Jump right in… to a river clean-up with us this Saturday! Join us as we head out to help clean up the West Branch of the Housatonic River, continuing a tradition of hands-on stewardship that benefits wildlife and our communities. | |
This issue of BEAT News is full of program updates, from transportation and clean energy advocacy to wildlife connectivity and community conversations about the future of Old Maid's Park. You'll also find information about current pipeline comment opportunities and other ways to participate in environmental decision-making. Environmental work takes many forms, whether it's surveying culverts, speaking up for affordable clean energy, sharing stories about a beloved public space, or spending a morning removing trash from a river. Thank you for being part of this work with us.
Below you'll find program updates, upcoming events, environmental news, and ways to get involved.
Brittany, Chelsey, Jay, Melanie, and Rose
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ENERGY & COMMUNITY OUTREACH
BEAT has expanded the Resources section of our website with a new collection of fact sheets designed to help residents better understand emerging energy technologies and proposals affecting our region. Available in both English and Spanish, these resources cover topics including battery energy storage systems (BESS), community solar, hydrogen, virtual power plants, and the peaking power plants. We have also added a fact sheet explaining networked geothermal systems as a cleaner alternative to continued investment in fossil fuel infrastructure. Whether you're looking to learn more about an energy project in your community, participate in a public comment process, or simply better understand our changing energy landscape, we invite you to explore these new resources on our website.
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PIPELINE PROPOSALS
Several important pipeline-related comment periods are currently open, and BEAT has developed new resources to help community members participate. On our Open Comment Opportunities page, you'll find project summaries, comment guides, and filing instructions for the Algonquin Gas Transmission Enhancement (AGTE/R.A.R.E.) proposal and AGT's Cape Cod Replacement project, along with information about upcoming deadlines.
Current comment opportunities address concerns about expanding pipeline capacity through larger-diameter, higher-pressure pipelines and additional metering stations, as well as potential impacts to wetlands, water resources, climate, public health, and local communities. You'll also find information about a proposed Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rule change that would allow larger pipeline, compressor station, and LNG projects to qualify for streamlined permitting with reduced public review.
Whether you're new to the process or have participated before, our comment guides, Pipeline 101 materials, glossary, and step-by-step filing instructions can help you make your voice heard.
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WILDLIFE CONNECTIVITY
After nearly a year of fieldwork, BEAT is wrapping up our comprehensive road-stream crossing assessment project in Mount Washington. This project involved surveying culverts and bridges at stream crossings to assess both the condition of the infrastructure and aquatic connectivity.
For each crossing, we examined the condition of the structure itself, looking for issues such as corrosion, cracking, erosion, and other signs of deterioration that could affect public safety or increase maintenance needs. We also assessed how well fish and other aquatic organisms can move through each crossing by comparing culvert dimensions to the natural stream channel and identifying barriers that may restrict passage.
By conducting this fieldwork and collecting this information now, BEAT is helping to position Mount Washington for future culvert replacement and restoration projects that benefit both the community and wildlife!
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STEWARDSHIP
BEAT’s Stewardship Director, Chelsey Simmons, partnered with New Marlborough Land Trust this past weekend to lead a tree identification walk at Steepletop Reserve in New Marlborough. Participants learned how to identify common tree species while exploring the many challenges facing our forests, including invasive insects and tree diseases.
The walk also highlighted some of the fascinating ecological relationships that exist within forest ecosystems. Attendees learned about the parasitoid wasp whose eggs trigger the formation of spongy oak apple galls on developing oak leaves, as well as the remarkable life cycle of acorn weevils. These tiny beetles play an important role in the lives of acorn ants, which often establish their colonies inside abandoned acorns once occupied by weevils.
(Fun fact: a single acorn can house a colony of up to 200 acorn ants!)
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TRANSPORTATION
BEAT Executive Director Brittany Ebeling recently attended "Are We There Yet? Bridging Transit Gaps in the 413," a regional convening organized by the Western Massachusetts Transportation Advocates Network that brought together advocates, planners, and community members to discuss transportation challenges across western Massachusetts. Participants explored barriers to mobility in rural communities, gaps in public transit service, and strategies for improving access to jobs, healthcare, education, and essential services.
These conversations are especially relevant in Berkshire County, where long travel distances, limited transit options, and rural geography can make it difficult for many residents to access daily necessities. Regional collaboration through networks like WMTAN helps build support for expanded public transit, safer walking and bicycling infrastructure, and transportation systems that are more equitable, resilient, and less dependent on private vehicles.
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ADVOCACY
BEAT staff and supporters recently joined advocates from across Massachusetts at a rally in Pittsfield calling on state leaders to put people before utility profits. Organized as part of the Mass Power Forward coalition, the demonstration highlighted the need for energy policies that prioritize affordability, protect programs like Mass Save from proposed funding cuts, and accelerate investments in renewable energy and other clean energy solutions. Participants also called on Berkshire Gas to pursue networked geothermal systems as a cleaner, more affordable alternative to continued investment in fossil fuel infrastructure.
