Climate Action Plan

Priority Plymouth

The Town of Plymouth has contracted with Kim Lundgren Associates, Inc. to develop the Town’s first Climate Action Plan. The Priority Plymouth plan will prescribe actionable recommendations for the community to coalesce around. The Climate Action Net Zero (CANZ) Committee, community members, and Town staff have met regularly to help draft the Goals, Strategies and Actions included in the Climate Action Plan. The Town of Plymouth has been awarded a $50,000 planning assistance grant from the MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. This funding will provide a deeper level of public engagement and establish implementation blueprints that give the community the tools to carry out the recommended actions. 

This document will provide a roadmap not only for the Town government, but also for all residents and businesses of Plymouth. The development process is underway and is expected to be finalized by mid-Spring. As part of the planning process, we have created two quick polls for the public to take part in. These quick polls are intended to gather community information on transportation and energy. Please use the links below to access the quick polls and have your voice heard. 

Discover Energy Savings

Enhanced Incentives Through Mass Save

Discover the path to savings with the Sponsors of Mass Save®, committed to making energy-efficient upgrades accessible to all. Enjoy increased incentives, a simpler verification process, and effortless access to energy-saving solutions - it’s never been easier to participate. 

How to Get Started: 
Kickstart your savings journey with a no-cost Home Energy Assessment. This initial step opens doors to a range of incentives for weatherizing your home and upgrading to energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. Call 866-527-SAVE to get started and discover the power of weatherization. 

Why Weatherize?  
Weatherization offers many benefits, including:  

• Up to 20% reduction in heating and cooling costs 
• Enhanced comfort and humidity control year-round 
• Quieter, more peaceful living spaces with reduced outside noise 
• Protection against allergens, pests, and potential home damage through ice dams

Be Part of the Program: 
Take advantage of enhanced incentives and start saving today. Reach MassSave at 866-257-SAVE or click this link to learn more.  


Enhanced Incentives at a Glance: 

• Weatherization Upgrades: 100% off insulation and targeted air sealing at no cost 
• Up to $7,000 in up-front incentives* to offset the costs of barriers removal, like vermiculite and knob and tube remediation, that might prevent your weatherization project 
• Rebates for efficient heating, cooling and water heating equipment*, including: 
• Up to $16,000 for air source heat pumps 
• Up to $25,000 for ground source heat pumps 
• Up to $7,300 for natural gas boilers and furnaces 
• Up to $4,500 for oil furnaces 
• Up to $4,500 for propane boiler and furnaces 

*Requires income verification 

Please submit your interest for this volunteer opportunity through this link. You will play an integral role in the success of the implementation of our Climate Action Plan.  

A Climate Action Engagement Training

The Climate Action Net Zero (CANZ) Committee would like to invite you to attend a Climate Action Engagement Training. The purpose of this training will be to:

• Equip attendees with the materials and tools needed to conduct community engagement activities that support climate action.
• Practice strategies for talking about climate change with members of the public. 
• Empower local environmental groups to bring topics related to climate change into their organization’s activities and conversations.
• Inform and explore opportunities to collaborate across organizations.

This training will be held virtually on Monday, March 25th @ 5:30-7:00pm. If you are able to attend, please RSVP to mcahill@plymouth-ma.gov and you will receive a follow-up email with a calendar invitation that includes the link to join the session. 

Volunteer Herring Counting

The Jenney Grist Mill has been the home of a volunteer herring counting station since 2008 and is supported by 30 volunteer herring counters. Each spring, volunteers count herring, in accordance with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) visual count methodology, to gather an estimate of the river herring population. This data is fundamental in tracking the health of the migrating population each spring. The 2023 river herring run was a historic year, yielding the highest estimated migrating population since data was first collected in 2008 (235,291 fish).

This year herring counts will start on Monday, March 25th. Counting veterans will know that the early counts come with the doldrums of zeroes for several weeks - these zeros allow DEE staff to identify the exact start date of the run. If you'd like to participate, please email Nathan Cristofori at ncristofori@plymouth-ma.gov. 

