River’s Vermont tributaries, including the Deerfield River’s North Branch, East Branch and West Branch; the Green River; and the North River. The study will document the watershed’s values across scenic, recreational, ecological, historic and cultural dimensions.
This assessment is a key step toward completing the full Wild and Scenic Study for the Vermont portion of the watershed. When completed, the study will be combined with the already finished Massachusetts study and go to Congress to inform its decision on whether to designate the Deerfield River and its tributaries as a National Wild and Scenic River.
“This grant is a significant and exciting step forward,” Chris Curtis, vice president of the Deerfield River Watershed Association and lead coordinator of the initiative, said in a statement. “The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s support is a strong signal that the case for designation is compelling on both sides of the state line.”
Designation as a National Wild and Scenic River would permanently protect the Deerfield River from new dams and adverse development, while preserving its free-flowing character, coldwater fisheries and recreational value.
“We are grateful to Vermont Fish and Wildlife and to the Windham Regional Commission
for their partnership,” Deerfield River Watershed Association President Christopher Bathurst said in a statement. “This momentum reflects years of community building across the entire watershed.”
For more information or to get involved, visit deerfieldriver.org/wild-and-scenic or
contact drwa@deerfieldriver.org.
Nearly $5M in grants awarded to 307 fire departments
STOW — The Healey-Driscoll administration has awarded nearly $5 million in grants to 307 Massachusetts fire departments to support the purchase of new safety equipment.
“Massachusetts firefighters answer the call in every corner of our state and our job is to make sure they have what they need to do it safely,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “We’re investing in the equipment that protects them on the front lines and strengthening departments in more than 300 communities so they can continue protecting all of us.”
Fire departments were invited to apply to the Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant program, which provides reimbursement on purchases of nearly 100 different types of equipment. Eligible items include hoses and nozzles, turnout gear, ballistic protective equipment, portable and mobile radios, thermal imaging cameras, hand tools and extrication equipment, hazardous gas meters and more. In many cases, the purchase of this equipment will help departments attain compliance with Occupational Safety & Health Administration or National Fire Protection Association safety standards.
“Firefighters face immediate danger at fires, structural collapses, hazmat incidents and countless other calls,” Secretary of Public Safety & Security Gina Kwon said in a statement. “They also face the insidious threat of occupational cancer from exposure to toxic gases and substances. The Firefighter Safety Equipment Grants support equipment to protect them from all these risks.”
“The Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant program funds the tools, gear and equipment that our firefighters use to protect themselves, each other and the residents of their communities,” State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said in a statement. “It’s a smart investment in safety for the fire service and the commonwealth.”
In Franklin County and the North Quabbin region, grants (rounded to the nearest dollar) were awarded to Ashfield ($10,500), Athol ($13,583), Colrain ($9,398), Conway ($10,500), Deerfield ($8,923), Erving ($7,285), Greenfield ($19,000), Hawley ($10,500), Leverett ($6,180), Montague Center ($10,500), New Salem ($8,826), Northfield ($11,092), Orange ($12,191), Phillipston ($10,500), Royalston ($10,500), Shelburne Falls ($16,312), Shelburne ($10,500), South Deerfield ($12,500), Turners Falls ($12,441), Warwick ($10,500), Wendell ($8,330) and Whately ($10,500).