Plymouth Receives Massachusetts Environmental Trust Funding

The Town of Plymouth Department of Marine and Environmental Affairs (the Town) received $38,854 in grant funding from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (the Trust).  This funding enable’s the Town and Project Partner UMASS Dartmouth - School of Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) to commence the Plymouth Ponds and Lakes Stewardship Program and Pond Atlas (PALS) for water quality analysis and reporting in 35 ponds throughout Plymouth.

“This project would not be possible without the enthusiastic stewardship and partnership from several watershed associations and residents,” said Kim Tower, Environmental Technician with the Town. The PALS Project has engaged several groups to volunteer with sampling including;  the Herring Ponds Watershed Association, the Six Ponds Watershed Association, the Billington Sea Watershed Association, White Island Pond Conservation Alliance, the Friends of Ellisville Marsh, the Sands of White Horse Beach Association, the Boot Pond Homeowners Association, the Watershed Action Alliance and the Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barren Alliance.  Please visit the Town’s website www.plymouth-ma.gov for the list of 35 ponds to be sampled this August and September.  Following the analysis of sampling the Town will conduct a public meeting of results. 

Are you interested in volunteering to sample?  The Town is welcoming volunteers for this program in August (week of the 18) and September (TBD).  Volunteers will be paired with the Town or Associations.  Please contact Kim Tower at Town Hall for further information (508) 747-1620 x198 ktower@townhall.plymouth.ma.us . 

According to Trust Program Director Bill Hinkley, the Trust will provide roughly $429,000 in grants to thirteen organizations this year, thanks to motorists who choose to purchase one of the Trust’s specialty license plates.  “Trust plates, including our signature Whale Plate, are the only specialty plates that exclusively fund environmental initiatives,” said Hinkley.  “When you purchase a specialty plate from the Registry of Motor Vehicles the $40 specialty fee is donated to the Trust to fund water-focused environmental programs.”  Supporting the environmental programs funded by the Trust in your community is easy: choose one of three environmental plates, the Right Whale & Roseate Terns, The Leaping Brook Trout, or the Blackstone Valley Mill when you purchase a new car or renew your registration with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. 

The standard registration fee for a Massachusetts plate is $60.  The special plate fee is an additional $40 ($28 is tax-deductable; $12 is to manufacture the plate).  The total first time cost of a Specialty Plate is $100.  There is a renewal fee of $100 every two years.  Visit your local Registry of Motor Vehicles or order a plate online at www.massrmv.com or log onto www.mass.gov/eea/met where you can learn more about the Trust, the programs it supports, and the specialty license plate offerings.