Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is this weekend, and Massachusetts fire service leaders are providing residents with guidance on projects to protect their homes and neighborhoods while reducing the risk posed by wildland fires.
“Wildfire Community Preparedness Day promotes awareness of the wildland fire risk to people, property, and the environment, and how we can defend against it,” said State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine. “Clearing flammable debris, creating an evacuation plan, and committing to outdoor fire safety can reduce the risk of a wildland fire damaging your home.”
“Wildland fires not only pose a risk to our open spaces but also to Massachusetts homes, businesses, and residents,” said Department of Conservation & Recreation Chief Fire Warden David Celino. “We see more than 1,000 of these fires in an average year, and late spring is usually the peak season. Some thoughtful yard work and planning this weekend can reduce the hazard to lives and property.”
Over 50% of Massachusetts homes are within the Wildland-Urban Interface zone, where development adjoins and mingles with the natural environment. Wildland fires in these areas can easily extend to homes, and residential fires can spark wildland fires that spread to hundreds of acres and tax regional fire resources.
Massachusetts experienced more than 1,100 wildland fires in an average year, in addition to hundreds of outdoor vegetation fires that can also spread to nearby structures. In the fall of 2024, wildland fires destroyed more than 30 homes, outbuildings, and other structures and placed hundreds more at risk.
Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a chance to protect yourself and loved ones from these hazards by reducing flammable fuels from the area around your house. Wildland fires most often spread to homes via small flames or embers, and clearing the home and surrounding area – also known as the Home Ignition Zone – of dead vegetation, mulch, firewood, low branches, and other fuels can reduce that risk. A manageable one-day project could include:
• Cleaning gutters and porches
• Removing debris from under porches and stairs
• Raking leaves and pine needles at least five feet from the foundation
• Moving wood piles further from the structure.
Residents should also know what to do if evacuation from the neighborhood becomes necessary. Pack an emergency kit with three days’ worth of supplies for your family members. (You can learn more about emergency supply kits from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency). Plan two ways out of your house and identify two alternate travel routes out of the area in case your usual route is impassable. Be sure to let family members, guests, babysitters, and others know your home escape and evacuation plans.
Finally, almost all outdoor fires start with human activity – so everyone can also play a part in reducing the occurrence of wildland fires:
• Never toss cigarette butts or other smoking materials in dry vegetation, mulch, or debris
• Before setting up a campfire, be sure it is permitted by checking with the local fire department, and once lit attend to them at all times
• Always have a hose, bucket of water, or shovel and dirt or sand nearby to put out the fire, and be sure the fire is out cold before leaving.
• Keep grills at least 10’ from the house and away from low branches and shrubs
• If using an ATV, dirt bike, or other off-road vehicle, be sure the spark arrestor is properly installed, as required by Massachusetts law
• Don’t park an ATV, dirt bike, or other off-road vehicle on or near dry vegetation, and turn the engine off when stopped for an extended period of time
You can learn more about Wildfire Community Preparedness Day from the National Fire Protection Association, and more about wildland fire prevention from NFPA’s Firewise USA program.

BOSTON, MA – The Massachusetts Senate passed S.3050, An Act to build resilience for Massachusetts communities or the “Mass Ready Act”, with bipartisan support. This environmental bond bill makes critical investments in climate resilience, environmental protection, and infrastructure to help communities prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change.
“The passage of the Mass Ready Act helps our district support climate resilience, clean water, and coastal protection,” said Senator Fernandes. “Communities across the Cape and South Shore are already experiencing the real effects of climate change, and this legislation provides the resources to protect our vulnerable communities while also supporting clean water and removing harmful PFAS. I was proud to help secure provisions focused on addressing ocean acidification which will help our local shellfishing industry adapt to oceans that are rapidly becoming more acidic.”
You can watch Senator Fernandes’ full remarks on the ocean acidification amendment.
