City of Pittsfield Achieves Major Environmental Milestone: EPA Administrative Order Closed

Press Release

As Massachusetts solar growth lags, stakeholders debate changes to state incentives

Sarah Shemkus | Energy News Network

"The pace of new solar installations in the state has dropped to roughly half its 2021 peak, prompting calls to adjust rebates to reflect current economic realities and environmental priorities. Climate advocates, public officials, and the solar industry are asking Massachusetts to update its solar incentive program to reignite slowing growth in the sector while making the system fairer and more effective. The Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program hit its fifth anniversary in late 2023, and the state has launched a review to determine how to adapt the system to current economic realities and environmental priorities. While most agree it has been an effective system for supporting the growth of solar, stakeholders would also like to see changes that would better respond to fluctuating market conditions and encourage development on the most suitable sites. These recommendations come at a time when the Massachusetts solar industry is losing some momentum, despite the incentives the state provides. The state’s clean energy and climate plan estimates Massachusetts will need some 27 gigawatts of solar capacity by 2050 to meet the goal of going carbon neutral by that year. But current development is not keeping pace. In 2021, the state’s new solar installations topped 600 megawatts, according to data from the Solar Energy Industries Association. In 2022 and 2023, installations dropped to roughly half that level. 'SMART has done a good job of continuing the deployment of solar in the commonwealth and there are a number of really good components to it,' said Mark Sylvia, chief of staff at Blue Wave Solar. 'Now we’re at an important inflection point.'

Real-world rate changes. SMART works by paying the owners of solar installations a set rate per kilowatt-hour of power they produce. The base rate is determined by the project’s size and location; so-called 'adders' increase the rate for projects that serve low-income households, are located on rooftops, or have other features the state wants to encourage. The system was designed on the assumption that the cost of building solar would keep dropping as demand grew, reducing the need for subsidies. Thus, SMART rates get lower as more solar capacity is built. Many stakeholders have raised concerns about continuing this declining rate model. In recent years, costs have not continued falling as expected. Instead, supply chain problems during the COVID pandemic and changes to steel tariffs drove up equipment prices. Costs to interconnect to the grid and to acquire land for solar developments have risen as well. Industry players and environmental advocates have suggested replacing the declining rate approach with a mechanism that would adjust rates according to market conditions once or twice a year. 'There’s this across-the-board issue around SMART rates being lower than they need to be to drive the market,' said Nick D’Arbeloff, president of the Solar Energy Business Association of New England. 'SMART as a whole has to rethink how it can better incent projects.' Policy priorities. Additional rate adjustments could also be used to push specific policy priorities more effectively, said many.  Several pointed to the issue of solar canopies, panels mounted high enough above the ground to provide shade and shelter from rain, usually in parking lots. A report released by the state in July found that the state’s parking lots had the technical potential to support some 14 gigawatts of capacity on solar canopies. However, material and equipment costs make building canopies particularly pricey right now. SMART already includes an adder for canopies of 6 cents per kilowatt-hour, but it isn’t enough to cover the additional costs. Strategically increasing the adder would make canopies more financially feasible and could help capture some of the untapped potential parking lots offer, supporters said. Tweaks to the program could also help more low-income households realize the financial and environmental advantages of solar power, said Ben Underwood, co-chief executive and co-founder of Resonant Energy, a Boston-based solar development company focused on projects that benefit low-income communities. The program currently incentivizes these developments in a few ways. It offers adders for projects on low-income properties and for community solar facilities that allocate more than half of their production to low-income customers, and provides higher base rates for projects smaller than 25 kilowatts on low-income households. However, these nudges have had little effect so far. Just 4% of the small systems using SMART qualify for the low-income base rate, though Underwood estimates roughly one-third of Massachusetts households could qualify..." READ MORE

