Advocacy

The Conservancy's advocacy efforts aim to preserve and protect the special resources of the Olmsted park system and to recapture its earlier greatness. Along with our Park Overseers - representatives of 20 partner organizations – we are working to improve connections between and to the parks at challenging locations like the Route 9 crossing and the vicinity of the Landmark Center, and crossings of the Jamaica Way to Jamaica Pond. We continue to work to improve informative park signage, and this summer we will publish a pocket visitor map for self-guided tours.

The Conservancy has also played a role in advocating for the Department of Conservation and Recreations's Arborway Plans. Please see our Planning & Reports page under the Resources tab for more information.

• Massachusetts Bottle Bill
• Jamaica Pond Public Access
• Carlton Street Footbridge
• Mounted Park Rangers
• Transportation Bill
• Archived Advocacy Issues

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YOU Can Help to Pass the BOTTLE BILL UPDATE

Photo by Hugh Mattison

Environmental League of Massachusetts, the Sierra Club, MASSPIRG, MassRecycle, and many other environmental groups have been working to pass legislation in conjunction with Rep. Alice Wolf and Sen. Cynthia Creem to update the Massachusetts Bottle Bill, adding the existing five cent deposit to bottled water, sports drinks, teas, and other beverages. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy is a proud partner in the effort.

Please contact your State Representative and State Senator to urge them to pass the Updated Bottle Bill, H3515.

Click here for legislator contact information: House | Senate

Bottle Bill Fact Sheet

Bill Deadline Extension: The Wolf/Creem Bill (H3515/S1480) has received an extension to 7/14/2010. As all bills must be acted upon no later than 7/30/2010, it would be ideal to have this bill reported favorably long before the deadline. This extension simply allows the committee more time. No changes have been made.

3/25 Meeting Minutes

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has issued a report that itemizes how much cities and towns will benefit from updating the Massachusetts bottle bill, legislation which has been pending for years in the state legislature and is getting a big push this spring from a broad coalition, including the League of Women Voters, Mass Municipal Association, the Environmental League of MA, and many more.

With growing awareness of the waste and public expense that come from throwaway containers, an expanding coalition has been pressing the Legislature to finally expand the nickel deposit system to cover water and other “single serve” beverage containers that now end up as litter in parks, on roadsides, and in landfills.

The DEP report, “Municipal Benefits of an Updated Bottle Bill,” shows that municipalities can expect to save between $4.3 to $7 million annually, by avoiding cleanup and disposal costs for these beverage containers. “This would amount to a savings of roughly $1 for each resident of the Commonwealth, each year,” said Claire Sullivan, Executive Director of the South Shore Recycling Cooperative, an association of 13 communities south of Boston. “For example, Weymouth and Plymouth could each expect to save about $50,000 per year. Duxbury’s DPW Director independently estimated his cost to manage the beverage containers that aren’t in the deposit system at $10,000.”

“The Bottle Bill is the state’s most successful recycling and litter prevention program. Since its inception in 1983, over 30 billion containers have been redeemed, contributing to a healthier environment, cleaner and safer communities, and a stronger economy,” said Phil Sego, spokesperson for the Massachusetts Sierra Club. “But to keep up with the times and consumers’ tastes, the bottle bill must be updated.”

“Every year, we send over 1 billion containers to our landfills, enough to fill Fenway Park to overflowing,” said Janet Domenitz, Executive Director of Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG). “If these water, juice, and vitamin drink containers had a deposit, we’d eliminate litter, reduce trash, and save taxpayer dollars, as the DEP report shows. We need an update now.””

The report is available at www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/exbbmuni.pdf

The history of the Massachusetts Bottle Bill: The 1982 bottle bill has been a resounding success: nearly 80% of beverage containers included in the original bottle bill are redeemed/recycled. By comparison, only 22% of non-returnable beverage containers are captured in curbside recycling. As Emerald Necklace Conservancy board member former Governor Michael Dukakis wrote on December 5, I don't know why we exempted non-carbonated beverages in the first place, let’s get it right now.

