Administration

Water Quality

Administration

Goals

The creation of a community-based organization to oversee the development and implementation of the Housatonic River Restoration Plan would provide direction, coherence, and broad participation for a sustainable restoration effort. The process involved in crafting this plan embraced many of the points raised by residents to be as inclusive as possible, create an overall vision common to all. or virtually all, river stakeholders, and begin to craft a long-term plan which will accomplish that vision.

To that end the Steering Committee has incorporated a new organization, Housatonic River Restoration, Inc. (HRR), to take on the responsibilities of the river restoration in a collaborative fashion. The organization’s Governing Council will have representation from all municipalities along the river’s stem, a dozen organizations with a longstanding interest in the river, and other at-large constituencies.

Membership to the Governor’s Council will include representation from the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management, Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture, Massachusetts Watershed Initiative, The Trustees of Reservations, Housatonic River Initiative, Housatonic Valley Association, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Berkshire Sanctuaries of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Berkshire League of Sportsmen, and the Appalachian Mountain Club. In addition, the municipalities of Hinsdale, Dalton, Pittsfield, Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield will each have a single representative. There will also be eight at-large delegates.

The Governing Council will work collaboratively with environmental organizations, communities, government agencies, and other groups and individuals working on behalf of the restoration of the river. HRR will seek to enable the restoration and continued care, stewardship, and awareness of the Housatonic river, its tributaries, and its watershed. 

The Steering Committee strongly encourages the Natural Resource Damage Trustees for the Housatonic River to directly assign a significant amount of money to serve as an endowment for river restoration projects and activities, or to work in very close consultation with the HRR Governing Council in the distribution of Natural Resource Damage (NRD) funding. Further, the committee will actively work with existing and future organizations to seek and secure public, private, and other funding sources to finance river restoration activities and the creation of an endowment fund.

Recommendations

1.    HRR recommends that a full-time Executive Director and part-time Clerical/Secretarial Assistant be hired ($440,000 from NRD and $220,000 from other sources in salaries; $167,550 from NRD and $111,700 from other sources in expenses; over ten years). Responsibilities include:
     a. Carry out the day to day operations of the organization and implement the policies set forth by the Governing Council.
     b. Document the operations of the organization, including maintaining a database.
     c. Coordinate the HRR Governing Council and assist the Council in
         1. developing a one-, three-, five- and ten-year restoration plan;
         2. setting an agenda of projects, activities and priorities for accomplishing the restoration plan;
         3. soliciting requests from organizations to accomplish projects;
         4. making recommendations and grants of money available to groups and organizations;
         5. undertaking independent activities in the event that no other entity is willing and/or able;
         6. following up on restoration projects and other tasks consistent with the restoration process
     d. Coordinate a Technical Experts Committee to review and provide comment on the feasibility and  appropriateness of recommended projects.
     e. Seek funds directly from the Natural Resource Damage Trustees and act as an ongoing advisor to the Trustees for the long-term distribution of money to appropriate agencies to achieve specified goals as determined by the restoration plan and its ongoing revisions.
     f. Seek NRD allocations and additional grants and financing.
     g. Work in conjunction with Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation or some other financial advisor to manage assets.
     h. Encourage continued broad-based public input into the restoration plan and implementation process.
     i. Represent the interests of HRR in all public matters.

2.   HRR recommends that a team of Technical Experts be assembled ($25,000 from other sources in Year 1; then $3,000 annually from NRD and $3,000 annually from other sources). Responsibilities include:
     a. Assess the feasibility of, and prioritize projects recommended in, the HRR restoration plan.
     b. Provide comment on the feasibility and appropriateness of projects brought before the Governing Council for consideration.
     c. Provide limited technical advice and support to funders and grant-seekers.
     d. Provide limited technical assistance to grantees developing projects, as needed.

3.  HRR recommends that funds be allocated annually to make available liability insurance coverage, legal services, and other services which would enable other groups to accomplish projects, such as cleanups ($3,000 annually from NRD and $3,000 annually from other sources).

