The Boston Harbor Association- Resources

Harbor News is designed by The Boston Harbor Association to keep the general public current on a number of new and ongoing activities and initiatives around Boston Harbor. Click on any of the topics below for more information.

On 13 January 2010, TBHA together with WalkBoston led a tour of the newest sites on the HarborWalk between the ICA and the New England Aquarium. At One Marina Park Drive, TBHA Executive Director Vivien Li led attendees into the finished ground floor which one of Newbury Street's most popular stores, Louis Boston, will briefly occupy in early spring 2010. The attendees' attention was directed to the luxurious detail of the lobby, which includes an elaborate floor of imported marble and specially designed ceiling lighting.

The store will stay in the ground floor of the building until construction is completed of a new low-rise building later this year . The building is part of an effort towards generating more activity in the area, and will house several new restaurants and stores in the coming year.

The tour also visited the new public green on the Fan Pier, another part of the Fan Pier development project, and viewed an interpretive display of the old rail terminal at the Fan Pier. The last stop on the HarborWalk was the new Marine Mammal Facility at the New England Aquarium, where attendees looked in through the glass walls to see the fur seals.

Tour Attendees peer through the glass walls of the
Marine Mammal Pavilion at the New England Aquarium.

Thousands greeted the 2010 New Year on Boston's waterfront. The
Boston Harbor Association, with support and assistance of First Night Boston, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and the Mayor's Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events, coordinated a series of special events along Boston Harbor.

The celebration began on 31 December at 11:45 a.m. with a dramatic water-display by Massport's fireboat and ended after 12:30 a.m. on New Year's Day when the last passengers disembarked from a special midnight cruise to view the fireworks over Boston Harbor.

From 12 noon to 4 p.m., the public had a rare opportunity to board the Boston Pilot Association's CHELSEA boat and to tour the U.S. Coast Guard's newest response boat, both of which were docked at the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse.

Dozens went out for a mid-day cruise on Boston Harbor, while others enjoyed the newest facility of public accommodation at Independence Wharf, and children participated in free craft activities at the Fort Point Arts Community Store.

Visitors marveled at ice sculptures at the New England Aquarium, and took advantage of "First Night" discounts at the Aquarium, ICA Museum, Boston Children's Museum, as well as at waterfront hotels including the Boston Harbor Hotel, Fairmont Battery Wharf, InterContinental Boston, Marriott Long Wharf, Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, Seaport Hotel, and Westin Boston Waterfront. Old Town Trolley Tours shuttled First Night button holders around the waterfront, thanks to support from the Boston Redevelopment Authority, while City Water Taxi brought the public from East Boston to Long Wharf/Quincy Market.

Fulfilling its mission to educate the next generation of harbor stewards about a sustainable harbor, The Boston Harbor Association completed its successful fall "Harbor Bound" season on 28 October. This season TBHA introduced a new element to the tours - an overview of environmental sustainability on Deer Island, showcasing the extraordinary efforts of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) to generate 30% renewable energy by 2020.

This fall, students from the Mary E. Curley Middle School in Jamaica Plain, Dorchester Academy, and Boston Latin School learned about sustainability first-hand. They had the opportunity to see two 190-foot high wind turbines that were installed in August 2009 and will generate over 2 million kW hours per year. They also learned about the roof mounted photovoltaic system and lighting improvements, both of which promote sustainability by using energy-saving power.

The students received an introduction to the MWRA's Department of Laboratory Science by Director Michael F. Delaney. Dr. Delaney explained how scientists conduct water quality testing and provided an overview of his educational background. The MWRA lab tests water quality daily, including from the beaches.

On a lighter note, the students were amused to learn of Deer Island's appeal as a movie set, most recently as a location for the filming of "The Box" which opened in theaters during the fall.

The Boston Harbor Association would like to thank the staff at MWRA for their support including tour guides Nadia Caines, Richard Dalton and Tom DeRossier and Mass Bay Lines for their ongoing support of "Harbor Bound." If you are interested in participating spring, 2010, please contact TBHA at mail@tbha.org.

TBHA Deputy Director Patrice Todisco and landscape architect
David Warner lead the HarborWalk group along a
verdant path along Moakley Courthouse.

HarborWalk tour participants got a first hand view on Tuesday, 20 October of two vibrant landscapes along Fort Point Channel and Boston Harbor. These “urban gardens” reflect the advocacy work of The Boston Harbor Association in promoting public access and public amenities along the waterfront. TBHA Deputy Director Patrice Todisco and landscape architect David Warner led a group of over twenty participants to view the landscape design around the John Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse and the Boston Children’s Museum.

Participants explored the seaside park next to the Moakley Courthouse, and learned that landscape architects Laurie Olin and Carol Johnson, along with architect Harry Cobb, designed the park collaboratively. The park is meant to showcase how civic buildings and civic space can be utilized together to create an extraordinary result. The tour group walked through and learned about the park’s promenade, loggia, great lawn, and harbor garden, which principally features native plants that flourish in the harsh waterfront environment. Participants also viewed the park’s interpretive signage, and learned that the plants accentuate the designers’ intent to create an environment that stimulates “our senses and spirit and educates our minds about Boston’s encounter between land and sea.”

During the next part of the tour, the group visited the wharf and plaza at the Boston Children’s Museum, designed by landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh. The plaza functions as the Museum’s “front yard,” and is a major destination along the Fort Point Channel for festivals and events. The tour guides pointed out some intriguing elements of the area that make it stand out as unique and fun amidst its urban environment: distinctive paving patterns, massive granite boulders, and a native plant garden designed to be a child-scale experience of nature.

The Boston Harbor Association plans to host a series of new HarborWalk tours in the spring highlighting parks, gardens and open spaces.

Boston Harbor became cleaner this summer, thanks to The Boston Harbor Association’s annual Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Project. Clean-up boats operated by on-water contractor Boston Line & Service Co. were on the harbor from June through October, 2009, scooping up over 2,000 plastic wrappers, almost 2,000 styrofoam cups, about 1,500 paper cups and plastic bottles, as well as floating pilings. Plastics were recycled as part of the program’s environmental sustainability efforts.

Given the heavy rains in June which washed much debris into the harbor, this summer’s efforts were particularly appreciated by visitors to the Tall Ships celebration and by swimmers, boaters, and marine life. Special thanks to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the City of Boston, Massport, and Eastern Salt Company for their generous funding of this year’s program.

