Nature for Massachusetts Coalition Seeks Dedicated Fund to Reach State Goals for Nature and Climate

On July 1, members of the Nature for Massachusetts Coalition spoke in front of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to support An Act Providing Nature for All (H.901 – Representatives Blais and Montaño and S.597 – Senator Feeney). The coalition – which consists of more than 50 local and statewide organizations – made the case for a dedicated sustainable revenue stream to protect and restore land, water, urban greenspace, and outdoor recreational access across Massachusetts. Despite broad public support and clear economic and environmental benefits, Massachusetts currently lacks the public funding necessary to meet its 2030 nature protection goals, according to a new report from Mass Audubon.

Mass Audubon, the largest nature-based organization in New England, has released a new report called “Funding Nature’s Future: A Pathway to 30x30” that makes clear how far the state needs to go to reach its goals of protecting 30 percent of Massachusetts’ lands and waters by 2030, and 40 percent by 2050. “The state is well-positioned to achieve these ambitious nature protection and restoration goals, but as the Pathways to 30 x 30 report shows, the state needs to invest much more to make that happen,” said David O’Neill, President & CEO of Mass Audubon. “No other investment of public dollars will return as many benefits to Massachusetts residents - this will boost an outdoor recreation industry already contributing $13B and 100,000 jobs to the state's economy, protect us against impacts of floods and extreme heat, and improve our health and well-being at a time of soaring healthcare costs.”

Currently, the state spends about $25 million protecting nature annually, but this number fluctuates year-to-year.  And even when combined with local and federal matching funds, total annual funding for nature has never totaled more than $60M. H.901/S.597 would establish a permanent Nature for Massachusetts Fund for the purposes of acquiring, restoring, and improving nature to create parks and trails; protecting forests, farms, wildlife habitat, and water resources; advancing climate resiliency and goals, and ensuring that every person in the Commonwealth enjoys access to nature. By allocating a portion of the revenue generated from sales taxes on sporting goods, the state could invest an estimated $100M for nature and climate every year without any increase in taxes.

"By creating a consistent, statewide source of funding, this legislation ensures that every community—regardless of zip code or tax base—can protect land, build parks, and invest in green spaces that support public health, climate resilience, and quality of life," said Jodi Valenta, Massachusetts State Director at Trust for Public Land.

"Expanding access to parks, trails, and natural spaces is essential not just for recreation, but for building climate resilience and achieving our long-term conservation goals," said Nicole Zussman, President and CEO of the Appalachian Mountain Club. "Investing in nature through this legislation means cleaner air and water, healthier communities, and a stronger connection between people and the outdoors—values that are core to AMC’s mission and critical to the future of Massachusetts."

"One of the best things you can do for a river is protect the land around it," said Julia Blatt, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance. "Natural lands filter pollutants, provide cooling effects, and can buffer the effects of flooding. This legislation will unlock a needed funding source and help wildlife and communities across the state that depend on healthy rivers and streams for both clean water and recreation.

In addition to showing the need to significantly scale up investments in nature and climate to match the state’s goals, the Pathway report makes additional recommendations for changes to realize the full benefits of nature:

Set a binding goal to double the current pace of nature protection;

• Set a clear, binding carbon removal goal and strong policy framework to ensure forests, farms, and wetlands continue to remove at least 10 percent of the state’s GHG emissions each year;
• Leverage increased private investment like Mass Audubon’s $75M Catalyst Fund to accelerate the pace of nature conservation;
• Target investments to address equity needs of Indigenous Peoples and local communities;
• Address needs of western and central Massachusetts communities concerned about impacts of nature protection on local finances.

The full Pathway to 30x30 Report and the executive summary can be found at massaudubon.org/pathway.

Learn more about Nature for Massachusetts at natureforma.org.

About Nature for Massachusetts

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 50 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, The Nature Conservancy, and the Appalachian Mountain Club. More information about the coalition is available at natureforma.org.