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Volume 13 • Number 1 Spring 2007
�IERRANM A S S A C H U S E T T S�IERRAN
www.sierraclubmass.org
I N S I D E :
Explore, enjoy and protect the planet
Reaching More Than 26,000 Sierra Club Members
in Massachusetts
2 Director’s LetterA new governor brings a big change
3 Past and FutureThe chapter's accomplishmentsand plans
4 Birds Need our HelpSome birds don't thrive in forests
5 Energy as a Human Rights IssueThe Cape Group tackles both
6 Volunteer!Join us to work for our world
7 Old Growth HemlocksThe threat to this important species
8 Fighting Climate ChangeBlossom and Ethan Hoag attendthe UN Climate Conference
8 Congratulations ICO!8 Cool Cities9 Surviving Winter and
other ChallengesNatural history books by Heinrich
10 MA Environmental Policy ActDawson on using this law
11 Rethinking ZoningWhy we are car dependent
12 Green Maps Visualize our Communities
13 Join an Activist Outing13 Vote in Sierra Club
Elections14 Events and
Announcements15 Outings and the
Parks Conference16 Announcements and
More Events
Volume 13 • Number 1 Spring 2007
2 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2007
Massachusetts Sierra ClubCHAPTER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2007
David Heimann, [email protected]
617-524-4531
Phil Dowds, Vice [email protected]
Paras [email protected]
John Deacon [email protected]
Erik [email protected]
Deborah Holt [email protected]
John Kyper [email protected]
John Lewis [email protected]
Phil Sego [email protected]
CHAPTER STAFFJames McCaffrey, Director
Alexandra Oster, Administrative Assistant
LEADERS LISTFor information on local environmental issues, membership,
meetings, outings, and any other Sierra Club events, call or write the group or issue leaders listed below.
GROUP LEADERSCape Cod GroupBillie Bates, [email protected]
Greater Boston GroupChris Hallgren, [email protected]
Pioneer Valley GroupElisa Campbell, Acting [email protected]
Essex GroupKevin McCarthy, [email protected]
Thoreau GroupDan Proctor, Acting [email protected]
CHAPTER ISSUE LEADERSConservation Chairs Gil Woolley and Erik [email protected]@erikgehring.comEnergy Committee ChairPhil [email protected] Committee ChairMary Ann [email protected] Committee ChairMary Ann [email protected] Lands/Forestry Elisa [email protected]/Marine ChairBlossom [email protected]
Educational ChairDan [email protected] Chair Deborah [email protected] Committee Chair Leslie [email protected] Committee Chair Phil [email protected] ChairAnita King413-268-9212Transportation ChairJohn [email protected] ChairPhil [email protected] ChairPeter [email protected] CoordinatorPeter [email protected] Justice ChairBob [email protected]
PATRICK MAKES GOOD ON CAMPAIGNPROMISE TO REJOIN RGGILetter from the desk of James McCaffrey, Director
Elisa Campbell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EditorRicki Pappo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DesignerMegan Plunkett . . . . . . . . . Assistant Editor Jean Sideris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events Editor
The Massachusetts Sierran is published quarterly: March, June, September, and December.
The deadline for copy is normally eight weeks before publication. The deadline for meetings andannouncements is four weeks before publication.
Please submit all copy to Elisa Campbell at [email protected]. Please submit all announcements and meetings information
to [email protected], unless otherwise stated, are of the author only; positions adopted by the
Sierra Club are identified as such.Circulation of the Massachusetts Sierran
is over 26,000 outdoor-minded, environmentally aware readers.
Postmaster:Send all address changes (PS form 3579) to: Sierra Club Membership, 85 Second Street, 2nd FloorSan Francisco, CA 94105
Moving?Send change of address forms to above address.
Prospective advertisers:For advertising rate information,please contact [email protected] call (508) 698-6810.
Periodical Postage (air) at Boston, MA
The Massachusetts Sierran (USPS 059-370) is published quarterly byMassachusetts Chapter Sierra Club 100 Boylston Street, Suite 760Boston, MA 02116
(617) [email protected]
M A S S A C H U S E T T S�IERRANVol. 13 No. 1 • Spring 2007
©2007 Massachusetts Sierra ClubNo part of the contents of this newsletter may be reproduced by any means
without the written consent of the Massachusetts Sierran.
Deval Patrick, as a candidate for governor, assured supportersthat energy and the environment would be priority issues
for the Patrick administration. Undoing more than a year of excus-es by the Romney camp, on January 18th Governor Patrick signedMassachusetts back on to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative(RGGI), a program to help New England curb global warmingcausing emissions.
Still, not all promises are golden. While Massachusetts ranksnear the bottom on spending for environmental protection, Patrickhas already asked agencies to trim even more from parks, recreation,and environmental monitoring and enforcement budgets, all pro-grams that were severely slashed under Romney’s watch.
Also, Governor Patrick has made continuous overtures to thebusiness community by promising to expedite permitting inMassachusetts to “foster growth” even though the legislaturepassed sweeping reforms with an expedited permitting bill lastsession. Patrick has vowed to reduce permitting in Massachusettsto six months, create “one-stop shopping” for developmentapprovals, and has appointed a “permitting ombudsman” to facil-itate this process.
While all may not be perfect for either the business or the envi-ronmental community, it’s dangerous to overhaul environmentalprotections without fully understanding the effectiveness of cur-rent laws. Preliminary research by the Sierra Club indicates thatmore than half of the developers in the commonwealth are innon-compliance with key components of our environmental laws.We will report more on this in the summer issue of the Sierran,and hopefully, at that time, the laws themselves will still exist,rather than being weakened under pressure for permitting reform.Governor Patrick’s first six months in office will indeed be verytelling — rejoining RGGI to help combat the threat of globalwarming is clearly a promising start, and we are hopeful it wasnot a solitary gesture. ❖
Annual dues in the Sierra Clubare $39, of which $1 is for
a subscription to theMassachusetts Sierran.
ON THE COVER: Song Sparrow Photograph by Bill Byrne, for MassWildlife
SPRING 2007 Massachusetts Sierran 3
tion and the protection of theCape Cod water supply.
Politics: The chapterendorsed environmental can-didates in over 75 races in2006, from state legislature togovernor and US congress andsenate — and most of our can-didates won. The chapter alsoco-sponsored the GubernatorialEnvironmental Forum.