For White-throated Sparrows, Opposites Attract

Jackie Bussjaeger | The Outside Story

"In the wild, finding a suitable mate is no simple matter – and it’s an extra complicated affair for one familiar resident of the woods and underbrush. With its chunky build, boldly striped head, and namesake white throat, the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is among the most common and recognizable birds of the northern forest. During the spring breeding season, one doesn’t need to go far to hear its “Old Sam Peabody-Peabody-Peabody” call, or to spot a group of these birds noisily raking for seeds in the leaf litter. Close observers will notice these sparrows come in two distinct color varieties. Approximately half of white-throated sparrows have black and white stripes on their heads, while the other half show a duller tan-and-brown coloration. It’s not unusual for a bird species to have more than one color morph. The Eastern screech owl, for example, comes in shades of either red or gray. But for white-throated sparrows, there’s a more complex story to this variation. In almost every case, a white-throated sparrow of either color variation will end up with a mate that has the opposite coloring: white-striped males pair with tan-striped females, and vice versa. Canadian ornithologist James Lowther, studying populations across Canada in the early 1960s, was the first to publish findings that white-throated sparrows will almost exclusively choose a mate of the opposite morph. Lowther and researcher J. Bruce Falls of the University of Toronto together noticed something even more fascinating: color type seemed to be an exceptionally accurate predictor of an individual bird’s behavior. They noticed that white-striped sparrows of both sexes almost always seemed to show more aggressive behaviors than their tan counterparts. Both white-striped males and females sing more than tan-striped birds, and males defend their territories more rigorously and invade the territories of their neighbors more often. White-striped males are also more likely than tan-striped males to mate with other females in addition to their nesting partners, a behavior scientists refer to as extra-pair copulation. Tan-striped birds of both sexes, in comparison, tend to be more nurturing, spending much of their time finding food and looking attentively after their partner and nestlings. However, the time they spend away from the nest sometimes leaves their mate and territory vulnerable to incursions from threats – including rival white-striped males. This mixed bag of traits creates quite the genetic love rectangle. A 1993 study by Falls and Jeffrey G. Kopachena found that females of both colors find the attentive tan-striped males most desirable. But the white-striped females, more confrontational than their tan counterparts, snap up tan-striped males almost immediately, leaving the tan-striped females to pair off with the remaining white-striped males. In the era of DNA analysis, scientists such as the late behavioral geneticist Elaina Tuttle have found that these characteristics are determined by a chromosomal “supergene,” tied not only to coloration, but also to a wide range of behavioral traits. This unique genetic quirk means that the white-throated sparrow as a species effectively has four separate sexes. Individual birds need to select a mate from an eligible quarter of the population, rather than the half of the “other sex” available in other bird species. But what happens when two same-color birds pair up? These types of pairings have rarely been observed, but as naturalist Kenn Kaufman theorized in a 2017 Audubon article on this topic, they probably make for unsuccessful parents. Tan-striped couples might fail at defending their territory and protecting their young, Kaufman wrote, while white-striped couples might fail to bring home enough food to keep their hatchlings alive and healthy. By settling in with a partner of the opposite coloring, white-throated sparrows can have the best of both worlds: one parent who will fiercely defend, and another who will tirelessly provide. So far, this unusual strategy has worked well. For white-throated sparrow offspring, the stripe colors will be split nearly 50/50 in a single brood, preserving the balance of the two color forms – and their associated personality traits – within the greater population. As the days grow longer and new leaves unfurl, the white-throated sparrow’s melodious song will once again sound through the forest. As you enjoy their charismatic singing and familiar appearance, take a closer look – is this a white-striped male staking out a territory? A tan-striped female foraging dutifully to support her nestlings? Whichever bird you see, there are endless questions to ask about the lives of the wildlife that make their homes in our own favorite patch of forest..." READ MORE

Berkshire Natural Resources Council Protects Clarksburg Farm: Part of BNRC’s Strategic Response to the Berkshire Farming Crisis

Press Release

"CLARKSBURG, Massachusetts—Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC), a nationally accredited land trust serving the Berkshire region, has partnered with a conservation-minded farm business owner, an experienced regional farmer, and financial contributors, to preserve Many Forks Farm in Clarksburg. BNRC—which has long protected farmland across the Berkshires—is stepping up its agricultural preservation efforts to counter the recent loss of regional farmland to non-agricultural purposes. Other concerns include the urgent need for farmer succession plans throughout the Berkshire farming community and the rapidly rising cost to local growers of acquiring secure access to whole-farm infrastructure. 'A generation of farmers are aging out of their profession,' said Mackenzie Greer, Director of Public Programs at BNRC. 'Younger farmers struggle to secure farmland at reasonable prices, as the cost of Massachusetts farmland is rising as quickly as any in the country.' Many Forks Farm, previously owned and operated by Sharon Wyrrick using a community supported agriculture farm share model, generously sold the farm to BNRC at a bargain price for conservation purposes. Molly Comstock of Colfax Farm has signed a lease to be the Many Forks succeeding farmer— and Molly will take ownership of the farm at an affordable, preservation-reduced price of entry within a few years. As part of the conveyance to Molly, BNRC will place the entire farm into legal conservation status, so that Many Forks Farm will continue in perpetuity as a working farm in its local community and region. Donors to the BNRC Berkshire Farms Fund make this kind of local farm protection possible. 'I’m grateful for Sharon’s stewardship and generosity, for Molly’s resolve and vision, and for all the donors who make agriculture in the Berkshires possible,' said Jenny Hansell, BNRC president. 'BNRC is proud to play a unique role among an impressive and inspiring cast of farm-forward organizations that are working in the Berkshires to protect and promote the farming traditions of this special, beautiful region of the world.' Learn more about donating to BNRC’s Berkshire Farms Fund at bnrc.org/bff or contact Rich Montone, BNRC director of development, at rmontone@bnrc.org. Established in 1967, Berkshire Natural Resources Council is a nationally accredited land trust that protects and preserves the natural beauty and ecological integrity of the Berkshires for