Timeline

Year 1:
Hire Executive Director.
Technical Experts prioritize restoration plan.

Year 3:
Oversight of River Restoration Plan in operation.
Liability insurance, legal services, and other services acquired and made available for river projects.

Year 5:
Ongoing implementation of River Restoration Plan.

Year 10:
Ongoing implementation of River Restoration Plan.

Additional Potential Funding Sources

Three percent administration fee for all grants obtained for other purposes
Massachusetts Environmental Trust / Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation endowment
Private foundations (Fields Pond Foundation, New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, etc.)
Municipalities: cash and in-kind donations
Volunteer in-kind contributions (Technical Experts)

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Water Quality

Goals

To fully restore a river that has suffered from PCBs and other contaminants, it is necessary to achieve and sustain water quality standards for a swimmable, fishable, and life-sustaining river (Class B).

Recommendations

A PCB-burdened river is not a restored river regardless of how many miles of greenways grace its banks. Housatonic River Restoration, Inc., is extremely concerned that the remediation process now underway be as complete and thorough as possible. HRR will support efforts to ensure that GE be fully accountable for the removal of PCBs from the Housatonic River and its floodplain, and that state and federal authorities pursue all available avenues to ensure that GE takes full responsibility for the removal of PCBs from the Housatonic River.

Although the GE PCB remediation process does not fall under Natural Resource Damages, HRR will closely follow the settlement and its implementation. There is widespread confusion in the community about the extent of contamination and its impact on residents. To that end, HRR plans to support or seek funding to assist community education efforts related to PCBs and the cleanup effort as well as appropriate health issues pertaining to PCBs ($10,000 annually from NRD and $15,000 annually from other sources). The efforts would include:

• Ecological studies on the impact of the PCB remediation effort.
• Educational programs for human and ecological risk assessment for PCBs.
• Funding continuing education in schools, colleges, civic groups, municipalities, and community groups on cleanup, restoration, and improving the water and sediment quality of the river.
• Support for educational media campaigns to encourage public participation in river-related decisions.
• Support for a river festival and annual river conference on the progress of the Housatonic cleanup.

A comprehensive effort needs to be developed to identify other point and non-point sources of non-PCB contamination to the Housatonic River, its floodplain, and tributaries. The presence of numerous known and suspected sources of pollution represents an ongoing threat to the restoration of the river that must be addressed. Recommendations pertaining to non-PCB remediation issues are to:

• Work with local, state, and federal agencies responsible for achieving state water quality standards to prioritize all sections of the Housatonic River and tributaries.
• Work with academic, environmental, and government entities to develop and implement in-stream water and sediment standards for the Housatonic River and its tributaries that will achieve life-sustaining conditions for appropriate native organisms of the riparian zone as well as provide for safe active and passive recreation.
• Identify point and non-point sources of pollution along the Housatonic River and its watershed.
• Acquire key land parcels in the watershed. Emphasis should be placed on protection of headwaters and environmentally significant sections of the river. (See Land Acquisition section.)
• Develop technical assistance programs for local towns, concerned citizen organizations, schools, etc. (See Community-Based Stewardship section.)
• Develop a comprehensive overview of all permitted uses that have an impact on the river (Total Maximum Daily Load—TMDL). Assess the cumulative impacts and update the analysis regularly ($100,000 from NRD and $100,000 from other sources, over two years).
• Develop an ongoing volunteer water quality monitoring program ($50,000 annually from NRD and $10,000 annually from other sources). Explore the feasibility of developing a laboratory specifically for the Housatonic River ($150,000 from NRD, over two years).
• Assist municipalities, environmental agencies, transportation agencies, and private property owners in the remediation of pollution sources. NRD funding could be used to trigger major grant funding from state and federal water pollution control programs for both direct and non-point sources of pollution ($1,000,000 from NRD and $5,000,000 from other sources, over ten years).

Timeline

Year 1:
Initiate PCB education programs.
Initiate non-point source pollution program.
Design water quality testing program.

