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	July 2004 Notes from NEGEF's Executive Director Grantee Success Stories Boston Grants Initiative NEGEF's Bits & Pieces NEGEF Grantmaking NEGEF Contact Information

NOTES FROM DIRECTOR ( back to top )	VOTE AND GET OUT THE VOTE There's a political feeding frenzy going on out there. It calls to mind a small, backyard fishpond with exuberant humans tossing food on the water and watching tons of fish snap at the food pellets. Both the left and the right, the Republicans, Democrats, and all the other parties want your vote on November 2nd. Not just in the presidential race, but from local government to the U.S. Congress, there's a huge battle going on to win the hearts and minds of the American Voter. The fall election is so critical, EVERY vote will count. Yes, that's right, this is a missive about "Leave No Voter Behind." If environmental issues are important to you, then NEGEF urges you to VOTE…and…help GET OUT THE VOTE. Many New Englanders know about the "Sooty Six," the "Dirty Dozen," and David Letterman's "Top Ten." Well here's NEGEF's "Electoral Eight" - eight local actions you can do to nurture democracy and civic engagement. These eight actions will assure that our next elected officials make public health and the environment a priority. 1. Circle TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2nd on your calendar in red & blue. If the page is white then it will be a truly patriotic act. 2. Get an ABSENTEE BALLOT if you and/or any member of your family will not be in town that day, and do it far in advance. Don't forget your college-age students if they are registered at home. Absentee ballots are available several weeks before Election Day, so call for them early. 3. THINK ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS. Could any of them use a reminder or a ride to the polls? Will they need an absentee ballot? If you share their worldview, and you think they will support your candidates, be sure they vote. 4. OFFER TO REGISTER VOTERS. Tables are popping up at Farmers' Markets, summer parades and community events across the nation. Call your favorite environmental group and find out if they want to promote their cause and sign up new voters. They'd appreciate your help. 5. ATTEND CANDIDATE FORUMS with lots of questions about the environmental issues near and dear to you. Make it their priority, too. 6. CANVASS FOR CANDIDATES and/or volunteer in their campaign offices. There are lots of doors to knock on and envelopes to stuff. 7. MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS. There's a lot of work to do. The Dean Campaign showed how little contributions add up. $10 here and $25 there make a huge difference, especially in local campaigns. 8. VOTE, VOTE AND VOTE!!! No, we don't mean three times, but be sure you and at least two others who share your ideas make it to the polls. Your community, your state and our country will thank you. Ah yes, there's an 8A. - RUN FOR OFFICE YOURSELF or get another member of your group to do so. That's the best way to assure that your views and values are represented, feeding democracy and keeping it healthy. OTHER RESOURCES: The New England Grassroots Environment Fund is a public charity, in the Internal Revenue jargon, a 501(c)(3) group, and we cannot and do not endorse one candidate over another. But we can steer you to websites that can help you engage your fellow citizens more effectively in our democratic process. Want to know more about candidate positions on environmental issues? Contact the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and the Clean Water Fund. Concerned about broader social and economic justice issues, start with Northeast Action and its state affiliates in New England (see below for details). If you want to find other ways to be active in this fall's elections, check out www.nationalvoice.org to link to dozens of groups across the country working on voter engagement. Have fun, enjoy, participate, VOTE AND GET OUT THE VOTE. Our democracy depends on each and every one of you. VOTER ENGAGEMENT RESOURCES Looking for candidates' positions on the environment? Check out the LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS and its state chapters. www.lcv.org opens the door to the entire LCV Family of Organizations. At the national level, the League of Conservation Voters publishes the voting records of the presidential and congressional candidates. New England Program Manager Lora Wondolowski P. O. Box 385 Northampton, MA 01061 (413) 587-4226 lora_wondolowski@lcvef.org Connecticut Lori Brown, Executive Director CT League of Conservation Voters 645 Farmington Ave, 1st Floor Hartford, CT 06105 (860) 236-5442 ctlcv@mindspring.com Vermont Susan Thompson, Executive Director VT Alliance of Conservation Voters P.O. Box 744 Montpelier, VT 05601 (802) 224-9090 sthompson@vacv.org www.vacv.org New Hampshire Roger Stephenson Granite State Conservation Voters Alliance P.O. Box 89 Exeter, NH 03833 (603) 772-7784 r-stephenson@comcast.net www.voteconservation.org Maine Eliza Townsend, Executive Director Maine League of Conservation Voters 14 Main Street, Box 16 Brunswick, ME 04011 (207) 373-1200 Fax: (207) 373-1221 mlcv@suscom-maine.net www.mlcv.org The work of NORTHEAST ACTION and its affiliated organizations is inspired by