Herring Camera

DEE operates a real-time web-accessible underwater camera, which was installed at the top of the steeppass ladder at the Jenney Grist Mill in the spring of 2019. The underwater camera features motion detection software, allowing for footage to be recorded as fish swim through the camera’s view. Realtime web broadcasts have been available to schools, tourists, and the public at large, with a monitor viewable at the adjacent Plimoth / Patuxet Grist Mill Museum. 

Video clips of river herring exiting the steeppass ladder can be viewed by the public at Plymouthriverherring.org. DEE staff uses the web cam data in concert with data collected by volunteer counters to help refine the population estimate of migrating fish in Town Brook. Since the inception of this crowd-sourcing project, DEE has had citizen scientists from all 50 states and 58 countries across the world help quantify the Town Brook herring population. Visit Plymouthriverherring.org to become a citizen scientist and help the DEE count river herring from anywhere. 

Invasive Plant Training

Invasive species impact ecosystems across the world, and Plymouth is no exception. Invasive plant species wreak havoc on our native plant species and reduce biodiversity, which increases our vulnerability to the impacts of disease, damaging insects, and climate change. In 2023, The Town of Plymouth partnered with Sustainable Plymouth to create a guide on common invasive plant species that you may have in your own backyard and how to eliminate them. 

As a next step, Sustainable Plymouth and DEE are organizing a hands-on training on identifying and removing invasive plant species. Acclaimed Massachusetts Botanist, Karro Frost, will lead the training on Saturday, May 11th @ 10am-2pm. Join Karro, Town of Plymouth staff, and passionate residents for this hands-on educational session at Town Brook. Karro will help guide attendees through identifying some of the most common invasive plants plaguing Plymouth and work together on different removal techniques. Capacity is limited to the first 25 participants - register here. 

DEE Visits the Capitol

Federal Investments and Local Action

Rivers across the United States are dotted with dams that were built for many purposes; from powering factories, to forming reservoirs. There are more than 500,000 dams across the country - 85% of which have outlived their average expected lifespan. This presents a critical challenge for dam owners, municipalities, landowners, states, and the federal government - ensuring this infrastructure is safe, especially when it is obsolete and not delivering economic benefits. 

Since 2002, the Department of Energy and Environment (DEE) has successfully removed 5 dams along Town Brook. Following the dam removals, riverine restoration was completed, leading to an improvement in water quality, fish passage, and the alleviation of dam failure potential for downstream infrastructure. Through these projects, Plymouth's DEE has become a national leader in riverine restoration science, raising awareness for dam removal projects and advancing institutional knowledge of riverine restoration. 

David Gould, the Director of DEE, is recognized as one of the foremost experts on dam removal in the country. In 2008, he gave a presentation at the Capitol as part of the NOAA 10 Years of Coastal Restoration Event, and in 2018, he presented at the Washington, D.C. Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as part of World Fish Migration Day. On May 1st, Director Gould will be returning to Washington D.C. to present a briefing to congressional staff on dam removal in practice and the community and resiliency benefits associated with these projects. American Rivers will be covering all travel expenses, and no town funds will be used as part of this event. In this congressional briefing, Director Gould will be presenting alongside: 

• Tom Kiernan, President and CEO, American Rivers
• Kayed Lakhia, Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency National Dam Safety Program
• Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Congressional briefing will be held on Wednesday, May 1 @ 3:00pm-4:30pm. The webcast can be found at this link. 

Put It on your Calendar

Upcoming Event

Monday 3/25 5:30pm-7:00pm Climate Action Engagement Training Virtual - Attend this training to obtain materials and tools needed to conduct community engagement activities that support climate action. To register, email mcahill@plymouth-ma.gov. 

Wednesday 4/10 6:30pm-8:00pm Rescue Plymouth Wildlife's Kick-off Meeting Plymouth Public Library, 132 South Street, Plymouth - The Rescue Plymouth Wildlife (RPW) is a coalition of local individuals and organizations concerned about the use of rodenticides and their harm to local wildlife. Mass Audubon will talk about their Rescue Raptors Initiative, then the RPW founder Will Fitzgerald will provide an update on strategy. For more information and to register, click here.