Outings: The chapter’s out-ings program continues to pro-vide opportunities for mem-bers and the public to explore
the outdoors and learn about conservation issues. In2006, the chapter sponsored an enthusiastically attend-ed educational cruise of the Boston Harbor focusing onthe proposed LNG facility. The inner city outings pro-gram brought hundreds of Boston youth out into naturalareas. The Chapter would like to expand the inner cityoutings program to other cities.
Volunteers and Groups: In 2006, members on theSouth Shore and in the Thoreau area got together tostart forming regional Sierra Club groups. The Cape CodGroup’s annual Join Muir Lecture and Desert Receptiongathered Cape members to discuss waste water issueswhile the Essex County Group provided an opportuni-ty for members to test drive alternative fueled vehiclesat its annual cook-out.
Many new members have stepped forward to vol-unteer on new projects and to take enormous respon-sibilities, including our first volunteer coordinator. MaryAnn Nelson, who served as chapter chair for five years,has transferred leadership of the chapter to DavidHeimann, a long term volunteer on energy and region-al issues. For 2007, the chapter has made improving thevolunteer program and increasing the number of groupsaround the state priorities.
Funding – Your Help is Needed! The MassachusettsSierra Club does a tremendous amount of work on avery small budget. Your generosity is crucial to doingour work. We appreciate the many members who havemade contributions. We ask that you continue to supportthe Massachusetts Chapter in our local conservationprograms.
To become active in the local chapter, call the office orsend an email to [email protected]. To donatedirectly to the Sierra Club in Massachusetts, send your dona-tion to the chapter at its office (see page 2 for the address)or visit www.sierraclubmass.org. ❖
This past year, the Massa-chusetts Chapter engaged
in many important conserva-tion and environmental poli-cy issues in the state.
Parks and Open Space:Many Club members attend-ed hearings last spring on thestate’s Forest Reserve planwhich designated nine largeforest reserves totaling morethan 50,000 acres within stateagency woodlands. The chap-ter worked with the Depart-ment of Conservation andRecreation to allow for public review and participationin its forest cutting plans on its other properties. In2007, we will continue to fight for the improvement ofthe state’s park system.
Energy: There are proposals for five Liquefied NaturalGas (LNG) facilities and many alternative energy facil-ities in the state. The chapter has been involved in theirenvironmental review and permitting. At the sametime, the Cool Cities Task Force attacked global warm-ing by working to get our cities and towns to reducetheir greenhouse gas emissions. So far, 13 Massachusettscommunities have signed on as Cool Cities; our goalis to enlist 20 more by the end of 2007. The EnergyOutreach Committee has produced a video on energysaving tips. Reducing the state’s demand for energy isour conservation priority for 2007.
Legislation: Volunteers and staff worked to thwartcountless moves by highly paid lobbyists to get leg-islative approval to place an LNG facility in the BostonHarbor Island National Park. In 2006, the LegislativeAction Committee worked hard to advance its ParksProtection Package and will continue its campaign thissession.
Transportation: The Sierra Club remains a leader inadvocating for transportation choices around the state.We were one of the few environmental groups to dis-cuss the impact of the MBTA fare increase on commuterrail users and the environment as well as the subwayand bus riders. We joined former Governor Mike Dukakisand others to produce a report highlighting the impor-tance of the North South Rail Link.
Wetlands and Marine Issues: The Sierra Club par-ticipated in the Taunton River watershed wetland bank-ing study group and advocated with state agencies forcontinued strong regulations of development in wet-lands. The Cape Cod Group continued its major rolein the clean up of the Massachusetts Military reserva-
Where We’ve Been — and Where We’re Going!
Photograph by Paul Mozell (mozellstudios.com)Painted trillium
Other species prefer clearcut forest habitat dom-inated by broadleaved woody plants (chestnut-sided warbler and mourning warbler), and manywill utilize either shrubland or clearcut habi-tats (common yellowthroat, eastern towhee,and prairie warbler).
The population of these bird species is declin-ing across the region. It is believed that lack ofhabitat contributes significantly to that decline.Many early-successional species appear to behabitat specialists that use relatively ephemer-al conditions found in recently-disturbed envi-ronments. Typically, within a decade or so, thestructure or composition of vegetation haschanged enough that early-successional speciesabandon these habitats.
In the past, natural processes created moredisturbances on the Massa-chusetts landscape than theydo today. Those processesincluded seasonal river flood-ing, beaver activity, and occa-sional fires and windstorms.Humans have substantiallyreduced all of these. Morethan 1,000 dams reduceflooding. Beaver activity his-torically occurred most fre-quently on lower slopes andalong low-gradient streamsin Massachusetts, but theselow-lying sites have recentlybeen the focus of humandevelopment. Beaver activi-ty has been virtually elimi-nated in urban areas and iscommonly restricted in sub-urban areas. Exact numbersare not available forMassachusetts, but in neigh-boring New York state, beaver-created floodplains have beenreduced by about 65 percentfrom historical levels.
Disturbance by fire andwind have also been curtailedby human landuse. Fires for-merly occurred to varyingdegrees within the broadleafforest (oak-hickory) areas ofeastern, south-central, and
4 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2007
Birds Need Early-SuccessionalHabitats in Massachusettsby John J. Scanlon
Species of greatest conservation concern in Massachusetts associated with young forest andshrubland habitats, excerpted from the Draft Massachusetts Comprehensive WildlifeConservation Plan available at: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/cwcs/dfw_cwcs.htm
None of these species is covered by the U.S. Endangered Species Act; the State Status maybe E (endangered), T (Threatened), or SC (Special Concern), or not covered by the stateEndangered Species Act (blank). Global rarity ranges from G1 (Critically Imperiled) to G5(Demonstrably secure). State rarity ranges from S1 (Critically Imperiled) to S5 (Widespread).Species with a range of either Global and/or State ranks (e.g., S1S3) have insufficient data todetermine the number of viable populations.
