NAP- Neighborhood Alliance of Pawtucket

Blackstone River Watershed Council- Kayaking- Fish Ladders-11/16 River Meeting

Blackstone River Fish Ladders-EPA website- Filter Cleanup of BR at Grafton Mass-BRWC Bylaws

 Grafton Mass Filter Clean Up

http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO113558 Kayakers saved and new safety buoys and chain installed to prevent in future!


 

 

Bylaws of the Blackstone River Watershed Council/Friends of the Blackstone

 

                                                                                                  Adopted March 16, 2005

                                                                                                  Revised May 17, 2006                                                                                                            Revised September 19, 2007

                                                                                                  Revised May 19, 2010

 

                                                          

            The state-designated Blackstone River Watershed Council/ Friends of the Blackstone (hereafter known as BRWC/FOB) is a volunteer organization that acts and advocates for the protection and preservation of the Blackstone River and its tributaries in the nine Rhode Island communities located within the Blackstone River watershed.

 

Article I Nonprofit Purposes

Section 1 IRC Section 501 (c) (3) Purposes

This corporation is organized exclusively for one or more of the purposes specified in Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

Section 2 Specific Goals and Mission

To restore, enhance, and preserve the physical, historical, and cultural integrity of the Blackstone River, its watershed and its eco-system, through public advocacy, education, recreation, stewardship and the promotion of our unique Blackstone Valley resource.

 

Article II Membership and Voting Powers

Any individual who subscribes to the goals of BRWC/FOB may become a member upon payment of the designated annual dues.

 

Article III Dues and Fiscal Year

The Board of Directors shall have the responsibility of setting the dues structure.

 

The fiscal year of BRWC/FOB is the calendar year.

 

Article IV Board of Directors

The property, affairs and business of BRWC/FOB shall be managed by a Board of Directors. The Board shall consist of fifteen (15) Directors elected from among the membership at the Annual Meeting. The Council shall actively solicit representation on the Board from each of the nine towns in the Blackstone River watershed. The President shall serve as Chair of the Board.

 

Term of Office

Directors shall serve for a two-year term or until the next election and shall be eligible for re-election. Attendance at 6 meetings per year is required.

 

If a vacancy occurs on the Board mid-term, the Board of Directors shall appoint a replacement to serve out the unexpired term.

 

Quorum and Voting Powers

A majority of the total number of Directors in office shall constitute a quorum at Board meetings.

 

The vote of a majority of the Directors present at a meeting shall be considered the vote of the Board of Directors.

 

Article V Officers

The officers of BRWC/FOB shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These four shall constitute the voting members of the Executive Committee. In addition, there shall be the position of Outgoing Past President. The Outgoing Past President will be considered an agent of the Executive Committee and be governed by that Committee’s official position on any given issue.

 

The officers shall be elected from among the membership and they and the Outgoing Past President shall serve on the Board of Directors in addition to the fifteen members elected specifically to serve on the Board.

 

Term of Office

Officers shall be elected for a two-year term and be eligible for re-election. In order to ensure continuity, the President and Secretary and the Vice President and Treasurer will change in alternate years.

 

The term of office of the Outgoing Past President will be at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

 

For the first term after these Bylaws have been adopted, the President and the Secretary will be elected to a one-year term and the Vice-President and the Treasurer for a two-year term. All subsequent terms shall be for two years.

 

If a vacancy occurs mid-term, the Board of Directors shall appoint a replacement to serve out the unexpired term.

 

Duties of Officers

President – The President shall serve as the Chair of the Board of Directors and of the Executive Committee. The President shall be responsible for setting the monthly meeting agenda and will forward same to the Secretary for distribution prior to the monthly meeting. The president will preside over the monthly meetings and the Annual Meeting. The President has the authority to appoint another elected officer to serve as the Chair of the Board of Directors in his or her absence. In the event of the absence of such an appointment, the Vice-President shall serve as Chair of the Board of Directors. Any subcommittees shall report to the president. In the event of a tie vote on a particular issue, the President shall cast the deciding vote. The President, with the advice of the Board of Directors, is the final decision maker on the Council’s issues. The President, upon advice of the Board of Directors, shall review, amend, and approve all annual, or other, required written reporting necessary for the Council to fulfill reporting requirements of the Rhode Island Rivers Council or other ongoing grants of special projects in a timely fashion.

 

Vice-President – The Vice-President shall, in the absence of the president, chair the monthly Board meetings and Executive Committee meetings and assume any other stated responsibilities. The Vice-President shall serve as the membership secretary and will be in charge of documenting and receiving funds from new members. The Vice-President shall keep accurate lists of such members, along with pertinent information such as address, phone number, and the dates of joining. The Vice-President shall be responsible for forwarding said membership fees to the Treasurer for deposit in BRWC/FOB’s account. Membership fees shall be given to the Treasurer at the next monthly meeting or sooner if possible. The Vice-President assists the president and subcommittee chairs in the coordination of the Council’s goals.

