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Housatonic River
Natural Resource Restoration |
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USFWS

Mass
EOEEA

Stantec Consulting
Services Inc.
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Natural resources of the Housatonic River Basin have
been injured by the release of chemical wastes, primarily polychlorinated
biphenyls ("PCBs"), from the General Electric facility in
Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The contamination has affected aquatic
organisms and their habitats, as well as water-related natural resources
such as waterfowl and predators that consume contaminated aquatic organisms.
In addition to the harm done to natural resources, natural resource
services have been impaired. Natural resource services are functions
provided by natural resources for the benefit of humans or other natural
resources, such as recreational fishing for humans or nesting habitats
for birds.
Restoration is managed by a group of
federal, state, and local stakeholders. A group of
Trustees as well as Connecticut and
Massachusetts SubCouncils have been convened to guide the
restoration process and to solicit input from the public.
The MA SubCouncil has retained the
assistance
of Stantec Consulting (Stantec)1 through
a contract with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to
coordinate restoration activities. |
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Latest News
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Round 2 Habitat
Restoration Update (09/21/09) –
Proposals have now
been reviewed independently by state and federal
reviewers and consensus-based review has been performed
by the review teams. The MA SubCouncil is currently in
the process of selecting a list of preferred
alternatives to be considered for funding. After the
preferred alternatives are selected, the selected
projects will be included in a Draft Restoration
Plan/Supplemental Environmental Assessment (RP/SEA). The
Draft RP/SEA will be available for review and public
comment. A public meeting will also be held to present
the Draft RP/SEA. It is anticipated that the Draft
RP/SEA will be available in January 2010. An
announcement regarding the results of the initial
Threshold Criteria Evaluation will be posted on this
website in the near future.
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Round 2 Habitat
Restoration Update – The MA SubCouncil received 15
proposals requesting nearly $4.5 million in funding.
Proposals may be viewed
here.
Proposals were first evaluated by the MA SubCouncil to
verify they meet the minimum requirements for consideration
as restoration projects (Threshold Criteria Evaluation).
Results of the Threshold Criteria Evaluation will be posted
to this website after July 6, 2009.
As of June 26, 2009, proposals were nearing completion
of Independent Evaluation by state and federal
reviewers. Proposals will then commence Consensus-Based
Evaluation by state/federal review teams which is
anticipated to be complete by the end of July 2009. For an
overview of the proposal evaluation procedure, please see
the
Final
Restoration Project Selection Procedure.
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Round 2
Habitat Restoration –
The Round 2 Request for Responses
(RFR) for habitat
restoration proposals was released on January 23, 2009, and
is available online through the Commonwealth’s Procurement
Access & Solicitation System.
Click
here to go to the Comm-PASS website (Document Number -
EEA 09 NRD 02).
Click here
for instructions on accessing the RFR.
Important
Dates:
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January
23, 2009 – RFR Release Date
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February 25, 2009 – Applicant Conference
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March
11, 2009 – Deadline for Questions on Solicitation
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March
25, 2009 – Posting of Questions & Responses on
Comm-PASS
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April 23, 2009
**Extended to May 7, 2009 **– Deadline for Project Proposals
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October
2009 (subject to change) – Draft Restoration Plan
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January
2010 (subject to change) – Final Restoration Plan
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March
2010 (subject to change) – Awards Provided to Selected
Applicants
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website
maintained by:
Stantec Consulting
Services
Inc. |
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1Field
work and subsequent report filings performed prior to October 1, 2007,
were done so as Woodlot Alternatives, Inc. On October 1, 2007, Woodlot
Alternatives, Inc. was acquired by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. |
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Massachusetts
SubCouncil
100 Cambridge, 9th Floor|
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
(617) 626-1000
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