STATE GLOBAL RARITY STATE RARITYSCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME STATUS RANKING RANKINGElaphe obsolete eastern ratsnake E G5 S1Heterodon platirhinos eastern hognose snake -- G5 S4Vermivora chrysoptera golden-winged warbler E G4 S1Oporornis philadelphia mourning warbler SC G5 S1Bonasa umbellus ruffed grouse -- G5 S5Buteo platypterus broad-winged hawk -- G5 S5Caprimulgus vociferus whip-poor-will -- G5 S4Colinus virginianus northern bobwhite -- G5 S5Dendroica discolor prairie warbler -- G5 S5Empidonax traillii willow flycatcher -- G5 S4Falco sparverius American kestrel -- G5 S5Pipilo erythrophthalmus eastern towhee -- G5 S5Scolopax minor American woodcock -- G5 S4Spizella pusilla field sparrow -- G5 S5Toxostoma rufum brown thrasher -- G5 S5Vermivora pinus blue-winged warbler -- G5 S3Zonotrichia albicollis white-throated sparrow -- G5 S5Synaptomys cooperi southern bog lemming SC -- S2Sylvilagus transitionalis New England cottontail -- G4 S4Hadena ectypa a noctuid moth -- G3G4 S1S3
Species of Greatest Conservation Concern in Massachusetts
Various native wildlifespecies benefit from
early-successional (non-for-est) habitats to meet theirannual needs for food andcover. Research sponsored bythe Massachusetts Divisionof Fisheries and WildlifeUpland Habitat Program, andconducted collaboratively by
the US Forest Service and the MassachusettsAudubon Society, has determined that somebird species prefer shrubland habitats. Somebirds, such as blue-winged warbler, field spar-row, and indigo bunting, are found in aban-doned agricultural fields and shrublands with amixture of herbaceous and woody vegetation.
continued on page 12
American woodcock
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sWild
life
SPRING 2007 Massachusetts Sierran 5
Energy costs on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard,and Nantucket are unusually high. Although
many residents waste energy and have oppor-tunities to easily reduce their energy con-sumption, others are caught in the phenome-non known as “fuel poverty.” Some low-incomefamilies are still struggling to pay their fuel billsfrom the 2005-2006 winter. In many homes,the poor ask, “Heat or eat?” For some homes,social workers and medical workers recommendthat thermostats be turned up, not down.
Since 2001, members of the Cape Cod Grouphave identified energy issues as an environ-mental justice concern on the coast ofMassachusetts. Working with religious and com-munity groups, the local Sierra Club distributedinformation about fuel assistance and homeenergy conservation programs. The group hasalso assisted with fundraisers for the HousingAssistance Corporation, which manages home-less shelters, assists low-income families in find-ing affordable housing, and provides weather-ization services for many of the households thatneed assistance with home energy conserva-tion. For many elderly people and persons withdisabilities, even the repair of a broken windowis a major task. Many of the homes on CapeCod and on nearby islands were built for sum-mer use only and are not meant to be lived induring the area’s harsh winters. Helping low-income families to repair their homes and installefficient heating systems and adequate insula-tion is one way to help solve the area’s energyproblem. While responding to human needs,local environmentalists promote energy edu-cation. In coastal areas, especially, people arefrequently concerned about the global warm-ing problem and, given the opportunity, manywill support environmental protection.
While the Sierra Club works on energy issuesthroughout the year, on New Years Day we co-sponsor an event that begins with presentationsabout energy and environmental justice, butalso includes music and dancing. Communityenthusiasm is high, and merry makers are notdeterred by howling wind or rain coming downin sheets, as we had this year.
Speakers at this year’s environmental justicerally in Woods Hole included State Representative
Matthew Patrick and his wife Louise Patrick.This husband-and-wife team both served inthe Peace Corps in West Africa during the 1970s.Representative Patrick has long been involvedwith energy and environmental protection pro-jects on Cape Cod. Ms. Patrick directs thehuman services program in Mashpee and is anexpert on fuel assistance programs. The Patricksspoke about home heating and lighting andalso addressed the need for improvements inpublic transportation in rural areas, where peo-ple are dependent on automobiles. People whodon’t have cars become marginalized and oftenlack access to employment and basic services.
As the population ages on Cape Cod and inmuch of America, more people will have toreduce their dependence on automobiles; build-ing public transportation systems for eldersand their caregivers will become increasinglyimportant.
“Energy issues are human rights issues” isone of the slogans now being raised by theCape Cod Group. By taking an environmentaljustice approach to global warming and otherenergy concerns, environmentalists are help-ing their communities to become more respon-sive to social justice needs. It’s good news for thelow-income people and others who are underconstant pressure to pay for the high cost ofenergy. ❖
Bob Murphy, who has been an environmental jus-tice advocate for many years, is the vice-chairmanof the Cape Cod Group. He’s active in the weath-erization and fuel assistance program on Cape Cod.
Environmental Justice Pushes the Energy Agenda
by Robert F. Murphy
“Energy issues are human rights issues” is one of theslogans now being raised by the Cape Cod Group. Bytaking an environmental justice approach to global
warming and other energy concerns, environmentalistsare helping their communities to become more
responsive to social justice needs.
6 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2007
Accounting/Treasurer: The Treasureroversees and helps plan the chapterbudget, oversees the bookkeeping, andfiles the year-end reports. An account-ing or financial background is required.Volunteers who can help with gener-al accounting help (at the office) arealso needed.
Webmaster: We need help with ourwebsite fixing broken links, reorga-nizing pages, and adding or editingcontent. Dreamweaver knowledge isrequired.
Chapter Political Committee: Focusingon electoral politics, this committee’svolunteers help our endorsementprocess. We investigate the votingrecords of incumbents, issue and ana-lyze questionnaires, and discuss thecandidacy of legislators. All Sierramembers who are not legally prohib-ited from work on electoral andendorsement activities are welcome.
Writers and photographers for theSierran: The Massachusetts Chapterpublishes a quarterly newsletter,“Massachusetts Sierran.” We’re look-ing for volunteer writers and photog-raphers.
Energy Committee: This committeeworks on many issues including theRegional Greenhouse Gas Initiative,wind farms, Liquified Natural Gas, andair quality issues. Technical expertiseis always appreciated, but you don’tneed to be an expert! Anyone who isinterested can help and learn.
Energy Committee – OutreachProgram: Teach residents, home andbusiness owners the bottom line ben-efits of conservation and their greenpower options, as well as the envi-ronmental benefits of energy efficiency.Volunteer opportunities include speak-ing, event set-up, and event planning.Energy related knowledge is welcomedbut not required. All you need is ded-ication and a willingness to help outwhen needed.