a vision of a participatory society, based on principles of social and economic justice and cultural and racial diversity. They can offer advice on a broader array of public concerns including campaign finance, public health and livable wages. www.neaction.org neaction@neaction.org 30 Germania Street Boston, MA 02130 (617) 541-0500 621 Farmington Avenue Hartford, CT 06105 (860) 231-2410 AFFILIATES Connecticut Connecticut Citizen Action Group 139 Vanderbilt Avenue, 2nd Floor West Hartford, CT 06110 (860) 947-2200 ccag@ccag.net www.ccag.net Maine Dirigo Alliance 1 Pleasant Street Portland, ME 04101 (207) 874-9668 dirigoal@maine.rr.com www.dirigoalliance.net Maine People's Alliance 68 Bishop Street Portland, ME 04103 (207) 769-0967 mpa@maine.rr.com www.mainepeoplesalliance.org Massachusetts Mass Voters for Clean Elections 37 Temple Place, 5th Floor Boston, MA 02111 (617) 451-5999 arussell@massvoters.org www.massvoters.org New Hampshire New Hampshire Citizens Alliance 4 Park Street, Suite 403 Concord, NH 03301 (603) 228-3360 nhca@totalnetnh.net www.nhcitizensalliance.org Rhode Island Ocean State Action 99 Bald Hill Road Cranston, RI 02920 (401) 463-5368 kmalcolm@nea.org www.oceanstateaction.org CLEAN WATER ACTION is a national citizens' organization working for clean, safe and affordable water, prevention of health-threatening pollution, creation of environmentally-safe jobs and businesses, and empowerment of people to make democracy work. They, too, track public officials and their environ-mental positions. Connecticut 645 Farmington Ave 3rd Floor Hartford, CT 06105 (860) 232-6232 bsuter@cleanwater.org Boston 36 Bromfield St. Suite 204 Boston, MA 02108 (617) 338-8131 bostoncwa@cleanwater.org Northampton 160 Main St. Suite 6 Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 584-9830 nohocwa@cleanwater.org New Hampshire 163 Court St. Portsmouth, NH 03801 (603) 430-9565 portcwa@cleanwater.org Rhode Island 741 Westminster Street Providence, RI 02903 (401) 331-6972 provcwa@cleanwater.org
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! THE NEGEF ANNUAL GRANTEES RETREAT WILL BE OCTOBER 1-2 IN ELIOT, MAINE. WATCH FOR DETAILS AND REGISTRATION MATERIALS LATER THIS SUMMER.

GRANTEE SUCCESS STORIES ( back to top )	Environmental Concerns Coalition - Milford, Connecticut Eight years ago few people considered what was put on a lawn to keep it lush and green. That was before the Environmental Concerns Coalition (ECC) introduced the Freedom Lawn Campaign to the community of Milford, Connecticut. In 1997, with the motto "Let Nature do Its Job", the ECC organized a Freedom Lawn contest as a way to publicize their pesticide-free lawn and garden campaign. The following year, a Freedom Lawn Directory was created so that the public could visit and assess Milford's one hundred Freedom Lawns. NEGEF awarded ECC a grant in 2003 for printing 15,000 Freedom Lawn Campaign brochures that they are distributing in the community. Active since 1990 ECC has worked on a number of issues including open space and recycling. In 2003 ECC partnered with the CT Department of Environmental Protection in a multiyear project to label almost 5,000 stormdrain markers in Milford. Ann Berman, longtime activist in her community, is chairwoman of the Environmental Concerns Coalition. As a result of the group's work, the Milford Board of Alderman passed a resolution for the voluntary non-use of pesticides and chemical lawn fertilizers. Milford Mayor James Richetelli recently applauded Ann Berman for her work. "Ann has been one of Milford's most active environmental advocates, always rallying our residents in support of environmental causes". In support of the Freedom Lawn Campaign initiative Richetelli said, "I strongly support Ann's efforts as Mayor, but I also have a desire to support these projects as a father of three who love to play not only in our yard, but also on various ball fields throughout our community". Berman and other ECC members have been going door-to-door, handing out leaflets about their organization. Their youngest volunteer, 12-year old summer intern Anna Cecere, has helped promote environmental causes around the city. According to Anna, "Everyone should care and do their part. It's really important. If only a couple of people help and volunteer, nothing will get done." There has been a large increase in professional lawn care services that offer an organic option thanks, in part, to the Northeast Organic Farmers Association of Connecticut that runs training programs on organic lawn care for landscapers, municipal workers and individual homeowners. For additional information visit NOFA's website, www.organiclandcare.net. Ann has also found James Carr's book, "Gardening and Landscaping the Natural Way", full of useful tips for homeowners. Another Connecticut NEGEF grantee, the Quinnipiac Watershed Partnership, recently launched a Freedom Lawn Campaign as part of a town-wide Crusade Against Cancer in Cheshire who will soon begin using organic lawn care products. Town manager Michael Malone observed, "If a town government is willing to go organic it kind of sets the tone for the community". A statewide ban on pesticide use in schoolyards and day cares in Connecticut failed in 2004 but advocates have pledged to return to the statehouse to work on this issue in the next session.