Summer 2009 volunteer Julia Vermeulen, a high school senior at Noble and Greenough School, surveyed the entire existing HarborWalk in Boston's six waterfront neighborhoods. Assisted on some days by Magaly Salazar (whose MLK Scholar internship was supported by John Hancock Financial Services), Julia noted improvements made to the HarborWalk in the last year- such as the new HarborWalk segment built as part of the new office building at

One Marina Park Drive (lobby shown) and a new Public Green (see photo above), both part of the Fan Pier development project. The survey highlights HarborWalk additions including new docks at Russia Wharf and Battery Wharf, as well as segments which need additional maintenance or attention. Results of the full survey will be available in November.

Julia's work is the basis of TBHA's advocacy this fall for signage and maintenance along the HarborWalk. Beacon Capital, owner of 253

Summer Street on the Fort Point Channel, has been making much-needed repairs to its seawall and, in the process, looking at ways to make its HarborWalk segment more accessible.

Working with TBHA, Beacon Capital's Senior Managing Director Doug Mitchell and Vice-President Zeina Grinnell are adding HarborWalk signs as well as environmentally-sustainable lighting to make the

HarborWalk segment more "user-friendly" (see photo of existing HarborWalk). The new compact fluorescent lighting fixtures are more energy efficient than the old high-pressure sodium fixtures.

At the Boston Children's Museum, Interim-President David Ellis and Museum Vice President Charlayne Murrell-Smith are focusing on maintenance issues TBHA noted in a September, 2009 letter. A landscape company has been busy pruning the larger trees on the Museum's wharf (see photo), and new HarborWalk signs to replace missing signs will be installed during the first week of October.

To ensure that the newly-opened HarborWalk segment on Dorchester Avenue is well maintained, TBHA met with Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Vice President Dana Warren and the Bank’s Director of Facility Paul Gusmini. As a good neighbor, the Bank has agreed to assume routine (not capital) maintenance of the new segment.

Under the direction of Co-Chairs Charles Norris and Al Raine, the Water Transportation Working Group of The Boston Harbor Association has completed a White Paper on water transportation management and governance issues. This work has taken on increased relevancy as changes in the Commonwealth's transportation agencies have created an uncertain future for water transportation, shifting the focus from strengthening and expanding the current system to preserving existing routes, and avoiding reduction or elimination of service. The Water Transportation Working Group is working on a second White Paper focused on the future of Ferries as Transit. In the interim, the current White Paper is being provided to David D’Alessandro, who is preparing an independent review of the MBTA operations, and to Jeffrey Mullan, incoming Secretary and CEO of the newly created MassDOT. The new Water Transportation pavilion at Battery Wharf, which provides a seated waiting area for water transportation, was constructed as a result of TBHA’s advocacy.

A water taxi prepares to depart from the New Water
Transportation pavilion at Battery Wharf.

A group of the 22 volunteers from John Hancock Financial Services takes a break from cleaning up the beach with DCR’s Carson Beach supervisor Jack Kelly.

On 26 August 2009 TBHA concluded a very successful “Back to the Beaches” summer season at Carson Beach in South Boston with a volunteer crew of 22 dedicated workers from John Hancock Financial Services. Working under the direction of Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) site supervisor Jack Kelly, the group improved pedestrian routes contiguous to the beach, removed invasive species, and cleaned trash from the shoreline.

Carson Beach, which is accessible from the Red Line, is heavily used and depends upon volunteer efforts to enhance the maintenance capabilities of the DCR staff. Kudos to John Hancock's volunteers for lending their support!

Designed to connect people to the Harbor, TBHA's "Back to the Beaches" programs are generously supported by the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. This summer TBHA conducted four "Back to the Beaches" cruises to the newest Boston Harbor beach on Spectacle Island.

To plan for next season, TBHA conducted an on-line survey of program attendees and discovered that 84% of the respondents were highly satisfied with their TBHA experience and 87% would recommend the program they attended to a friend or colleague. Participants suggested longer and more frequent trips to Spectacle Island and its beach, expansion of TBHA programming, and improvements to the audio component of the boat cruises.

Dorchester Avenue Renovations
A new HarborWalk segment along Dorchester Avenue between the Congress and Summer Street Bridges, across from the Federal Reserve Bank, opened to the public Labor Day weekend. Featuring granite paving, benches, ornamental lighting and shade trees, this “mini” plaza affords a lovely view of Fort Point Channel and is a welcome amenity for the Fort Point neighborhood. Tree planting will be completed in October 2009. TBHA was a party to the intervenor in the Chapter 91 License for the Central Artery Project’s Fort Point Channel activities, which resulted in this HarborWalk requirement as part of the project’s mitigation measures. In recent months, TBHA has been working closely with Fort Point neighbors and the Seaport Transportation Management Association to ensure completion of this HarborWalk segment in 2009.

Visitors may now enjoy new trees, benches, and lighting on the new section
of the HarborWalk along Dorchester Avenue, which approaches completion.

Norman B. Leventhal’s “Walk to the Sea” New Wind Turbine
An energy-efficient wind turbine has been added on the HarborWalk at Long Wharf as part of sustainability efforts. The turbine powers the lighting that illuminates the three interpretive panels featured on Long Wharf as part of the final stop on Norman B. Leventhal’s “Walk to the Sea.” On 25 September 2008, TBHA’s Executive Director Vivien Li joined Mayor Menino for the dedication the “Walk to the Sea,” a fascinating journey from the State House to Long Wharf that teaches about the history of Boston Harbor and its connection to Downtown Boston. TBHA’s advocacy for sustainable additions along the HarborWalk contributed to the construction of the new turbine.

Fan Pier Development Project
A new office building located at One Marina Park Drive on the Fan Pier is under construction, and will be open later this year. Construction is also underway on a new Public Green near the building. HarborWalk goers will soon be able to enjoy newly planted trees and grass.

Newly planted trees and grass color the HarborWalk in the
new park next to the new office building.

The Boston Harbor Association’s 4 August 2009 HarborWalk tour focused on one of the organization’s top priorities, a Greener Boston Harbor. During the 90- minute tour, more than 25 participants visited three sites along the South Boston waterfront which are working to promote an environmentally sustainable Boston Harbor.

At the Boston Children’s Museum, participants viewed a portion of the museum’s “green roof” (see photo above), and learned that last year’s visitors helped with the roof’s plantings. Boston Children’s Museum is the first “green” museum in Boston, and incorporated storm water reclamation into its building expansion to reduce run-off into the Fort Point Channel.

At Manulife/ John Hancock Financial Services building, TBHA HarborWalk tour participants (see photo) viewed the innovative double-skin curtainwall, which in conjunction with the building’s high efficiency mechanical systems is reducing heating and cooling energy consumption by as much as 6% annually. The stepped design of the building’s 12th floor incorporates a “green roof” feature, allowing for better insulation and improved stormwater run-off.