Energy Committee – Cool CitiesCampaign: Work with your city ortown if it has signed on to the Mayors’Protection Agreement to help it reachits goal. Or, help get your city or townto sign on. Contact us to learn moreabout the campaign.
Transportation Committee: This com-mittee works on local, regional andnational transportation issues. Helpthe fight to connect North and Southstation or push for expanded local andregional rail. We also work on the envi-ronmental impacts of air travel andairports.
Sierra Club Meetup Co-Chair: OurGreater Boston Group’s monthly“Sierra Club & Beer” nights have beenenormously successful. We need helpwith some of the details and offeringsign-ups.
Local Group Action: The Sierra Clubsupports and helps maintain local andregional groups. We’re in the processof starting groups in the Concord andHull areas. We’re also gearing up toreactivate our Berkshire, Pioneer Valley,South Shore and Thoreau groups.
Fundraising: Help with house parties,mailings, organizing. The chapter’sfundraising committee raises fundsfor conservation issues through a vari-ety of means: direct solicitation, foun-dation fundraising, special events, and
sales of Sierra Club items such as cal-endars. Especially needed is a “storemanager” to fill occasional orders forcalendars, hats, bags, etc.
Outings: Volunteers are needed to orga-nize and lead outings such as hikes,bike trips, canoe trips and backpack-ing trips for members. The currentcoordinator is retiring and looking fora replacement to handle the recruit-ment and manage the outings pro-gram.
Legislative Action Committee: Learnto Lobby! It’s fun — and is one of themost powerful tools that the chapterhas in affecting environmental pro-tections. We sponsor and supportmany environmental bills and thiscommittee covers all the aspects oflegislation: writing bills, testifying athearings, lobbying and making callsto legislators, and contacting the pressabout important legislative issues.
Inner City Outings: This programbrings the outdoor experience to youthwho live in urban areas. Assistance isalways needed and appreciated.Volunteers accompany youth fromvarious organizations on hikes andoutings, interact with the kids andsupport the leaders. No prior experi-ence is necessary, just a desire to helpout and have fun! We also need tripleaders — training provided. ❖
Get Active -Volunteer with the Sierra Club!
If you are looking to get involved with a wonderful organization that serves a great cause, we are theorganization for you! The Sierra Club is a grassroots organization that offers many rewarding oppor-tunities for volunteers to get involved and change our communities. Look through the listings below,
then drop us an email at [email protected] — and we can help you get started.
When walking through the oldgrowth stands of Massachusetts,
you may note an alarming amount ofhemlock. This dominance is chieflydue to the fact that hemlock was notdesirable for lumber during this area’sdevelopment. While harder than somesoft woods, hemlocks’ soft and knot-ty innards prevented early settlers fromtrekking up a mountain to cut themdown. On accessible terrain, hemlockswere felled for their bark, which wasused to tan leather, and the remain-ing wood was either left to rot or usedfor railroad ties. Uncut, a hemlock canlive up to 900 years, and the largestone on record is 165 feet tall with agirth of 202 inches.
Unfortunately these wonderful andunique stands are under attack, andthe assault is not led by developers orloggers, but rather an insect. Hemlockwooly adelgid (HWA) is an exoticinsect that is destroying Eastern andCarolina hemlocks. HWA was intro-duced from Japan to the PacificNorthwest in 1924, and spread to theNortheast by the 1950s. This pest hassince spread from southern NewEngland to North Carolina. The insectfeeds by sucking the sap from thebranches of hemlocks and if not con-trolled, an infected tree will die with-in three to four years.
HWA spreads to different trees byanimals, humans, and the wind andappears as small white cottony puffsfound at the base of a tree’s needles.The harmful insect is thought to injecttoxins into the tree while it feeds,which leads to accelerated needle lossand branch dieback. Infected trees takeon a grayish-green hue as opposed totheir natural shiny dark green color-ing. The insect prefers mature trees liv-ing in stressed conditions making thetrees more vulnerable. In New Englandthey have a tendency to attack thelower branches first. HWA has recent-ly been discovered in the HarvardForest in central Massachusetts; sci-entists there have launched an inten-sive monitoring study.
SPRING 2007 Massachusetts Sierran 7
There are many con-ditions that can affect theincidence of HWA.Drought and fungi willstress the trees and causethem to be more vulner-able to insect attack,while cold snaps, lowwinter temperatures, andsevere thunderstorms candiminish pest popula-tions. In mountainousregions the upper thirdof hemlock trees havebeen found to have noHWA since the conditionsare harsher than theinfected lower two-thirds.
The ramifications ofthis disease are enormous.Hemlock is widely sold byplant nurseries in addi-tion to playing a crucial role in wildlifeecology, watershed protection and waterquality. Several neo-tropical birds,including black-throated green war-blers, Blackburnian warblers, Canadawarblers, and blue-throated vireos, nestalmost exclusively in hemlock stands.The great horned and barred owls pre-fer hemlocks for their nesting sites, andour state bird, the chickadee, sheltersin these majestic trees as well.Watersheds that are dominated by hem-locks have been found to have 37 per-cent more species diversity than mixedhardwood forests. The low sweepingbranches characteristic of these treesmediate ground temperatures duringthe winter and help to keep streams icefree. They have also been found to actas hydrologic buffers and reduce theeffects of droughts or floods.
Diseased and dying hemlock forestsdon’t simply stop providing these ben-efits, they cause complete chaos. Deadtrees are easily blown over by strongwinds. Those that land in streams causedebris dams which can move withfloods and wreak havoc on bridges,fields, homes, and roads. In an area ofdead trees, invasive species are quickto move in, and create a totally differ-
ent habitat that dries much more eas-ily, thereby lessening the biodiversity.
Fortunately there is hope for thesemajestic trees, and it comes in the formof a systematic insecticide called imi-dacloprid. This treatment is applied byeither drenching the soil or injectingit directly into the trunk. In a studyconducted by Ralph Webb and othersin 2003, infected trees that underwentthis treatment showed astonishingchanges. Hemlocks with no new growthand dieback were found to recoverquickly and densely under the aid ofthis insecticide. In addition to this treat-ment there are several other promis-ing means of rehabilitating infectedtrees, the most common being dous-ing the tree with a non-toxic spray thatcovers the adult before it has a chanceto lay eggs and asphyxiates it. The lastand perhaps slightly more interestingalternative is introducing the Asian par-asites natural predator, a Japanese lady-bug that has a huge appetite for thehemlock wooly adelgid. ❖
Sara Carlisle is a student at HampshireCollege, where she has been studying oldgrowth forests. This is the second of aseries of articles.