Year 3:
Ongoing operation of PCB education programs.
Initiate TMDL.
Non-point source pollution program underway.
Ongoing operation of water quality testing program.
Develop water quality testing laboratory.
Identify significant pollution sources.
Initiate remediation of targeted sites.

Year 5:
Ongoing operation of PCB education programs.
Complete TMDL.
Ongoing operation of water quality testing program.
Complete remediation of 1-2 significant pollution sources.

Year 10:
Ongoing operation of PCB education programs.
Update TMDL.
Ongoing operation of water quality testing program.
Complete remediation of 3-5 significant pollution sources.

Additional Potential Funding Sources

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state brownfields programs
EPA and state non-point pollution control programs
EPA and state water quality monitoring programs
Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA)
Riverways Programs, Massachusetts Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environmental Law Enforcement
Massachusetts Environmental Trust
Private foundations (Sweet Water Trust, Fields Pond Foundation, etc.)
Municipalities: cash and in-kind donations
Volunteer in-kind contributions

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Education

Goals

To protect and perpetuate the vast social and physical investment that is planned to clean and restore the Housatonic River, educational programs are necessary to ensure responsible future watershed stewardship. The goals of these educational programs are to:

• Increase public understanding of the need to follow responsible practices for the protection of river resources.
• Ensure that every student in the Housatonic watershed has a meaningful experience on the Housatonic River.
• Ensure that every adult may increase his/her understanding and awareness of the river and its watershed.
• Ensure a comprehensive river education curriculum encompassing programs for students and the general public, including families, adults, residents, and visitors to the watershed.
• Provide an integral educational component in all river projects and events.

Recommendations

• Develop a core river curriculum identifying existing local and national river education programs and develop new programs as needed. Incorporate programs into a comprehensive K-12 and adult curriculum. Make programs available to school and community organizations ($75,000 from NRD and $25,000 from other sources in Year 1; then $25,000 annually from NRD and $25,000 annually from other sources).
• Facilitate specific educational initiatives proposed by schools, environmental, recreational and civic groups. Foster the creation of new and innovative school programs, including water quality and testing programs (see Water Quality section), annual conferences, and river awards ($40,000 annually from NRD and $40,000 annually from other sources).
• Publish and distribute river user guides and journals ($30,000 from NRD and $30,000 from other sources, over three years). These would include:
• River manuals/guides providing safety information, advice on appropriate river use, and general interpretations of the watershed environment;
• Annual report compiling basic scientific information on water quality and volume, flora and fauna prosperity, special sightings, and events, etc.;
• River journals including essays, articles, and stories about the Housatonic River and watershed;
• Living History Journal, a compilation of oral and written historical accounts of life on the Housatonic River.
• Develop and install universal signage systems to identify each roadway boundary (signifying that one is entering the Housatonic River watershed), roadway stream crossings, and storm drains that empty into the Housatonic River or its tributaries ($140,000 from NRD and $60,000 from other sources, over ten years).
• Produce educational facilities and deliverables, including a Housatonic River library, computer center, Housatonic River Restoration home page, Geographic Information System ( GIS) mapping center, water quality testing lab, canoes and safety equipment, hands-on exhibits, and other possible programs described in Appendix: Recommendations: Educational Programs and Initiatives ($300,000 from NRD and $300,000 from other sources, over ten years).
• Develop a River Education Resource Center. Educational programs, products and facilities described could be located at various existing sites in the watershed, but a preferred option would be to create a River Education Resource Center at a selected location on the Housatonic River. The Center could offer riverside programs and house educational facilities such as a library, research lab, computer center, and water testing laboratory. The Center could be an interpretive center for visitors and provide storage for canoes, safety gear, traveling educational displays, and other products and equipment.
• A complete list of proposed initiatives and programs is given in Appendix:: Recommendations: Educational Programs and Initiatives.

Timeline

Year 1:
Identify existing curriculum program and begin developing core curriculum program.
Explore wide range of educational initiatives.
Initiate implementation of educational deliverables.
Explore feasibility of River Education Resource Center.

