Proposed DCR budget needs a bigger bump

The Healey-Driscoll Administration has filed its proposed FY2026 state budget with the Legislature, seeking to bump the State Parks and Operations account (2810-0100) by $2.52 million over the current fiscal year, to $112.56 million. This amounts to a 2.29 percent increase, which, given the rate of inflation of about three percent for Massachusetts last year, is akin to a small budget cut in the account that pays for the lion’s share of the agency’s day-to-day operations.

By comparison, the Administration’s first budget, for FY2024, increased this account by 24 percent over the outgoing Baker Administration’s appropriation, from $85.03 million to $105.60 million. The following year, Healey-Driscoll’s second budget, the account increased by 4.21 percent, to $110.04 million. Given the size of the increase between FY2023 and FY2024, MPA supported the Administration’s proposal, in part because the seasonal employee account, used to fund staff during peak park use months, also received a considerable increase, $4.1 million. Combined with the operations account, DCR received an $8.54 million increase for day-to-day operations. That is not the case for FY2026. The 2.6 percent increase proposed for the seasonal account (2800-0501), which would bring it up to $29.29 million, is again tantamount to a slight budget cut due to inflation. 

We also appreciate that midway through FY2024, when declining state revenues forced some mid-year budget cuts, so-called 9C cuts, the Administration held DCR harmless when in the past it would have been among the first on the chopping block. It is worth noting that the FY2026 proposal more than doubles federal grant spending on the agency, from $9.54 million to $20.40 million. This includes $6.61 million on various dam safety and rehabilitation projects, $4.46 million for the Forest Legacy Program, which protects environmentally sensitive forests, and $2.8 million to eradicate the invasive Asian longhorned beetle. But grant funds are not Massachusetts general revenue tax dollars, and when the programs end, they are gone.  

Going back to 2021’s Legislative Special Commission on DCR, Mass Parks for All (MPA) has been calling for a $10 million annual increase in operating account to make up for more than a decade of inadequate funding following the 2008 recession. These draconian cuts left the agency with no ability to accomplish its mission. Cuts forced DCR to jettison a third of its staff and amass a $1.0 billion deferred maintenance backlog. This lack of support for our essential parks also gave Massachusetts the dubious distinction of being last among all states in public tax dollars being spent on public open space.

The recent budget increases have allowed DCR to reverse that trend, passing 1,100 employees last year for the first time since 2009. However, the deferred maintenance backlog is still a sore spot in the agency’s recovery, albeit a capital budget problem. In short, while progress has been steady, there is still so far to go that MPA is once again calling for a $10 million increase in the operations account, which would amount to a 9.1 percent increase. This would allow DCR to continue hiring the project managers and engineers, among other positions, to continue to reduce the maintenance backlog. 

We applaud the great progress DCR has made with the resources it has been given by the Administration and the Legislature. In order for that progress to continue unabated, this is the level of support needed to stay on track toward building a 21st century park system that Massachusetts residents deserve. 

We cannot lose sight of the fact that millions of people from Massachusetts and beyond visit our parks, forests, beaches and other DCR assets every year, and that the agency contributes mightily to our $16 billion annual outdoor economy. While there are many competing demands for state tax dollars, MPA’s primary concern is our state park system. The pandemic proved beyond all doubt that these assets are essential to our physical and mental health. Now is not the time to slow the progress DCR has been making via recent budget increases. Staying the course with DCR budget increases makes environmental and economic sense. MPA will be asking the Legislature, initially the House of Representatives, to increase the DCR operations account by $10 million. We will keep you informed on this issue as the budget makes its way through the legislative process.

 Arborway Improvement Project Design Public Meeting

Residents attending DCR’s virtual Arborway Improvement Project Design Public Meeting on January 14th voiced concerns about pedestrian, cyclist, and driver safety. Others were concerned about people avoiding high traffic intersections by using side streets adjacent to the Arborway. More than 250 people attended the two-and-a-half-hour meeting.

DCR unveiled its latest design for revamping the Arborway between Jamaica Pond and Arnold Arboretum that includes replacing two rotaries with signalized intersections and adding a separated shared use path to connect existing paths at both ends of the project area.  The current design is the result of more than 1000 public comments received going back to the last meeting held in January of 2022.

The current plan, from Howard Stein Hudson and Halvorson Design Partnership (HSH/HDP), will also add five acres of park space, reduce impervious surfaces by an acre-and-a-half, and add a quarter-acre of new trees.

During the public comment period of the meeting, MPA voiced support for moving forward with the preferred plan, the result of nearly three decades of attempts to return the Arborway to the vision of its designer, renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead. Olmsted designed the Arborway in 1892 as part of the Emerald Necklace, an urban oasis of calm and nature available to Boston residents and visitors.

DCR will take the comments made during this meeting and those sent in independently of the meeting until close of business on Tuesday, February 4. You can submit a comment here by using the drop-down menu and selecting Arborway Improvement Project: https://www.mass.gov/forms/dcr-public-comments. General inquiries can be made by email at mass.parks@mass.gov. DCR will consider the latest comments as the plan moves forward to the 75 percent design phase and seek public input again at a time to be determined. 

DCR hiring for lifeguard and other summer positions

If you’ve ever thought about being a lifeguard, or working in some other seasonal capacity in our state parks and other DCR facilities, now is the time to take the plunge toward that goal. DCR is taking applications for lifeguards, head lifeguards, pool and waterfront supervisors, and water safety instructors for the 2025 summer season. 

These positions will serve at the agency’s 32 guarded beaches, 24 swimming pools, and two wading pools throughout the state. Wages range from $22 to $27, depending on the position and required certifications. In addition, qualified candidates who apply early and work through the end of the season can earn up to $1,250 in bonuses.

Doug Pizzi is executive director of Mass Parks for All