Old Growth Forest in Massachusetts: The Threat to Hemlocksby Sara Carlisle
Old hemlock suffering from wooly adelgid
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Although the United States has refused to sign on toprotocols for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
much of the rest of the world is moving ahead to reduceemissions and deal with climate change. The UnitedNations held the most recent Climate Change Conference(UNCCC) in November 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Tyla Matteson from Virginia and Ethan Hoag and Ifrom Massachusetts attended the conference as SierraClub representatives under the Climate Action Network(CAN) umbrella. We had attended the UNCCC inMontreal last year and wanted to continue our com-mitment to global warming and climate change.
The Sierra Club representatives made contact withlike-minded people from around the world and devel-oped a more complete understanding of the problemsthat other countries face. We spent a lot of time dispellingthe misinformation put out by Paula Dubriansky, USSecretary of Environment and Public Works. She saidthere was not much difference between Republicans andDemocrats in their perception of climate change.Dubriansky also mentioned the US had spent $59 billionaround the world primarily in renewables and energyefficiency, which isn’t entirely true: the spending includesresearch in hydrogen, nuclear, carbon capture and seques-tration, and methane, as well as renewable energy. AllUS officials denied any urgency to the problem; one evenquestioned the reality of global warming and insistedthat it is a hoax, claiming that the environmental orga-
nizations — mentioning the Sierra Club by name — werethe slickest lobbyists in Washington with huge budgets,and had created media frenzy around global climatechange. At many of the press briefings, media questionswere often directed toward the change of direction inthe US policy on climate change as a result of theNovember elections.
While many wished that a lot more had come out of thisconference, it is still heartening to know that the processwill continue, and with any luck, the US will surpriseeveryone and join it much sooner than anticipated. ❖
Blossom Hoag is a long-time activist in the chapter and amember of the chapter's energy committee.
8 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2007
Moving Ahead Against Climate Changeby Blossom Hoag
Blossom Hoag and Khaire Parrè plan strategy at the UN ClimateChange Conference in Nairobi
Inner City Outings Receives Grant
The Sierra Club Inner City Outings (ICO) Program inBoston is excited to announce an $11,000 donation
from the employees of the Bridgespan Group, a Boston-based nonprofit organization that applies leading-edgemanagement strategies, tools, and talent to help othernonprofits and foundations achieve greater social impact.This unprecedented donation was initiated by BostonICO leader and Bridgespan employee Maddy Niebauer.Each year, Bridgespan employees organize an effort toselect a local charity to which they can donate time andmoney, and this year Boston ICO was chosen. The objec-tives of this donation are to provide opportunities fordirect, hands-on learning opportunities for Bridgespanstaff and to create significant relationships with small,local nonprofits. ❖
EVENT
COOL CITIES TRAININGJune 1 - 3, 2007 Hulbert Outdoor Educational Center, Fairlee, VT
Learn how to be a trainer and assist other volunteers ingetting communities/universities/other entities to takethe pledge for the Mayors’ Initiative to achieve theKyoto Protocols’ guidelines!
Sponsored by the Northeast Regional Committee.
For information, contact:[email protected], 518-587-9166
See the website for latest updates:http://www.sierraclub.org/rcc/northeast/index.asp
You can get involved in reducing greenhouse gases — and you don’t have to travel around the world to doit! The Sierra Club has a “Cool Cities” campaign working at the local level around the country. Over 380 citiesand towns have signed on. Has yours? If it has, is it following through? To get involved, see the article onvolunteering with the Sierra Club elsewhere in this Sierran, or sign up for Cool Cities training.
SPRING 2007 Massachusetts Sierran 9
If you are looking for something fun to read, I highlyrecommend the natural history books by Bernd Heinrich.
Heinrich is a professor of biology at the University ofVermont whose fascination with the lives of the animalsand plants around him is contagious. He is constantlywondering about what he has noticed, thinking of pos-sible explanations, and then exploring and experiment-ing to find out if his supposition is correct. Heinrich’sbooks are a delight to read, and I come to the end of eachone knowing much more about our fellow creatures.
Most of Heinrich’s writing is set in western Maine, onan abandoned overgrown farm that he purchased in 1977.The Trees in My Forest is an exploration of that land: aswamp, pond and stream bordered by alders; forests ofvarious ages and species, including white pines, firs andspruces, plus an old orchard growing up into a sugarmaple grove. He discusses the little “ground pines” thatcreep along the ground, as well as the towering whitepines that 300 years ago were marked with the “BroadArrow” that reserved them for the masts of the king’sships. During an ice storm he explores why some treessurvive unscathed while others are toppled or lose hugebranches. He describes his futile efforts to keep some ofhis old apple trees alive by removing the trees that hadovertopped them — they die promptly from the suddenexposure to direct sunlight. The reader learns about typesof wood, how trees know when to leaf out, and how pol-lination occurs in several different species. Since Heinrichseveral times had foresters thin some of his woods, (work-ing toward a more diverse forest than the ones that grewup on abandoned farm fields), he also experimented withdifferent types of equipment used for the cuttings — manand horse, man and skidder, and a crew with big machines(feller-buncher, grapler-skidder and delimber).
Several of the books have a central question Heinrichtries to answer. For example, in The Mind of the Raven, hetries to understand the social behavior of these intelli-gent birds. In Winter World: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival,he goes in search of how a tiny bird, the golden-crownedkinglet, can survive winter in Maine or Alaska — andalong the way, he tells us how such varied animals asweasels, flying squirrels, frogs, mice, bears, bats and sev-eral kinds of insects manage to do so. I won’t spoil thesuspense by revealing his answers!