Year 3:
Implement core curriculum program with extensive field trips.
Implement awards program, river conferences, safety programs, and other educational initiatives.
Initiate river manual/guide and river journals.
Complete Housatonic River library, computer center, GIS mapping center.
Acquire canoes for school use.
Initiate and develop River Education Resource Center.

Year 5:
Continue core curriculum program.
Continue awards program, river conferences, safety programs, and other educational initiatives.
Complete river manual/guide.
Develop and begin to install signage system.
Continue operation of library, computer center, GIS mapping center, canoe facilities, etc.
Complete River Education Resource Center.

Year 10:
Continue core curriculum program.
Continue expanded awards program, river conferences, safety programs, and other educational initiatives.
Complete and maintain sign system.
Continue operation of library, computer center, GIS mapping center, canoe facilities, etc.

Additional Potential Funding Sources

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Massachusetts Endowment for the Humanities
Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA)
Riverways Programs, Massachusetts Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environmental Law Enforcement
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (Janet’s Fund)
Massachusetts Environmental Trust/Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation endowment
Private foundations (Fields Pond Foundation, New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, etc.)
Local community organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.)
Area schools and Parent Teacher Associations

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Physical Access

Goals

The experience of being on the Housatonic River in a canoe or kayak is the shortest route to understanding the importance of restoring the Housatonic River as a safe, clean natural resource. To broaden public appreciation for the river and the importance of its restoration, the river needs to be cleared of unsafe barriers and obstructions, and access to the river by canoe and other human-powered watercraft needs to be made more widely available through the construction of intelligently designed canoe launch sites.

Canoe Access

 Recommendations

Design, implement and maintain approximately 25 canoe access sites along the Housatonic River in Berkshire County. The sites should have signs done in a uniform style to inform canoeists about the river, provide safety warnings, and offer direction on river etiquette. The design, implementation and maintenance of all canoe access sites should be done in a way consistent with the recommendations described in the River Trails section.

A complete list of proposed and existing sites is attached in Appendix: Housatonic River Access Report.

• Designate NRD funding to pay for the selection and design of approximately 25 existing and new canoe launch sites. The analysis should include a comprehensive approach to maximizing canoeists' opportunities to access the river, landowner considerations, safety matters, parking, liability concerns, and a recommended design for signs ($50,000 from NRD in Year 1).
• Seek partnerships with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and Public Access Board and/or other public/private organizations to secure necessary easements, acquire land and construct the canoe access sites. Maintenance issues should be addressed in the final design of all sites ($200,000 from NRD and $300,000 from other sources, over ten years).
• Establish a $100,000 endowment for the maintenance of the canoe access sites by public/private organizations ($20,000 from NRD and $80,000 from other sources, over two years).

Timeline

Year 1:
Select and design approximately 25 canoe launch sites.

Year 3:
Complete construction of 10 recommended canoe launch sites.

Year 5:
Complete construction of 20 recommended canoe launch sites.
Implement ongoing maintenance with $100,000 raised for endowment for continued maintenance.

Year 10:
Completion of all canoe launch sites with ongoing maintenance program in place.

Additional Potential Funding Sources

Public Access Board (Canoe Access Program), by special appropriation
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management
Massachusetts Environmental Trust/Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation endowment
Private foundations (Fields Pond Foundation, New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, etc.)
Municipalities: cash and in-kind donations
Corporations along the Housatonic River
Local Chambers of Commerce and Community Development Corporations (CDCs)
Local community organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.)

River Navigation

Goals

The river should be made safe for normal, non-gas-motorized recreational river activities through the removal or relocation of hazardous trees, industrial debris, and other objects that pose a threat. Limitations for canoeing imposed by abandoned dams and bridge abutments should be removed wherever possible.