public benefit and enjoyment. BNRC conserves land, protects wildlife and habitat, supports local farmers, expands climate resilience, actively cares for over 25,000 acres, and provides free access to the Berkshire outdoors for everybody—thanks to the help of donors and volunteers. More about BNRC properties and trails, conserving land with BNRC, and BNRC’s free Berkshire Trails app, can be found online at bnrc.org. This land, and all the present-day Berkshires, are the ancestral homeland of the Mohican people who were forcefully displaced to Wisconsin by European colonization. These lands continue to be of great significance to the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Nation today. To learn more visit mohican.com" READ MORE

Mass. cannabis company starts recycling program to cut down on single-use plastic

Tréa Lavery | Masslive

"A Massachusetts cannabis company is trying to help protect the environment by finding new life for the individual packages used in the industry. Tree House Craft Cannabis, which has dispensaries in Dracut and Pepperell, and a new location opening soon in Groton, introduced its new recycling program last year as a way to cut down on plastic waste. To date, the company has collected more than 400 pounds of material for recycling, representing thousands of customers participating in the program. 'Millions of these products are being sold annually,' Ture Turnbull, the company’s co-CEO said. 'It’s not quite the Bottle Bill (which allows consumers to recycle bottles and cans for a rebate), but it is an initiative to share our values and to set it right.' In Massachusetts, like other states where it is legal, the packaging of marijuana is strictly regulated. Cannabis products must be packaged in child-proof, opaque containers with plain designs and clear labeling, from larger amounts of flower down to individual pre-rolled joints. Because of this, the industry produces a lot of small plastic containers, which frequently end up in the garbage. The issue was brought up in a staff meeting by one of the company’s employees, who was concerned about the effect it was having on the environment. Turnbull explained that he and his co-CEO Wes Ritchie are passionate about their values and try to stay true to those values with their business decisions. So it made sense to come up with a plan to change things. He compared the plastic packaging to single-use plastic bottles. In September, Gov. Maura Healey banned state agencies from purchasing them. '[This industry] is still in its infancy, but if you don’t set the parameters correctly in the beginning, you’re going to end up with a much larger problem at the end,' he said. It took about a year to research the problem and make sure they were following all the state regulations, but in May, the company officially launched its new recycling program. Customers can bring in any used plastic, glass or metal cannabis container, regardless of whether the product was originally purchased at Tree House, and turn it in for a $4 pre-roll. The company then sorts all of the donated packaging and sends it on to a recycling company, which turns the re-used plastic into new packaging that Tree House uses for their own pre-rolls produced at their farm in Colrain. The plastic is also used for other products, such as flip-flops and plastic trays. And Turnbull said the company has even put out a call for artists to create a public art installation from the recycled materials. While they’re still in the first year of the program, Ritchie and Turnbull are already hoping to help spread it to others in the cannabis industry. They’ve spoken with the owners of other dispensaries who have been interested in implementing similar programs, and are also advocating at the state level for the Cannabis Control Commission to consider encouraging recycling among cannabis companies, with generally positive feedback so far. Ritchie said Tree House wants to “plant the flag” on recycling, taking the first steps to make it easier for other companies to follow. He said they’ve done extensive research and consideration for the program, down to ensuring that their plastic packaging and labels have the same melting point to make them easier to recycle. 'It doesn’t have to be perfect, because right now, it’s a disaster. We’re trying to make it better,' he said. 'We’re really trying to also signal that the barrier of entry is not that high. If you are a company that cares about this, you can participate too, and still have a positive impact in the right direction'..." READ MORE