The pending update in the legislature includes beverage types that became increasingly popular over the past 27 years, such as bottled water, iced teas, sports drinks, and other beverages and most of these bottles are largely made of PET plastic. When placed in our landfills, they take up 10 times more space than typical trash. When littered, they never break down. They're made from 99% petroleum.

Take a stroll through your favorite park, and note that the majority of beverage containers you’ll find littering the ground and filling trash barrels are non-returnable.

WHY? Despite the overwhelming success of the Massachusetts bottle bill, bottlers still oppose it. Meanwhile, litter increases, and over 1 billion beverage containers per year - enough to fill Fenway Park to overflowing - are filling up our few remaining landfills. If more bottles were redeemed, it would make reduce litter in our parks dramatically.

We need your help! We're asking YOU to help us pass the Bottle Bill Update! And in so doing help reduce our consumption of petroleum.

1. Contact your State Representative and State Senator: Click here for legislator contact information: House | Senate. Ask them to support the Updated Bottle Bill, H3515.

2. Has your City/Town passed a resolution of support? Click here to find out. If your town is not listed, contact your City Council, Board of Aldermen, or Selectmen and ask them to pass our municipal resolution. If you would like an expert on the Bottle Bill to help you make your case to your city/town, e-mail Ken Pruitt at kpruitt@environmentalleague.org and we will connect you to an expert willing to help at no cost.

3. Send a letter to the editor of your local paper. Sample letters are at www.massbottlebill.org.

4. Contact other community groups that use bottle and can drives to support their programs. Scouts, school athletic programs, social service non-profits across the state use bottle and can drives to supplement their budget.

5. Volunteer! There's lots you can do to help pass the Bottle Bill Update! Contact Phil Sego at phil@sierraclubmass.org for more information.

Thanks for your support. We hope that you will be able to participate in our collaborative efforts to finally update the Massachusetts Bottle Bill!

Jamaica Pond Public Access

We continue to move forward with plans to facilitate public access to Jamaica Pond, which include new cross walks at the Jamaicaway at Eliot Street, Parkman Drive at Kelley Circle, and Parkman Drive at the Parkman Memorial. Along with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the Emerald Necklace Conservancy has elicited community input on the project to identify locations that will best serve pedestrians and bicyclists seeking access to the pond.

Of the three proposed alternative crossing routes, the Eliot Street location was awarded construction priority. Although the crossing project faced a minor setback with the expiration of the old design contract, it has now resumed under a new contract with the same design consultant. DCR is currently completing the permitting and design process for the three crossings.

Following July meetings with Massachusetts Historic Commission, Boston Landmark Commission, and Boston Conservation Commission, DCR will open bidding on the project and anticipates signing a construction contract in late September. A pre-construction meeting will be held with the community before breaking ground in the fall. Completion of the project is estimated during spring 2011.

The Eliot Street crossing will not only allow for safe passage of park-goers, but further advances Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision of a park system accessible to all of Boston’s citizens. We appreciate your continued interest and support as we continue our efforts to make the parks safer and more accessible for all.

The following is a letter from Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. and Emerald Necklace Conservancy President Julie Crockford following up on the public meeting held January 27, 2010 to solicit input from the community on options for enhancing pedestrian and bicyclist access to Jamaica Pond.

Please feel free to forward this information to any individuals or organizations you think would be interested in this information.

February 2, 2010

Dear Interested Citizen or Stakeholder,

As you know, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and Emerald Necklace Conservancy (ENC) have been engaged in hosting a public process to solicit input from the community on options for enhancing pedestrian and bicyclist access to Jamaica Pond. The discussions have focused on alternatives for crossings at three locations: Eliot Street at the Jamaicaway, Kelley Circle at Parkman Drive, and Parkman Drive at the Parkman Memorial.

At the outset, we would like to state that this important project to enhance access to Jamaica Pond, as well as the public discussion surrounding it, have benefited immeasurably by the initiative and active efforts of State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez. We and the community are most appreciative of his support.

The comments and suggestions that have been received from project stakeholders and the public have served to highlight issues for our attention and were a key component in our planning, as we worked to develop a preferred option for each of the three locations. At a public meeting held at the Arnold Arboretum Visitors Center the evening of January 27, a final recommendation for each location was shared with the public. To view the presentation that was made at this meeting, visit http://www.mass.gov/dcr/news/publicmeetings/parkwaysmaterials.htm.