At the Fish Pier on Northern Avenue, participants learned about Massport’s efforts to provide fishing vessels with electric shore power. Currently there are two stations at the Fish Pier where four users can use on-shore power, and funding has just been provided to expand shore power to the remaining fishing vessels. This will allow all fishing vessels to have access to electric power, rather than using their boat engines or on-board diesel generators which tend to generate more emissions.

To register for TBHA’s free 10 September HarborWalk tour focusing on the Fan Pier, please contact mail@tbha.org.

It’s a busy time of year at Black Falcon Cruise terminal! On 4 October 2009, you may have noticed two huge cruise ships docked at the Port of Boston: Queen Mary II and Carnival Triumph. The vessels are part of two of the fifteen major cruise lines that frequent the port: Carnival Cruise Lines and the Cunard Line. Boston is currently in the midst of the exciting 2009 cruise season, which runs from April through November and features more than 100 vessel calls. The majestic ships carry passengers to all kinds of destinations: north along the magnificent New England and Canadian coastline, south to the pink, sandy beaches of Bermuda, or east across the vast Atlantic to Europe.

The Boston Harbor Association hosted its most successful trip to Spectacle Island yet on Thursday, 6 August 2009. An astounding 376 participants accompanied TBHA on the cruise, and got a taste of just how breathtaking Boston Harbor can be on a beautifully sunny day. Once at Spectacle, visitors swam at the lifeguarded beach, hiked around the drumlins to see spectacular views of Boston Harbor and the Boston skyline, and used Spectacle's new showers and changing stalls, recently constructed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. To learn more about this project, click here. We hope to see you on our last cruise to Spectacle for summer 2009, on Tuesday, 18 August.

In 2008, Governor Deval Patrick signed the MA Oceans Act of 2008, which directed the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) to develop a comprehensive management plan for the protection and sustainable use of our ocean and coastal waters. The Commonwealth is notably the first state to undertake such a far-reaching plan, putting MA at the forefront of similar federal plans for other states.

After 18 public meetings, 90 stakeholder consultations, and countless hours on the part of private citizens and state officials, the Draft MA Ocean Management Plan was released on 30 June 2009. The plan includes planning principles based on those explicitly stated in the Act and builds upon those identified by the 2004 Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force, of which The Boston Harbor Association was an active participant. The plan will now undergo several months of public meetings and revision before final implementation.

Click here to download a full copy of the DRAFT Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan.

Visitors to Spectacle Island’s beach will appreciate the new full-body showers and a new changing stalls for bathers located near by the beach.

On Georges Island, a rehabilitation and expansion initiative is currently underway. To be completed in summer 2010, new amenities will include:

New changing stalls completed as part of the 2009
Department of Conservation and Recreation improvements.

The Boston Harbor Association hosted another successful cruise to Spectacle Island on 14 July 2009. 160 participants joined TBHA for a narrated ferry ride to Spectacle as the bright sun made both passengers’ eyes and Boston Harbor sparkle. TBHA Executive Director Vivien Li spoke about TBHA’s efforts to improve both the water quality and the public beaches of the Boston Harbor, including Spectacle, for swimmers, boaters, and marine life.

Upon arrival at the island, participants were free to explore Spectacle’s beautiful environment. Visitors spent time relaxing at the beach and swimming area, hiking to the top of the north and south drumlins to see the spectacular views of Boston Harbor, taking narrated tours of the island with the Department of Conservation and Recreation park rangers, grabbing a snack at the Summer Shack to eat in the shade of a huge pavilion, or checking out the exhibits in the Visitor’s Center about Spectacle’s unique scenery and history.

Don’t miss the July 15 article in the Boston Globe about the trip, written by reporter Matt Collette, who enjoyed the cruise to Spectacle along with TBHA. Please click here to read the article. See you on some of our upcoming cruises!

6 July 2009 Marine Debris Removal event: Fred Lasky, MWRA Executive Director;
Vivien Li, TBHA Executive Director; City of Boston’s Mayor Thomas M. Menino;
Mike Leone, Massport Maritime Director; and Joe McNamee,
Eastern Salt Company’s Chelsea Facility Manager.

On Monday, 6 July 2009, thanks to generous funding from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the City of Boston, Massport, and Eastern Salt Company, The Boston Harbor Association launched its 10th annual Boston Harbor Debris Removal Program to ensure a cleaner harbor. More than 220 tons of debris have been removed since the program began in 2000, eliminating navigational hazards and making the harbor safer and more inviting for swimmers, boaters, and marine life. At the 6 July press conference, Mayor Menino also announced that the City of Boston is funding a new pumpout boat, operated by UMass Boston.

Boston Line & Service Company, TBHA’s contractor,
removing debris from Boston Harbor.

The Boston Harbor Association has also been the primary advocacy group successfully getting a new maritime museum and 24-hour observation deck completed at the Fairmont Battery Wharf, North End waterfront. At the grand opening of the new HarborWalk segment in early July 2009, visitors viewed a new water transportation pavilion (see above), an enhanced HarborWalk with interpretive signage and binoculars, and an outside terrace dining area. Both the pocket maritime museum and observation deck are open to the public and free of charge.

Tall Ships from around the world will be docked in Boston Harbor from Wednesday, 8 July 2009 to Monday, 13 July 2009. The Tall Ships celebration, organized by Sail Boston 2009, will include public access to piers and many of the ships from 9 July to 12 July. In addition, Sail Boston 2009 has organized a number of related free events along Boston Harbor for all ages. Check out the Sail Boston 2009 website for further information at www.sailboston.com.

Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis to The Boston Harbor Association’s free Tall Ships cruise on Friday, 10 July, 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. To register, please send an e-mail message to mail@tbha.org. Tickets are also available for The Boston Harbor Association’s 10 July Tall Ships reception at Flagship Wharf. Guests will enjoy a wine and cheese reception, be able to walk around the Charlestown Navy Yard where several Tall Ships are docked, and enjoy dessert afterwards. Tickets are $100, with proceeds benefiting TBHA’s harbor education programs. For reservations to the reception, please contact mail@tbha.org or 617-482-1722.

Be sure to visit the New England Aquarium’s newest addition, the Marine Mammal Center on the new HarborWalk (see photos above and below), starting 1 July 2009. The new $10 million facility will be home to five fur seals; there are only 20 fur seals in captivity in the world today. Visitors will be able to see and hear the seals, and view informational panels. Seating is available during four seal shows daily. In the evening, LED strips make for an interesting walk along the Aquarium’s newest HarborWalk segment. For further information, please visit http://www.neaq.org or call 617-973-5281.

Another addition to the HarborWalk this year is the new pocket maritime museum on the HarborWalk, Battery Wharf Museum, which opens to the public on 6 July 2009 as part of the Fairmont Battery Wharf Hotel and Sensing Restaurant complex.