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
& STEWARDSHIP
Community members gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire for dinner and conversation about the future of Old Maid's Park. Over a shared meal, residents traded stories about the park, reflected on how they use the space today, and discussed everything from accessibility and flooding to recreation and long-term stewardship.
The evening also included a presentation on dam removal and river restoration projects from around the region and beyond. Looking at examples of restored river corridors, redesigned park spaces, and different approaches to living with water prompted lively discussion—along with a few "remember when..." stories—about Old Maid's past and what the community would like to see there in the future. As always, some of the best ideas came from people who know the park through years of fishing, walking, swimming, or simply spending time there.
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River Cleanup
Saturday, June 27 @ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Riverway Park, 181 Dewey Ave, Pittsfield, MA
Join us to help support the health of our Housatonic River! We will meet at Wahconah Park in Pittsfield before cleanup teams disperse to nearby locations to gather miscellaneous trash from the river banks and bottom. We’ll finish cleaning up around noon and then eat some lunch, which will be provided for free to all volunteers.
More Info & Sign Up!
Moth Night at Chesterwood
Friday July 24, 8:30pm-11:30pm
Chesterwood, 4 Williamsville Road, Stockbridge, MA.
Join Matthew Rymkiewicz at Chesterwood for a nighttime light-sheeting demonstration in celebration of National Moth Week! Using illuminated sheets to attract moths and other nocturnal insects, we'll watch as these fascinating creatures begin to appear after dark. As the evening progresses, larger and more diverse species will arrive, offering a closer look at their incredible patterns, colors, and adaptations. Participants are welcome to drop in any time during the program—no experience is necessary, just curiosity. Come for a few minutes or stay for the whole evening as we observe, photograph, and try to identify the critters that gather at the sheets.
Registration is Required
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Rep. Davis Secures $700K for Berkshire Projects
Berkshire Edge
State Representative Leigh Davis secured $700,000 in funding authorizations for Berkshire County projects through the Massachusetts House environmental bond bill. The funding includes $400,000 for the Housatonic River Bike Path in Lee, $250,000 for rehabilitation of East Sheffield Road in Great Barrington, and $50,000 for a backup generator at the Dalton Senior Center, helping advance transportation, public safety, and community resilience projects across the region.
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MassWildlife Removes Dams to Restore Habitat
Mass.gov, Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Massachusetts removed more than a dozen dams last year and is considering many more as aging infrastructure, stronger storms, and increasing flood risks raise concerns across the state. With more than 3,000 dams in Massachusetts (~330 classified as high-hazard) advocates and state officials say removing obsolete dams can reduce flood risks, improve climate resilience, restore river habitat, and reconnect waterways for fish and wildlife.
READ MORE
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Laura Orlando: PFAS, Sewage Sludge, And Poisoned Farms
Real Organic Project
Laura Orlando, a civil engineer and advisor to Just Zero, joined the Real Organic Podcast to discuss how PFAS, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants become concentrated in sewage sludge and subsequently spread onto farmland through the land application of biosolids. Orlando argues that land application is fundamentally a waste disposal practice rather than a farming practice, highlights Maine's leadership in banning sludge spreading and supporting affected farmers, and calls for a nationwide ban on the use of sewage sludge on agricultural land.
READ MORE
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Taking Stock, Fisheries Management and Its Impacts on Biodiversity
Colby Galliher, Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities
BEAT was recently featured in an article by From the Ground Up examining the ecological impacts of fish stocking and the growing movement to rethink fisheries management in New England.
The article highlights BEAT's campaign to end the stocking of non-native fish in Massachusetts waters. Through outreach, webinars, and coalition-building, BEAT continues to advocate for fisheries management practices that better align with the Commonwealth's biodiversity and climate goals.
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Holyoke Becomes First in State to Ban AI Data Centers
Samuel Gelinas, Daily Hampshire Gazette
The Holyoke City Council voted to prohibit new AI data center developments, making Holyoke the first municipality in Massachusetts to adopt such a ban. The ordinance, approved following strong community opposition to a proposed $200 million facility, prohibits AI data centers larger than 12 megawatts and reflects growing concerns about energy use, noise, water consumption, and impacts on future economic development in the city.
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House Advances Five-Year Transportation Bill
Justin Harclerode, Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure
The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the bipartisan BUILD America 250 Act, a five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill that would invest approximately $580 billion in roads, bridges, transit, rail, and safety programs; it also includes changes to infrastructure permitting and funding mechanisms. The bill now moves to the full House for consideration as Congress works to reauthorize federal transportation programs before current funding expires on September 30, 2026.
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