Malden River Gets Trash-Free Grant Award

The Friends of the Malden River (FoMR) received a financial boost with a $9,805 grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET/the Trust). This funding and in-kind services ($6,850) from Gentle Giant Rowing Club, PaddleBoston, Preotle, Lane and Associates, the National Park Service, and FoMR volunteers will help create a Trash Free Malden River.  FoMR also received a donation from the Clean River Project (Located on the Merrimack River in Methuen) of a trash boom that will help to restrain the trash from flowing from the municipal storm water systems into the Malden River and eventually into the Mystic River.  

According to Trust Program Director, Kim Tilas, the Trust will provide $471,512 in grants to 18 organizations, thanks to motorists who choose to purchase one of the Trust’s specialty license plates.

“Trust plates, including our signature ‘Whale Plate,’ are the only specialty plates that exclusively fund environmental initiatives,” said Tilas. “When you purchase a specialty plate for $100 from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, the $40 specialty plate fee goes directly to the Trust to fund water-focused environmental programs.”

“Funding from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust will enable us to create a trash-free Malden River for the public and for our environment,” said Karen Buck of FoMR. “Collaboration and educational modalities with the Cities of Malden, Everett, Medford, and Melrose, the Malden riverfront landowners, and the public is essential to reduce the amount of trash that flows into the Malden River. The benefits of trash reduction and retention will be evident and long lasting.” 

Supporting the environmental programs funded by the Trust in your community is easy: choose one of three environmental plates, the Right Whale & Roseate Terns, The Leaping Brook Trout, or the Blackstone Valley Mill when you purchase or lease a new car or renew your registration with the Registry of Motor Vehicles.  Recently, Governor Baker announced a new plate, commemorating our Striped Bass (who follow the migration of our massively increased herring population up our rivers, thanks to the fish ladders installed on some of our dams).  

These plates beat any bumper sticker. Wear your plate proud and offset your automobile’s carbon output at the same time.

The standard registration fee for a Massachusetts plate is $60. The special plate fee is an additional $40 (tax deductible every two years) for a total cost of $100. Every time you automatically renew your registration, the $40 goes to the Trust. 

Visit your local Registry of Motor Vehicles to order a plate online at www.massrmv.com or www.whaleplate.org. You can also visit us at www.mass.gov/eea/met to learn more about the Trust, the programs it supports, and the specialty license plate offerings.

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