BOSTON GRANTS INITIATIVE ( back to top )	The Boston Grants Initiative (BGI) is designed to provide grassroots grants in a scale appropriate to the urban environment. Urban grassroots groups often face far more complex environmental justice issues than do their suburban and rural counterparts. Working with a large, Boston-focused funder, NEGEF launched a pilot environmental grants project in the fall of 2003 to better address the needs of Greater Boston groups that are too big to fit NEGEF'ssmall grants category but still too small to receive larger foundation funding. Grant awards range from $2,500 to $10,000 to help support a variety of needs, from part-time paid project coor-dinators to tools and resources for a community garden, from funds for the removal of debris so access to a river can be reclaimed to funding advocacy for a light rail vehicle system. Groups applying for these funds must be located in Boston, Chelsea, Somerville, or Cambridge. Most projects come from small and emerging neighborhood groups, but some may be part of a larger organization where the initiative would not proceed without additional, project-specific funding. A Steering Committee of the following members has met to discuss and award the grants: Lisa Brukilacchio - Friends of the Community Growing Center Valerie Burns - Boston Natural Areas Network Rosanne Foley - Codman Square Health Center Ruth Goldman - Merck Family Fund Charlie Lord - Urban Ecology Institute Gioia Perugini - Jessie B. Cox Trust Quita Sullivan - Alternatives for Community & Environment Mariella Tan Puerto - Barr Foundation Patrice Todisco - Boston Greenspace Alliance Aaron Toffler - Urban Ecology Institute Matt Wilson - Toxics Action Center The following grants were awarded: Chelsea Latino Immigrant Committee - Chelsea $8,000 To work with MassCOSH to expand and intensify its worksite environ-mental organizing campaign to re-duce hazards for immigrant workers. Clark-Cooper Community Garden - Mattapan $5,000 To restore a 300-tree fruit, nut and berry orchard that will increase community involvement and gain the community garden group more land to plot gardens. Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation - Dorchester $7,000 To transform vacant lots at Elmhurst, Spencer and Whitfield Streets into two playgrounds for young children. Egleston Square Neighborhood Association - Roxbury $7,000 To continue organizing work with residents to develop the final stages of the Jackson Square Development Planning Process. Four Corners Action Coalition - Dorchester $7,000 To fund environmental justice campaigns, including transit equity and healthy homes. Friends of the Community Growing Center/Groundwork Somerville - Somerville $8,000 To put in place a volunteer management system to ensure that all participants have appropriate training and resources and coordinate with those that use the space to assure continued good health of the gardens. Friends of the East Boston Greenway - Boston $8,000 To launch the Friends of the East Boston Greenway with a membership brochure, letterhead, a special community event, and public prog-ramming with stewardship activities for volunteers. Mattapan Community Development Corporation - Mattapan $7,000 To redevelop the pocket park in Mattapan Square on the Neponset River reconnecting the green space to the community, the river and adja-cent historic triple arch granite bridge. Neighborhood Pesticide Action Committee - Jamaica Plain $8,000 To work towards the transition of the Southwest Corridor Park to being pesticide-free, and establishing a comprehensive no-spray policy for local mosquito control. Somerville Arts Council - Somerville $5,000 To help fund the Mystic River Mural Project that engages 7-10 low-income Somerville youth with summer employment stipends, training in arts and design, and environmental stewardship. South End/Lower Roxbury Open Space Land Trust - Roxbury $7,000 To organize a series of events in the community gardens to engage garden neighbors, organize garden fund-raising events, and maintain current SELROSLT database of expanding contacts and solicit for new members/donors. Washington Street Corridor Coalition - Roxbury $8,000 To obtain a replacement transit service for the Washington Street Corridor in the form of a Light Rail Vehicle system.

