[MassHistPres] Forum on Taunton River Watershed, April 26th

[ElsaFitzgerald at aol.com]

Protecting  the Taunton  River  Watershed: 
strategies  for preserving the watershed’s natural and historic  resources. 


Saturday, April 26,  2008, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm
Bristol  County  Agricultural High School
135  Center Street,  Dighton, MA  02715


There is  no registration or fee for the forum.
Breakfast  and lunch are complementary.



The forum is sponsored  by 
The Taunton River  Watershed Alliance 

in cooperation with the 
Taunton River Watershed Campaign


and   

The Trustees of  Reservations 
The Nature  Conservancy 
The Southeastern  Regional Planning and Economic Development District 
The Trust for  Public  Land 
Mass  Audubon 

The Wildlands Trust  of Southeastern  Massachusetts 
Save the  Bay 
Environmental  League of Massachusetts 
Jones River Watershed  Association 
Greater Fall River Land Conservancy 
Green  Futures 


The purpose of the forum is  to bring together experts and residents of the 
Taunton River watershed to explore ideas and  options for advancing the 
protection of the watershed’s rich natural and  historic resources.  The forum is  
part of TRWA’s ongoing public education and municipal outreach  efforts. 
The Taunton River  Watershed Alliance: 20 years:  1988-2008



Protecting  the Taunton  River  Watershed:   
strategies for preserving  the watershed’s natural and historic resources.   

Schedule: 

8:30-9:00         Registration and complementary Continental breakfast.   
9:00-9:10         Introduction: Richard Shafer, President, Taunton River  
Watershed Alliance. 
9:20-10:20       First  workshop series. 
Break. 
10:30-11:30       Second  workshop  series. 
Break. 
11:40-12:40       Third  workshop  series. 
12:40                Wrap-up, complementary lunch with table top discussions 
and TRWA  quarterly membership meeting (all are welcome to attend). 

9:20:  First workshop  series 

1.  “Integrating history, historic  preservation and open space protection.” 
 Panelists: Craig MacDonnell,  Massachusetts State Director, Trust for Public 
Land; Diane Gilbert, President of  the Dartmouth Heritage Preservation Trust 
and Dartmouth Select Board member;  Darci Schofield, Sr. Project Associate, 
TPL.  Moderator:  Stephanie Danielson, Chair, Brockton Conservation Com.   

The rich legacy of  historic buildings and landscapes in New England towns in 
the Taunton River watershed offer many opportunities  for historic 
preservationists and open space advocates to work together to  achieve common goals.  
This workshop  demonstrates how this can be done. 

2.  “How to get your community to  adopt the CPA.”  Panelists:  Sarah 
Hewins, Conservation Agent for the  Town of Carver and Colleen Brown, Conservation  
Agent for the Town of Swansea.   Moderator:  Kelly Whitmore, Community 
Conservation  Specialist, The Trustees of Reservations. 

Perspectives from a  town that has passed the CPA (Carver) and a town in the 
process of preparing for  the CPA vote (Swansea).  What works and what doesn’t 
in gaining public support for adopting the  CPA, and how can these lessons 
make a difference in your community? 

3.  “Cooperating across town lines to  protect open space and historic 
landscapes.”  Panelists:  Bill Napolitano, Environmental Planner  and Nancy Durfee, 
Comprehensive Planner,  Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic 
Development District.  Moderator:  Carolyn LaMarre, Executive Director,  TRWA. 

Planning with abutting towns can  lead to surprising outcomes and unexpected 
advances in protecting open space and  historic resources.  This workshop  
describes the work of four cooperating communities and how their successes can  
be replicated elsewhere. 

10:30:  Second workshop series 

1.  “Archaeological resources in  your town and the Taunton River watershed: 
where are they and how do  we protect them?”   Part 1.  Panelists:  Dr. Curt 
Hoffman, Chairman, Department  of Anthropology, Bridgewater State College; 
Electa Tritsch, Oakfield Research  and author of “Developing an Archaeological 
Sensitivity Guide for Your Town” and  Adrienne Edwards, GIS Specialist for the 
Town of Easton and research associate  for “The SuAsCo Watershed Archaeological 
Inventory Project.”  Moderator:  Marta Nover, Principal, Nover-Armstrong  
Assoc. 

The Taunton River watershed is especially rich in  archaeological resources; 
however, how do we identify where they are in each  town so that they can be 
protected?  This first hour focuses on how to identify archaeological resources 
 before they are unwittingly destroyed by  development. 
2.  “Preserving critical habitats in the  Taunton  River  watershed.”   
Panelists:  Robb Johnson, SE  Massachusetts Program Director, The  Nature 
Conservancy, and Alison Bowden, Freshwater Program Director, The Nature  Conservancy.  
Moderator:  Priscilla Chapman, Taunton River Watershed Advocate, Mass  
Audubon. 

The incredibly rich and vast natural  resources and habitats of the Taunton 
River watershed pose a daunting challenge  for conservationists.  What habitats 
 have priority for protection, and how can town efforts contribute to the 
larger  goal of preserving these critical watershed resources? 

