2017 Better Beaches Program Request for Proposals

Dear Friend,

We are writing to you today to invite you to apply for a grant from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Better Beaches Program to support free events and activities on the Boston Harbor Region’s public beaches in 2017.

Last year's Better Beaches Program Award recipients

Last year, with the support of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), we awarded more than $200,000 in grants to 43 organizations in nine waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities to support 107 free beach events and programs, which brought more than 500,000 people back to their beaches in 2016.

Though the most recent round of budget cuts will likely prevent DCR from investing in the program this year as they did in 2015 and 2016, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay remains committed to supporting another full season of free Better Beaches events and programs on the region’s public beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

(You can find out more about the impact these budget cuts will have on our beaches this summer at http://www.blog.savetheharbor.org/2017/02/save-summer.html, and help Save the Harbor #savethesummer by adding your name to a letter to Baker/Polito Administration officials asking them to restore the cuts this year and restore the budget in FY2018. And, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @savetheharbor, and share your support by using #SaveTheHarbor #SaveTheSummer.)

Despite the cuts, there is some very good news.

On Sunday, March 5th hundreds of beach-lovers braved record cold and raised a record $55,755 at the Harpoon Shamrock Splash to fund our Better Beaches Program this summer.

As a result of their hard work and the support of our foundation funding partners, corporate sponsors, and more than 800 “Splashers” and small donors, we will be funding another season of free beach events and programs that are as diverse as the beachfront communities and waterfront neighborhoods that host them.

250 brave souls splashed to raise money for the 2017 Better Beaches Program

This year’s Better Beaches Program Grants will range from $500 - $5,000 to support free events and programs that include concert series, sand- sculpting competitions, campfires, Art on the Shore, Storytelling by the Sea, neighborhood beach parties, family reading and movie nights on the beach, youth programs and much more.

You can learn more about events and programs we supported last year by downloading our 2016 Better Beaches Program Report at  www.savetheharbor.org/Content/2016BeachReport.pdf. Also, we thought you might find this video that we produced in 2015 helpful! www.savetheharbor.org/Content/Spectacular_Summer/.

All of these great events have one thing in common: They bring people together to strengthen their communities and enjoy our region's most stunning natural resources, the 19 miles of public swimming beaches that connect us to each other and to Boston Harbor, Mass Bay and Broad Sound.

It is easy to apply for a grant. Just fill out the attached application and return it to us by email to info@savetheharbor.org by April 18, 2017. Our Better Beaches Grants Committee will review the proposals, and notify you of our decisions in May.

We will present the checks at our annual BETTER BEACHES AWARD RECEPTION on Saturday, June 3, 2017 on Boston’s Fish Pier at 10:00 am, which all grant recipients are expected to attend.

Please note that if you receive a grant, you must complete a DCR Better Beaches Program Special Use Permit Application before you receive your check on June 3. You will also be required to display a Better Beaches Program banner at your event., which we will provide, acknowledging Save the Harbor’s support. You must also send us a thank-you letter acknowledging your grant and a simple closeout report after your event, along with copies of event materials, photographs and news clips. 

'Art in the Sand' with 2016 Better Beaches Award recipient Andres Amador 

Save the Harbor would like to thank the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the more than 800 people who made pledges in support of the 2017 Harpoon Shamrock Splash.

Thanks as well to Save the Harbor's Better Beaches program and policy partners and event sponsors: Harpoon Brewery, JetBlue, The Boston Foundation, Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust, Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation, P&G Gillette, National Grid, Comcast, Google, B. Good, Keezer Sportswear, Mix 104.1 & AMP 103.3, Boston Centers for Youth & Families, and the YMCA of Greater Boston for their support.

Please feel free to distribute this Request for Proposals widely, and to contact Bruce Berman by email at bruce@bostonharbor.com or on his cell at 617-293-6243 with any questions about the Better Beaches Program or your request.

You can download a copy of the RFP and application here:

www.savetheharbor.org/Content/2017BBP_RFP.pdf

We look forward to hearing from you about your ideas for 2017.