Learn fascinating maritime and Coast Guard history in this free exhibition space. From the 24-hour observation deck on the second floor, enjoy breathtaking views of Boston Harbor. The well-designed Battery Wharf section of the HarborWalk features free rest rooms, interpretive signage, telescopes, and an attractive water taxi pavilion and dock for transportation all around the harbor and to the airport. For further information, please visit www.fairmont.com/batterywharf or call (617) 994-9000.

Have you taken a look at “Your Drinking Water Report” lately? The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA)’s just-released report shows that of the 120 contaminants tested in 2008, every standard was met. Lead test results for the City of Boston in 2008 show that drinking water provided by the MWRA’s Quabbin Reservoir was below the federal Lead Action Level. Take comfort in the fact that, according to the MWRA, “For less than a penny a gallon, you receive some of the cleanest, best tasting drinking water in the country!” For a copy of the report, please call the MWRA at 617-242-5323.

In April 2009, The Chiofaro Co. entered the permitting process for the redevelopment of the Harbor Garage Site along the waterfront. The Chiofaro Plan suggests that new buildings of much greater height replace a seven-story parking and retail structure near the New England Aquarium. The Boston Harbor Association will play a prominent role in the projected two-year reviewing process, making aviation safety and sustainability top priorities.

The proposed addition will include two new buildings containing thousands of square feet of floor space for offices, hotel use, residences, and retail space. Both towers, if approved as proposed, will be the tallest ever allowed on Boston’s waterfront. During the review process, TBHA will be attentive to the wind and shadow impacts of the project upon pedestrians, open spaces and parks, and waterfront users.

TBHA will also look to both Massport and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to make appropriate determinations of aviation safety along this portion of the waterfront. State “Chapter 91” tidelands regulations specify a 50 percent open space requirement and a 155 feet height limitation at this location. This makes a Municipal Harbor Plan Amendment necessary in order to increase standard height limitations.

The Boston Harbor Association commends the proponent of the Chiafaro Plan for making sustainable design and energy conservation key elements of the project.

To obtain a copy of TBHA Executive Director Vivien Li’s article in the June 2009 issue of Banker & Tradesman about TBHA’s position regarding the Chiofaro Plan, please contact The Boston Harbor Association at 617-482-1722 or mail@tbha.org.

Effective immediately through 30 October 2009, the MBTA and the City of Salem will launch a pilot program for the Summer 2009 season to introduce the MBTA monthly pass on the Salem Ferry service. The pilot program includes the following provisions:

The monthly MBTA Boat pass and Commuter Rail Zones 5-8 will be honored as valid fare on the Salem Ferry for the following weekday commuter trips: departing Salem at 7 a.m.; departing Boston at 5:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.

The monthly Boat pass is also valid on MBTA services up to commuter rail Zone 4, so Salem Ferry commuters with this pass will now be able to access the MBTA system.

In addition, the Seaport TMA and Seaport Asset Management have worked closely with Water Transportation Alternatives, which operates the Salem Ferry for the City of Salem, to secure a direct ride to the Seaport area in Boston via the Salem Ferry. MBTA passes will also be valid at the World Trade Center dock in the Seaport District.

The Boston Harbor Association congratulates the City of Salem, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Water Transportation Alternatives, Seaport TMA, and Seaport Asset Management for their cooperative efforts to improve water transportation for North Shore residents.

Many thanks to the supporters of The Boston Harbor Association’s annual Boston Harbor Celebration and Auction. Thanks to the generosity of so many supporters, $170,000 was raised from the 14 April 2009 event. Proceeds will be used for free harbor education programs and cruises for urban youth and the general public to promote environmental stewardship, as well as for our harbor advocacy efforts to promote a robust water transportation system in Boston Harbor and a “green” sustainable working port.

Special thanks to the Boston Harbor Hotel and Legal Sea Foods for generously underwriting the event again this year. We are grateful for the sponsorship of the following companies and individuals:

Beacon Capital Partners
Cargo Ventures LLC
Cashman Equipment
The Chiofaro Company &
International Place
Eastern Salt Company, Inc.
Epsilon Associates, Inc.
Equity Office Properties
Gale International
The Gillette Company
Jay Cashman, Inc.
Massachusetts Convention Center
Authority

New England Development
New England Fertilizer Company
NSTAR
O'Neill and Associates
Paul and Barbara Levy
RDA Construction Corporation
Roseland Property Company
Sovereign Bank
SUEZ LNG NA/Distrigas
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Winn Development Company

AECOM
Atlantic Beer Garden
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Boston Freight Terminals
Boston Harbor Cruises
Boston Properties
Boston Sand & Gravel Company
CDM, Inc.
Childs Engineering Corporation
Clean Harbors Environmental Services
Constitution Marina
The Drew Company
Eastern Minerals, Inc.
Fort Point Associates
GEI Consultants, Inc.
Goldman Properties

Goulston & Storrs, P. C.
Hill, Holiday
Hines
InterContinental Boston
John Hancock Financial Services
Lafarge North America
Massachusetts Port Authority
National Grid
New Street Realty Trust
Nutter, McClennen & Fish, LLP
Pyramid Hotel Group
Robert White Associates, Inc.
Seaport Hotel & Seaport World
Trade Center
Suffolk Construction

A Better City
Arrowstreet Inc.
BNY Mellon
The Beal Companies, LLP
Berkeley Investments
Bingham McCutchen LLP
Boston Private Bank & Trust Company
Boston Shipping Association, Inc.
The Bostonian Group
Brown Rudnick Berlack Israels LLP
CBT Architects
Coastal Marine Management, LLC
Commodore Builders
Commonwealth Ventures, LLC
Copley Wolff Design Group, Inc.
Cresset Development
C. White Marine, Inc.
The Davis Companies
ELV Associates, Inc.
Emcor Government Services/
     Tillinger’s Concierge
Feeley & Driscoll, P.C., CPA’s
The Flatley Company
Foley Hoag LLP
Howard/Stein-Hudson Associates,
     Inc.
Intercontinental Real Estate
     Corporation

James Hook & Co.
K & L Gates
Kearney, Donovan & McGee, P.C.
Robert T. Kenney
Lee Kennedy Co.
Madison Properties
Massachusetts Bay Lines
MassDevelopment
ML Strategies, LLC
National Development
Noble & Wickersham LLP
North Coast Seafoods
One Hundred Atlantic Associates Limited Partnership
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Peabody & Lane Corp,
New England Steamship Agents
Pembroke Real Estate
Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation
Raymond Property Company
Quirk Auto Dealers/ Fore River Shipyard
State Street Corporation
Super Tours
The Bostonian Group
Turner Construction Company
UGL Unicco

