Stewardship Council, advocates, take stock of DCR gains, PLPA draft regulations, and First Day Hikes
State Representative James C. Arena-DeRosa (D-8th Middlesex) speaks at the DCR Stewardship Council meeting. Photo: Mass Parks For All.
On Dec. 12, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Stewardship Council held its last meeting of the calendar year, an in-person meeting at the State House. During the public comment segment, more than 20 organizations cited the progress DCR has made toward improving our state park system, especially in the 18 months Commissioner Brian Arrigo, appointed by the Healey-Driscoll Administration, has been at the helm.
Rae Ettinger, New England Conservation Policy Specialist at the Appalachian Mountain Club, read a statement signed by 20 park stakeholder organizations, including Mass Parks for All (MPA).
“Our communities and volunteers know when the DCR is struggling just to get by and when the agency is thriving. Under the leadership of Commissioner Arrigo, in combination with the continual increases to DCR’s general operating budget, our organizations have seen many improvements within DCR’s communications, transparency, and operations that improve the quality of the Commonwealth’s natural and recreational resources,” Ettinger said.
“In addition to the agency’s positive impact on our $16 billion annual outdoor recreation economy, DCR is a critical resource for Massachusetts communities facing the threat of global climate change. Today, we are here to celebrate and empower the continuation of the hard work being done by DCR staff, as they are both the reason we are able to successfully collaborate with the Department and they are in desperate need of additional capacity. Clearly, DCR needs all of our continued support because there is much more work to do,” Ettinger said.
Others who commented included Caroline Reeves of the Muddy Water Initiative, Galen Mook of MassBike, and Andrew Sharpe of the Authentic Caribbean Foundation.
Kat Powers, MPA’s Regional Coordinator, also attended the meeting, and noted that none of this progress would be possible without support from the Legislature and the Healey-Driscoll Administration.
“Between FY20 and FY25, DCR’s operations budget increased 132 percent while the seasonal employee budget increased by 77 percent. Staffing recently passed 1,100 FTE’s, a level not seen since 2011,” Powers said. “Also telling is that last January, when lower than expected state revenues forced the Administration to make mid-year budget cuts, DCR was held harmless.”
MPA would also like to thank you, our members, for your unflagging support as we work together to bring our essential parks squarely into the 21st century.
Rae Ettinger, New England Conservation Policy Specialist at the Appalachian Mountain Club, addresses the DCR Stewardship Council. Photo: Mass Parks For All.
In other Stewardship Council Business, members elected a new chair and vice chair for the coming year. Dicken Crane, who represents Berkshire County, will be the chair, while Susan Smiley, who represents Worcester County, will be vice chair. They replace current Chair Jack Buckley, Middlesex County, and Vice Chair Melissa Harper, Plymouth County. Ann Canedy, Barnstable County, will remain as Secretary.
Public Lands Preservation Act draft regulations
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) recently released for public comment draft regulations to implement the Public Lands Preservation Act (M.G.L. c. 3, § 5A), signed into law by former Gov. Charlie Baker in November of 2022.
The law, 20 years in the making, codified EOEEA’s “no net loss” policy governing public open space protected by Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution. Much of, if not most, state and municipal parkland falls under this protection.
No net loss refers to the requirement to replace Article 97 protected open space converted to any other use with compensatory open space of similar size and ecological value. For example, if a municipality wants to use parkland, in part or in whole, to build a school, then the land taken must be replaced. Other requirements include a public notification process, an alternatives analysis to ensure no better option exists, and finally, a two-thirds vote of the state Legislature.
Mass Conservation Voters, MPA’s parent organization, was part of a broad-based, statewide coalition advocating that the policy be enshrined in state law. We joined this group in 2018 when we learned that the city of Fitchburg and the town of Westminster wanted to take 80 acres of Leominster State Forest to expand the Fitchburg-Westminster Landfill. This plan would have brought the landfill too close to the beach at Crow Hill Pond, greatly compromising a resource heavily used by environmental justice communities of two Gateway Cities, Fitchburg and Leominster.
After walking the property, we published an op-ed piece in the Worcester Telegram, decrying the plan in principle, while noting that the proponents had not met any requirements of the then EOEEA policy. This was, we argued, one of many instances proving the need to give the policy the force of state law. The law as passed charged EOEEA with writing the regulations governing the conversion process.
While drafting the regulations, EOEEA also developed other resources, including a website to track proposals in real time.
MPA submitted preliminary public comments at the Dec. 17 public hearing, focusing primarily on the need for an enforcement mechanism to be part of the law itself.
Our comment letter states, “Municipalities, the majority of proponents seeking to take land out of Article 97 protection, should, at a minimum, become ineligible for grant and other financial assistance from EOEEA.”
Several other organizations, some of whom were part of the original coalition supporting the law, also advocated for the ability to sanction violators. MPA will be reviewing the draft regulations in depth, and consulting with our coalition partners to make more detailed comments before the public comment period ends on Jan. 22.
There will be a second public hearing on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 1 p.m., by Zoom only. Meanwhile, if you or your organization wants to join us in commenting on the draft regulations, you may do so by emailing EOEEA’s Open Space Act Coordinator Michael Gendron at michael.gendron2@mass.gov. Comments must be received by close of business on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
First Day Hikes
It’s that time again. Time to start the New Year by burning off some of those calories we’ve all been putting away since Thanksgiving. And what better way to do that than in one of our wonderful state parks?
DCR is once again offering several free guided First Day Hikes across the state. Of course, with more than 150 state parks scattered over the half-million acres DCR has under management, you have a multitude of choices to enjoy some time outdoors. Take advantage of this opportunity with friends and family to perhaps start your own tradition.
Doug Pizzi is executive director of Mass Parks for All