Recommendations

($250,000 from NRD and $250,000 from other sources)

• A team of professionals should be assembled to review and assess obstructions and other navigational impediments along the river and make recommendations on their removal. The team would consider the environmental, recreational, safety, legal, habitat and logistical issues involved.
• A streamlined regulatory process for the removal of downed tree limbs should be developed in cooperation with area conservation commissions.
• Similar to the Appalachian Mountain Club, teams of volunteers should be recruited and trained to keep sections of the river cleared of obstructions and debris that do not require professional removal. Major obstructions should be removed by professional contractors.
• HRR should take responsibility for pressing the appropriate regulatory authorities to have dam owners provide portages at the time of their license renewals and develop other strategies for solving access problems.

Timeline

Year 1:
Assemble team of experts.
Compile an inventory of obstructions on the river, estimate removal costs and prioritize.
Develop streamlined regulatory process for removal of downed trees and limbs.
Develop organizational plan for river volunteers and start to recruit volunteers.

Year 3:
Implement removal of primary prioritized obstructions.
River volunteer organization conducting annual removals.

Year 5:
Implement removal of secondary prioritized obstructions.
River volunteer organization conducting annual removals.

Year 10:
All prioritized river obstructions removed.
River volunteer organizations conducting annual removals.

Additional Potential Funding Sources

Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA)
Massachusetts Environmental Trust/Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation endowment
Private foundations (Fields Pond Foundation, New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, etc.)
Corporations along the Housatonic River
Local Chambers of Commerce and Community Development Corporations ( CDCs)
Local community organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.)
Volunteer in-kind contributions

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River Trails, Bikeways, and Other Amenities

Goals

Residents would like to enjoy the Housatonic River as a natural resource. The development of discreetly located river trails and parks in each of the main stem communities would provide residents with appropriate venues from which to savor the river.

Recommendations

Applying the above goals, HRR recommends the development of a comprehensive greenway plan and "beaded-necklace" program ($25,000 from NRD, in Year 1).

HRR recommends that seed money be set aside to plan river trails and parks in the eight communities along the main stem of the river (Hinsdale, Dalton, Pittsfield, Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield). Because of the extraordinary opportunity for river trails in the Lenox section of the river and the overwhelming presence of PCBs in the river in Lenox, HRR recommends $50,000 be designated for Lenox. Other communities should each be allotted $25,000. Beyond this allocation, Pittsfield is also supported through an additional $6 million in the existing NRD package ($225,000 from NRD, over six years).

HRR recommends that additional funds be allocated for the final design and implementation of proposed river trails and parks. All allocations would be required to be matched on a 3-to-1 basis from other sources ($675,000 from NRD and $2,025,000 from other sources, over six years) Maintenance funding should be secured from other sources ($330,000 from other sources, over six years).

Timeline

Year 1:
Develop comprehensive river corridor greenway development plan.
Initiate a "beaded-necklace" program of river trails, parks, and amenities along the Housatonic River.

Year 3:
Initiate support, design, and implementation of two river trail/park projects.

Year 5:
Complete three river trail/park projects.
Initiate support, design, and implementation of two additional river trail/park projects.

Year 10:
Complete eight river trail/park projects.

Additional Potential Funding Sources

Transportation enhancement and other Department of Transporation enhancement programs
National Park Service design and technical assistance program
Public Access Board (Canoe Access Program)
Massachusetts Department of Tourism
Massachusetts Executive Office of Communities and Development (EOCD)
Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA)
DEM Greenways and Trails program
Massachusetts Environmental Trust/Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation endowment
Private Foundations (D.I.R.T., Fields Pond Foundation, DuPont Greenway Award, New England  Grassroots Environmental Fund, etc.)
Municipalities: cash and in-kind donations
Corporations along the Housatonic River
Local Chambers of Commerce and Community Development Corporations (CDCs)
Local community organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.)
Local garden clubs
Volunteer in-kind contributions

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Ecological Restoration

Goals

The goal of an ecological restoration program should be to build a connected living riparian system along the main stem and tributaries of the Housatonic River. This goal implicitly recognizes that the Housatonic River is much more than water between two banks. Each spring the river spreads to encompass its floodplain. Over decades and centuries, the river’s course changes, snaking back and forth across the same floodplain. The river and its riparian zone are both necessary habitat for many of the species of the river, and even those restricted to water depend on the leaves and other organic materials that fall into the river as the basis for the river’s food chain.

