Posts Tagged ‘Officials’

Global Witness welcomes Liberian President’s strong action to tackle illegal logging and urges government to sanction companies and officials responsible

Posted by admin on January 11th, 2013

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s 4 January Executive Order expanding a moratorium on logging under Private Use Permits is a welcome move towards restoring the rule of law in Liberia’s forest sector. The Order also establishes that those found to be responsible for the widespread illegality and abuses associated with these permits will be subject to criminal prosecution.

These moves follow the publication of a report by a Special Independent Investigating Body, established by the President, documenting legal violations and fraud in the issuance of Private Use Permits, which cover a quarter of Liberia’s land area. To prevent such abuses from reoccurring, Global Witness urges the Government of Liberia to fully implement the Body’s recommendations, including cancelling all Private Use Permits and prohibiting companies and individuals involved in illegal activities from participating in commercial forestry activities in Liberia.

In an official statement accompanying the Executive Order, President Johnson Sirleaf also announced that logs cut under Private Use Permits may be confiscated and sold, with proceeds used to cover taxes owed by logging companies and to compensate affected communities. The President announced the establishment of a Special Prosecution Team within the Ministry of Justice to prosecute legal violations related to Private Use Permits and a full assessment by the Land Commission of all land title deeds underlying the permits. The government will need the support of its international partners to ensure that it has the capacity to follow through with these important measures.

Suspending and ultimately cancelling Private Use Permits is not only an important step towards regaining control of Liberia’s forest sector, it also makes economic sense. Recent claims that the government will lose revenue as a result of the Executive Order are overstated and fail to acknowledge that Private Use Permits require logging companies to pay little in taxes. Some of the companies holding permits, including Atlantic Resources and other companies linked to notorious Malaysian logger Samling, already owe the government millions of dollars in taxes under other logging licenses. Any costs of the moratorium could be compensated for by collecting taxes owed by logging companies, confiscating and auctioning illegally harvested timber, and seeking compensation for timber illegally exported by Atlantic Resources in 2012 in contravention of an earlier moratorium.

In the wake of the Private Use Permit scandal, it is critical that the Liberian government work with rural communities to find alternate uses for their forests. In a statement also made on 4 January, Deputy Justice Minister Benedict Sannoh emphasised this point, calling upon donors such as the U.S. and EU to help the country build communities’ capacity to manage their forest resources and develop alternative livelihoods that are not based on logging. If Liberia is to ensure that abuses like those associated with Private Use Permits are not repeated and that the country benefits from its forests, such support will be vital.

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EPA Officials Address Community Concerns Surrounding the Reef Environmental Site in Sylacauga, AL (AL)

Posted by admin on January 11th, 2013

 

Release Date: 01/10/2013
Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183 (Direct), (404) 562-8400 (Main) [email protected]

(ATLANTA – January 10, 2013) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emergency response personnel along with representatives from the Agency for Toxics Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, January 15, 2013, at 6 p.m. at the J. Craig Smith Community Center in Sylacauga, AL to discuss next steps in addressing environmental concerns at the REEF LLC Facility.

EPA, ATSDR, and ADEM representatives will be available to discuss the on-going and future activities at the Reef facility.

WHO: EPA, ATSDR, and ADEM

WHAT: Public Meeting

WHEN: Tuesday, January 15, 2013, 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: J. Craig Smith Community Center

          2 West 8th Street
          Sylacauga, AL

The Reef LLC facility located at 71 Twin Street, Sylacauga, Alabama was a centralized industrial waste water treatment facility. The facility was permitted to accept waste water and oily waste from other industries for treatment and discharge to a public operated treatment works (POTW) in Sylacauga. Shortly after the first waste deliveries began, local and state government officials received numerous odor complaints. Subsequent assessments identified unstable conditions relating of accumulating gases (organic and hydrogen sulfide) under a tarp/liner over the Biological Treatment Basin at the facility and an oily sheen being released from the facility as well as abandoned hazardous chemicals both on the facility grounds and in the onsite facility lab.