In total, the legislation authorizes $3.94 billion in authorizations for future state spending on targeted projects, including local planning to withstand extreme weather events, the remediation of PFAS (forever chemicals) from drinking water supplies, and maintenance of roads and dams. The bill also delivers practical solutions to urgent environmental challenges, including reducing single-use plastics, improving recycling, and strengthening protections against flooding and coastal erosion.
The details of the legislation are below:
Investing in a Resilient and Accessible Environment
• $500 million for the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program, supporting climate resiliency planning in cities and towns
•  $450 million for the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust to protect access to clean water across the Commonwealth, in addition to $120 million for PFAS remediation in public and private wells
•  $800.5 for properties and roadways owned and managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
• $521.6 million for state and municipally owned dams across the Commonwealth
• $132.5 million for the Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIG) program including $5 million for the Massachusetts Food Trust Program (MFTP) to increase access to healthy, affordable food
• $225 million for coastal infrastructure and resilience
• $125.5 million to support resource conservation and preservation initiatives, including $5.5 million for the Healthy Soils Grant Program
• $50 million for MassTrails Grants, including $10 million for accessibility upgrades that protect access to trails for all Massachusetts residents
• $30 million for tree-planting initiatives across the Commonwealth
• $20 million for capital investments to support the growth and economic competitiveness of the Commonwealth’s agricultural, commercial fishing and cranberry-growing sectors
• $20 million to support the biodiversity goals of the Department of Fish and Game (DFG)
• $15 million for a pilot program to advance the deployment of geothermal technology in furtherance of the Commonwealth’s 2050 net zero goals
Prioritizing Active Solutions to Environmental Risks
Reduces Wasteful Single-Use Plastics. Responds to increasing amounts of litter and pollution by prohibiting single-use plastic bags at retail stores. Shoppers will instead be able to check out with a recyclable paper bag or a reusable plastic bag. Massachusetts residents are estimated to use billions of plastic bags per year. A plastic bag tossed to the side of a road can pose immediate risks, such as the suffocation or starvation of wildlife, while also fragmenting over time into microplastics that pollute the earth.
Encourages Positive Ecological Projects. Reforms permitting requirements to reduce timelines for qualifying projects, including nature-based projects that include ecosystem, marsh and wetland restoration.
Fast-Tracks Culvert Replacement Projects. Authorizes expedited permitting and timelines for municipal culvert replacements.
Informs Home-Buyers of Potential Flood Risks. Requires that home sellers and landlords inform prospective homebuyers and tenants about the flood risk of a residential property, along with any history of flooding on the property. Sellers and landlords would be required to disclose documentation of past flood damage or mitigation, details of flood insurance, and whether the property is located in a flood plain.
Maintains Public Beach Access. Preserves waterfront access for the general public in the event of shifting sands. Declares that public land continues to be public even if a neighboring barrier beach—a narrow strip of sand or dunes—shifts its location through natural processes and moves onto an existing public beach.
Lines Up Support for Dairy Farmers. Authorizes the Milk Producers Security Fund to support dairy farmers through grant programs.
Investigates Nitrogen Pollution Solutions. Establishes a special legislative commission to study and recommend solutions for essential wastewater infrastructure improvements in response to nitrogen pollution in southeastern Massachusetts.
Creates Support Program for Municipal Projects. Establishes a Resilience Revolving Fund to support resilience projects through low-interest loans to municipalities, public water and wastewater districts, and tribal governments.
Regionalizes Western Mass. Flood Strategy. Establishes the Connecticut River Valley Resilience Commission to empower communities to collaboratively develop a regional strategy to address flood risk and update infrastructure.

The sixth annual statewide study on food insecurity from The Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham – Massachusetts Food Access Report: Hunger on the Rise – has revealed that 40% of Massachusetts households experienced food insecurity in 2025. It also revealed disparities in food access based on geography, with 40% of households in Plymouth County facing food insecurity, up 10% from 2024.
Compounding affordability crises and costs of living are forcing food-insecure families to make impossible decisions between eating, heating their homes, and paying for essential health care. Nationally, food prices have increased by nearly 30 percent since March of 2020 according to the Consumer Price Index.

