Blackstone River Watershed Association In This Issue TIP OF THE MONTH BRWA NEWS Annual BRWA Earth Day Cleanup Water Quality Monitoring Volunteers Still Needed 36th Annual BRWA Canoe and Kayak Race CALENDAR IN YOUR COMMUNITY Bill To Allow Sunday Bow Hunting in MA Senators Testify In Favor Of National Park OF GLOBAL INTEREST Earth Hour 2012 White House Conference on Conservation BRWA Online About the BRWA JOIN the BRWA Volunteer SUBSCRIBE TO THE BRWA NEWSLETTER Issue 27 March 2012 And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. Anais Nin TIP OF THE MONTH Pump It Up reprinted from the Green Energy Times eNewsletter Stop Wasting Fuel. Increase your gas mileage by checking your tire pressure. More than a quarter of all cars and nearly one-third of all SUVs, vans and pickups have underinflated tires, according to a survey by the Department of Transportation. If every American kept his or her tires properly inflated, we could save 2.8 billion gallons (10.6 billion liters) of gasoline a year — and help curb global warming pollution — so inflate the tires on your car or truck and continue to do so once a month or as necessary. BRWA NEWS Annual BRWA Earth Day Cleanup In celebration of Earth Day, the BRWA is sponsoring its annual river shoreline cleanup on Sunday, April 22, 2012 from 1–3pm. The cleanup will take place in conjunction with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Park Serve Day being held throughout the state. BRWA Team Leaders will work with volunteers at River Bend Farm and Old River Road in Uxbridge, at the Blackstone Gorge and along the Blackstone Canal in Blackstone, and at additional sites within the Blackstone River Watershed. Check our website over the next few weeks for details on these other locations. Have fun outdoors while protecting your local water resources. Be a part of an ongoing partnership to remove trash along local riverbanks that will make for a cleaner, healthier and more beautiful resource. You can make a difference by volunteering just a couple of hours of your time. This project also meets community service requirements for many organizations. After the cleanup, volunteers will meet at River Bend Farm Visitor Center in Uxbridge, MA, at 3pm for pizza and drinks, provided by the Blackstone River Watershed Association. For more information, or to register for the cleanup, call the BRWA office at 508-278-5200 or email us at events@thebrwa.org. top Water Quality Monitoring Volunteers Still Needed  Volunteer Samplers are still needed for the Blackstone River Watershed-wide Water Quality Monitoring Program. Sampling is done on the second Saturday of each month, from April to November. Volunteers are needed to cover the following sites: Emerson Brook in Uxbridge Blackstone River north of Stanley Woolen Mill West River in Northbridge West River, Route 16 in Uxbridge Mill River in Hopedale Email Tammy Gilpatrick or call 508-278-2080 if you can help. The Water Quality Monitoring Program is coordinated by the Blackstone River Coalition. For more information about the Program, visit the BRC website. top 36th Annual BRWA Canoe and Kayak Race The Blackstone River Watershed Association will hold its 36th Annual Canoe and Kayak race on Saturday, May 19, 2012. This event will start in South Grafton, MA and end at the RiverBend Farm Visitor Center in Uxbridge, MA. Points for the NECKRA and the NE Downriver Championship will be awarded. The entry form and more information will be available on line shortly at the BRWA website. Volunteers are needed for the following activities: publicity setup cleanup entertainment water safety land spotters general help After the race there will be food, music, an award ceremony as well as other family activities. For more information or to participate as a racer or volunteer please contact Steve Cunningham at canoerace@thebrwa.org. top CALENDAR OF EVENTS 3/22 World Water Day   info 3/24 BCC Workday. 9am at Plummer’s Landing, Church St. Northbridge.   info 3/26 Earth Hour 8:30pm   info 3/31-5/6 National Kite Month   info --- April is National Garden Month   info 4/1 Chip Bishop presents a talk on his book "The Lion and the Journalist" (Ranger Day Lecture Series) 1:30 pm at the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket   info 4/7 International Pillow Fight Day   info 4/12 BRWA Board Meeting 6:30pm 271 Oak St., Uxbridge   info 4/12 Community Stormwater Solutions 4:00 – 8:30 pm, at Worcester State University   info 4/14 BRC Water Quality Sampling 4/21-4/29 National Park Week   info 4/22 BRWA Earth Day River Cleanup   volunteer 4/22 Earth Day 5/19 36th BRWA Canoe and Kayak Race   top IN YOUR COMMUNITY Bill To Allow Sunday Bow Hunting in MA A bill, HB3946 (An Act relative to expanding the powers of the Director of Fisheries and Wildlife), has been introduced to the MA House of Representatives that would give the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife the authority to open Sundays to bow hunters. Current law allows hunting Monday through Saturday during the appropriate season. The Sunday prohibition on hunting in Massachusetts is generally accepted as a time when other legitimate users of public lands can do so safely during the Fall and Winter months. The bill has received the approval of the committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture and has been referred to the House committee on Ways and Means. top Senators Testify In Favor Of National Park Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed testified before the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks in favor of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park Establishment Act (S.1708). The bill, introduced late last year along with a companion bill in the House of Representatives, would establish several sites in the Blackstone Valley as a National Historic Park. Also testifying in favor of the bill was the Associate Director of the National Park Service (NPS), Dr. Stephanie Toothman. The establishment of the park has the support of the NPS and U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. The bill is expected to move to the full Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for approval. The bill would then go before the full U.S. Senate. For more on the testimony: Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor US Senator John Kerry US Senator Jack Reed The Boston Globe top OF GLOBAL INTEREST Earth Hour 2012 Earth Hour 2012 will be held on Saturday March 31 between 8.30PM and 9.30PM. Join with hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations and governments around the world celebrating their commitment to the planet by switching off their lights for one designated hour. Earth Hour encourages individuals, businesses and governments to show leadership on environmental solutions through their actions, to use Earth Hour as a platform to showcase to the world what measures they are taking to reduce their environmental impact. Click on the Earth Hour logo above for more information. top White House Conference on Conservation On March 2, President Obama and members of the Cabinet met with conservation leaders from all 50 states at the White House Conference on Conservation. The Conference was part of the President's America's Great Outdoors initiative to establish a community-based, 21st century agenda for conservation, recreation, and reconnecting Americans to the outdoors. The goal of the Initiative is to set conservation priorities from the grassroots level and to bring a greater sense of responsibility for and connection to our lands and waters. Watch highlights from the conference here. top Views & opinions expressed in linked websites do not necessarily state or reflect those of the BRWA. Your input is crucial to this eNewsletter. If you have a local watershed-related story, information of interest to our subscribers, or comments about this publication, drop an email to the editor. The Blackstone River Watershed Association (BRWA) has a mission to engage, educate and advocate for improved water quality in the Blackstone River Watershed; its objectives are to: Engage the public in watershed stewardship activities, Educate members, supporters and watershed residents on watershed protection strategies, and Improve the water quality and esthetics of the Blackstone River Watershed’s water bodies. The BRWA eNewsletter is published monthly by the Blackstone River Watershed Association. BRWA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Editor: Michael Sperry mike.sperry@thebrwa.org Mailing address: BRWA, 271 Oak Street Uxbridge, MA 01569 Phone: 508-278-5200  Web: www.thebrwa.org Click here for back issues.