NEGEF'S BITS& PIECES ( back to top )	USE THAT RAINWATER! From American PIE, March 2004 According to the Environmental Protection Agency, up to 70% of the pollution in our surface waters comes from stormwater. We tend to think that most of this is caused by large industrial polluters, but this is not the case. Studies by a variety of watershed groups suggest that about 50% of that pollution comes from home-owners, due to yard care, yard waste, pets, and chemical pollution from household activities. The Romans, confronted with challenging topography, needed to solve the problem of delivering water to high and low-lying districts. To do so, Roman aqueducts exploited the principles of gravity in order to distribute water where it was needed. Collected from a source, like a catch basin, water traveled through a path, usually subterranean, to public collection tanks. We now have other, more efficient means of satisfying public water supplies. We are not, however, very efficient in collecting rainwater that runs off our roofs, lawns, driveways, streets and parking lots into local storm drain systems. The flow of water created by a rainstorm can be polluted by a host of contaminants like oil, chemicals, pesticides and sediments. Holding back runoff helps keep pollutants from reaching nearby streams and lakes. Diminishing runoff also can reduce the chances for local flooding, as well as bank and shoreline damage where storm drains empty into streams and lakes. Collecting runoff can nourish a garden - as the Romans did. Rain gardens use the concept of bioretention, a practice in which plants and soils remove pollutants from storm water naturally. Rain gardens are created in low-lying areas of home landscapes. The steps for building a rain garden are rather simple and can be found by consulting local garden centers or visiting a host of informative websites found on the Internet. A rain garden can be established as a shallow depression (dug 3-6 inches in depth with the bottom surface made as level as possible) in a yard; the garden can be planted with native, wetland wildflowers and grasses. A slight slope is required from the base of the downspout to the location of the garden; the garden should be located at least 10 feet away from any structure. A shallow swale or drainage pipe (above or below ground) ensures that water from the downspout flows into the rain garden. Besides being a household way to improve community water quality, rain gardens enhance the beauty of peoples' yards, provide valuable wildlife habitat, and reduce the need for costly municipal storm water treatment structures. BUY LOCAL With the summer season upon us and farmers markets in abundance, there is no reason not to buy local produce. Although it is a bit more difficult to do in our New England winters, you might want to consider these Ten Reasons to Buy Local Food: 1. Locally grown food tastes better. Food grown in your own community was probably picked within the past day or two. Several studies have shown that the average distance food travels from farm to plate is 1,500 miles! 2. Local produce is better for you. A recent study showed that fresh produce loses nutrients quickly. Food that is frozen or canned soon after harvest is actually more nutritious than some "fresh" produce that has been on the truck for a week. 3. Local food preserves genetic diversity. In the modern industrial agricultural system, varieties are chosen for their ability to ripen simultaneously and withstand harvesting equipment; for a tough skin that can survive packing and shipping; and for a long shelf life. Only a handful of hybrid varieties of each fruit and vegetable meet those rigorous demands, so there is little genetic diversity. Local farms, in contrast, grow a huge number of varieties to provide a long season of harvest. 4. Local food is GMO-free. Although biotechnology companies have been trying to commercialize genetically modified fruits and vegetables, they are currently licensing them only to large factory-style farms. Local farmers don't have access to genetically modified seeds, and most wouldn't use them even if they could. 5. Local food supports local farm families. Commodity prices are at an all-time low, often below the cost of production. The farmer now gets less than 10 cents of the retail food dollar. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food which means that farm families can afford to stay on the farm. 6. Local food builds community. When you buy direct from the farmer, you are re-establishing a time-honored connection. Knowing the farmers gives you insight into the seasons, the weather, and the process of raising food. Relationships built on understanding can thrive. 7. Local food preserves open space. As the value of direct-marketed fruit and vegetables increases, selling farmland for development becomes less likely. When you buy locally grown food, you are doing something proactive about preserving the agricultural landscape. 8. Local food keeps your taxes in check. Farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services, whereas suburban development costs more than it generates in taxes. For each dollar of revenue raised by farm, forest or open space, governments spend 34 cents on services; for every dollar in revenue raised by developments, governments must spend $1.17 on services. 9. Local food supports a clean environment and benefits wildlife. A well-managed family farm is a place where the resources of fertile soil and clean water are valued. Cover crops capture carbon emissions and help combat global warming while they prevent erosion. The patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings is the perfect environment for many species of wildlife. 10. Local food is about the future. By supporting local farmers today, you can help ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow, and that future generations will have access to nourishing, flavorful and abundant food. Adapted from Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project - www.asapconnections.org.