Recommendations

• Water quality is critical to the restoration of the river. The recommendations contained in the Water Quality section should be fully implemented.
• Certain lands are critical to restoration. Land acquisitions should be targeted toward large unfragmented parcels in headwaters areas and toward parcels that help link natural areas along tributaries to natural areas on the main stem. (See Land Acquisition section.)
• An ecological restoration inventory should be taken using existing information from which an ecological restoration action plan can be developed. The plan will place priorities on natural habitat management programming ($75,000 from NRD, by year 3).
• The ecological restoration action plan should be implemented over the course of several years. Elements of it would include the reduction of non-native species, the reintroduction or protection of native and rare and endangered species, removal of blacktop from the floodplain, the replanting of agricultural fields along the river, and other appropriate practices ($1,000,000 from NRD and $320,000 from other sources, over ten years).
• Enhance the ability of enforcement officials to implement existing river protection and environmental laws. (See Community-Based Stewardship section.)

Timeline

Year 1:
Initiate ecological restoration inventory.

Year 3:
Complete ecological restoration plan.
Initiate natural habitat management recommendations.

Year 5:
Continue natural habitat management program.

Year 10:
Continue natural habitat management program.

Additional Potential Funding Sources

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Five-Star Restoration Grant Program
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program, US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services
Biodiversity Initiative, Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA)
Riverways Programs, Massachusetts Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environmental Law Enforcement
Massachusetts Environmental Trust
Private foundations (Sweet Water Trust, Fields Pond Foundation, etc.)
Local garden clubs: cash and in-kind donations
Volunteer in-kind contributions

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Land Acquisition

Recommendations

HRR endorses as a top priority the acquisition of lands in the Housatonic watershed that will further the restoration of the Housatonic River.

HRR will work with state, local, and private groups to identify which parcels should be acquired to further the actions recommended in other sections of this report. Particular priority should be placed on properties at the headwaters of the main stem and tributaries, areas of convergence between the main stem and tributaries, and environmentally sensitive parcels.

Land acquisition will be a crucial component of actions for improved water quality, ecological restoration, access, and recreation. To protect water quality, for example, it is important that land protection efforts continue in headwaters and tributary areas such as Hinsdale Flats, Schenob Brook watershed, and Hop Brook. watershed. In some cases, restoring the river will require that previously developed lands be acquired and pavement removed to allow recreational access, improved water quality, and opportunities for ecological restoration.

HRR does not anticipate incurring any extraordinary expenses in relation to the acquisition of land, as it is anticipated that all land acquisitions will be conducted by federal, state, and local agencies as well as existing private non-profit conservation organizations.

The Natural Resource Damage settlement must provide sufficient funding for land acquisition if restoration of the Housatonic River is to have meaning. The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife estimates that a full restoration would require the acquisition of open space land with a total value of $70 million. There are, however, other properties such as asphalt parking lots, agricultural buffer zones, parcels for potential river parks/trails and other purposes that should be acquired and are not included in this estimate.

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Economic Development

Goals

The Housatonic River should serve as an economic resource for the Berkshires in a way that honors its natural attributes. Long under-utilized for recreational purposes, it can serve as a valuable asset for tourism and appropriate redevelopment projects. Existing wild and pristine areas should remain so, while redevelopment efforts should be concentrated along existing commercial corridors.

Recommendations

HRR and other environmental groups should carefully monitor commercial uses of the river, and in some cases, play an advocacy role for the appropriate and tasteful redevelopment of targeted parcels along the river, particularly brownfields. The environmental community, however, should remain vigilant in the potential overuse of the river as a recreational resource.

HRR should seek funds to provide ongoing forums, events, and activities such as an award program to encourage appropriate development along the Housatonic River, consistent with the aims of the restoration plan. In addition, HRR should direct funds for technical assistance in the preparation of grants, predevelopment planning, and other activities pertaining to appropriate redevelopment initiatives along the Housatonic River corridor, with a high priority being placed on brownfields projects ($5,000 annually from NRD and $5,000 annually from other sources).