A.D. Makepeace Company
Anderson & Krieger, LLP
A. Paul Cellucci, Special Counsel,
McCarter & English, LLP
The Beal Consulting Group
Boston BoatWorks, LLC
Boston Design Center
The Boston Foundation
Boston Line & Service Co., Inc.
Boston National Historical Park
Boston Pilots Association
Boston Water and Sewer Commission
The Brennan Group
BSC Group
Cambridge Seven Associates, Inc.
Century Bank
Chadwick Martin Bailey
Chan Krieger Sieniewicz
Channel Fish Co., Inc.
Constellation Maritime
Cortell Associates, LLC
Cushman & Wakefield of Massachusetts
Dennis K. Burke, Inc.
Donovan Hatem LLP
The Druker Company, Ltd.
Durand & Anastas Environmental
Strategies, Inc.
Elkus Manfredi Architects
Emerson Investment Management, Inc.
ESS Group, Inc.
Finegold Alexander + Associates Inc.
Fitzgerald Shipyard

Future Management Systems, Inc.
FXM Associates
GLC Development Resources, LLC
H. N. Gorin, Inc.
Haley & Aldrich, Inc.
Harry R. Feldman, Inc.
Jamy Buchanan Madeja
John Nagle Co.
Jones Lang LaSalle
The Lombardo Companies
Margulies Perruzzi Architects
McDermott Ventures, LLC
Metcalf & Eddy
Moran Shipping Agencies, Inc.
Nauset Strategies, Inc.
Nixon Peabody LLP
Pinck & Co.
Prolerized New England Co.
Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, Inc.
Regina Villa Associates
Sasaki Associates Inc.
Schnitzer Northeast
Sherin & Lodgen, LLP
Stavis Seafoods
The Stevens Group
Tern Harbor Marina
Tishman Construction
Twining Properties
The Westin Boston Waterfront
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale
and Dorr LLP
Windward Investment Management

Since its founding in 1973, The Boston Harbor Association (TBHA) has been working to promote a clean, alive, and accessible Boston Harbor. In recent years, as Boston Harbor has become cleaner and the waterfront more accessible to residents, workers, and visitors, The Boston Harbor Association has focused increased attention and advocacy on water transportation. Consistent with TBHA's strategic plan and 2008 workplan, The Boston Harbor Association has launched a multi-year Water Transportation Initiative. Charles Norris, leading authority on water transportation in Boston Harbor, and Alden Raine, national expert on transportation and urban development and former Executive Director of Massport, will co-chair TBHA's Water Transportation Working Group. The Working Group will work to promote a robust water transportation network for Boston Harbor, hosting a series of meetings this year and subsequently releasing working papers on topics such as technical, market-based, economic, and mobility aspects related to water transportation.

In a 30 September 2008 letter, The Boston Harbor Association called upon the MBTA to reconsider its proposed reductions in Inner Harbor and South Shore ferry service. TBHA also asked for an updated travel demand data base to help set priorities for ferry routes.

TBHA Executive Director Vivien Li's 5 May 2008 Banker & Tradesman article on TBHA's water transportation initiative can be accessed here.

During spring 2009 The Boston Harbor Association (TBHA) partnered with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) and the science program of the Timilty School in Roxbury to introduce hundreds of middle school students to Boston Harbor through Harbor Bound, a unique program created by TBHA and MWRA that combines classroom instruction with a narrated field trip to Deer Island by boat.

Designed to encourage stewardship and spark curiosity, each Harbor Bound session provides a range of activities that foster a love of the Harbor while providing an introduction to environmental science, history, the green Working Port, and career opportunities. While on the water the students receive an overview of the Harbor’s evolution and observe first hand the diverse maritime activity critical to the continued success of the Working Port. On Deer Island the students attend a presentation by MWRA educators on the facility and become “water quality testing experts” as they conduct a series of experiments designed to evaluate the water quality of samples taken from the Harbor. Besides a discussion of career opportunities, the trip includes a guided tour of the Deer Island treatment facility and the alternative solar and future wind power facilities on the island.

For many of the students this is the first time they have been on the Harbor. Harbor Bound provides a unique opportunity to learn firsthand about urban environmental issues, careers and harbor activities. The Boston Harbor Association (TBHA) wishes to thank the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and Massachusetts Bay Lines whose generosity enables us to offer this program in the spring and fall of each year at no cost to students, teachers and schools. To schedule a trip or participate in TBHA’s Harbor Bound program, please call The Boston Harbor Association at 617-482-1722.

For more than a year now, the economic news has been discouraging. As we enter 2009, there are waterfront happenings which give us reasons to celebrate:

Nearly a decade in the making, Battery Wharf, with its mix of condominiums, beautiful hotel rooms and public spaces, has quietly opened on the North End waterfront. In mid-December, the Fairmont Battery Wharf Hotel greeted its first guests, some of whom came by water taxi. Visitors walking along Battery Wharf's HarborWalk are able to go to a free second-floor observatory, with views of the harbor and East Boston, and in February the public will be able to enjoy a free ground-floor maritime exhibit in a museum-quality setting, consistent with the site's Chapter 91 tidelands license requirements.
Nearby, construction is well underway for a new marine mammal center at the New England Aquarium. When completed Summer, 2009, there will be a new 700 sq. ft. shallow pool for sea lions and seals, a new glass-enclosed area adjacent to the pool that will promote visitor interaction with the animals, and the creation of a larger, continuous pedestrian plaza overlooking Boston Harbor that also provides a view of the marine mammal center to those walking by. In a city and a region where tourism is the second largest employer, these improvements will enhance the visitor experience and potentially generate both additional tourists and local residents' spending.

Likewise, the "topping off" ceremony on the first office building on the Fan Pier in December was a much-welcomed event. Even before the building opens in January, 2010, a number of public amenities incorporated in city and state permits will be coming on line at the Fan Pier: an enhanced HarborWalk segment on the south side; phase I of the marina, which has been advanced to be completed by Spring, 2009 in order to host large-scale civic events; and a public green and public plaza next to the new building.

Less than half a mile away, construction is underway on the former Jimmy's Harborside Restaurant site for new restaurants, offices, and public access. By Summer, 2010, a public landing/ water taxi stop and HarborWalk segment for the public will open for the first time ever along that site, adjacent to a new Legal Sea Foods restaurant, as well as other restaurants, and outdoor seating area.

Boaters this past summer may have noticed dredging operations in Boston Harbor. Phase I of the Inner Harbor Maintenance Dredging project, which dredged the harbor to a depth of 40 feet, was completed in November, allowing container vessels carrying cargo from Europe or Asia to utilize Conley Container Terminal in South Boston without having to wait for high tide.