For more information contact EPA Community Involvement Coordinator Kerisa Coleman (404) 562-8831 or (877) 718-3752 or by email to [email protected], or EPA On-Scene Coordinator David Andrews (404) 562-8763 or by email to [email protected]

Connect with EPA Region 4 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion4
And on Twitter: @USEPASoutheast

U.S. EPA News

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Floridian Scientists, Officials Call on Presidential Candidates to Debate Sea-Level Rise Threatening 40% of U.S. Population; Reducing short-lived climate pollutants can provide fast mitigation

Posted by admin on October 12th, 2012

From: Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development
Published October 11, 2012 04:04 PM

Washington, DC 11 October 2012 – Today more than a hundred scientists and government officials in Florida called on the Presidential candidates to address the danger of sea level rise at the third and final presidential debate in Boca Raton on October 22.  Sea levels have already risen by nearly 8 inches on Florida’s coasts and could cost the state billions to repair and reinforce drainage, water supply systems, roads and other infrastructure to cope with the rising water. At current rates, sea level rise will increase by 50% by 2060, a conservative estimate according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

 “Because Florida is so densely populated, it is estimated 40 percent of the population and housing units at risk from sea level rise in the nation are here, in the state of Florida,” according to the letter.

“Florida is ground zero for sea level rise and many other damaging climate impacts, including hurricanes and devastating storm surges,” said Durwood Zaelke, President of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development. “The human and economic impacts of climate change are already being felt today and politicians can no longer afford to ignore climate change.  We need fast action to limit the current impacts and prevent even worse impacts in the future.”

“Taking fast action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) such as black carbon, tropospheric ozone, methane, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) has the potential to cut the rate of global warming in half over the next thirty to forty years,” said Zaelke, “and significantly slow the rate of sea-level rise.”  He added, “Cutting SLCPs can also reduce the rate of warming in the vulnerable Arctic by even more – up to two-thirds.”  This is critical because warming in the Arctic has the potential to set off dangerous feedback loops that cause warming to accelerate in the region, triggering further melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet, which scientists predict could contribute to up to a 6 foot rise in sea level by the end of the century.

The Obama Administration launched the Climate & Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-lived Climate Pollutants earlier this year.  The Coalition is undertaking fast-action mitigation projects to reduce SLCPs.  It now has 19 partners from developing and developed countries, along with the World Bank, UNEP, and the European Commission.  IGSD represents NGOs on the Steering Committee.   Zaelke stated, “Success with these fast-action mitigation projects will help slow sea-level rise and other climate impacts, if the Coalition can quickly reach sufficient scale.”

The Florida letter is here.

The Climate & Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-lived Climate Pollutants is here.

A description of strategies to reduce short-lived climate pollutants is here.

Contact Info: Erin Tulley: +1.202.338.1300, [email protected]

Website : Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development

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EPA Region 7, Joplin City Officials Schedule Oct. 4 News Conference on Funding to Assist with Tornado Recovery (KS, MO)

Posted by admin on October 4th, 2012

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Environmental News NEWS MEDIA ADVISORY (Kansas City, Kan., Oct. 3, 2012) – Officials from EPA and the City of Joplin, Mo., will hold a news conference on Thursday, October 4, in Joplin, about an announcement of significant funding from EPA to assist the city’s continuing work to rebuild from the May 2011 tornado
U.S. EPA News

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Media Advisory: EPA Officials to Attend Grand Opening of Merritt Crossing Senior Apt. Bldg. (CA)

Posted by admin on October 2nd, 2012

 

Release Date: 10/02/2012
Contact Information: David Yogi, [email protected], (415) 972-3350

Bldg. first-of-its-kind in Calif. to receive green certification from EPA

SAN FRANCISCO – On Wednesday, October 3, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest, Jared Blumenfeld, U.S. EPA’s Headquarters’ Assistant Administrator for the Office of Administration and Management, Craig Hooks, and representatives from various local and state governmental and non-governmental agencies will participate in the grand opening of Merritt Crossing, California’s first multi-family residential high-rise apartment building to attain Energy STAR certification.