Timeline

Year 1:
Initiate forums, events, and activities.

Year 3:
Continue forums, events, and activities.
Initiate economic redevelopment technical assistance program.

Year 5:
Continue forums, events, and activities.
Participate in one to two economic redevelopment initiatives.

Year 10:
Continue forums, events, and activities.
Participate in three to five economic redevelopment initiatives.

Additional Potential Funding Sources

Massachusetts Executive Office of Communities and Development (EOCD)
Corporations along the Housatonic River
Local Chambers of Commerce and Community Development Corporations ( CDCs)
Local community organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.)

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  Historic and Cultural Amenities

Goals

An enhanced appreciation of the history of the Housatonic River is critical to the river’s restoration. In addition to raising awareness about the river’s important contributions to the Berkshires today, the history of the Housatonic offers a blatant lesson in how not to treat a natural resource.

Recommendations:

• Design, implement, maintain, and promote a Historic Housatonic River Trail highlighting significant and interesting aspects of the river’s history ($10,000 from NRD and $50,000 from other sources over ten years).
• Encourage the development and promotion of a new or reprinted history of the Housatonic River ($10,000 from other sources, in Year 5).
• Support the designation of the Upper Housatonic Valley as a National Heritage Area.

Timeline

Year 1:
Conduct historic survey of Housatonic River.

Year 3:
Design Historic Housatonic River Trail, brochure developed.
Explore options for publication (or republication) of book on the Housatonic River’s history.

Year 5:
Complete Historic Housatonic River Trail.
Publish or republish book on history of the Housatonic River.

Year 10:
Maintain Historic Housatonic River Trail and signage.
Revise and reprint brochure.

Additional Potential Funding Sources

National Park Service
Massachusetts Department of Travel and Tourism
Massachusetts Turnpike Authority
Massachusetts Historical Commission
Massachusetts Endowment for the Humanities
Massachusetts Environmental Trust/Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation endowment
Private foundations
Corporations along the Housatonic River
Local Chambers of Commerce and Community Development Corporations ( CDCs)
Local community organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.)

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Community-Based Stewardship

Goals

The development of a community-based stewardship program on a local level will establish the framework for the long-term protection of the river and an enhancement of its resource.

The enforcement of environmental regulations is necessary to achieve the long-term goal of a swimmable, fishable, and life-sustaining river and to promote the overall environmental health and integrity of the river, its tributaries, riparian lands, and watershed.

Recommendations

• HRR recommends that funds be allocated annually to subsidize, subcontract, or itself manage a River Guardian Program, including a Chief River Guardian and additional Assistants and volunteers responsible for individual portions of the river corridor. The River Guardian program would maintain a physical presence on the river and its tributaries to inspect restoration projects, detect pollution and other problems, monitor progress, and provide an on-site educational link to teachers and schools ($60,000 annually from NRD and $20,000 annually from other sources).
• Designate a Municipal Fund to assist local conservation commissions and related municipalities within the watershed to implement and comply with wetland and other environmental protection regulations. This pool of "Watershed Environmental Enforcement Funds" would provide legal and technical budgetary supplements on a case-by-case basis ($20,000 annually from NRD).
• Provide funding to develop and implement river and water quality related outreach and educational courses for select boards, planning boards, zoning boards of appeals, boards of health, and town highway and public works departments. Seek to build outreach and education into the local environmental regulation and enforcement process to minimize pollution and the resulting impacts on natural resources (drawn from Municipal Fund). (See Education section.) 
• Develop a locally based Non-point Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO) program to inform and support the design and installation of non-point pollution control practices and infrastructure ($50,000 from NRD to design and $90,000 from other sources to operate, over ten years).
• Initiate "Environmental Report Cards" for each municipality in the watershed to assess the adequacy of its regulatory protection and record of enforcement ($65,000 from NRD, over ten years).
• Foster "Storm Drain Stenciling Projects" in urban areas to raise awareness and discourage dumping into storm drains before it happens ($50,000 from NRD to design and $40,000 over eight years from other sources to operate).
• Provide funding for the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions (MACC) for eight blocks of fundamental training for new conservation commission appointees and for the continual upgrading of education for seasoned commissioners in the administration and enforcement of wetlands protection and stormwater management laws and regulations ($10,000 annually from NRD and $5,000 annually from other sources).
• Provide funding for stream teams to monitor habitat conditions ($10,000 annually from NRD and $15,000 annually from other sources).
• Work with the state EOEA Watershed Team Office to assure that Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) are developed, monitored and managed for the entire river and other appropriate water bodies in the watershed. (See Water Quality section.)