The planning and permitting processes for these projects started close to a decade ago at a time when water quality improvements to Boston Harbor were first becoming evident to the general public. In these challenging economic times, city and state agencies, together with public authorities such as Massport and MassDevelopment, should continue with their planning and public participation processes so that waterfront developments and harbor improvements are fully permitted and ready to move forward when lending institutions and/or governmental agencies are able to provide capital or economic stimulus funds.

2009 will be a wonderful time to enjoy Boston Harbor and the waterfront. Boston Harbor will be teeming with boats during the Volvo Ocean Race on the Fan Pier in April and Sail Boston's Tall Ships celebration throughout the harbor in July. Now more than ever, Boston's waterfront should be a key destination for residents and visitors alike.

Last year, to mark the 90th birthday of one of Boston's greatest civic leaders, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced the establishment of the "Norman B. Leventhal Walk to the Sea." As the developer of the much-admired Rowes Wharf development along the waterfront and a noted map collector, Norman Leventhal has had a long connection with Boston Harbor. In June, 2000, The Boston Harbor Association recognized Mr. Leventhal for "his many years of support for the harbor and for the extraordinary Mapping Boston exhibit and book." More recently, students, residents, and scholars now have access to his extensive map collection, including hundreds of maps of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay, some of which are on display at the Boston Harbor Hotel and the rest housed at the Boston Public Library.

On 25 September 2008, hundreds of Boston leaders and citizens applauded as Mayor Menino and Norman Leventhal opened the "Walk to the Sea" wayfinding path from Beacon Hill to Boston Harbor. Eight panels along the "Walk to the Sea" describe and depict four centuries of Boston history, beginning at the top of Beacon Hill, the highest point on the Shawmut Peninsula, following ancient city streets, through the heart of the old town (Red Sox fans will appreciate the Scollay Square panel), to Boston's furthest projection into the Harbor, Long Wharf.

TBHA's Vivien Li joined Mayor Menino at the dedication ceremony in applauding the "Walk to the Sea", and noted the thousands of children influenced by the life and story of Norman Leventhal. Li said, "The children, many of whom live in Dorchester or Roxbury, listen enthralled when I tell them that Mr. Leventhal grew up in Dorchester, went to Boston Latin School, the oldest public high school in the country, needed a scholarship to go to college, and that he worked very hard, became very successful, and now spends most of his time with his family giving back to our city and community, including donating his world-renowned map collection to the Boston Public Library. Norman's Leventhal's life gives so many children living in Dorchester and other neighborhoods of our city hope that they, too, can grow up to be successful and can make a difference in society."

The Boston Harbor Association will lead a free lunch-time tour of the "Norman B. Leventhal Walk to the Sea" on 8 October 2008 (contact TBHA to register). For more information on the "Norman B. Leventhal Walk to the Sea," please visit www.walktothesea.com.

As new development projects are proposed along the waterfront, The Boston Harbor Association works with state and city agencies and property owners to ensure that projects are environmentally sustainable, provide public amenities, and promote public access. TBHA's comment letters are reviewed by TBHA's Board of Trustees, with input from its Harbor User Committee, comprised of harbor experts. To obtain copies of any 2008 comment letters, please contact TBHA at 617-482-1722 or mail@tbha.org.

2008 Comment Letters:
242 Northern Avenue Waterways License Application
585 Commercial Street Environmental Notification Form
Bayside Development, Dorchester, Environmental Notification Form
Boston East, Border Street, Environmental Impact Report
Boston Harbor Deep Draft Navigation Feasibility and Environmental Impact Report
Boston Harbor Dredging Feasibility and Environmental Impact Statement
Proposed Changes to Chapter 91
Doc's Restaurant, Long Wharf, Waterways License Application
East Boston Municipal Harbor Plan Amendment
Hook Lobster, Fort Point Channel, Waterways License Application
JFK Library and Museum, Environmental Assessment
MTA Tunnel Drainage System Notice of Project Change
New England Aquarium Waterways License Application
New Street Development, East Boston, Environmental Impact Report
No Discharge Zone for Boston Harbor
Pier 1 Ferry Landing, Proposed Improvements
Pier 3 Water Transportation Dock, Waterways License Application
Russia Wharf Draft Management Plan
Seaport Square Environmental Notification Report and Phase 1 Waiver

The InterContinental Boston Water Transportation Terminal, located on the Fort Point Channel between Russia Wharf and the InterContinental Boston Hotel/Residences, is now open to the public! The Boston Harbor Association has worked closely with Fred Laselva of Penfields and Tim Kirwan of InterContinental Boston, as well as the MBTA, Massport, Seaport TMA, and the BRA on opening the terminal. Brochures, schedules, and maps on water transit services, including the on-call water taxi service at the dock right behind the InterContinental Boston, are available inside the terminal. Visitors will also be able to buy small gifts and bottled beverages and use two public rest rooms within the kiosk from 7 a.m. to dusk, seven days a week through Columbus Day. The InterContinental Boston water transportation terminal is the newest amenity to the Harborwalk.

Brochures, schedules, and maps on water transit
services, are available inside the terminal.

The Boston Harbor became the largest urban port in the U.S. to be designated as a “No Discharge Area” (NDA) by the Environmental Protection Agency. All commercial and recreational boats are prohibited from releasing sewage within three miles of the shoreline. Instead, both treated and untreated wastewater from boats must be pumped out at one of more than 35 pump-out facilities. The Boston Harbor No Discharge Area stretches from Winthrop to Hull, and is the second largest of Massachusetts’s ten NDAs, affecting over 4000 boats in the Boston area.

Establishing a No Discharge Area will protect public health, reduce toxic pollution, reduce nitrogen loading, and protect our coastal economy. Even treated sewage can release nitrogen and other nutrients that cause algae blooms in the water. Pumping out wastewater instead of releasing it into the harbor will prevent bacteria and chemical pollutants from contaminating Boston Harbor. Mayor Thomas Menino announced that two new pump-out facilities will be built in the Charlestown Navy Yard and the Reserve Channel in South Boston to accommodate more boats.

Vivien Li, Executive Director of The Boston Harbor Association, joined Boston’s Chief of Environmental and Energy Services Jim Hunt, EPA Regional Administrator Robert Varney, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles, Jack Wiggin of the Urban Harbors Institute, and other environmental leaders, advocates, and harbormasters at a press conference on 7 July 2008 to announce the start of the new ban on discharge. To help enforce the No Discharge Area through educational outreach efforts, The Boston Harbor Association has been distributing copies of the MA Coastal Zone Management Program’s 2008 Boater’s Guide to Pump-out Facilities to local marinas and yacht clubs. For a copy, please email mail@tbha.org.

