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Legislative Priorities
State | Municipal |
Federal
State
We work with the Massachusetts legislature to fund environmental programs, better steward the environment through zoning reform, make updates to the Community Preservation Act, make permanent the protection of old growth forests, create a better bottle bill, and make improvements to the way we manage our water resources. We also defend environmental laws and regulations.
Priority Bills
Download a PDF of our 2011-2012 State Conservation Legislative Priorities (PDF 86K)
An Act to Sustain Community Preservation allows for capital improvements to existing open space, housing, parks and recreational facilities not purchased with CPA funds; create a new CPA exemption for non-residential uses; allow the use of up to 3% of CPA funds annually to pay for a city or town’s CPA-related administrative expenses; allow cities and towns to delegate ownership of real property interests (land or buildings) acquired with CPA funds to town boards and commissions, certain nonprofit organizations, or in the case of housing, housing authorities, community development corporations, regional housing non-profits and other special purpose housing entities; create incentives for city adoption.
For more information see the Community Preservation Coalition website.
An Act Updating the Bottle Bill expands the bottle bill refund to include non-carbonated beverages such as sports drinks, bottled water, and iced tea getting bottles out of landfills and off of streets.
For more information see the Bottle Bill Coalition website.
An Act Relative to Sustainable Water Resources amends the Water Management Act to ensure adequate water flow and water levels for community water suppliers and fish and other species as developed by the Department of Fish and Game; authorizes water suppliers to implement "waterbanking" under which they could charge a small fee to residents and businesses for any new water withdrawal capacity to offset and remedy ecological impacts of water withdrawals, such as: land acquisition for wellhead protection, local recharge of storm/waste water, reuse of water, retrofitting existing development with low impact development methods or water saving devices; and augments the options offered to dam owners by the Office of Dam Safety within the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to include dam removal. DCR’s existing authority currently only extends to repair of failing dams.
An Act Relative to Comprehensive Land Use Reform makes major structural changes to the enabling laws (M.G.L. chapters 40A and 41) governing local zoning and subdivision review to improve communities' ability to guide development by reforming loopholes, including approval not required measures, and grandfathering provisions, and by requiring consistency between local zoning and master planning efforts.
An Act Relative to the Protection of Old Growth Forests provides much needed permanent statutory protection for the last of our stands of ancient trees found on state lands.
Budget Priorities - 1% for Nature
Mass Audubon challenges the Patrick Administration and the Massachusetts legislature to restore environmental funding from 0.6% to a minimum of 1% of the total operating budget and to bring back critical funds for the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program.
For a general overview read our 2011 state budget recommendations (PDF 197K). For specific information on endangered species funding, see below.
Restore funding on our Endangered Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program
The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program protects endangered species and their habitats. In 2004, their state funding was cut. We are working to restore funding to this important program.
Other Critical State Reform Initiatives
Download a PDF of 2011-2012 Other Critical State Conservation Reform Initiatives (PDF 59K)
Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Fund: Need to amend section 35D of chapter 10 of the Massachusetts General Laws to permanently waive the application of indirect (overhead) cost charges on expenditures for endangered species recovery.
Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance Surplus Lands Disposition: Need to amend section 548 of chapter 26 of the Acts of 2003 to establish stronger mechanisms for environmental agency review and municipal involvement prior to auction of surplus state lands.
Forestry Reform: Need to modify existing state forestry laws (M.G.L. chapters 61 and 132) to improve forest cutting standards and encourage sustainable forestry on private lands; enhance incentives for use of locally-harvested timber; ensure sustainable forestry under any new biofuels initiatives; and authorize the state to establish a system of forest reserves, including old growth, on state forests and state wildlife management areas. Establish statutorily permanent forest reserves.
Mosquito Control: Need to expand the state reclamation and mosquito control board (M.G.L. chapter 252, section 2) to include seats for the Department of Public Health and the Department of Fish and Game, providing appropriate public health and wildlife oversight and transparency and efficacy tracking in mosquito control practices.
Ensuring no net-loss of public conservation lands and protection of Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution through the Public Lands Preservation Act.
Climate Change: Need to ensure that the commonwealth’s forward thinking climate change laws and regulations are fully implemented, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing well-sited and managed renewable energy resources.
Download a PDF of State Legislation Generally Opposed By Mass Audubon (PDF 57K)
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Municipal
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a long history of granting authority to local communities to manage their own affairs. As a result, Mass Audubon's municipal legislative advocacy is focused on encouraging municipalities to take advantage of available policy tools and statewide enabling acts to conserve natural resources of local significance.
2011-2012 Municipal Conservation Legislative Priorities (PDF 60K)
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Federal
Mass Audubon will continue to work with the Massachusetts congressional delegation and the Obama administration to defend and restore America's conservation legacy, and to guide the nation to a healthier and more sustainable future.
2011-2012 Federal Conservation Legislative Priorities (PDF 57K)
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