BOOK REVIEW:
Bernd Heinrich,Naturalist and Author
review by Elisa Campbell
Heinrich illustrates his books with his own drawings andphotographs, which add to the charm as well as to theinformative content of the books. In addition to the booksI have mentioned, he has written about bumblebees, owlsand human runners. Many of his books are available inpaper back. If you live, vacation or recreate in westernMassachusetts, northern New England, or nearby moun-tains and forests, you will learn fascinating facts aboutyour companions; I predict that if you read one of thesebooks, you’ll go on a quest for the others. ❖
When people try to combat pro-jects they think damage the nat-
ural environment, they generally thinkfirst of using the state WetlandProtection Act. The trouble with thatvenerable law is, it does not apply at allto activities, however massive, thatare not within, or in close proximity to,wetlands, floodplains, rivers, or coastalfeatures like beaches and dunes. Howabout the laws that protect rare speciesof animals and plants? The limitationof the Massachusetts EndangeredSpecies Act is that it only applies wherethreatened species are located onatlases prepared by the NaturalHeritage and Endangered SpeciesProgram found within the stateDivision of Fisheries and Wildlife.
A statute with far broader jurisdic-tion is the Massachusetts Environ-mental Policy Act (MEPA). This lawrequires proponents to prepare lengthystudies called Environmental ImpactReports (EIRs) for large projects thatmeet its thresholds. Preparation of anEIR requires a lot of work and time,and can accomplish the following:
• prevent a hasty rush to construc-tion which, once begun, is almostimpossible to stop;
• assemble a huge amount of infor-mation about the project, its envi-ronmental setting and alternativedesigns;
• create an opportunity for state-wide,rather than merely local, publicityand critical comment;
• lead to better design or even some-times abandonment of the project.
But first of all, the project mustmeet not just one but two separatethresholds before the MEPA office, partof the Executive Office of Environ-mental Affairs (EOEA) will take anyinterest in it:
• It must be, at least in part, con-nected with a “state agency action,”that is, it must need a state permit,must involve state property, or musthave state funding;
• It must meet astandard for phys-ical impact, forexample, 5,000square feet of wet-lands fill (including isolated wet-lands, which get little respect fromother laws).
You may ask yourself how a big pro-ject such as a shopping mall or largesubdivision would ever fail to meetthese two thresholds. But many pri-vate projects do not seek state fund-ing and are built entirely on privatelyowned land and do not need state-level permits. Planning board approvalsand conservation commission permits donot constitute state permits. However, awetlands permit from the Departmentof Environmental Protection (DEP) isa state permit, so an appeal from alocal conservation commission deci-sion under the state WetlandProtection Act will bring the projectunder MEPA if and only if it also meetsthe physical thresholds. These are partof the MEPA regulations, published inChapter 301, section 11 of the stateCode of Massachusetts Regulations(CMR), which can be found online. Aproject that does not involve wetlandsmust meet a high threshold, usually25 acres of land disturbance or at least10 acres of land newly made imper-vious.
EIRs are mandated only for the largeprojects (for example, 50 acres of landdisturbance). Many projects reviewedby the MEPA office are allowed to goforward without an EIR. This is wherethe squeaky wheel principle can havean effect. Track the project throughan online document called the“Environmental Monitor” and orderfrom the developer’s engineer theEnvironmental Notification Form(ENF) that describes in some detailwhat is planned. Then get folks toemail MEPA explaining why an EIRshould be required. The support oftown and city officials is helpful if youcan get it.
Why is more use not made ofMEPA? True, the process is compli-cated, but it requires no expense orspecial expertise. The truth is, manygood folks have a low opinion of thelaw. And MEPA is in many ways a veryweak law. MEPA’s decision not torequire an EIR or to declare a lamereport adequate is virtually impossi-ble to attack in court. Environmentaladvocates must therefore contemplatethe law more as a political than as alegal tool. Resign yourself to thisapproach and you can go far by dog-ging the process relentlessly. ❖
Alexandra Dawson is an environmentalattorney who lives in Hadley,Massachusetts. Among other things, shewrites environmental regulations andhandbooks about them.
10 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2007
MEPA the Mystery Environmental Law
by Alexandra Dawson
MEPA Regulations Online:http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/300-399cmr.html
A statute with far broader jurisdiction is theMassachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA).This law requires proponents to prepare lengthy
studies called Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs)for large projects that meet its thresholds.
The single most important obstaclein the US to reducing dependence
on imported oil and our dispropor-tionate generation of carbon dioxide(CO2) is the settlement pattern thathas grown up over the past hundredyears. Apart from a few older cities,most Americans are almost totallydependent on their personal auto-mobiles for essential journeys to work,stores, church, public offices, and enter-tainment. In 1900 most jobs were intowns and cities, and workers wholived in suburbs commuted by rail orsubway. Many still do, but others workin another suburb not accessible bypublic transportation. Stores, as wellas sporting and entertainment events,were also in central areas.
There is a high probability thatcompetition for oil supplies from therapidly growing Asian economies willsoon raise the price of fuel to a levelwhich will make long distance autocommuting too expensive for mostpeople. It is questionable whether alter-native fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, can provide an adequate low-cost alternative for vehicle fuel.
Aside from environmental concerns,it would be prudent to guide devel-opment towards less energy-intensivepatterns. Massachusetts state govern-ment recognized this need when itadopted a “Smart Growth” policy thatencourages development in areas eas-ily accessible to public transportation.But in the commonwealth most landuse decisions are made at the locallevel, and many towns and cities havezoning regulations that discourageSmart Growth.
The most obvious example is largesingle-lot zoning in the outer suburbs— two or even four acres. Thissprawled-out pattern practicallyrequires every adult family memberto have use of a car in order to get towork, school, stores and every placeelse. It also adds to the cost of utili-ties, school buses, and snow plowingand results in open space continuingto be gobbled up.
A less obvious obstacle to more ener-gy efficient residential patterns is “sin-
gle use zoning” that separates resi-dential and business districts. “Mixeduse zoning,” on the other hand, allowsresidential construction over retail andoffice space. When these areas are with-in easy walking distance of subway orlight rails service, many people can beless car dependent, even if they con-tinue to own a car for recreational use.With a larger base of customers with-in walking distance, grocery, hardwareand clothing stores will locate in thearea, further reducing auto dependence.For many single-person householdsand childless couples, such areas areattractive places to live.
Allowing more retail and commercein primarily residential communitiesoffers some of the same advantages,but will probably meet sufficient resis-tance from residents to prevent it fromhappening soon.