NEGEF GRANTMAKING ( back to top )	We have had two grant rounds since our last newsletter. Our March round saw 92 applications, and the Grantmaking Committee funded 51 of them. The following groups were awarded grants this spring: Batten Kill Watershed Alliance - Arlington, VT $1,000 To address the issue of the absence of large woody debris and riparian vegetation in the Batten Kill River which is a cause of the decline of the brown trout population. Bayside Neighborhood Association - Portland, ME $2,000 To expand the Bayside community garden into a dynamic, multi-use space that uses food as a tool for increasing cultural understanding, engages youth receiving food assistance in the full cycle of food production/consumption, and increases residents' exposure to locally grown organic food. Bike to the Sea - Malden, MA $1,000 To conduct public outreach activities in five communities north of Boston to strengthen grassroots support for a 10-mile long multi-use trail. Cape Clean Air - Sandwich, MA $2,000 To mount public support for the group's demands for pollution emissions reduction at the older power plants in Massachusetts. Cedar Swamp Conservation Trust - Westborough, MA $2,000 To support a campaign to oppose the expansion of a closed unlined capped landfill where recent testing has shown contamination levels above the drinking water standard and that these contaminants are moving north into the Cedar Swamp. Clarendon Neighbors Civic Association - Clarendon, VT $2,000 To continue the opposition to the construction and operation of a heavily industrial asphalt plant in a residential/commercial district in Clarendon. Concerned Cavendish Citizens - Cavendish, VT $2,000 To help fund legal and technical assistance to represent the interests of Cavendish citizens and landowners in Act 250 proceedings for the McLean Enterprises' proposal to have two rock quarries between the two villages in Cavendish. Duxbury Land Trust - Duxbury, VT $1,500 To help pay for expenses associated with the acquisition of three properties in 2004. Fairplay for Harpswell - Harpswell, ME $2,000 To block the lease of 70 acres of land to ConocoPhillips and Transcanada for an LNG terminal and gas plant. Federal-Pierce Neighborhood Committee - Greenfield, MA $2,000 To support a legal appeal challenging the town planning board's decision to grant a special permit to the developers of Walgreen's that will destroy 5 historic homes, mature trees and streetscape. Friends of Donigian Park - Providence, RI $2,000 To help fund park monitors' weekly litter pickups and park surveillance, sponsor a neighborhood park cleanup and participate in other neighborhood-sponsored events. Friends of Quincy Park - Somerville, MA $2,000 To restore an abandoned lot in an urban residential area to a green oasis that provides residents with an opportunity to tend plants and connect with neighbors in a welcoming outdoor atmosphere. Friends of the Intervale - Canterbury, NH $1,000 To create broad citizen involvement in an effort to conserve a 525-acre agricultural property with 7 miles of frontage along the Merrimack River. Friends of the Middlesex Fells Reservation - Stoneham, MA $1,000 To enhance the work of the Friends by establishing partnerships and broader alliances with other associations within the community through outreach, education and the facilitation of a Fells Reservation management plan. Gardening Coaches - Providence, RI $2,000 To fund a year-long, monthly capacity-building series on chemical-free gardening, community-building and leadership development for 15 or more Gardening Coaches involved in eleven community gardens in Providence. GrassRoots Organizing Workshop New England - Monroe, ME $1,000 To help fund a series of annual weekend trainings for grassroots organizers from environmental, social and economic justice organizations in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine to gain skills to continue organizing for a sustainable and egalitarian future for their communities. GreenCAPE - West Barnstable, MA $1,500 To obtain and have analyzed wipe samples from publicly-owned arsenic-treated play sets, educate parents, school officials and the public about the hazards of this exposure and safer alternatives, and develop a network of parents that will work to replace arsenic-treated play sets. Hampden Citizens Coalition - Hampden, ME $2,000 To conduct water and soil testing on or near the Souadabscook Stream and the Pine Tree Landfill, to hire a professional hydrologist and engineer to review water quality data, and to consult with an attorney about violations of state or federal law. Hilltop Community Gardens - Lewiston, ME $2,000 To build community capacity and local leadership through urban agriculture and community greening projects. Holliston-Sherborn Residential Group - Holliston, MA $2,500 To protect public safety, property values and quality of life by educating residents and officials of Holliston and Sherborn about the problems involved with having a waste transfer station located near wetlands and the towns' aquifers. HopkintonFirst!! - Ashaway, RI $1,500 To help fund legal counsel to identify and impose legal reasons to halt the development of 835 acres of farmland, woods and wetlands into multiple "big box" retail stores and other commercial expansion. Idle-Free Campaign for Lenox - Lenox, MA $1,000 To promote and provide for cleaner and healthier air in Lenox through a public awareness campaign about reducing unnecessary motor vehicle engine idling. Isle La Motte Preservation Trust - Isle La Motte, VT $1,500 To help fund capital campaign costs for the creation of a fossil preserve and outdoor museum that will protect an internationally famous site of the Chazy Reef, the oldest reef in which corals first appeared. Lower Mad River Neighborhood Association - Moretown, VT $2,000 To organize a successful campaign to prevent 90 acres of land from being turned into a rock mining quarry. Mashpee Environmental Coalition - Mashpee, MA $1,000 To increase and improve existing out-reach activities, including a quarterly newsletter, educational pamphlets, and a powerpoint presentation. Meredith Preservation Association - Meredith, NH $1,500 To educate residents about the proposed development of 560+ acres of environmentally sensitive land in the Lake Winnipesaukee watershed and to utilize legal and technical assistance to evaluate the impact of the development on the watershed. New Haven Inner City Outings - New Haven, CT $1,500 To enable New Haven Inner City Outings to sponsor high quality environmentally-oriented educational outings for New Haven youth. North Simsbury Coalition - Simsbury, CT $1,500 To help fund litigation as environmental intervenors and defendants-appellees in three appeals regarding a development on land contaminated by several pesticides. Northeast Student Environmental Action Coalition - Greenfield, MA $1,000 To launch a New England-wide Shaw's Campaign Training and Action Tour to train student groups in basic organizing skills as part of the campaign to get Shaw's supermarkets to remove genetically engineered ingredients from their store brand products. Nuclear Free Vermont - Putney, VT $2,000 To employ a local college/university student as an intern to do data entry and research, improve community outreach with a website, create educational literature and provide speakers. Pelham Conservation Commission - Pelham, NH $1,000 To help fund publication and distribution of an informative brochure, letter and/or posters informing and educating town residents about the importance of open space. Pennichuck Brook Watershed Council - Nashua, NH $1,500 To increase membership, start a ground water quality audit, and increase financial stability for long-term staying power in the fight to protect drinking water supplies in the watershed. People for the Environment - North Andover, MA $2,000 To hire an environmental lawyer and expert witnesses to help citizens become informed and to testify against the siting of a 650-ton/day regional trash transfer station. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility - Millinockett, ME $1,000 To bring an educational and outreach "grassroots traveling roadshow" slideshow about the Allagash Wilderness Waterway to all areas of Maine. Randolph Neighborhoods Association - Randolph, VT $1,500 To appeal the Town of Randolph's approval of Vermont Pure Spring's permit for increased trucking and spring development at the Rogers Road site. Residents Against the Trash Transfer Station - Brockton, MA $2,000 To prevent the proposed expansion of a trash transfer facility in a residential neighborhood. Residents Environmental Action Committee of Hopkinton - Contoocook, NH $2,500 To oppose the incineration of construction and demolition waste by an international company through education, legal appeals and legislation. Save Our Groundwater - Barrington, NH $2,000 To increase public awareness about the dangers of water privatization, help fund legal costs, and increase organizational development. Save Rice Woods - Shelburne, VT $1,500 To help fund an appeal before the Vermont Environmental Court opposing a 62-unit housing development on land that includes important plant and animal habitat. Shaftsbury Citizens for Responsible Growth - Shaftsbury, VT $2,000 To educate and inform the community about proposals by two corporations to locate two privately-owned solid waste facilities in Shaftsbury. Shoreline Greenway Trail - Branford, CT $1,000 To help pay for trail consultants to survey trail routes and assist volunteers in planning the initial trail segments with the objective being to have one section completed in each town by the end of 2004. Stenbeck Place Preservation - Scituate, MA $2,000 To ensure that a proposed development for high-density housing does not contaminate the underground aquifer or create surface runoff that contaminates the nearby brook. Stop the Track & Other Pollution in Tamworth - South Tamworth, NH $2,000 To help fund legal and technical assistance in order to regulate the building and operation of a private sports-car race track located over a critical aquifer and near conservation land in Tamworth. Study Landfill Options Wisely - Hardwick, MA $2,000 To help fund legal assistance, environmental consultants and testing, and for community education and outreach about proposals to rezone residential land for the expansion of a formerly small, locally-owned landfill which was purchased by Casella. Thompson Lake Environmental Association - Oxford, ME $1,500 To help fund five high school Youth Conservation Corps students who will identify and fix erosion problems in the watershed and educate the