As a part of its commitment to promote water transportation in Boston Harbor, The Boston Harbor Association has launched a new website: www.bostonwatertransportation.com. Created in conjunction with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Transportation, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the new website includes detailed information on available water transportation services in Boston’s Inner Harbor, South Shore, and North Shore. The website was unveiled at the MBTA Water Transportation Awareness Week press conference on 24 June 2008.

At the press conference, Lt. Governor Tim Murray, MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas, Transportation Secretary Bernard Cohen, and TBHA Executive Director Vivien Li spoke briefly on continuing efforts to promote water transportation options for commuters in the Greater Boston area. The MBTA also launched its new Wi-Fi Commuter Boat Pilot Program, which provides free internet access on all MBTA commuter boats. Speakers and attendees boarded an MBTA Harbor Express vessel at Long Wharf, where Lt. Governor Murray tested the new Wi-Fi connection by opening a link to TBHA’s Boston Water Transportation website.

This spring, Governor Deval Patrick and Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles visited Deer Island to unveil renewable energy initiatives. Onlookers were able to observe Massachusetts Water Resource Authority's (MWRA) newly installed solar panels. The solar panels, consisting of a 100 kW roof mounted system, will generate sufficient power to offset the equivalent of 83 metric tons of CO2, or the equivalent of 9,300 gallons of gasoline, 190 barrels of oil, or electricity usage of 12 homes.

In March 2008, the Federal Aviation Administration gave preliminary approval for two wind turbines on Deer Island noting that the turbines pose "no hazard to air navigation." MWRA will look to add three more turbines after the first two are constructed by late 2009. The Deer Island solar and wind projects are in response to Governor Patrick's Executive Order 484, "Leading By Example - Clean Energy and Efficient Buildings," which sets ambitious standards for reduction of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by state agencies as well as increased use of renewable power: 15 percent of state government energy use by 2015, 30 percent by 2020. Overall, the solar panels on Deer Island will save MWRA approximately $10,500 in annual electricity purchases, while the two wind turbines will save roughly $106,000 each year.

As a result of The Boston Harbor Association’s advocacy as well as the efforts of others, several new additions to the HarborWalk have been added in 2008. Kudos to the Boston Redevelopment Authority for installing some of the most striking additions to the HarborWalk. Installed in early 2008, the new chairs (see right) along the Long Wharf HarborWalk have fast become a favorite of tourists, school children, and residents.

In keeping with the goal of making the harbor accessible, TBHA worked with the Coast Guard to reopen a portion of the HarborWalk next to Boston's Coast Guard base in the North End. This portion of the walk was closed for security reasons following 11 September 2001.

Thanks to an arrangement with the Coast Guard's Integrated Support Command, the pier end of their site next to the Mirabella Swimming Pool will now be open seasonally during daylight hours through 1 November 2008 (see left). TBHA thanks base commanding officer Captain Scott Keene and the Coast Guard for their support in opening up this space to the general public.

In addition, a portion of the HarborWalk on and near Lovejoy Wharf next to the North Washington Street Bridge, completed by the property owner and the Central Artery/Tunnel project, opened in summer 2008. This HarborWalk segment connects Prince Street Park in the North End to Lovejoy Wharf, and offers great views of the waterfront and the Zakim Bridge.

Planning is underway by both Federal Express and NSTAR for construction of new HarborWalk segments by the Federal Express facility and by NSTAR’s HarborWalk segment in South Boston. When completed by the end of 2008, theses two segments will provide a more complete HarborWalk along the Reserved Channel.

The brand new section of HarborWalk surrounding the Battery Wharf development is now open to the public. Public restrooms and a second floor observation deck opened in August 2008. The HarborWalk is lit up at night thanks to illuminated railings, and features like benches, telescopes, and a water taxi station will be completed later this summer. An information center for the general public and a second-floor observation deck will provide much-welcomed amenities to this portion of the waterfront.

In addition, the completion of repairs to the Congress Street Bridge over the Fort Point Channel later this year will include the addition of a new HarborWalk segment on Dorchester Avenue across from the Federal Reserve Bank.

Significant progress has been made in the completion and maintenance of Boston’s HarborWalk, according to The Boston Harbor Association’s Vivien Li in an October, 2007 Banker & Tradesman article. To read, please click here. And once the above HarborWalk segments open, the HarborWalk public access network will be close to 83% complete.

During the summer of 2007, The Boston Harbor Association joined with other educational organizations to provide programming for the newly-opened Camp Harbor View on Long Island. The camp, envisioned by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and retired advertising executive Jack Connors as a summer respite for Boston youth, provided more than 500 Boston young people the opportunity to explore Boston Harbor and the islands during the four-week camp sessions. Plans are now underway to provide additional facilities and programming for the 2008 camp season, including a swimming pool and theater space. In recognition of their leadership in establishing the camp, TBHA chose Mayor Menino, Jack Connors and John Fish, president of Suffolk Construction, as the 2007 recipients of its Governor Francis W. Sargent Award for long term commitment and diligence in working on behalf of Boston Harbor.

In July and August, 2008, The Boston Harbor Association will offer expanded programming to Boston children attending Camp Harbor View. A trip to the top of Long Island light with its spectacular views, so popular last year, will be a featured activity again. Long Island's rich history includes more than three hundreds years of military defense, and campers will interpret the physical evidence that remains of that history.

Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, The Boston Harbor Association (TBHA) is working with the Department of Conservation and Recreation to keep Boston's beaches clean. On April 18th, an enthusiastic group from John Hancock Financial Services and TBHA met at the McCormack Bathhouse in South Boston and spent the afternoon helping to beautify Carson Beach by removing dozens of bags of trash. Later in the spring, another group from John Hancock Financial Services, as well as groups from Standard & Poor's and Spirit of State Street, will work on cleanup and beautification projects at the Reserved Channel and Pleasure Bay.

In conjunction with TBHA, two groups from Squashbusters, an after-school enrichment program for urban middle schoolers, worked on April 29th at Tenean Beach in Dorchester and on April 30th at Mother's Rest and Hicks Park along the South Boston waterfront. Community service projects contribute to The Boston Harbor Association's strategic goal of raising awareness of the vitality and the environmental value of Boston Harbor to the region, and the importance of citizens to be environmental stewards. TBHA is grateful to these groups for their generosity. To participate in a community service project, please contact The Boston Harbor Association at mail@tbha.org or 617-482-1722.

Executive Director Vivien Li wrote a recent oped for Banker & Tradesman on the need for better water transportation facilities in the Harbor.
Click here to read the full text of the article.