Merritt Crossing, an affordable-housing building, will provide apartments for 70 seniors, half of whom were homeless. EPA provided nearly $ 80,000 in grant funding to pilot EPA’s new Energy STAR and Indoor airPLUS standards in multi-family high-rise buildings, including Merritt Crossing, in San Francisco and Oakland, Calif.

Who: U.S. EPA Regional Administrator, Jared Blumenfeld
U.S. EPA Associate Administrator, Craig Hooks
Affordable Housing Associates Executive Director, Susan Friedland
City of Oakland Councilmember, Pat Kernighan
State of California Assemblymember, Nancy Skinner

Merritt Crossing residents
Representatives from the State of California, City of Oakland, Alameda County, Stopwaste.org, Union Bank

What: Grand opening of Merritt Crossing
Award presentation
Building tour
When: October 3, 2012, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Where: Merritt Crossing Senior Apartments building, 609 Oak Street, Oakland, Calif.
What: 9:00-10:00 a.m. – Tour of Merritt Crossing
10:00 a.m. – Presentations, Remarks from Officials, Media Availability
Visuals: Top officials from federal and local governmental and non-governmental agencies
Merritt Crossing residential building

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U.S. EPA News

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Federal, State and Local Officials Celebrate Continuing Redevelopment of Downtown Oklahoma City (OK)

Posted by admin on July 30th, 2012

 

Release Date: 07/30/2012
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Jennah Durant at 214-665-2200 or [email protected]

(DALLAS – July 30, 2012) At the Oklahoma City Union Station this afternoon, the Environmental Protection Agency, Oklahoma Office of the Secretary of Environment, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Corporation Commission and Oklahoma City celebrated the continuing redevelopment of the Oklahoma City area through EPA’s Brownfields program.

The event highlighted the recent EPA Brownfields assessment grant of $ 350,000 to perform environmental site assessments at the future MAPS3 Downtown Public Park site. The land was once a prime location for commercial and industrial businesses such as auto repair shops and gas stations, salvage yards, dry cleaners, oil producers and processors, and battery manufacturers.

“Revitalizing former industrial and commercial sites is a smart way to keep our cities great places to live,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Sam Coleman. “EPA is committed to putting both people and property back to work and turning problem properties into community assets.”

The future Downtown Public Park consists of a 40-acre upper section and a 30-acre lower section connected by the Oklahoma City SkyDance pedestrian bridge that spans I-40. The park is within the boundaries of Hudson Avenue on the west, Robinson Avenue on the east, the future Oklahoma City Boulevard on the north and the Oklahoma River to the south.

“Oklahoma City’s Brownfields program has assisted in redevelopment of several key sites in Oklahoma City’s urban core. We appreciate EPA’s funding support of the MAPS 3 Downtown Park and will continue to leverage these resources to improve the quality of life for our citizens,” Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said.

The project will be completed in three phases. The first phase of the upper section will include landscaping along the new Oklahoma City Boulevard and access to the new Oklahoma City SkyDance pedestrian bridge. The second phase of the upper section will include amenities related to the planned programming of the park and the lower section will be completed in the final phase.

“The accomplishments of the Brownfields Program are many in Oklahoma, and the Downtown Public Park will be another success. The funding made possible through the Brownfields program will go toward environmental assessments to determine the scope of work to clean up the property and prepare it to become an Oklahoma City attraction,” said Oklahoma Secretary of Environment Gary Sherrer.

“The mission of the Brownfields program is to revitalize derelict properties and return them to productive use. The Downtown Public Park is an excellent example of the work accomplished through the program. This effort illustrates government working for the people,” said DEQ Executive Director Steven A. Thompson.