All the best,

Patty Foley & Bruce Berman

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

250 Splash in Record Cold to Save Summer Program

On March 5, over 250 brave beach lovers plunged into Boston Harbor at the BCYF Curley Community Center in South Boston in record-breaking cold temperatures as part of the Harpoon Shamrock Splash to benefit Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

Bridget Ryan, a BPS teacher and South Boston resident, takes the plunge for the 6th year in a row,  raising $1365 for South Boston's beaches as part of this year's Harpoon Shamrock Splash. Splashers raised $7000 to support free beach events and programs on South Boston beaches this summer. 

This year, the “pledge and plunge” fundraiser raised over $50,000, crushing 2016’s fundraising record. All proceeds from the event supports Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Better Beaches Program, which every year provides a spectacular summer of free concerts and beach festivals, sand sculpting competitions, and youth programs on the region's public beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull. You can find the exact tally at the event website at www.shamrocksplash.org.

This year’s Harpoon Shamrock Splash was the best ever, with post-plunge Harpoon beers and b.good burgers while Mix 104.1 and AMP 103.3 played hit music. After the event, participants went home to warm up with great Harpoon swag for reaching fundraising goals, and roundtrip JetBlue flights for the biggest fundraisers, and for those who showed up in the best costumes. All splashers and contributors had the opportunity to win in two post-splash JetBlue flight raffles. 

This year’s Harpoon Shamrock Splash was also the most important ever, with deep cuts to the metropolitan beaches budget this year, every dollar raised goes straight to help fund another great summer of free events and youth programs on our public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket.

More than 250 splashers get together for a photo in 20 degree weather before dashing to the water’s edge and taking the plunge in the clean, cold water of Boston Harbor. 

"Despite the budget cuts, Save the Harbor is committed to funding a full season of free beach events and programs this summer" said Bruce Berman, Director of Strategy and Communications at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. "All of us froze our fannies off at the Harpoon Shamrock Splash to make it happen."

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's plans to #savethesummer have just begun. This month they will issue a Request for Proposals for their 2016 Better Beaches grant program, which funded 40 great events on the region’s public beaches in 2016. You can read about the impact the cuts will have on beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull on their blog, and how you can help at http://www.blog.savetheharbor.org.

Record breaking cold couldn’t stop these beach-lovers from splashing Sunday to raise a record breaking $52,0000 to support free beach events and programs on their favorite beaches in 2017. 

Thanks to the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the more than 700 people who made pledges in support of the 2017 Harpoon Shamrock Splash. Thanks as well to Save the Harbor's Better Beaches program and policy partners and event sponsors at Harpoon Brewery, JetBlue, b.good, Keezer Sportswear, The Boston Foundation, Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust, Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation, MarineMax Russo, P&G Gillette, National Grid, Comcast, Google, Mix 104.1, AMP 103.3 and Boston Centers for Youth & Families, Sullivan's Castle Island and the YMCA of Greater Boston for their support.

About the Better Beaches Program

Save the Harbor launched the Better Beaches Program in 2008 to help local communities and beaches friends groups create and sustain free events and activities on the region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket, as recommended by the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, which we help lead and manage for the Legislature.

Over the past 8 years, Save the Harbor's community partners in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull have leveraged $628,700 in small grants received from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay with $1,918,065 in cash and in-kind contributions from local government and small businesses for a total investment of $2,504,725 in 391 free events and programs for the region’s residents and visitors alike.

In 2016, with the support of Save the Harbor’s foundation funders, program partners, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and hundreds of volunteers, the Better Beaches Program awarded $219,442 in small grants and organizational support to 43 groups in 9 beachfront communities and waterfront neighborhoods. In turn, these groups leveraged those funds to support 107 free concerts, fitness boot-camps, beach festivals, sand raking demonstrations and sand sculpting competitions.

You can download a copy of the most recent Better Beaches program report on our website at savetheharbor.org/Content/2016YouthReport.pdf 

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the work they do to restore, protect and share Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands and our region's public beaches, visit their website at www.savetheharbor.org, their blog "Sea, Sand & Sky" at blog.savetheharbor.org, or follow savetheharbor on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Save the Summer

Help #SavetheHarbor to #SavetheSummer!