In late May, DCR and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy will be holding an additional public meeting to present the details of the plan for construction at the Eliot Street crossing, which has been identified as the first priority for implementation. You will be receiving an invitation to attend that meeting once the date has been established.

Going forward, we look forward to continuing to work with the community on the goal of improving access to the parks for pedestrians and bicyclists at each of the three locations and everywhere along the Emerald Necklace parkways. We appreciate your interest and support.

Sincerely,

Richard K. Sullivan
Commissioner
Department of Conservation and Recreation

Julie Crockford
President
Emerald Necklace Conservancy

Previous Actions:

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy held a public meeting on July 1, 2009 to discuss the design of Jamaica Pond Access Enhancements.

The audience included nearly 50 members of the public who had the opportunity after the presentation to give their input on the proposed designs. The presentation of the alternatives is available to view or download at: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/news/publicmeetings/parkwaysmaterials.htm.

Funding for the project is made possible by DCR and the Lawrence & Lillian Solomon Fund. The access project is the result of community advocacy over many years working with the Conservancy, DCR and State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez. We are especially grateful to Sarah Freeman and the Arborway Coalition as well as Gerry Wright and the Friends of Jamaica Pond, John Iappini and the Jamaica Pond Association, and Andrea Hawley and the Jamaica Hills Association for their efforts to seek community input and to DCR for their response to community concerns.

Carlton Street Footbridge

On November 17th, Brookline Town Meeting voted 192-25 (160 votes needed for passage) to approve the warrant article for funding of the restoration of the Carlton Street Footbridge.

Thank you to all who supported the warrant! Read the full warrant and a summary letter from Rob Daves and Bob Schram, proponents of Warrant Article 5.

Brookline Town Meeting Executive Summary

Note from Proponents

Boston Mounted Park Rangers Continue to Serve Boston

In response to specific cuts in the City of Boston budget for the Parks and Recreation department Park Ranger program, supporters of that historic program have rallied to raise nearly $200,000 in donations and pledges to save both the horses and to reinstate some seasonal ranger positions. Many organizations and individuals have made contributions and pledges to save the Park Rangers program ranging from gifts of $20 to $25,000.

On behalf of the donors, I signed a Memo of Understanding with Commissioner Pollak on June 24 to provide $140,000 in funding for FY 2010 which began July 1. We are especially grateful to Janet Atkins and Julia Owens for organizing donors and to Jake Wirth’s for donating their establishment for the fundraiser that brought out nearly 100 people and raised over $15,000 for the cause. Fund raising continues to secure the Park Ranger program for the next two years.

Donor List

Transportation Bill - Historic parkways and bridges

Update, July 2009:

The Transportation bill that passed the legislature in late June is a mixed bag for parks but it is clear that the combined advocacy efforts of our environmental coalition paid positive dividends. While the bill transfers most DCR bridges as well as a few parkways (including the Casey overpass in Jamaica Plain past Forest Hills) to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the management of the Jamaicaway, Riverway, Fenway, Storrow Drive, etc., remain with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The bill calls for a report due in one year to identify and make plans for any additional parkways that should be transferred. In consultation with DCR Commissioner Rick Sullivan and many of our colleagues, we will work to ensure that the new report will recommend no additional transfers of parkways within the Emerald Necklace. We will be asking for your public support for keeping the remaining parkways at DCR.

We appreciate the efforts of the legislators who worked so effectively with us to prevent the massive transfer of historic parkways from DCR to the new Mass Trans department. Special kudos to Chairman Joseph Wagner, Rep. Martha Walz, Rep. Alice Wolf, Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez and others for their leadership.

Click here for legislator contact information: House | Senate

Transportation Bill Advocacy History

-Click here to read the letter submitted on 4.1.09 by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and many other environmental organizations.

-The full text of the testimony submitted 3.12.09 by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy against transferring parkways and parkway bridges currently under the control of DCR to MassHighway is available here.

-Emerald Necklace Conservancy Op-Ed in 3.25.09 Boston Globe

Archived Advocacy Issues