Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Language Barriers on the Beach


 

Metropolitan Beaches Commission Hearing on Language Barriers on February 9, 2022.

On Wednesday, February 9, at 10:00 AM, the Metropolitan Beaches Commission and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will convene a Virtual Public Hearing to address language barriers on the Metropolitan Region’s public beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

 

“The legislative and community members of the Commission hope that this hearing will help us improve the beach experience for people who do not speak English as their primary language,” said Chris Mancini, Executive Director of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. “We look forward to hearing from and working together with local elected officials, DCR, DPH, DEP, DMF, MWRA, other state agencies and our beachfront communities to develop strategies to improve access to these spectacular urban natural resources for people of all languages and backgrounds.”

 

The public is welcome to attend to share their thoughts on what is working and what can be done better. You can register for the hearing by following this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwudu6oqzMuHdVZoGCTFxuWFXy1J_2khGPD

 

At King’s Beach and on all of the Metropolitan Region’s urban beaches, water quality, beach rules, and fishing regulations need to be accessible to people that do not speak English as their primary language.

For more information about the MBC or the hearing, please contact Save the Harbor's Executive Director Chris Mancini by email to mancini@savetheharbor.org or on his cell at (617) 909-6667, or their Director of Strategy & Communications Bruce Berman by email to bruce@bostonharbor.com or on his cell at 617-293-6243.

 


You can access this release in your language on this blog using the Google Translate button on the top left of your browser. As a reminder, there will be live translations in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Mandarin.

 

About the Metropolitan Beaches Commission

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission is a permanent Commission charged with making findings and recommendations to the Legislature and the Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) on ways to improve the metropolitan region's public beaches. It was established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2006 and is led and managed by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.  You can find more information about the MBC on Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's website, and download copies of our previous reports at https://www.savetheharbor.org/mbc-archives.

 

Late last spring, the Commission decided to focus attention on ways to increase diversity, equity and inclusion on the Metropolitan Region’s public beaches, to improve access for people of color, people with disabilities, and people who may not speak English as their primary language. Last May, we heard from a diverse group of civic leaders and community members about ways in which we could increase diversity on the beaches and in our beach programming. In November, we focused on ways to increase and improve access for people with disabilities on the Metropolitan Region’s public beaches.  February’s hearing focuses on way to overcome language barriers that prevent people from safely enjoying their beaches.

 

 “We hope these three hearings will enable us to do for equity, diversity and inclusion what we did for management and maintenance of the Metropolitan Beaches during the last rounds of public hearings.” said Commission Co-Chair Senator Brendan Crighton of Lynn. “Working together we will provide DCR, the Commonwealth and our communities a blueprint for improving public access to take these beaches from good to great.”

 

“Our state beaches are public treasures that belong to all of us,” said Commission Co-Chair Representative Adrian Madaro of East Boston. “We need to advance environmental justice and center diversity, equity, and inclusion so that people of all backgrounds can enjoy them for years to come, no matter what language they may speak.”

 

Following this hearing on language barriers, the Commission will host a Virtual Summit, at which they will present their preliminary findings to a broad and diverse audience of beach users to get their thoughts and input. Following the Summit, the Commission will share a report of their findings and recommendations with the Legislature, the Administration, DCR and the public. It will serve as a roadmap for improving access and increasing diversity, equity and inclusion on our public beaches going forward. 

 

“The legislative and community members of the Commission hope that this hearing will help us improve the beach experience for people who do not speak English as their primary language,” said Chris Mancini, Executive Director of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. “We are looking forward to working together with DCR, other state agencies, and our beachfront communities to develop strategies to improve access to these spectacular urban natural resources for people of all languages and backgrounds.”

 

For more information about the MBC or the hearing, please contact Save the Harbor's Executive Director Chris Mancini by email to mancini@savetheharbor.org or on his cell at (617) 909-6667, or their Director of Strategy & Communications Bruce Berman by email to bruce@bostonharbor.com or on his cell at 617-293-6243.

 

You can access this release in your language on this blog using the Google Translate button on the top left of your browser. As a reminder, there will be live translations in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Mandarin.

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