As you know, the Administration recently announced serious cuts to the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s budget for this summer that affect seasonal staff, algae removal, and free beach events and programs this summer. While these cuts are critical, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is dedicated to making the Summer of 2017 the best yet -- but we need your help. 

There are two quick, easy ways you can help us #SavetheSummer:

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission at their February meeting. 1.) Check out this letter from the Metropolitan Beaches Commission asking Governor Baker and Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton, Secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance Kristen Lepore, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash, and other administration officials to revoke these cuts and fully restore the budget in FY2018. Then, send us an email with your name, affiliation and contact information so that we can add your name to the letter.

#SavetheSummer with Save the Harbor at our Harpoon Shamrock Splash!

2.) Join us at the Harpoon Shamrock Splash!

Register for the Splash HERE (www.shamrocksplash.org) and you automatically get Harpoon beer, a post-splash b.good meal, a Harpoon koozie, and a chance to win a round-trip JetBlue ticket. When you start a team and raise $100, $250, or $500 or more dollars, you'll get some cool Harpoon swag and a greater chance of winning another round-trip JetBlue flight. This is the most important Splash yet, and we need all of your support to keep the Better Beaches Program in 2017. All of the proceeds go straight to youth programs and beach events on all of our public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket. Last year, we raised $40,000-- help us beat that record this year.  We'll see you on M Street Beach in South Boston on March 5th. 

#SavetheHarbor #SavetheSummer

- Your friends at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

The BSAC plans some TLC for King's Beach

The Beaches Science Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the new plan.

It has been a busy start to the year at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.  On February 2, just a few days after our Metropolitan Beaches Commission Meeting, we were back downtown for our Science Advisory Committee Meeting. The Committee is made up of scientists and experts who advocate for clean water and the protection and restoration of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay. The Advisory Committee issues water quality and beach flagging report cards to inform the public and keep everyone healthy and safe when enjoying the beaches.

The meeting opened with introductions and a bit of background as to why the group was meeting to discuss King’s Beach in particular.  King’s Beach, located in the towns of Lynn and Swampscott, has been lagging behind some of our other Boston beaches.  With an average water quality compliance of 82% since 2011, King’s has the second lowest compliance rate after Tenean Beach in Dorchester. With other Boston beaches averaging a 100% compliance rate, the numbers at King’s are unacceptable. Kelly Coughlin, one of the committee’s water quality experts and the one who presented all of the research at the meeting, found that the problems at King’s Beach stem from Stacey’s Brook Outfall-which receives sewage discharge from both towns.  She also noted that King’s has a wet weather problem, because after it rains the bacteria counts skyrocket and there is a surcharge in the sewer system.

Info courtesy of Kelly Coughlin

The committee focused in on Enterococcus bacteria counts at the outfall and the smaller outfalls that filter into it.  To keep people safe the legal limit of Enterococcus is set at 104 colony-forming units/100mL of water.  There have been days at King’s Beach where the number of colony-forming units per 100 mL is well over 1000, often on days with wet weather.  The Committee determined that this is from bacteria and other waste getting into the sewer systems and outfalls, and then being washed out to the beach when it rains.  

Eastern Ave, the outfall in Lynn that discharges to Stacey’s Brook, has a higher number of failed dry and wet days, however, because non-stormwater discharges are a significant problem as well.  The major contributors to pollution at Stacey’s Brook are Eastern Ave and a combined sewer overflow (CSO) in Lynn and from neighborhoods and underdrains upstream in Swampscott.  Swampscott is classified as a Phase II stormwater community and discharges under a general municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4) permit.  However, the sewer system is outdated, and part of the BSAC’s plan moving forward is the Sewer Rehabilitation Phase 1, and $11 million sewer rehabilitation including relining pipe, replacing sewer mains and service laterals, manhole rehabilitation and spot repairs, and replacing residential sewer laterals in this area.  In November 2015 the EPA and Town of Swampscott entered into a Consent Decree to identify and eliminate non-stormwater discharge to the storm drain system.  

