North Atlantic right whales are in crisis. Last year, we lost 17 whales out of a population of barely 460. If we don’t act now, this already-endangered species could go extinct in our lifetimes. CLF recently hosted a conversation with experts on right whales to discuss this crisis – and what can be done to… Continue reading WATCH: Right Whales on the Brink of Extinction
When thinking about New England’s ocean, marine life like lobster, cod, and humpback whales might come to mind. Corals, on the other hand, might not make the list – though they should: New England’s ocean is home to many rich, vibrant, colorful deep-sea coral communities, some of which likely include organisms more than a thousand… Continue reading Fishery Council’s Coral Protections Are Progress, Though More Could Have Been Done
“Northern Pass has bullied its way through this process, and today’s decision says loud and clear that the people of New Hampshire won’t stand for it,” said CLF attorney Melissa Birchard. “The committee served us well. It heard the overwhelming opposition of towns and communities, and it rejected Northern Pass’s false claims that New Hampshire’s properties, tourism industry, and treasured resources would be unmarred by this proposal. The Baker administration now has the opportunity to get this selection right by immediately choosing the best and most qualified project to put the state’s critical clean energy purchase back on track.”
[Update: Public meetings postponed due to the federal government shutdown have been rescheduled. The New England dates are as follows: Feb. 13 – Hartford, CT; Feb. 27 – Boston, MA; Feb. 28 – Providence, RI; March 5 – Concord, NH; March 7 – Augusta, ME. Sign up to attend a meeting near you here. There are also coordinated opposition events concurrent… Continue reading Join Us in Opposing Trump Administration’s Oil and Gas Drilling Plans
… Under a settlement with the Conservation Law Foundation, Cronin agreed to increase the width of a planned portion of the Boston Harborwalk, and build and maintain a public dock at least as big as the nearby Pier 4. The South Boston company will also establish a fund for a new public waterfront park and… Continue reading Cronin, conservation group settle on Seaport development
[Update: On Jan. 4, 2018, the Trump administration announced a new five-year plan that would open up most U.S. continental shelf waters, including protected areas of the Arctic and the Atlantic, to oil and gas drilling. CLF joined 63 other groups in opposing this plan. Read the full joint statement here.] Over the past year, we’ve… Continue reading Not on Our Watch: Protecting New England’s Ocean from Offshore Drilling
“This is quite possibly the worst decision ever made on who has access to our public tidelands and waterfront,” said CLF senior counsel Peter Shelley. “And it now sets a precedent for even worse privatization of public tidelands in the future. It comes at a time when the public is justifiably upset that wealthy developers and luxury condominiums are walling off Boston Harbor from the people who paid to clean it up and make it attractive in the first place — the people of Massachusetts.”
“Our natural treasures are resources that belong to all of us, and concealing these recommendations sends a strong message that public interest comes second to political expediency,” said Priscilla Brooks, CLF Director of Ocean Conservation. “The Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument is the only ocean monument in the Atlantic, protecting a vibrant ecosystem full of scientific potential. Withholding recommendations that could decimate this monument’s protections is a slap in the face to New Englanders and to all Americans.”
“Mr. Rafael’s crimes put the health of our fisheries directly in harm’s way, and today’s order helps ensure that he pays a price for that corruption,” said CLF attorney Megan Herzog. “Though this amounts to just a small slice of Mr. Rafael’s assets, it sends a signal that anyone who crosses the line will be held criminally accountable. By reinvesting proceeds associated with this case into stronger monitoring and redistributing Mr. Rafael’s forfeited quota among the fishermen harmed by his egregious crimes, we can begin to turn the page on this dark chapter in New England’s fisheries.”
In a decision with significant implications for open space planning and protection across Massachusetts, the Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that municipal parklands are protected by the state’s Constitution as long as the land has been dedicated and used as a public park. The open space at issue was the Cross Street Playground in Westfield,… Continue reading City Park Land Constitutionally Protected, says Massachusetts Supreme Court