Wildlife Crossings Can Mend a Landscape

Anne Pinto-Rodrigues | Sierra

"Badgers and hedgehogs need protection from traffic as much as lions and bears. It’s a cloudy morning in the Netherlands, and a lone female roe deer saunters across the Zanderij Crailoo Nature Bridge, the longest wildlife crossing in the world. This half-mile-long overpass connects a forested area on one side to a stretch of open, uncultivated land on the other. A few minutes later, a red fox scampers along the bridge. The overpass and others like it allow animals to roam large distances freely, without the risk of becoming roadkill. For more than three decades, the Netherlands has used them to reduce habitat fragmentation and improve connectivity for wildlife. It has built a wide variety of crossing structures, either above or below roads and railways and at waterways. This tiny nation, less than twice the size of Massachusetts, has nearly 3,000 crossings in place. Vegetated overpasses facilitate the movement of red foxes, roe deer, red deer, fallow deer, wild boar, and other large mammals, while smaller tunnels enable the movement of otters, badgers, stoats, pine martens, weasels, hedgehogs, snakes, and amphibians. Many of these species are locally or nationally endangered. Wildlife crossings provide them with access to food, mates, and new habitat, aiding in their long-term conservation. As one of the most densely populated countries in the world, the Netherlands is crammed with people, houses, farms, roads, railways, and waterways. The landscape’s severe fragmentation led to a high rate of roadkill. Edgar van der Grift, a senior research ecologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, cites a 1959 Dutch study that found that cars and trucks were killing large numbers of mammals: badgers, hedgehogs, red squirrels, weasels, deer, wild boar, and many others. 'For roe deer,' he says, 'it was mentioned that in one area, 25 percent of the population was killed on the roads each year.' The shocking numbers of roadkill spurred Dutch conservation organizations and government authorities into action, and the first wildlife crossing in the country—a badger tunnel—was built in 1974. Several ad hoc efforts followed, leading up to the Nature Policy Plan of 1990, a huge step forward in protecting the last few remaining natural areas in the country. But just a decade later the plan was already found to be inadequate: Modeling showed that its measures were not sufficient to conserve a large number of target species. In 2005, a more concerted effort was launched—the Meerjarenprogramma Ontsnippering (MJPO), a multiyear, multiagency nationwide defragmentation effort. The MJPO evaluated over 1,100 problematic locations, and by the end of 2018, more than 500 overpasses (or bridges), underpasses, tunnels, culverts, and other kinds of structures had been built at 178 locations. In some cases, multiple measures were undertaken at one location. 'Thinking about mitigating the ecological effects of existing roads and doing that in a systematic way—very few countries have done that,' says Van der Grift. 'That’s rather unique about the Netherlands.' In Van der Grift’s experience, if the location of the crossing is carefully chosen, the structure is well designed, and any additional measures—like fences or modified vegetation to funnel animals into the crossing—are addressed, animals have no trouble finding and using a crossing. 'In general, we see that these bridges and tunnels are used rather quickly,' he says, 'especially by mobile species that walk several kilometers every day.' An analysis conducted by Van der Grift and his colleagues showed that a crossing structure coupled with fencing helped reduce large mammal roadkill by a staggering 83 percent, although he notes that more research is needed. Since 2000, Dutch law has mandated an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for all new roads, railways, and other infrastructure projects. If the EIA of a potential project indicates a mitigation measure, it is incorporated into the project’s design from the start. Adam Hofland is the program manager at Rijkswaterstaat, the implementation arm of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. 'If we want to maintain [these structures’] function, we also need to spend money and energy on their maintenance,' Hofland says, noting as an example that a badger tunnel needs to be inspected several times a year, and cleaned, if required. 'Badgers don’t like to have wet feet,' he says. 'If there is water inside a tunnel, the badger won’t use it.' Hofland also mentions butterflies and their preference for open, grassy landscapes. This necessitates the regular trimming of trees and shrubs on a wildlife bridge. With decades of experience in defragmenting landscapes, the Netherlands has a lot it could teach other countries. In the United States, legislation on wildlife crossings has only recently been passed at the federal and state levels. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, $350 million has been set aside for the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, which over a period of five years will fund state transportation authorities, federal agencies, tribal nations, and others to evaluate the need for and build wildlife crossings in their respective areas. At least 10 states have enacted legislation on habitat connectivity in recent years..." READ MORE