The EPA Brownfields program has partnered with the ODEQ, the OCC, Oklahoma Energy Resources Board and the city to assess and remediate many key sites in Oklahoma City such as the Devon Energy site, the Skirvin, Dell Center, Bricktown Fire Station, American Indian Cultural Center, First National Building and Dowell Center.

The EPA’s Brownfields program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, clean up and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfields sites. Under this law, the EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: Assessment grants, Revolving Loan Fund grants, Cleanup grants, and Job Training grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism.

More information on EPA’s brownfields program is available at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html

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U.S. EPA News

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Congresswoman McCarthy and EPA Regional Administrator Tour Superfund Sites on Long Island; Federal Officials Joined by Garden City and Hempstead Mayors (NY)

Posted by admin on April 2nd, 2012

(New York, N.Y.) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck and Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy today toured two hazardous waste sites on Long Island to highlight the success of the federal Superfund law in protecting the health of people who live and work near contaminated sites. Mayor Donald Brudie of Garden City and Mayor Wayne J. Hall, Sr. of Hempstead joined the federal officials to mark progress on the cleanup of the Old Roosevelt Field Contaminated Ground Water Area Superfund site in Garden City and the completed cleanup of the Pasley Solvents and Chemicals Superfund site in Hempstead. Others attending today’s tour included Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and representatives of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Nassau County Departments of Health and Public Works and the Garden City and Hempstead Chambers of Commerce.

Superfund is the federal cleanup program established to investigate and clean up the country’s most hazardous waste sites. The Superfund program operates on the principle that polluters should pay for the cleanups, rather than passing the costs to taxpayers. When sites are placed on the Superfund list of the most contaminated waste sites, the EPA searches for parties responsible for the contamination and holds them accountable for the costs of investigations and cleanups. Cleanups are only funded by taxpayer dollars when responsible parties cannot be found or are not financially viable.

“The ground water on Long Island is the source of drinking water for a huge population, making it especially important to protect it from contamination,” said Judith A. Enck, EPA Regional Administrator. “Today, Congresswoman McCarthy, Mayor Brudie, Mayor Hall and I got a first-hand look at how the federal Superfund program is protecting the health of people who rely on their ground water as a safe source of drinking water. In Garden City, the cleanup is working well and in Hempstead, the EPA achieved the ultimate goal, a complete cleanup that fully protects people and the environment.”

Many Superfund sites on Long Island, including the two sites toured today, have contaminated the ground water with volatile organic compounds. Volatile organic compounds can easily evaporate into the air and many are known to cause or are suspected of causing cancer.

Cleanups of Superfund sites have obvious public health and environmental benefits, but they also produce jobs. In 2011, an estimated 1,766 full-time jobs were created through Superfund cleanup projects in New York State.

Today’s tour began at an EPA constructed water treatment plant at the Old Roosevelt Field site in Garden City. The site was added to the Superfund list in May 2000 after two public drinking water wells at the site were found to be contaminated with the volatile organic compounds, tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene. The U.S. military began using the site as an airfield prior to World War I and continued to use it as a commercial airport until it closed in May 1951. It is currently the location of the Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall and Garden City Plaza.

In 1999, Garden City installed a system to treat the drinking water. In 2011, the EPA constructed a new ground water treatment system at the site that pulls ground water from underneath the site, treats it to remove contamination and pumps it back into the ground water. The public water supply is routinely tested by Garden City to ensure compliance with federal and state drinking water standards. The treatment system visited today was constructed with renewable building materials and designed to blend into the surrounding architecture. The cleanup is being funded with federal dollars.

The second stop on the tour was the Pasley Solvents and Chemicals Superfund site in Hempstead. It was placed on the Superfund list in 1986 and was taken off the list in September 2011 after the cleanup was determined by the EPA to be complete. The Pasley Solvents and Chemicals site is a former chemical distribution facility that stored and transferred a wide range of volatile organic compounds, including hydrocarbons and solvents. The site was formerly owned by Commander Oil Corporation, which sold the property in 2003 to another company. The Metropolitan Transit Authority operates a police station there today.