Among other key findings:
• Hunger on the rise: Food insecurity impacted 40% of Massachusetts households in 2025, up from 37% in 2024 (more than double pre-pandemic numbers – 19%).
• Support is insufficient: While SNAP remains a critical foundation, the data shows that benefits alone are no longer sufficient, forcing many households to increasingly rely on community-based food programs to meet their basic needs. 75% of households utilizing SNAP report needing additional food assistance.
• Charitable food as a critical safety net: The charitable food system is playing an increasingly essential role, with over half (56%) of food-insecure households depending on them—a record high that underscores increased need and the limits of existing public supports.
• Disparities: Hispanic households have consistently experienced the highest rates of food insecurity during the past six years, with levels reaching 63% in 2025. Black households (51%) and LGBTQ+ households (58%) continue to experience outsized levels of food insecurity as well.
Nationally, food prices have increased by nearly 30 percent since March 2020 according to the Consumer Price Index. The recent cuts to federal programs such as the USDA’s Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and SNAP have increased pressure on families and the food bank network. Since October 2025, food supplied to GBFB through the USDA has been reduced by nearly 36%, increasing the need for philanthropic and state resources to help close the resulting gap.
“While the data shows that we are headed in the wrong direction when it comes to food insecurity, Massachusetts has always been committed to solutions – this moment isn’t any different,” said GBFB President and CEO Catherine D’Amato. “The call to action is clear: we must continue to invest in our emergency food system to meet this urgent and growing demand. And we must work together on implementing long-term solutions to poverty to empower everyone to live better, healthier, and more productive lives.”
This study demonstrates how interconnected Massachusetts’ hunger-relief system has become, with government and charitable food assistance programs working in tandem to meet basic needs. SNAP remains a critical foundation, but the data indicates that benefits alone are not sufficient, leading many households to rely on community-based food programs to meet their needs. This increased demand places added pressure on the food bank network and its 900+ local partners, who must raise additional funds and depend on state support through the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP). Furthermore, this survey was conducted before the new SNAP work requirements and eligibility rules from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act went into effect, which will only result in more reliance on food pantries in the coming year.
“As more patients struggle to access consistent, nutritious food, we are seeing the direct impact on their health and well-being,” said Dr. Elsie Taveras, MD, MPH, Chief Community Health & Health Equity Officer and Executive Director of the Kraft Center for Community Health at Mass General Brigham. “That’s why Mass General Brigham is working alongside community partners to ensure all Massachusetts families have resources to meet rising demand and serve as a critical bridge to better health for the communities we care for.”
“This report highlights what I hear every day: the high cost of living is causing families to choose between paying for rent or childcare and food,” said Congressman Jim McGovern. “We know that the federal changes to SNAP and Medicaid will only make this affordability crisis worse. We should be shoring up our public investments, not walking away from our hungry neighbors.”
“The shameful rise in hunger that we’re seeing today didn’t happen by accident—it’s the result of precise, intentional policy choices from Donald Trump and a Republican party that have contempt for the people,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. “From gutting programs like SNAP and WIC, to manufacturing a government shutdown that left millions of families without food assistance, to their failure to address the affordability crisis—Republicans are literally taking food out of the mouths of hungry people. I’m grateful to our partners at The Greater Boston Food Bank and Mass General Brigham for compiling this necessary report, which will inform our work to end hunger in Massachusetts once and for all. Food is a human right, it is medicine, and it is dignity. It’s time our policies reflect that.”
Report Background and Recommendations
In response to the study’s findings, GBFB and Mass General Brigham call for the following immediate increases in funding for public programs and sustained structural reforms to build a food security system capable of meeting escalating needs, while managing the existing crisis.
Recommendations include:
• Increasing state-level funding through the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP) to $58 million.
• Strengthening SNAP administration and benefit adequacy by providing DTA with $30 million in funding to hire additional caseworkers.
• Expanding access to WIC, Universal School Meals, HIP, TEFAP, CSFP, and HRSN medically tailored nutrition supports.
