Attached are some highlights from the Budget.
$200,000 for Buy Local, an important agricultural program to
assist all farmers and provide consumers with fresh, quality products.
$80,000 for apiary inspectors, Massachusetts bee keepers are
responsible in raising bees to pollinate and their hives have been the victim
of collapse caused by a number of factors. The inspectors are key to protecting
our food and fauna.
Increase of $23,000 for a total of $475,443 for riverways
protections.
Increase of $500,000 for a total of $1,500,00 for open space and
wildlife habitat land purchases.
Increase of $700,000 funding to the Division of Fisheries and
Wildlife for a total of $10,840,172.
Increase to Mass Food Banks of $1 million enabling our food banks
to supply more meals for a total of $14,000,000
Increased the DCR administration and State Parks by $500,000 to
ensure parks that we enjoy will function properly.
Elder Nutrition Farm Share (part of Elder Affairs) was also funded
at not less than $50,000
Increase of $50,000 for Dam safety for a total of $4,456,444
New collaborative programs with the Division of Marine Fisheries,
School of Marine Science at Dartmouth and Gloucester Marine Genome Initiative
will help to lead to solutions regarding fisheries management, food security
and public health were funded at $525,000.
I am not sure, but some of these funds, like the Elder Nutrition Farm Share, and programs like these, help people get the food they normally would not have. For many years, Bart and I would go to farmers markets in Melrose and Waltham. The coupons these people received, gave them access to fruits and vegetables they could not afford on their own. It would kill me when money for farmers market coupons would be cut, because I knew how valuable they were to people. We still help twice a year, put together bags of produce for the home bound elderly, working with MOCK in Fitchburg. Bev.
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