The cleanup of the Pasley Solvents and Chemical site was conducted and paid for by the Commander Oil Corporation, with EPA oversight. Several technologies were used to remove contaminants from both the soil and the ground water, ultimately removing approximately 14,000 pounds of volatile organic compounds. The ground water and soil cleanup work was completed in 2004. The EPA removed the Pasley Solvents and Chemicals site from the Superfund list after several rounds of assessment and monitoring to make sure the cleanup was successful. The site no longer poses a threat to public health or the environment.

For more information about Superfund sites on Long Island and across the country, please visit:
http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

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U.S. EPA News

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TODAY: EPA Chief and other Obama Administration Officials to Discuss Progress and Plans for Everglades Restoration at Everglades Coalition Conference in Stuart, FL (FL)

Posted by admin on January 6th, 2012

 

Release Date: 01/06/2012
Contact Information: Dawn Harris-Young, (404) 562-8421, [email protected]

ATLANTA, GA – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson will give keynote remarks at the 27th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference. During the conference, she and other government officials will discuss plans for continuing historic progress in Everglades restoration. Business leaders, elected officials and environmentalists will gather to discuss opportunities and challenges for restoring the Everglades’ unique ecosystem.

Who: Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality
Jo-Ellen Darcy, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works
Rachel Jacobson, Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, DOI
Ann Mills, Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, USDA

What: 27th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference

When: Friday, January 6, 2012 at 12:30 PM (EST)

Where: Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina
555 NE Ocean Boulevard
Stuart, Florida 34996 USA

The Everglades Coalition Conference is the largest annual forum for Everglades conservation and restoration, bringing together the Coalition’s 54 allied organizations with local, state and federal partners. This year’s conference theme is Everglades Restoration: Worth Every Penny. Building on recent successes, panelists and attendees will discuss strategies for advancing Everglades restoration through strengthened and new partnerships.

For additional information, please visit: www.evergladescoalition.org/conference.htm.

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Top Officials to Confront Interface of Environment and Security in January Conference Hard-hitting domestic and international topics to be addressed

Posted by admin on January 5th, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC (1/5/2012) – Administrators and directors of government agencies, leaders of global nonprofit institutions, international diplomats, military admirals, and international foundation and development communities are tasked with addressing the interrelationship between environment and security issues at the National Council for Science and the Environment’s (NCSE’s) “Environment and Security” conference on January 18-20, 2012 in the nation’s capital.


The event will address connections between climate disruption, energy, food, water and health security. 1,000+ attendees from the scientific, conservation, diplomatic, military, foundation, development, governmental and business communities will share perspectives and research, networking for future collaborative projects.


The event will host a start-studded agenda of speakers who include:
Lisa Jackson – Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Rajiv Shah – Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development
Ambassador Peter Wittig – Representative of Germany to the United Nations,
Thomas Friedman – Columnist, The New York Times,
Kathleen Merrigan – Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti – Climate and Energy Security Envoy, Ministry of Defense and Foreign and Commonwealth Office, U.K.,
Amory Lovins – Cofounder, Chairman and Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute,
Marcia McNutt – Director, U.S. Geological Survey,
Gro Harlem Brundtland – Former Prime Minister and Director-General, World Health Organization,

And over 200 other top-tier speakers.


Participants will develop solutions that will set the stage for Rio+20, the World Water Forum, and will further solidify the linkages between environment and security. The 56 conference sessions are structured around six primary theme groups: 1) Climate Disruption; 2) Food Security; 3) Energy Security; 4) Water Security; 5) Environment and Public Health; and 6) Cross-cutting sessions.


About NCSE’s Approach:

NCSE utilizes a multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral approach to convene involved scientists and decision-makers from various sectors of society.  Our conferences feature top-level keynote presentations, plenary roundtables, topical symposia to explore issues more in depth, breakout workshops to develop a set of recommendations on how to advance science and connect it to policy and decision-making. Attendees have the opportunity to garner candid thoughts and perspectives from the foremost influencers in the scientific community, contribute to meaningful action recommendations, and network for future collaborations, projects, and potential funding opportunities.