Suburban zoning which allows peo-ple to live closer together has manyadvantages. It allows people to get toknow each other. When walking to thestore, library, local restaurant, or church,you are much more likely to meetneighbors and people you have metbefore. Children and teenagers meet
SPRING 2007 Massachusetts Sierran 11
Our Zoning Gobbles Up Energyby Gil Woolley
Global Warming EventOn December 16, Congressman Marty Meehan hosted a conference on the healthimpacts of global warming. Among those attending were then-Chapter Chair MaryAnn Nelson, Essex Group Chair Kevin McCarthy (left), and Ian Bowles (right), nowthe Secretary of Environment and Energy for Massachusetts.
casually on the streets, and are likelyto be better behaved when they knowthat neighbors and friends of their par-ents may be around. In short, theanonymous suburb becomes a com-munity.
Then there is health. When manyactivities involve walking, we get a lotof moderate exercise without the needto schedule time at the gym.
And don’t forget the dollars andcents. Not needing a second (or third)car saves a lot of money on financecharges, taxes and insurance, as wellas gasoline.
I grew up in a medium density sub-urb of Nottingham, England. at a timewhen most people didn’t own a carbut almost all the homes were singlefamily with a small garden. Industries,schools and colleges, major stores andentertainment, were all accessible byreasonably frequent public trans-portation. It must have been severaltimes as energy efficient as similar sub-urbs in the US and I don’t rememberit as being a hardship.
Like it or not, sooner or later lowcost gasoline will be a thing of the past,so let’s start preparing for it now. ❖
Gil Woolley has been active in the SierraClub in Massachusetts for over 30 years,and is a frequent contributor to the Sierran.
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river valley areas of Massachusetts, butall fires are strictly controlled todayto protect human health and proper-ty. Wind disturbance still occurs, butforest structure and composition havebeen highly modified by humans overthe past 300 years, and today’s forestsare dominated by 70 to 90-year-oldtrees which are less susceptible to wind-throw than old-growth trees that like-ly dominated the landscape prior toEuropean settlement.
The middle-aged trees that domi-nate the forest in Massachusetts are aresult both of historic land use (farmsabandoned in the 19th and 20th cen-turies growing up into forests) and thefact that trees in southern NewEngland typically reach financial matu-rity at about 75 years of age (that is,their value as timber no longer increas-es as rapidly as they grow older). Treesare often harvested in a selective man-ner that retains about two-thirds ofall overstory trees, which is fine forgrowing trees but does not provideadequate open habitat for early-suc-cessional species of wildlife.
Green Mapsby Jerrad Pierce
AGreen Map, as the name implies, is an environmentally themed map which plots the location of a variety ofculturally significant resources. Mapped features are anything from parks to ponds, recycling centers to toxic
waste sites, community gardens to farmers’ markets, ferries to bike paths. The purpose of such a map is to serve asa guide for sustainable living, integrating information from a variety of sources into a simple format.
Green Maps may be oriented towards tourism (Toronto), social justice (Washington D.C.), land use (Hiroshima),or whatever theme suits the author. Regardless of the focus, a carefully crafted map will likely allow readers to dis-cern unforeseen patterns of urbanization, pollution, etc. Alas, most Bay-staters do not have access to this greattool. Only two maps have been created in Massachusetts: Cambridge and Holyoke. This is especially disappointingsince we are blessed with a wealth of relevant, freely available, no-cost data from the Executive Office of EnvironmentalAffairs’ MassGIS division.
For an example of what’s possible, download the Cambridge Green Map at http://CambridgeMA.GreenMap.org,or explore MassGIS data for your area at http://mass.gov/mgis/mapping.htm#OLIVER. You might also check outthe online mapping tools for other free government data from many government agencies, including the USGeological Survey, Census Bureau, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Not quite convinced you should start a project to map your neighborhood or town? Afraid of complicatedmapping software? You might be interested in the stories of a few projects from around the world at http://greenatlas.org . For more details about starting up visit the Green Map System web site at http://greenmap.org
Jerrad Pierce is a Sierra Club member studying environmental policy and is also the creator of the Cambridge Green Map.
In the meantime, abandoned fieldscontinue to decline throughoutMassachusetts as farmlands are lost todevelopment. Abandoned fields thatare maintained as early-successionalhabitats are an excellent habitat forwildlife. But it is expensive to main-tain these habitats (the average costis around $50 an acre each year) andthere are few secure, long-term fund-ing sources available to support thisimportant conservation work. Limitedfunding is available to privatelandowners in Massachusetts throughthe Division of Fisheries and WildlifeLandowner Incentive Program (seewebsite below).
If Massachusetts is to continuebeing a “home” to a variety of nativebird species, humans must introducethe needed disturbances in forests.
Mass Fisheries and Wildlife managesits lands with overall species diversi-ty as its goal. For private landownerswishing to provide this needed habi-tat, some budgetary help would beuseful. Possibilities include establish-ing dedicated funding for abandonedfield management through passage oflegislation such as the proposedConservation and Reinvestment Act.Also helpful would be the permittingand construction of small co-genera-tion energy facilities that provide amarket for some wood products thatare not commercially valuable. Thatmarket could facilitate heavier regen-eration cutting on some Massachusettsforestlands. ❖
John Scanlon is the Forestry Project Leaderfor the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
12 Massachusetts Sierran SPRING 2007
Information on the web:Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Landowner Incentive Program http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_lip.htm
Early-successional habitat for wildlife http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/bdi/bdihome.htm
Conservation and Reinvestment Acthttp://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfwcoal.htm
Bird Habitats(continued from page 4)
SPRING 2007 Massachusetts Sierran 13
Sierra Club ActivistOutings HighlightAdventure and Advocacyby Vicky Hoover
Every year the Sierra Club nation-al outings program features sev-
eral special trips that inform partici-pants about the issues surroundingtheir particular trip and train themon how to advocate effectively forthe relevant campaign. Wildernessand other preservation campaigns arethe chief focus for 2007’s seven activisttrips, which will be in West Virginia,Alaska, California, Utah, New Mexico,Washington, and Nevada.
To see the trip descriptions andcosts, go to http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/ national/ SelectTrip Types, then select Activist Trips.❖
For more information, includingdetails about partial scholarships that are available, contact Activist
Outings Chair Vicky Hoover [email protected] or
415-977-5527
Vote! National Club Elections Coming Soon
The Sierra Club is unusual among national environmental organi-zations because it is a democracy. The Board of Directors, which
sets Club policy and budgets, is required to stand for election by themembership. Voting for candidates who express your views on howthe Club should grow and change is your right, privilege, and evenresponsibility as a member.