 

Secretary – The Secretary shall be responsible for the recording of monthly meeting minutes and attendance. The Secretary shall be responsible for assuring that enough copies of the current agenda and previous minutes are available for each meeting. The Secretary shall be responsible for sending out all notices of upcoming meetings to the members and to the newspapers. With support from the Board of Directors and the membership, the Secretary shall track the Council’s activities and prepare “Wrap-Up Reports” which will record sanctioned events, volunteer and paid services, hours expended and other in-kind and/or leveraged accounting. (See BRWC Annual Report to the Rhode Island Rivers Council Calendar Year 2004 for format.) The Secretary, with support from the Board of Directors and the membership, shall draft all such annual or other required written reports for the membership’s and President’s review and approval.

 

Treasurer – The Treasurer is the custodian of funds. The Treasurer pays all bills upon approval by the President and shall keep accurate and detailed accounting of all receipts and disbursements. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the checkbook. Any checks that are written must be signed by the Treasurer and one of two other bank approved signatories. The Treasurer reports on finances upon request of the Board of Directors and in the Treasurer’s Report at the monthly meeting. The Treasurer is responsible for the compilation and submission of the annual financial report to the Secretary for inclusion as warranted in all annual or other reports, including any/all running budgets for grants and/or special projects. Said reports shall be reviewed by a duly authorized certified public accountant or auditor prior to approval of the membership and the President. The Treasurer shall have the ability to consult with the duly authorized public accountant/auditor throughout the year as necessary.

 

Outgoing Past President – The Outgoing Past President will report to the Executive Committee and his/her duties will be determined by that Committee.

 

Article VI Standing Committees

Standing Committees will be chaired by members of the Board of Directors and report to the President.

 

1. The Membership Development Committee will be responsible for recruiting new members and will work with the Vice-President in maintaining membership records.
2. The Fundraising Committee will develop fundraising activities including, but not limited to, corporate solicitation.
3. The Grant Writing Committee will be responsible for seeking out granting agencies/opportunities and write the grant applications to be submitted. All grant applications must be pre-approved by the Board of Directors. In cases where a grant deadline antecedes the next scheduled Board meeting, the application may be approved by the Executive Committee and then ratified by the Board of Directors at the next meeting.
4. The Community and Educational Outreach Committee will establish and maintain contacts with town personnel and representatives from other community groups. It will also be responsible for school and community educational programs.
5. The Project Development Committee will organize activities such as cleanups, water quality monitoring, river access and restoration projects.
6. The Recreational and Instructional Committee will organize activities such as Riverfest, paddle and safety instruction.
7. The Nominating Committee will seek and present candidates for election as officers and directors. The Nominating Committee will present a slate of such candidates to the Board which will then present it to the general membership at the Annual Meeting. Additional candidates may be nominated by a member or members.

 

Article VII Archivist/Historian

There shall be an Archivist/Historian who will be responsible for organizing and maintaining the Council’s files, such as maps, reports, correspondence, minutes, agendas, and newspaper clippings.

 

Article VIII Meetings

There shall be an Annual Meeting of the membership and other membership meetings as the Board of Directors deems appropriate. The Board of Directors shall meet on a monthly basis.

 

Monthly Agenda

An agenda will be distributed prior to the meeting date. A member may submit items for the agenda to the President prior to the scheduled meeting.

 

Notice of Meetings

Notice of members’ meetings will be e-mailed to all members providing an e-mail address. Members without e-mail access will be notified by mail or telephone.

 

Special Meetings

Any three directors may call a special meeting as needed without adhering to the procedures specified above if time does not permit. A record of this meeting shall be kept and presented to the full Board at its next regular meeting.

 

Article IX Amendment of the Bylaws

Changes to the Bylaws shall be made by vote of more than one-half of the Board of Directors and ratified by the membership at the Annual Meeting or at a special meeting called for that purpose. Any proposed changes shall be submitted to the membership 30 days prior to the meeting at which they are to be voted.

 

Article X IRC 501 (c) (3) Tax Exemption Provisions

Section 1 Limitations on Activities

No substantial part of the activities of this corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided by Section 501 (h) of the Internal Revenue Code), and this corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements), any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office.

 

Notwithstanding any other provisions of these Bylaws, this corporation shall not carry on any activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by a corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or (b) by a corporation, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code.

 

Section 2 Prohibition Against Private Inurement

No part of the net earnings of this corporation shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, its members, directors or trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes of this corporation.

 

Section 3 Distribution of Assets

Upon the dissolution of this corporation, its assets remaining after payment, or provision for payment, of all debts and liabilities of this corporation shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Such distribution shall be made in accordance with all applicable provisions of the laws of the State of Rhode Island.