• Investing in Food is Medicine initiatives to prevent and treat diet-related illnesses. Also investing in research that builds the evidence base for effective, scalable food and nutrition security interventions, including through MEFAP, Food Security Infrastructure Grants (FSIG), and Healthy Incentives Program (HIP).
• Expanding local food system infrastructure to improve access to nutritious, culturally responsive, Massachusetts grown foods.
• Advancing long-term reforms addressing the root causes of hunger, including income inadequacy, housing instability, and healthcare access barriers.
“The goal of these recommendations is to shift the role of public programs from managing hunger to preventing it by enhancing financial stability and reducing the reliance on the emergency food system. We need to ensure that families have a bridge back to economic stability so they can meet their food needs independently and with dignity,” said D’Amato.
From October through December 2025, GBFB and Mass General Brigham conducted an online survey of more than 3,000 adults across Massachusetts, offered in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Learn more about the methodology, key findings, and policy recommendations.

WEYMOUTH, HINGHAM, MA, – Register now for Friday, April 3, when The Arc of the South Shore, a family-oriented, community-based non-profit providing information, referrals, and community programs for individuals with disabilities and now celebrating its 75th anniversary, will host its fourth annual Easter Bunny Bash in partnership with the Derby Street Shops.
The event will feature an egg hunt, face painting, temporary tattoos, and photos with the Easter Bunny. Two sessions will be offered, with the first starting promptly at 10 a.m. and the second at 11 a.m. Both sessions will be held on the Derby Street Green between the stores REI and Kohl’s. The event is BYOB – Bring Your Own Basket!
The Bunny Bash is supported in part by a grant from the Hingham Cultural Council, a local agency of the Mass Cultural Council.
In case of inclement weather, the Bunny Bash will be rescheduled to April 6 with sessions at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. All registrants will be notified on April 2 if the event is postponed.
Tickets are limited and advance registration is required; tickets are $10 per child. To register, please visit www.arcsouthshore.org.
Special thanks in advance to Bunny Bash sponsors Mass Cultural Council, Hull Cultural Council, Scituate Cultural Council, Quincy Arts Council, Quirk, George Washington Toma TV and Appliance, Infranet Solutions, and Titus Group.  Additional event sponsorships are available.
For more information about tickets or event sponsorships, please contact hklingseisen@arcsouthshore.org.
“This lively springtime event brings our community together for sunshine, smiles, and shared family fun,” said Elizabeth Sandblom, CEO of The Arc of the South Shore. “It’s a perfect way to welcome the season and create magical memories.”

BRIDGEWATER—State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine and Massachusetts Firefighting Academy leadership will present certificates of completion to 46 graduating recruits next week at the Department of Fire Services’ campuses in Bridgewater and Springfield.
The members of Career Recruit Firefighter Training Class #BW38 represent the fire departments of Bourne, Braintree, Cohasset, Duxbury, Fall River, Hanover, Harwich, Kingston, Milton, North Attleboro, Provincetown, Rockland, Sandwich, and Scituate. Their graduation was postponed for one week due to storm recovery efforts following the Blizzard of 2026.
Date:                          Friday, March 6, 2026
Time:                         11:00 am
Place:                         911 Conant Street, Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Location Note:        There is no access via Flagg Street. Use Rte. 18 to State Farm Road.
The members of Career Recruit Firefighter Training Class #S44 represent the fire departments of Agawam, Holden, Marlborough, Monterey, Northampton, Palmer, Pittsfield, Springfield, Stockbridge, and Turners Falls.
Date:                          Friday, March 6, 2026
Time:                         11:00 am
Place:                         100 Grochmal Avenue, Springfield, Massachusetts
Video of both ceremonies will be posted to the Department of Fire Services’ YouTube channel following their conclusion.
The MFA has trained Massachusetts firefighters at every level of experience, from recruit to chief officer, since 1971. It serves about 13,000 students each year at three regional campuses and at local fire departments.