Timeline

Year 1:
Initiate program for municipal boards to seek funding assistance for the enforcement of environmental regulations.
Develop a local NEMO project in cooperation with the Hoosic River Watershed Association.
Initiate "Environmental Report Cards."
Initiate River Guardian program.
Stream teams in operation.

Year 3:
Implement eight-block instruction program developed by the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions in river communities.
Introduce storm drain stenciling program to area schools, youth groups, and other groups.
Ongoing operation of programs initiated in year 1.
River Guardian program and stream teams in operation.

Year 5:
Work in cooperation with state to ensure completion of TMDLs.
Ongoing operation of programs initiated in years 1-3.

Year 10:
Ongoing operation of programs initiated in years 1-5.

Additional Potential Funding Sources

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
MA Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA)
Riverways Programs, Massachusetts Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environmental Law Enforcement
s.319 Non-point Source Pollution grants
Massachusetts Environmental Trust
Private foundations (Sweet Water Trust, etc.)
Municipalities: cash and in-kind donations
Volunteer in-kind contributions

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Watershed and River Management

Goals

The development of the Housatonic River, its floodplain, and watershed has created an array of artificial barriers to its natural restoration. These include the construction of more than a dozen dams, the presence of many dumps and trash sites along its riverbanks, and the widespread development of its watershed. The restoration effort should attempt to address and as much as possible mitigate the impacts of these factors.

Recommendations

• HRR should monitor the condition of dams along the Housatonic River and provide technical advice on the possible removal of dams above the GE plant in Pittsfield. Special attention should be given to ensure that dams below the GE plant are carefully monitored by the appropriate state agencies to ensure their long-term viability so as to prevent further PCB contamination downstream.
• Ongoing river cleanups should continue. The restoration effort offers an opportunity to supplement and expand existing annual cleanups ($10,000 annually from NRD and $40,000 annually from other sources).
• An inventory of major dumps and areas of unusually dense trash should be compiled and prioritized. HRR should assist or oversee the removal of one moderate problem a year and one major dump every two years ($37,500 annually from NRD and $37,500 annually from other sources).
• HRR should participate in the development of a comprehensive watershed management action plan, consistent with the five-year planning cycle utilized by state and federal Watershed Initiative programs. By coinciding with the institutional cycle, HRR could maximize opportunities for leveraging government resources, provide timely input to agency permit and programmatic decisions, and help drive the locally based watershed management program.

Timeline

Year 1:
Supplement annual river cleanup efforts.
Inventory and prioritize major dump sites and develop removal plan.

Year 3:
Assist in the expansion of annual river cleanup efforts.
Complete the removal of two moderate dump sites and one major one.

Year 5:
Continue annual river cleanup efforts.
Complete the removal of four moderate dump sites and two major ones.

Year 10:
Continue annual river cleanup efforts.
Complete the removal of six to eight moderate dump sites and four to five major ones.

Additional Potential Funding Sources

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services
Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA)
Berkshire Conservation District
Riverways Programs, Massachusetts Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environmental Law Enforcement
Massachusetts Environmental Trust/Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation endowment
Private foundations (Fields Pond Foundation, New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, etc.)
Municipalities: cash and in-kind donations
Corporations along the Housatonic River
Municipalities: cash and in-kind donations
Volunteer in-kind contributions

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