3.  “State agency funding availability  and priorities in the Southeastern 
Mass region.”  Panelists:  Vanessa Johnson, Department of  Conservation and 
Recreation; Melissa Cryan, Executive Office of Energy and  Environmental Affairs.  
Moderator  and panelist:  Anthony Cucchi,  Director of South Coast Land 
Protection, The Trustees of  Reservations. 

New funding priorities have been developed by  the Executive Office of Energy 
and Environmental Affairs for both state agency  initiatives and grants to 
localities for conservation and natural resource  protection.  This workshop 
describes  these new priorities and opportunities and their possible application 
in  Southeastern  Massachusetts. 

11:40:  Third workshop  series 

1.  “Wild and Scenic River designation: when it happens, what  then?”  
Panelists:  Jamie Fosburgh, Rivers Program Manager,  National Park Service, NE 
Region; James Ross, former chairman of the Taunton  Wild and Scenic River Study 
Committee and TRWA board member; Bill Napolitano,  Environmental Planner, 
SRPEDD;.  Moderator:  Richard Shafer,  President of the TRWA and Economic 
Development Director for the City of  Taunton. 

When Wild and Scenic River  designation for the Taunton River occurs, what 
can we expect?  What opportunities will it open up, and  how can we take 
advantage of them to advance watershed protection  goals? 

2.  “Building natural resource  advocacy through public education and outdoor 
experience: what works and  why.”  Panelists:  Linton Harrington, SE Mass 
Bioreserve  Outreach and Education Coordinator, The Trustees of Reservations, and 
Katie  Kirk, Education Specialist, Save the Bay.  Moderator:  Susan Speers,  
Coordinator, Taunton River Watershed  Campaign. 

Getting adults and kids to  participate in outdoor activities is one of the 
most effective approaches to  building advocacy for protecting the watershed’s 
open space and historic  landscapes.  This workshop describes  successful 
activities and how they can be replicated in your  community. 

3.  “Archaeological resources in your  town and the Taunton River watershed: 
where are they and how do  we protect them?”   Part 2. 

This second hour of the  archaeological workshop continues, with an emphasis 
on the best approaches to  protecting archaeological sites through regulatory 
and other  strategies. 

******** 
Lunch, discussions and TRWA  meeting:  The workshops will be followed by a  
complementary lunch, table-top discussions with workshop panelists, and the  
quarterly membership meeting of the Taunton River Watershed Alliance.  We 
welcome all forum participants to  remain for lunch, to participate in the table-top 
discussions and to attend the  TRWA membership meeting.  

Tree and Shrub Sale:  During the course of the forum, from  9:00 am to 1:00 
pm, the Bristol Conservation District will be holding its annual  Tree and 
Shrub Sale at the Aggie School.  Forum participants are encouraged to  visit the 
sale. 

The  Taunton River Watershed Alliance 
The  Taunton River Watershed Alliance is an organization of concerned 
residents,  businesses, and organizations united to restore and properly manage water 
and  related natural resources within the Taunton River Watershed.  
TRWA has worked  for twenty years to protect the water and related natural 
resources within the  Taunton  River watershed in four  ways: education, policy 
advocacy, citizen action, and water quality monitoring.  Since our founding, 
we've sponsored many educational events and published  informational 
newsletters and brochures, as well as a book about the Taunton River.  
We've introduced  hundreds of residents to the natural wonders of the 
Taunton, its tributaries  and its wildlife through canoe races, leisurely floats 
downstream, and walks  along its banks. We continue to advocate for the river in 
the public policy  arena - when and wherever it is threatened by water 
diversions, poorly planned  development and increased pollution.  
We've mobilized  residents to take action to protect and restore the river 
corridor through  shoreline surveys and river cleanups. We continue with our 
River Action Focus  Teams - flexible, user- friendly grassroots groups that allow 
people to use  their skills, energy and interests to "do something real" to 
protect the  Taunton  River watershed - our  watershed.  
The TRWA is a member of the  Taunton River Watershed Campaign, which is a 
partnership of organizations  working to protect the unique natural resources of 
this watershed in Southeastern Massachusetts. 

********** 


Directions to Bristol County Agricultural High School,  135 Center Street,  
Dighton, MA  02715 
From the north


Proceed south on Route 24 to Exit  11, Padelford  Street in Berkley.  At the 
end of the ramp, take a right on to Padelford  Street.  Proceed straight for 
3.2 miles to the Berkley Bridge.  Cross the bridge and proceed .3 miles to  the 
entrance to the Aggie School, which will be on the left.   
From the south


Proceed north on Route 24 to Exit  10, North Main Street, Assonet, Dighton.  
At the end of the ramp, take a right on to North Main  Street.  Proceed 
straight for 2.4 miles to the end of the road.  Take a left on to Elm Street and  
proceed 1.1 miles to the Berkley Bridge.  Cross the bridge and proceed .3 miles 
to  the entrance to the Aggie School, which will be on the  left. 
From the north via Route 138


Proceed south on Route 138 to the  Dighton town line.  Once in Dighton,  
proceed 1.3 miles to a set of traffic lights.  Take a left at the lights and 
proceed .2  miles to the entrance of the Aggie School, which will be on the  right. 



**************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL 
Home.      
(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom00030000000001)