The Lynn Water and Sewer Commission (LWSC) serves the city of Lynn, Nahant, Swampscott and Saugus, and has an average monthly flow of 26 million gallons per day.  It completed separation of its stormwater system, which resulted in fewer CSO activations, or less than 4 times each year. Lynn has a NPDES discharge permit for its wastewater treatment facility and 4 CSO outfalls (1 CSO discharges into Stacey Brook). Lynn has a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) discharge permit for its wastewater treatment facility and 4 CSO outfalls (1 CSO discharges into Stacey Brook).

It also has a Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit to discharge stormwater to receiving waters.

During the meeting, the committee identified four phases of the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination project.  Phase 1 is to map storm and sewer systems, and prioritize the outfall.  Phase 2 is the investigation stage, which includes public outreach, verification maps, storm drain cleaning, manhole inspection and flow monitoring, and field measurements.  Phase 3 is the confirmation of illicit sources, removal, and post-removal verification.  The final phase is to monitor bacteria, ammonia, surfactants, pH, and fluoride amounts.  The current trajectory is a 15-year long project, with funds coming in every other year.  Save the Harbor / Save the Bay has volunteered to help fund the gaps in data the committee identified.  The group will accelerate the process of cleaning up King’s and reduce the 15-year number.

What’s next for King’s Beach? Save the Harbor will be looking into data gaps and potential costs, and the committee will come together after all sides look at the problem again. To follow the updates on what the committee is doing and what is new at King’s Beach and all Boston public beaches, follow Save the Harbor / Save the Bay on Facebook, or @savetheharbor on Twitter and Instagram, and keep checking our blog.

Image from Let’s clean up the stink at King’s Beach – by Yvonne Abraham

Introducing Me! ~

Greetings y'all! My name is Elaine Mensa-Wilmot, and I am proud to say that I am now an Environmental Policy Intern at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

Myself, pictured above, taking in the harbour sights during 

a casual bout of 20-degree weather.

I am a fresh college grad who recently moved up north from the great state of Texas to attend Boston University’s School of Public Health (Go Terriers!). At BUSPH, I am concentrating in Health Policy and Law in addition to a contextual certificate in Social Justice, Health Equity, and Human Rights. I like to spend my free time in the company of great music, so most nights I can be found either embracing the local jazz scene or taking in a nationwide tour.

Recently I attended my very own Marine Mammal Safari
in quest of the seal I dubbed Herman -- unfortunately, my seal
photography skills are still a work in progress. Instead, here's a photo
out the window from which I can usually spot him! (her?)

Given the expanse of Texas’ coastline at over 600 miles, I am no stranger to beachy days and water excursions. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to celebrate a multitude of events making weekend trips to Galveston, Corpus Christi, and South Padre Island. However, as evidenced by the work being done at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, this experience isn’t universal to all American youth. Knowing how closely I hold my own beach memories, being able to join up with an organisation like STH/STB that so fervently works to restore and protect Boston shorelines (and marine environments!) in order to share them with the public for all to enjoy could not be a more exciting endeavour.

The wide variety of programs Save the Harbor/Save the Bay offers and engages with, from beach clean-up days to their Shamrock Splash, leaves so much opportunity for involvement and I can not wait to dive right in! First up? An examination of past and present seafood marketing campaigns and the effects they’ve had on human consumption and behaviour.

Cheers,

Elaine

Save the Summer Sign-On Letter

 

                                                                                                                         February 9, 2017

Dear Friends,

As you may know, the Baker Administration recently announced deep cuts to the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s budget for this summer, which we believe put the extraordinary gains we have made on the region's public beaches in recent years at serious risk.

This round of cuts includes a $5 million cut in DCR's operating budget and a $400,000 reduction for seasonal staff. They also include cuts to the Metropolitan Beaches budget line, including $50,000 for algae removal in Lynn, Swampscott and Nahant and $100,000 for free beach events and programs this summer.