The Boston Harbor Association is a founding signer of the Commonwealth Compact, launched on 23 May 2008. The Commonwealth Compact was created to ensure that Boston and Massachusetts are inclusive and welcoming places to live and work for all people. Through the establishment of benchmarks in six major categories, including CEO Commitment, Boards/Governance, Workplace/Personnel, and others, the initiative hopes to help organizations measure their progress in taking advantage of diversity. In doing so, Commonwealth Compact aims to ensure that the workplaces and organizations of Massachusetts accurately reflect the diverse nature of its residents.

Steve Crosby, dean of the McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies at UMass Boston, Ralph Martin, former chairman of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and Steve Ainsley, publisher of The Boston Globe, initiated the project. Bob Turner, the Boston Globe Fellow at the McCormack School, is the Compact's director. Other leaders of the initiative include Beverly Edgehill, president and CEO of The Partnership, Inc.; Sandra Henriquez, director of the Boston Housing Authority; and Beth Smith, executive director of the Hyams Foundation.

To learn more about Commonwealth Compact, please contact Robert Turner at commcompact@umb.edu or 617-287-5550, or visit www.compactlaunch.umb.edu.

Comments on the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) draft for the Boston Harbor Deep Draft Navigation Improvement Project will be accepted until 2 June 2008. For copies of the EIR, please contact Jacki Wilkins, Massport, at 617-568-3558. The Boston Harbor Association also has copies available in its library; please call 617-482-1722 to view and discuss. The MEPA (Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office) analyst for this document is Deirdre Buckley, who can be contacted at 617-626-1044.

The Port of Boston provides significant economic benefits to the Commonwealth’s residents and businesses. Based on a recent study by the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), activities in the Port of Boston generate more than 34,000 jobs and have a $2.4 billion annual economic impact. This significant economic benefit could be jeopardized by the current severe state of shoaling, the gradual shallowing of the Port’s channels, since the economic viability of any port rests in large part on the depths of its navigation channels. If deep draft vessels cannot safely and efficiently transit the harbor to access the Port terminals, significant economic and potentially environmental impacts result. Waterborne transportation of cargo is one of the most environmentally sound transportation alternatives available.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps), in partnership with Massport, recently completed a dredging project to deepen several of the key tributary channels in the Port as well as maintenance dredging of the outer harbor channels. Additional maintenance dredging of the inner harbor channels will begin shortly, and a project is in the works to further deepen the access channels to the Conley Container Terminal. Once these projects are completed, all of the deep draft navigation channels in the port will have been dredged and should not require maintenance dredging for a number of years. Each of these projects, and the key measures that are taken to protect the environment, are described below. Keep your eyes open if you’re out on the harbor or along the Harborwalk – you may see a dredge at work!

As summer approaches, thoughts turn to the Boston Harbor Beaches and the Boston Harbor Islands. City and state agencies are busy getting both the beaches and the islands ready for public use and enjoyment. Volunteer groups are also pitching in, like John Hancock Financial Services’ employees who joined with The Boston Harbor Association on 18 April 2008 to remove debris from Carson Beach, South Boston (John Hancock employees will return for a second clean-up in May).

Here are a few examples of what you can do to keep Boston Harbor and the waterfront clean on Earth Day and every day:

To volunteer for a group clean-up activity, contact The Boston Harbor Association at mail@tbha.org.

Hundreds of guests joined family members to pay tribute to Judge A. David Mazzone at the dedication of a memorial on Deer Island in October 2007. Judge Mazzone, who oversaw the federally- mandated Boston Harbor cleanup project for almost twenty years, was a strong force for the project, declaring that, "the law secures to the people the right to a clean harbor." The memorial, erected near the entrance to the HarborWalk on Deer Island, includes granite benches and a bronze sculpture in a beautifully landscaped space that faces a dramatic view of the city. Designed by landscape architects Polly Reeve and Margaret Coyle Nestler and local sculptor Joseph Pesce, the memorial is a fitting tribute to a great Bostonian and key architect of the Boston Harbor Project. The Boston Harbor Association administered the Judge David Mazzone Memorial Fund, established to fund construction of the memorial.

Few people in retirement are as active or generous as Arthur Lane and Norman Leventhal. Concerned about the future of the Port of Boston, Mr. Lane, a founder of The Boston Harbor Association and past President, recently endowed the Arthur Lane/Jane W. Mead Maritime Industrial History Fund at the Boston Public Library (BPL) to give the public an opportunity to learn from the Port’s past.

After retiring in 2006 from Peabody & Lane Steam Ship Agents where he had been senior partner for 65 years, Mr. Lane has devoted time to cataloguing his collection of records of Boston’s maritime industrial past. Mr. Lane enlisted the assistance of Jane Mead, former Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Project Review Coordinator and current President of the Boston Port and Seamen’s Aid Society. Together, they are working with the BPL staff to go through Mr. Lane’s personal collection of documents and to solicit materials from others.

Relying on his contacts in the industry, Mr. Lane has persuaded maritime businesses, including Peabody & Lane, Boston Shipping Association, Moran Shipping, its predecessor Patterson Wylde, and Ports American (formerly P&O Ports) to donate vessel logs, stevedoring day books, photographs, and other records of the daily life of a port. In the summer of 2007, at a celebration of Mr. Lane’s 90th birthday, the collection was unveiled in the Rare Books Room of the library. The extensive materials, together with an endowment by Mr. Lane, ensure that future generations will be able to appreciate the rich history of Boston’s working port during the 20th century.

Norman Leventhal, known and respected by waterfront advocates for his company’s development of the much-admired Rowes Wharf complex along Boston’s waterfront, announced in September, 2007 the donation of $10 million for a permanent endowment of the Boston Public Library’s map center. The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the library contains hundreds of historic maps of Boston, New England, and Massachusetts Bay donated by Mr. Leventhal, whose collection is widely regarded as one of the finest private collections in New England. The newly-created endowment will allow the maps to be digitized and put on line on an accelerated basis, as well as support special exhibits and expansion of education programs for students.

The exhibition of the Leventhal Map Collection, “Boston and Beyond: A Bird’s Eye Perspective on New England Towns”, will be on display through June at the library. Educators can schedule tours of the collection by calling 617-859-2387.

The Lane/Mead Collection, the Norman B. Leventhal Map Collection, as well as the Boston Wharf Company collection together make the Boston Public Library the leading repository of materials about Boston Harbor in the United States.

The catalogue is complete and the Boston Public Library is currently developing a website where the donated photographs and documents can be displayed. For more information, please visit bpl.org/research/rb/collections.htm or contact Jane Mead at 617-523-2012.