Ballots are sent to qualified members in March. The Club’s elec-tion website — http://www.sierraclub.org/ bod/2007election — pro-vides links to information about candidates, and their views on a vari-ety of issues facing the Club and the environment. You may also askchapter leaders for further information.
Please read the candidates’ ballot statements and cast your votes. Youwill find the ballot is quite straightforward and easy to mark. A grow-ing number of members find the user-friendly Internet voting optionto be very convenient and a money-saver on postage. ❖
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EVENTSHULL SUSTAINABLE LIVING FESTIVALApril 21MJM Bathhouse, HullVOLUNTEER: Help would be appreciated at theSierra Club table at this event. Please contact Blossom Hoag [email protected]: Come to the event even if you do not havethe time to volunteer. Learn how and what Hull isdoing to lead the way on environmental projects. Contact Blossom Hoag at [email protected] or 617-567-4749
NATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE CHANGEApril 14The Cape Cod Group is planning activities. For information, contact Bob Murphy at [email protected]
SIERRA CLUB NORTHEAST REGIONAL COMMITTEESpring Meeting: May 31 – June 3, 2007 Maine/NH (TBA)Autumn Meeting: October 19 – 21, 2007 Location TBAMore information will come closer to the date. Check the website, or contact Blossom Hoag [email protected]
ANNOUNCMENTS
FIFTH ANNUAL NORTHEAST STUDENT ENERGY SUMMITMarch 23 – 25BostonCome train with students from across the Northeastworking on climate change and energy issues so youcan push for clean energy policies on your campus, inyour community and in your state. We will also jointhe Interfaith March for Climate Rescue at their rallyon March 24, 2007.For more information and to register, go towww.ssc.org/nesummit
BIO BLITZ ATROBINSON STATE PARKJune 21 (tentative)A 24-hour intense study ofRobinson to learn as muchas possible about its ecolo-gy, is being planned byThe Friends of RobinsonState Park. For informa-tion, email Ray Weber [email protected], or call413-883-8005.
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BROOK MODEL FOREST EXPLORATION HIKE (OR POSSIBLY SNOWSHOE), COOLEYVILLE INNEW SALEM – PIONEER VALLEY GROUP (E)March 31; Raindate April 1Time: 9:30 AM Contact Elisa at [email protected] or 413-256-4247
WALDEN POND (E)April 7Time: 11 AMContact Darlene at [email protected] DOG
TOWN HIKE – GLOUCESTER – GREATER BOSTON GROUP (E)April 8Time: 10 AM Contact Deborah at [email protected] or 617-227-8898
HARVESTING AND STEWARDSHIP WORKSHOP IN THE FIELD, GREENFIELD – CO-SPONSORED BY PIONEER VALLEY GROUP (E)April 14Time: 9:30 AMContact Elisa at [email protected] or 413-256-4247
DUXBURY BEACH WALK – GREATER BOSTON GROUP (E)May 20Time: 9 AMContact Jay at [email protected] or 617-924-1176
MIDDLESEX FELLS HIKE – GREATER BOSTON GROUP (E)June 3Time: 10 AMContact Deborah at [email protected] or 617-227-8898
QUABBIN HIKE – PIONEER VALLEY GROUP June 10Time: 10 AMContact Elisa at [email protected] or 413-256-4247
WILD EDIBLES WALK ON THE SOLSTICE WITH RUSS COHEN, WESTON – CO-SPONSORED BY GREATER BOSTON GROUP (E)June 21Time: 5:45 PMContact Deborah at [email protected] or 617-227-8898
SPRING 2007 Massachusetts Sierran 15
Massachusetts Chapter Outings“E” indicates educational content
The Chapter Outings Chair seeks a volunteer trainee to assist with oversight of the OutingsProgram. Contact Deborah at [email protected] for information.
Please note that an outing may be cancelled for insufficient interest up to three days before the scheduleddate. If you are interested in an outing, do not wait until the last minute to contact the leader.
PARTNERS IN PARKSSaturday, June 9
9:00 AM – 5:00 PMWorcester Technical High School, Worcester
Join park advocates, state agency personnel and people from dozens ofsupporting organizations in a working session to celebrate and further
invest in Massachusetts’ public lands. Everyone is invited. To register, visit:www.conservationandrecreationcampaign.org
M A S S A C H U S E T T S�IERRANReaching More Than 26,000
Sierra Club Members in Massachusetts
Massachusetts ChapterSierra Club100 Boylston Street, Suite 760Boston, MA 02116 617-423-5775
wPrinted with soy-based ink on recycled paper
Postmaster: Send all address changes (PS form 3579) to: Sierra Club Membership, 85 Second Street, 2nd FloorSan Francisco, CA 94105
www.sierraclubmass.org
GROUP & CHAPTER MEETINGS
CHAPTER TRANSPORTATIONCOMMITTEEApril 19; June 21Time: 7 – 9 PMWe’ve been active despite the holi-days, participating in the DevalPatrick transition process and assist-ing the Washington Street CorridorCoalition in putting on public work-shops about the “Silver Line” andthe light rail alternative for thatmajor transit artery. Come to ourmeeting to learn more about whatwe’re doing, and how to becomeinvolved in the fight for environ-mental justice in public transporta-tion planning in Boston.Contact John Kyper [email protected] or 617-445-8662
CHAPTER POLITICALCOMMITTEE March 14; April 11; May 9; June 13; July 11Time: 6:30 PMIn the next election, we’ll beendorsing in the state’s major may-oral and city council/alderman races— and we need your input. Visit thechapter website where we give allSierra members an opportunity totell us about their local elected offi-cials. We’re also seeking committeemembers and volunteers to helpelect pro-environment legislators.Drop by our next meeting! Contact Dan Proctor, committeeCo-Chair, at [email protected] for more information.
All meetings at Sierra Club Office, 100 Boylston St, Boston, unless otherwise noted.
GREATER BOSTONGROUP EXCOM Meetings are on thesecond Tuesday of each monthAddress correspondence tothe attention of theGreater Boston Group [email protected]
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