For more information on the conference and to register:
http://www.environmentandsecurity.org/


For information on attending as a member of the media:
http://www.environmentandsecurity.org/topics/view/76566/

Contact Info: Lyle Birkey

[email protected]

202.207.0014

Website :

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State Environmental Officials Celebrate Completion of Dennis Boat Access Project

Posted by admin on October 31st, 2011

Boat access locations, maps and fisheries information

DENNIS – Friday, October 28, 2011 – Officials from the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game (DFG), along with state legislators and town officials today celebrated the completion of a reconstruction project at the Sesuit Harbor Boat Access Area in Dennis, which will enhance boating access and fishing opportunities on Cape Cod.

“Quality access to our coastal waters makes the Commonwealth a premier destination for salt water fishing and recreational boating,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. “Projects like this one will ensure accessibility for everyone to enjoy for years to come.”

The DFG’s Office of Fishing and Boating Access completed reconstruction of the Sesuit Harbor facility this summer. The total cost of the project was $ 467,000, paid for by the state’s environmental bond fund.

In fiscal year 2011, DFG’s Office of Fishing and Boating Access completed eight boat access projects valued at close to $ 1.4 million, including boat ramp renovations, parking lot improvements, and new docks in Southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod.

Cape Cod’s popular boat access facilities are often filled to capacity on summer weekends, with thousands of salt water anglers frequenting the waters in pursuit of premier fishing sites for striped bass, bluefish, fluke, tautog, scup, and bluefin tuna, among other species.

“We are committed to maintaining quality recreational boating facilities that are important both for the recreational opportunity they provide and to the state’s economy,” said DFG Commissioner Mary Griffin.

Work at the Sesuit Harbor Boat Access Area involved the complete reconstruction and expansion of the boat ramp that was originally constructed in 1968. The Office of Fishing and Boating Access oversaw the construction of the facility, which was done by Biszko Construction Services, Inc. of Westport. The facility now includes a new two-lane launching ramp with floats on both sides and parking for 65 vehicles with trailers, including three handicapped-accessible parking spaces. Lane striping of the existing parking area was also completed.

“Facilities like Sesuit Harbor create public access to the remarkable world of Cape Cod Bay,” said Sen. Dan Wolf. “I’m very pleased that the state continues to make that access available to as many of our citizens as possible.”

“We are pleased that the Commonwealth has rebuilt the east side boat ramp at Sesuit. The harbor is one of the busiest ports on Cape Cod Bay, bringing many visitors to Dennis, so maintaining its ramps and other facilities is essential to its commercial and private uses,” said Rep. Cleon Turner.

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is responsible for promoting the conservation and enjoyment of the Commonwealth’s natural resources. DFG carries out this mission through land protection and wildlife habitat management, management of inland and marine fish and wildlife species, and ecological restoration of fresh water, salt water, and terrestrial habitats. DFG promotes enjoyment of the Massachusetts environment through outdoor skills workshops, fishing festivals and other educational programs, and by enhancing access to the Commonwealth’s rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.

DFG’s Office of Fishing and Boating Access (FBA) manage the construction, repair, and operation of state boat ramps, canoe and car-top launch sites, parking areas and approach roads. The office oversees facility design and construction, which is usually done by private contractors or municipal public works departments. Office funds are also used to construct handicapped accessible sport fishing piers and to purchase and improve shoreline fishing areas. FBA facilities provide access to more than 1,200 miles of seashore and hundreds of great ponds, rivers and streams in the Commonwealth. The office oversees 273 boat and canoe launch sites, shore fishing areas and fishing piers in Massachusetts, giving residents and visitors extensive opportunities to enjoy fishing and recreational boating opportunities such as canoeing, kayaking, sailing, and waterskiing.

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