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Some Berkshire Farms to Receive Aerial Crop PlantingBy Jack Guerino, iBerkshires Staff
03:53AM / Tuesday, August 09, 2016 | |
 WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Farms in Adams, Cheshire, Lanesborough, North Adams, Sheffield, West Stockbridge and Williamstown will be seeding a little differently this August. Instead of establishing a cover crop by hand, a helicopter will plant winter rye grass seed from above. The airborne cover-crop planting is being done through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation program. Farms through the state applied to the NRC's Environmental Quality Incentives Program to take advantage of financial and technical assistance for a conservation practice that allows farmers to take full advantage of a cover crop. Chenail Brothers Dairy Farm's Wallace 3 Comments
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Crane Donates Jericho Woods Conservation Group| 07:49PM / Friday, August 05, 2016 | |
 DALTON, Mass. — Crane & Co. has donated 126 acres of woodlands, known as Jericho Woods, to the Berkshire Natural Resources Council.
The Jericho Woods property spans the communities of Dalton and Hinsdale, and has been protected by Crane and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife under a Wildlife Conservation Easement. In 2015, Crane donated 685 acres of land, known as the Boulders, to the BNRC.
"Crane has a long, sustained legacy of leading in the area of environmental stewardship," said Stephen P. DeFalco, chief executive officer of Crane Currency. "The donation of the Jericho Woods property to the BNRC will ensure that this wonderful resource will
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Pending EPA Permit Part of Waterstone Pitch For PEDA ParcelBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
01:53AM / Monday, June 27, 2016 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Part of the selling point for the new Walmart at the William Stanley Business Park is that it will ease an environmental regulation expected later this year. Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a new draft permit for the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority's ability to drain storm water into Silver Lake. That permit called for significantly better water quality than currently being done. PEDA and the city argued against it, saying it doesn't have the money to make the needed improvements to the storm water. Further, General Electric cleaned up the site to the standards outlined in the consent decree and the EPA 1 Comment
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Guest Column: Bans on Plastic Bags Gaining GroundBy Rinaldo Del Gallo, Guest Columnist
09:24PM / Wednesday, June 22, 2016 | |
 I am pleased to announce that at last night's town meeting (Monday, June 20), Adams banned single-use plastic bags. (Article 25). It was a remarkable unanimous vote by the members of the town meeting.
Recently, there have been a series of single-use plastic bag bans. There has been a ban in Lee, a ban in Lenox, and last night a ban in Adams. Lenox was done by the Board of Health. In Lee, the ban on single-use plastic bags was done by town meeting — where it won by a considerable margin. In a similar manner, Lee and Lenox banned the use of Styrofoam.
What is less commonly known is my role in these bans. The ban on Styrofoam and single-use plastic bags in Lee and
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Developer Proposes Scaled Down Solar Project On Churchill StreetBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
02:28AM / Wednesday, June 08, 2016 | |
The Community Development Board added conditions to each solar project on Tuesday should each be approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The developers of a recently denied solar array on Churchill Street have returned with a new concept, which they say is some 25 percent smaller. Aegis Renewable Energy had proposed a 2.6 megawatt array on a portion of the 60-plus acre property on Churchill Street early this year. But neighbors fought it, claiming such a commercial use would be detrimental to the residential area. The Zoning Board of Appeals agreed and denied the plan in a 3-2 vote. Now Aegis has returned with a second application, 2 Comments
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Residents Urge Attorney General to Appeal Pipeline Court RulingBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
03:44AM / Friday, May 27, 2016 | |
Williamstown resident Sam Smith was one of many who urged the office to appeal. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Environmental advocates want the attorney general's office to appeal a decision allowing Kinder Morgan's Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. to start construction on a pipeline in the Otis State Forest. The group 350 Massachusetts sponsored a listening session with representatives of the office on Thursday to discuss a wide range of environmental and energy concerns. The intent of the two-hour session at the Ralph Froio Senior Center was for those staff members to hear the concerns of Berkshire residents. One message was clear: the residents want to 3 Comments
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A Tree Grows in Pittsfield: 2,399 More to GoBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
04:18PM / Friday, May 06, 2016 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Reid Middle School students pitched in with state and local officials on Friday to set the first of some 2,400 trees that will be planted in targeted neighborhoods in the city as part of the state's "Greening the Gateway Cities" program.
The ornamental lilac tree will grow to be about 20 feet high, along with four other trees planted on the lawn in front of the school through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
"We can all appreciate how the beauty of trees enhances our neighborhoods and makes our environment a special place to experience," said Mayor Linda Tyer. "But trees are so much more than that. In fact,
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Second of Three Approvals Granted For Solar Project at Hancock ShakerBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
06:13PM / Thursday, May 05, 2016 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Community Development Board on Tuesday gave the OK for a new solar array at Hancock Shaker Village. Syncarpha Hancock III, a partnership between Renewable Energy Massachusetts LLC and Syncarpha Capital, is developing the project in Pittsfield and in Hancock. The Conservation Commission had already approved the project and, with the Community Development Board's approval of the site plan, only the Zoning Board of Appeals is left to issue a special permit. The group is looking to construct three photovoltaic arrays — two in Hancock and one in Pittsfield — for a total of 5 megawatts of electricity. The Pittsfield project is on about 0 Comments
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Pittsfield Highlights Chestnut Seed Orchard to Celebrate Arbor DayBy Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
03:38PM / Friday, April 29, 2016 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The American chestnut tree was so woven into the fabric of early American life that it was referred to as a "cradle to grave" tree: when a child was born, he was placed in a chestnut cradle and when he dies, in a chestnut coffin. Between 4 billion to 5 billion of the trees crowded the Eastern United State's landscape and was used for construction and food for both humans and animals. It was economic for wood and nut harvesters. It was a fixture in the ecosystem for wild animals. Farmers used the nuts to feed livestock. Telephone poles, split-post fences, shingles, musical instruments, railroad ties were all built with the 1 Comment
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