CDP OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

This issue is dedicated to everyone impacted by Hurricane Helene. For ways to help, see resource lists compiled by 100 Days in Appalachia, rural organizer Jessica Burbank, and VPM News.

MassDEP Public Information Session

Thursday, October 10 · 6 p.m. (doors open at 5:45)
Shea Theater, 71 Avenue A, Great Falls

Speak up for the Connecticut River! Come voice opposition to the proposed relicensing of FirstLight’s Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Station.

MassDEP has until April 22, 2025, to decide on granting a water quality certification (WQC) to FirstLight. No certificate, no 50-year license extension.

Virtual attendance is permitted but requires online registration. Visit MassDEP’s Public Involvement in 401 WQC Process (item No. 2) and Connecticut River Defenders for more information.

Local Climate Roundup

  • Experts say there’s an uptick in yellowjacket interactions this year. (limited paywall)
  • A soil disease is hurting pumpkin and squash yields. (limited paywall)
  • Northfield residents are expressing concerns over a new solar project. (limited paywall)
  • Columnist Al Norman points out a need for more community-based renewable energy solutions. (limited paywall)
  • In the last e-newsletter, poison ivy was incorrectly labeled as an invasive. It is native to the North Quabbin region, and interestingly, grows best where there has been human interference. Scientists at Duke found that rising carbon dioxide levels actually increase its toxicity.

Spotlight on North Adams
New England Forestry Consultants have proposed a forest management plan for the 1,000-acre Notch Reservoir property. The plan includes clear-cutting trees and using the toxic herbicide glyphosate (Roundup). Northern Berkshire Community TV recorded a public informational meeting last month. Citizen groups Friends of the Notch Reservoir and Bellows Pipe Trail and Massachusetts Forest Watch are leading efforts to challenge the plan.

Democracy Corner

The Origins & Evolution of Project 2025

Wednesday, October 23 · 7 p.m.
Zoom Webinar

Suffolk University professor Brian Conley will delve into the history of Project 2025 and its origins during the Reagan Years.

Learn more and register online.

Electoral Resources

GENERAL INFORMATION
ON THE BALLOT
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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