The region's 19 miles of public swimming beaches have the power to connect the region's residents to the recreational and educational benefits of our $5 billion investment in the Boston Harbor clean up. They also play a critical role as economic drivers for the region's beachfront communities and waterfront neighborhoods in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

We know you understand the value of these extraordinary urban natural resources to you and your community. We also know you understand the importance of free beach events and youth programs to the region's kids and families, many of whom can't afford to get away to Cape Cod or Cape Ann.

That's why we are asking you to join the Metropolitan Beaches Commission and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and sign on to a letter asking Governor Baker and Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton, Secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance Kristen Lepore, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Jay Ash and other administration officials to rescind the cuts this year and fully restore the budget in FY2018.

At Save the Harbor/Save the Bay we believe in the power of clean water to transform communities and improve the quality of life we enjoy in the Boston Harbor region.  

We also believe in the power of people to persuade decision makers to do the right thing.

Please take a minute to read the sign-on letter below, and send us an email with your name, affiliation and contact information so that we can add your name to the letter.

We know we can count on our friends and supporters to join us as we continue to work to put our tremendous public investment in clean water and better beaches to work for all the residents of our region.

Sign On Letter

                                                                                                              February 1, 2017
Dear Secretary Beaton, Secretary Lepore and Secretary Ash,

As you know, late last year, the Baker Administration announced a series of 9C cuts to the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s budget for FY 2016.

Coming on top of deep cuts to DCR staff and operations in 2015, these cuts jeopardize the agency’s ability to fulfill its responsibilities on the region’s 14 public beaches in 9 communities including Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

These cuts include $100,000 for free beach events and programs, $50,000 for algae removal in Lynn, Swampscott, and Nahant, and $50,000 to support the work of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, as well as more than $5 million in cuts to staff and operations at DCR.

The metropolitan region’s 14 public beaches are an extraordinary urban natural resource which contributes to the civic, cultural, and recreational vitality and economic health of the region’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket.

We know you understand how important these beaches are to the more than 1.5 million residents who live within a short ride or drive to the coast.

We are counting on you to advocate for the restoration of these funds for FY2017 and to fully restore DCR’s budget in FY2018.

Sincerely,

Senator Thomas M. McGee and Representative RoseLee Vincent
Co-Chairs of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission

Patty Foley and Bruce Berman
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

P.S.  Despite these devastating cuts, all of us remain committed to a full season of free events and programs on the region's public beaches this summer. Please help us #savethesummer and join us on Carson Beach on Sunday March 5th for the Harpoon Shamrock Splash. Register today at www.shamrocksplash.org and help us raise funds to support free beach events and programs on your beach this summer.

Harpoon Shamrock Splash 2017!

What better way to kick off another year of protecting, restoring, and sharing Boston Harbor than a splash into the water at the nation's cleanest urban beach and some cold Harpoon beers? 

We are delighted to announce that the Harpoon Shamrock Splash to benefit Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will be held on Sunday, March 5th at the BCYF Curley Community Center in South Boston!

Last year, the Harpoon Shamrock Splash raised more than $40,000 to support free concerts and beach festivals, sand sculpting competitions and youth programs on the region's public beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

Your $20 registration for the Splash includes beer, a burger, a Harpoon koozie, and a chance to win a round-trip JetBlue ticket. When you start a team and raise $100, $250, or $500 or more dollars, you'll get some cool Harpoon swag like t-shirts and hoodies, and a greater chance of winning another round-trip JetBlue flight. You can register HERE. 

This year's Splash will be better than ever, with live music, cold beer, and tasty treats from B.Good. It is also the most important Splash we have ever put on. 

In 2015 and 2016, with the support of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, the Legislature and both the Patrick and Baker Administrations, the Department of Conservation and Recreation invested funds to support our Better Beaches Program of free events and programs on the region's public beaches. 

Recent budget cuts make state funding for this program uncertain this year, so your participation and support in the Splash is more important than ever before.

Save the Harbor is committed to running a Better Beaches Program in 2017 regardless of these cuts, which is why we we're counting on the fundraising efforts of our friends who love their beach as much as they love Harpoon beer. Check out the video of the Splash here to get you excited about starting your Splash team NOW! 

We can't wait to see you in the water at M Street Beach in South Boston on March 5th!