 

 

 

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Blackstone River to get fish ladders
By: Douglas Hadden , Times staff writer

PAWTUCKET -- Wrapping up a deal that will bring salmon back up the Blackstone River, the state Department of Environmental Management director and the property's owner signed a purchase agreement for a dam and the former Elizabeth Webbing hydro plant just over the line into Central Falls before a surprised audience assembled for an environmental talk Wednesday night at the downtown Visitor Center.
The purchase means that all four dams in a key stretch along the Blackstone River -- also including near the Main Street bridge, by Slater Mill and in Valley Falls -- will be on board for introduction of fish ladders to bring anadromous species of fish, which travel from salt to fresh waters to spawn, back to the river for the first time since the introduction of scores of dams to power textile mills more than 200 years ago.
DEM Director Michael Sullivan, in town for a series of environmental talks he gives around the state, made the surprise announcement before a group of about 40 people from various environmental groups or who are active in environmental issues.
"I am elated by it," Sullivan said as he called up Louis Yip, who acquired the Roosevelt Avenue property with business partner Sonny Ng when they bought Elizabeth Webbing to convert it to residential and other uses, to the front of the Visitor Center auditorium to sign off on the legal documents cementing the deal.
The agreement came after three days of negotiations with DEM lawyers and a lead role by Sullivan himself, who personally delivered the $450,000 offer to close the deal, Ng and Sullivan said.
Yip said he had a higher competing bid from someone who wanted to reopen the hydro plant, built for $3 million by Elizabeth Webbing. But Ng said they decided to go with DEM because of Sullivan's vision of restoring the fish spawning activity and restoring the river's former glory.
"He's a practical dreamer, this guy," Ng said admiringly of Sullivan, whose colorful, wide-ranging talk had both entertained and informed the audience. "He's business minded. We lost a lot of money on this because we had a much better offer to sell the hydro plant. But his vision is ours. He inspired a lot of people."
Sullivan confirmed the higher competing bid and also noted, "We had an appraisal for a higher value" than the final sale price. "I'm thankful they sold it to us."
Sullivan said DEM had the property acquistion funding on hand but is working to reduce its outlay, including also for the overall project estimated at $3 million to $3.5 million, with state and federal sources abetted by partnering with various foundations and environmental organizations, several of which have shown strong interest that he expressed confidence will lead to financial commitments.
Bring back anadromous fish to the Blackstone has been a dream and intermittent project of various groups and individuals going back to the 1980s, said Bob Billington, who as head of the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council has himself advocated that goal for more than a decade.
"So you made history tonight," Billington told Yip and Ng. "Thanks for doing it."
Sullivan said building the fish ladders, which he described as "a sluiceway, a passageway," with small "impoundments" to progressively help the fish make their way upstream, will require about two years of engineering studies and analysis of factors such as water flow and structural considerations.
"If everything goes to plan," said Sullivan, "by mid-2009 we would have construction underway and my hope is we would have (final) construction in 2010."
Sullivan said the four dams in the series "are structurally in fairly good shape, not needing that much work," in part because "they're not that tall."
The DEM chief also said his intent is not to end the fish ladders construction with the stretch from Pawtucket to the edge of Cumberland. "Ultimately we want to work our way up. I want to go all the way to Worcester," to the area where the Blackstone has its headwaters, Sullivan said, adding that two fish ladders were also planned for a stretch of the Ten Mile River to again bring anadromous fish to Turner Reservoir.
Besides salmon, other anadromous species the fish ladders could return to the Blackstone include shad and alewife, among others.
From the audience Frank Geary, a director of the Blackstone River Valley Watershed Council who has worked to coordinate the fish ladder project, praised Sullivan for "a wonderful job. He's a friend of the Blackstone, of the environmental people in Rhode Island. It was tried for 30 years and got nowhere. Thank you very much."
The announcement was also timely, as the Tourism Council and others celebrate Rivers Day on Saturday at Central Falls Landing, off Broad Street near the Valley Falls Bridge. Organizers said U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse has agreed to be guest speaker for the 11 a.m. event, where recently retired DEM official Robert Sutton will be presented the John H. Chafee Rivers Day Award, named for the late senator who helped create the valley's Heritage Corridor.
Sutton is being cited, according to the Tourism Council, "for his tireless efforts in the construction of the Blackstone Valley Bike path over the last 20 years" as planning chief for DEM.
Events in Central Falls will also include free public tours aboard the BVTC's riverboat Explorer at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. and kayak rentals from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In Pawtucket, the second annual River Sing across the Blackstone, featuring choral groups, rock, folk, ethnic and other music, puppets, mimes, food, crafts and environmental exhibits, will be held from noon to 9 p.m. at Slater Mill.

Blackstone River Watershed Council
PO Box 8068
Cumberland, RI 02864
Phone: 401-334-5003

Blackstone River Watershed Council and other River Links

Real Time Water Flow on the Blackstone River
Blackstone River Kayakers forgot to plan ahead but Saved
ZAP the Blackstone
Watershed Handbook
Watershed Webcasts old and new
BRWC website
FOB Website-also part of BRWC
Riverfest- Some Past Results
Restoring Rivers-Ecology Standards
Blackstone River Coalition News