community about the threat of non-point source pollution, its effects on water quality and how all can help. Toxics Information Project - Providence, RI $1,500 To launch the Less Toxic Landscaping Campaign and Contest to reduce chemical use in RI, encourage the use of creative landscaping alternatives, and educate people on how to do both. Voices for Sensible Energy Solutions - New Haven, VT $2,000 To educate and activate New Haven and Addison County residents to oppose the VELCO Northwest Reliability Project transmission upgrades which have negative impacts on health, environment and land values. We The People: For a Healthy Environment - Milford, ME $2,500 To oppose the purchase and subsequent expansion of a sludge dump in West Old Town by the state who will change the use of the dump into a statewide landfill to be run by Casella Waste Management. West River Watershed Alliance - Brattleboro, VT $1,000 To hire a Volunteer Coordinator to coordinate day-to-day sampling activities during the summer of 2004 for the WRWA swimming hole monitoring project. Westfield River Wild & Scenic Advisory Committee - Huntington, MA $1,500 To conduct an outreach campaign to activate the public and recruit volunteers for local involvement on the East Branch Trail and to coordinate at least one trail work day. Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park - North Clarendon, VT $2,000 To help pay for technical assistance to analyze sewer and septic problems believed to be related to nearby extraction of earth materials used for making concrete. And at our June meeting, the Committee funded 43 groups for a total of $82,165. The following groups were awarded grants in June: ABBDS Block Association - Stamford, CT $2,500 To further the group's advocacy to stop the reconstitution of a peaking power plant and the total removal of the major polluter from the neighborhood. Alton Community Action - Wood River Jct., RI $2,000 To help fund the organization's work to fight contaminated neighborhood well water, air and local rivers by a local fabric company and to ensure the health and safety of all Alton residents. Apeiron Institute for Environmental Living - Coventry, RI $1,500 To help fund the Sustainable Rhode Island website that will provide one source access to people, products, and services that enable Rhode Islanders to live more sustainable lives. Barre Preservation Group - Barre, VT $1,500 To preserve the natural and architectural heritage of the community by appealing demolition permits which plan to destroy a historically significant structure. Center Pond Weed Pulling Demonstration Project - Becket, MA $1,500 To remove invasive aquatic weeds from Center Pond utilizing diver hand pulling as an alternative to application of herbicides. Chelsea Green Space & Recreation Committee - Chelsea, MA $2,000 To expand the services of the existing community garden and link efforts with the community garden managed by the Chelsea Neighborhood Housing, and to create a strong composting and recycling program. Citizens Alliance for Responsible Development - Coventry, RI $2,500 To help pay for legal assistance to appeal the Town Zoning Board decision regarding a proposed business park. Citizens Leading for Environmental Action & Responsibility - Claremont, NH $2,250 To close the Wheelabrator Claremont Company's 200+ tons/day waste-to-energy incinerator that has been in operation for 17 years. Claremont Farmers' Market - Claremont, NH $1,500 To provide a marketing venue for local farmers, growers, bakers, prepared food providers and craftspeople, while offering the public access to high quality, fresh products. Clarendon F.I.R.S.T. - North Clarendon, VT $2,000 To determine if there are environmental causes linked to the leukemia cluster in Clarendon, assess and address any immediate threats, and work to clean up and/or prevent future exposure. Cumberland Neighbors Organization - Cumberland, RI $2,500 To oppose the petition for a special use permit for the purpose of building a gas station. Environmental Partnerships - Winchester, MA $2,000 To collaborate with other community organizations to give the Mount Calvary Church vegetable garden, a partial face-lift so its appearance harmonizes with the rest of the long-strived for redevelopment in the area. Essex Municipal Grounds and Waterways Committee - Ivoryton, CT $1,000 To convince park and recreation officials to impose a moratorium on applying lawn care chemicals on the town park where the playground is so that it can be converted into an organic lawn care demonstration site. Four Mile Brook Watershed Assnociation - Northfield, MA $1,255 To raise awareness of the watershed through a streambank restoration project, public meeting and outreach materials. Friends of the Orchard - Amherst, NH $2,000 To help cover the first year of operating expenses to bring back into healthy productivity the last apple orchard in Amherst. Friends of the Winooski River - Montpelier, VT $1,500 To purchase a membership database and develop outreach efforts to garner more contacts and members for a formalized annual membership and donor appeal letter. Glenham Community Garden - Providence, RI $1,975 To improve the community garden in Providence by extending the perimeter fence, touching up old signs and paintings, and adding perennial plantings around the outer