Boston, Mass. – During the Nature for Massachusetts’ campaign launch event on May 8th at the Massachusetts State House, dozens of leading environmental and conservation organizations and advocates spoke in support of comprehensive legislation that would create a permanent source of revenue to fund access to nature, conservation, restoration, and stewardship efforts of land and water in Massachusetts.

The Nature for Massachusetts Coalition was joined by the lead sponsors of An Act Providing Nature for All (H.901 - Representatives Blais and Montaño and S.597 - Senator Feeney), who spoke in support of this bill.

“Expanding and preserving access to nature in every corner of the Commonwealth creates opportunities, makes fiscal sense, and ultimately makes Massachusetts a better place to live, work, and raise a family. Not only will this bill create a dedicated funding source for creating and improving trails, greenspace, and outdoor recreation access, it will also fund the conservation and restoration of land and water resources for generations to come. Looking forward to continue advocating for this important bill this session along with Representatives Blais and Montaño to ensure all Massachusetts residents have access to our beautiful outdoors,” said Senator Paul Feeney, Senate Bill Sponsor (D-Bristol and Norfolk).

“Eleven other states have constitutionally-dedicated funding for conservation. As a national climate leader, it is time for Massachusetts to join this movement," said Representative Natalie Blais (D - 1st Franklin). "This bill would dedicate up to $100 million annually for land, water, and nature preservation without increasing taxes, helping us meet our climate and environmental justice goals, and ensuring dedicated funding we can rely on for years and years to come."

“We need funding to meet our climate and environmental justice goals. This bill will go a long way towards achieving that goal and ensuring that Indigenous communities and communities of color across the Commonwealth have increased access to nature, whether in rural or urban areas,” said Representative Sam Montaño (D - 15th Suffolk).

Members of the Nature for Massachusetts Coalition, a diverse group of over 40 environmental, conservation, outdoor industry, and community organizations focused on the protection and restoration of nature in Massachusetts, also discussed the need for these efforts, as well as the importance of increasing access to nature and greenspace for everyone.

“When it comes to mitigating the negative impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, nature is the most effective and cost-efficient solution. Creating this proposed statewide funding mechanism for nature conservation means dedicating up to $100 million annually for land protection, habitat conservation, and clean water without increasing taxes. Nature is also an economic driver, with outdoor recreation contributing $13 billion and 100,000 jobs to the state's economy. The longer we wait to prioritize land protection and restoration, the more expensive it becomes and the harder it is to reach our climate goals," said David O’Neill, President of Mass Audubon.

Speakers also addressed the importance of this bill to help Massachusetts achieve our climate and environmental justice goals, and the economic benefits of investing in land conservation.

“Investing in land conservation is one of the smartest choices a state can make for public health and our natural resources. Every dollar spent returns fourfold to the Massachusetts economy through increased outdoor recreation and progress toward climate and environmental justice—especially for urban communities and communities of color,” said Jodi Valenta, Massachusetts State Program Director at Trust for Public Land.

Background on the Nature for Massachusetts Campaign

The Nature for Massachusetts Coalition supports An Act Providing Nature for All - H.901 (filed by Representatives Blais & Montaño) & S.597 (filed by Senator Feeney). This bill would establish a permanent Nature for All Fund for the purposes of acquisition, restoration or improvement of nature to create parks and trails; protect forests, farms, wildlife habitat, and water resources; and advance climate resiliency and environmental justice goals. A portion of the revenue generated from the sporting goods sales tax would be dedicated to supporting the Nature for All Fund, and is estimated to contribute as much as $100 million every year without any increase in taxes.

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The Nature for Massachusetts Coalition is a diverse coalition of environmental, conservation, and community organizations that seek to create a dedicated, annual revenue stream to conserve land, water, urban greenspace, and outdoor recreation access in Massachusetts.

The coalition includes more than 40 organizations across Massachusetts, and is coordinated by a steering committee composed of the following members: Trust for Public Land, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, the Conservation Law Foundation, Brookline GreenSpace Alliance, Mass Audubon, and the Appalachian Mountain Club. More information about the coalition is available at natureforma.org