YES on 6! A Permanent Nature and Water Fund is on the Ballot

After months of hard work by hundreds of volunteers to collect signatures, both last fall and again this spring, the Nature for All ballot question will be on the statewide ballot in November as Question 6. 

Question 6 seeks to use the revenue generated from the sales tax on certain sporting goods like soccer balls and kayaks, to dedicate as much as $100 million annually to conserve land and protect clean water, improve outdoor recreation, and build climate resiliency across the state. For a more in-depth explanation of this question, explore our Bringing Nature to the Ballot page.

Rally on the Esplanade

To launch the YES on 6 campaign, nearly 100 supporters of the ballot initiative gathered on the Fiedler Dock on the Charles River Esplanade to hear from conservation nonprofit and business leaders about what this funding would mean. 

Mass Audubon’s President David O’Neill gave the opening remarks and spoke to the significance of the number of people who had come together to support one shared goal, saying “This is one of the broadest coalitions assembled around conservation in Massachusetts, and it sends a powerful message. Protecting water and nature isn't about politics. It's about protecting resources we deeply value and that give us so much in return.” 

Governor Healey's Endorsement

On Wednesday, 7/29, Governor Maura Healey voiced her support for Question 6 during an appearance on Boston Public Radio. When asked if she supported any of the 9 questions slated to be on this November’s statewide ballot, she said she supported Question 6 explaining: “It’s no new taxes, OK? But what it does, is it takes the use of an existing sales tax on your recreational vehicles, golf equipment, other sporting goods — we get taxed when we buy that stuff. And it proposes that we take a piece of that and that we use it to fund land and water protection, park and trail restoration. And I think that’s a good thing.”

Join the Movement

Sign up for the Nature for Massachusetts Coalition email list for campaign updates. And become a Mass Audubon Climate & Nature Champion to stay in the loop on all our advocacy work.