fence. Green Futures - Fall River, MA $2,500 To launch an outreach program for its Quequechan River Initiative which includes a plan to create a network of linked greenspaces along the length of the river. Greenland Concerned Citizens - Greenland, NH $2,500 To educate the public about the effects of sprawl (a large-scale mall and 150-unit subdivision) on the environment and the tax base. Kennebec Messalonskee Trails - Waterville, ME $2,000 To help fund a consultant to organize a fundraising, membership and capital campaign and to provide support and advice on a community-wide walk-a-thon for National Trails Day. Lamoine Conservation Commission - Lamoine, ME $2,500 To survey Lamoine's wells and sand and gravel aquifer to determine the quality and quantity of potable water and to compare current findings with those of a 1983 study of this aquifer and representative wells in town and analyze the results for a course of action to protect this vital resource. Middlebury Global Warming Action Coalition - Middlebury, VT $1,500 To continue greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs for the Middlebury area. Nashoba Conservation Trust - Pepperell, MA $1,500 To support the outreach and fundraising efforts related to the 265-acre Pepperell Springs Project. Oak Lawn Village Community in Bloom - Cranston, RI $1,500 To help build a nature trail and picnic grove with a bathroom facility, all handicapped accessible. Paul Gore Beecher Community Garden - Jamaica Plain, MA $1,500 To dispose of the arsenic-treated railroad ties that have been plot definers in the garden and replace them with non-toxic timbers. Piscataquog Watershed Association - New Boston, NH $1,500 To control the spread of purple loosestrife in the Piscataquog River watershed through community-based advocacy and education. Plainfield United - Plainfield, VT $2,000 To help fund a campaign opposed to the renewal of a permit for septage application in the midst of a residential neighborhood. Quinnipiac Watershed Partnership - New Haven, CT $2,250 To build grassroots support for local advocacy programs, launch the "Freedom Lawn" campaign, and print a turtle conservation brochure. Randolph Area Family Farms - Montpelier, VT $1,500 To connect farms with the greater community, help working farms prosper, and celebrate the variety of farms in the central Vermont area. Residents Against the Transfer Station on South Street - Pittsfield, MA $2,000 To prevent the siting of a construction and demolition waste transfer station on the banks of the only unpolluted branch of the Housatonic River in Pittsfield. Smart Growth for Bristol - Bristol, VT $2,500 To stop the Lathrop Corporation from acquiring the permits it seeks to create a 66-acre gravel extraction operation and to reverse the trend toward industrialization of the quiet and historic town of Bristol. South End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone Initiative - Stamford, CT $2,000 To divert B & S Carting trucks from parking in residential areas near children to a commercial area, reducing debris, dust and air pollution. St. Edward Food Center/Sophia Academy - Providence, RI $2,235 To develop and maintain an organic community garden at the St. Edward Food and Wellness Center. Stop These Oversized Projects - Westminster, MA $2,500 To protect the rural community neighborhood of Westminster and preserve its character and natural heritage by preventing insensitive and oversized development projects. Sustainable South Shore - Hull, MA $2,000 To combat climate change by using energy efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies to reduce emissions. Tilton Riverfront Park Committee - Tilton, NH $1,500 To help pay for newsletters and a fundraising brochure that will be used to solicit funds for the construction of a riverfront park. Upper Saco Valley Land Trust - North Conway, NH $2,000 To help fund a Program Coordinator who will distribute conservation easement information, meet with prospective donors, and monitor all conservation easements annually. Vermont Citizens for Safe Energy - New Haven, VT $2,000 To help fund the campaign against VELCO's transmission line project, focusing on the potential hazards of large electric transmission lines due to electromagnetic fields. Victory Gardens Project - Portland, ME $1,500 To help start an organic community garden that uses the process of growing and distributing food to raise awareness about the need for economic justice, ecological sustainability and social change. Wachusett Greenways - Holden, MA $2,000 To help fund a professional survey needed to lay out an accessible trail connection and parking area for 4200' of the Mass. Central Rail Trail and to purchase clearing and maintenance tools for community volunteers. WAKEUP Wakefield - Wakefield, MA $2,000 To protect the already compromised Mill River and safeguard an underground stream, and to preserve the historic mill buildings for mixed uses. Winter Cache Project - Portland, ME $1,500 To increase food security and year-round access to local, organic foods for low-income residents in Portland. Worcester Roots Project - Worcester, MA $2,200 To support direct action to remove contamination by lead, other heavy metals, and hydrocarbons from Worcester soils in low-income neighborhoods.

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