Friday 4/12 4:30pm-5:15pm Wild About Reading Plymouth Public Library, 132 South Street, Plymouth - Join us at the Library monthly for a nature-themed storytime and activity! For kids ages 5-9, younger kids still welcome! For more information or to register, click here. Volunteers needed for future sessions. If interested, please email Melissa at mwolfert89@gmail.com.

Friday 4/19 5:00pm-8:00pm Happy Hour with Happy Fish Plymouth Center for the Arts, 11 North Street, Plymouth - Join us on Friday, April 19th from 5-8pm (with presentations from 6-7) at the Plymouth Center for the Arts to kick off our herring migration festivities! Come grab a drink and hors d’oeuvres, take photos with Happy Fish, chat with local scientists, and learn about the importance of the annual herring migration. For more information, click here.

Saturday 4/20 9:00am-1:00pm Plymouth Hazardous Waste Day Plymouth DPW, 159 Camelot Drive, Plymouth - DEE coordinates Plymouth's Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Collections with the South Shore Recycling Cooperative (SSRC). Plymouth hosts two collections per year in the spring and fall. Anyone with proof of Plymouth residency may attend either or both events at no charge. Participation in Town-provided trash and recycling services is not required to attend. Registration is required - register here. Contact Kerin McCall at kmccall@plymouth-ma.gov with questions or if you are interested in volunteering. 

Saturday 4/20 10:00am-3:00pm Herring Run Festival Plimoth Grist Mill at Jenney Pond, 6 Spring Lane, Plymouth - Come enjoy a fun-filled day of family-friendly activities including herring counts, alewife art, games, live music & more! Chat with local scientists, help contribute to ongoing herring research, and take a photo with Happy Fish! For more information, click here.

Tuesday 4/23 7:00pm-8:00pm The Biodiversity and Conservation of Six Ponds Virtual - Join the Wildlands Trust president Karen Grey to learn about the history and ongoing conservation efforts in the Six Ponds area. After the presentation, stay to hear from a panel of educator naturalists about the region's flora and fauna, natural history, and its unique habitats. To register click here.

Saturday 4/27 10:00am-2:00pm Health & Safety Fair Plymouth North High School - Join the Plymouth Family Network for their annual Health & Safety Fair! Come find information about available programs and services for youth, seniors, health, and safety in the Town of Plymouth.

Monday 5/6 6:30pm-8:00pm Sustainable Plymouth General Meeting SEMPBA, 158 Center Hill Road, Plymouth - Learn about Sustainable Plymouth's grassroots efforts to reduce waste and plastic pollution, promote native plants and pollinator-friendly gardening, protect local ponds, and bring sustainable practices to local schools. We'll also hear from SEMPBA and some of the many other local environmental organizations about the important work that they are doing.

Thursday 5/9 7:00pm-9:00pm Pond Water Quality Testing Volunteer Training SEMPBA, 158 Center Hill Road, Plymouth - Are you or your teen interested in hands-on training to learn how to test pond water in Plymouth? Come join SEMPBA and Hampton Watkins to work as a team to monitor our pond water quality. To register, email Hampton at hampton@alum.mit.edu.

Monday 5/13 7pm-8:30pm Film Screening: We're All Plastic People Now Plymouth Public Library, 132 South Street, Plymouth - Join us at the library to watch this informative film and partake in a Q&A session with Barry Potvin, Plymouth Board of Health Chair to learn about the impacts of plastics. For more information, click here.

Friday 5/17 & Saturday 5/18 Spring Hometown Cleanup anywhere in Plymouth - Organize with your family, friends, neighborhood, community group, or go solo & signup at Town Hall! Contact Patrick Farah with questions or if you need suggestions of an area that needs special attention. Reach Patrick at Town Hall at 508-322-3374 or email PFarah@plymouth-MA.gov. You can sign up by clicking here or by going to Town Hall.

Contact

Please email me at mcahill@plymouth-ma.gov with questions, comments, opportunities for collaboration, or to learn more about Plymouth's climate resiliency and sustainability goals!