Team effort yields legislative approval of a 3.4 percent increase for DCR operations
An Important Step Forward for Public Lands and Environmental Stewardship
Environmental Secretary Rebecca Tepper, flanked by Governor Maura Healey (left) and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll (right) unveils the Mass. Ready Act at Braintree Town Hall.
In a significant move for public recreation and environmental preservation, the state Legislature today approved its House-Senate Conference Committee report, which included a 3.4 percent increase for the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Parks and Recreation Operations account (line 2810-0100). This boost in funding reflects an ongoing commitment to maintaining and improving the state's rich tapestry of parks, forests, beaches, historic parkways, trails, and other recreational, cultural, historic, and environmental assets.
Mass Parks for All (MPA) is grateful to all of you who contacted your legislators during the budget process and to the 41 organizations that signed the letter we sent to the Conference Committee. We also thank the legislators in both chambers who supported our parks throughout the process, and more recently, the Conference Committee for approving the Senate’s figure for the account. The final figure was derived in part by a $500,000 floor amendment submitted for MPA by Sen. Jamie Eldridge, who spoke eloquently for the measure on the Senate floor on its way to unanimous approval.
The budget will now go to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for consideration. We are asking the Administration to give final approval to the Legislature’s figure.
The increase provides a tangible boost to DCR’s operating budget because it is above the state’s calendar year inflation rate of 3.0 percent. The Operations Account is particularly critical as it funds a significant portion of the day-to-day costs of maintaining parks, trails, and other recreational spaces.
The increase will allow DCR to enhance upkeep of trails, picnic areas, and other public recreation facilities that will improve visitor experiences. It will also serve to protect biodiversity, especially of rare species, manage invasive species, and preserve natural habitats.
Public lands have become increasingly vital, especially as people continue to rely on outdoor spaces for recreation and community connection following the challenges of the pandemic. DCR manages more than 450,000 acres of state parks, forests, beaches, and trails. These facilities serve millions of visitors annually while powering our $16 billion annual outdoor recreation economy, now the fastest growing in the nation. But maintaining these spaces requires consistent and adequate funding, a challenge exacerbated by climate change and rising operational costs.
The Legislature’s decision to grant this increase in uncertain fiscal times is a recognition of the state’s willingness to meet these challenges. It underscores the value of investing in public spaces that contribute to our quality of life as well as the state’s environmental and economic health. Long-term investment and strategic planning will be necessary to ensure that Massachusetts’ recreational facilities and natural resources continue to thrive for generations to come.
It was not that long ago that the Special Legislative Commission on DCR (pg. 51) found Massachusetts, for its size, had the dubious distinction of being last in the nation in public tax dollars per capita spent on public open space. The Legislature’s decision to increase DCR’s operating account above inflation is a victory we should take pride in and be grateful for. It is a reminder that even incremental changes can have a positive impact on community wellbeing and environmental stewardship. For Massachusetts residents and visitors, the future of enjoying well-maintained, adequately staffed state parks just got a little brighter.
Bond Bill Summit Success
More than 50 individuals and organizations from Berkshires to Boston logged in to MPA’s Statewide Environmental Bond Bill Summit on Tuesday, June 24th, to hear about how the new $2.9 billion bill, dubbed the Mass Ready Act, could enable DCR to dig out from under its $1.0 billion deferred maintenance backlog. The agency amassed this stunning list of unmet capital needs during more than a decade of inadequate capital and operations funding during and immediately after the 2008 recession.
We held the summit in anticipation of the Administration’s new five-year bond bill, detailed below, to enlist park friends groups and other stakeholders in shaping the bill as a vehicle to help DCR retire the backlog.
For the current fiscal year that ends June 30, DCR has been authorized to bond $152.3 million in projects, most of which were authorized by the previous environmental bond bill, passed in 2018. We anticipate that the Administration will soon announce its FY2026 capital budget for state agencies, including DCR.
Summit participants heard from a panel of experts who have experience with and insight into the role bond bills play in improving our parks - former Senate Ways & Means Chair Steve Brewer, former state representative, senator, and environmental Secretary Bob Durand, Mass Office of Outdoor Recreation Director Paul Jahnige, who helped write this bond bill, and DCR Stewardship Council member and Executive Director of the Charles River Conservancy Laura Jasinski. Also participating was DCR Chief of Planning and Engineering Patrice Kish, who detailed the Capital Spending Dashboard the agency is working on to bring greater understanding and transparency to DCR’s capital operations. The dashboard will feature, among other things, a map that shows the status of various capital projects around the state.
This was followed by a question-and-answer session on the intricacies of bond bills and the importance of staying engaged as the bill moves through the Legislature.
Environmental Bond Bill Submitted to Legislature
On the morning of June 24, some eight hours before our Bond Bill Summit, the Healey-Driscoll Administration unveiled its new five-year environmental bond bill before an audience of more than 100 people at an event at Braintree Town Hall.
The first legislative hearing on the bill is Tuesday, July 15, before the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (ENR). During the hearing, advocates will be able to give public testimony on the bill. As part of the statewide Environmental Bond Bill Coalition, MPA will testify on the DCR portions of the bill. There will also be an opportunity to submit written testimony for those who cannot attend the hearing.
The bill as submitted would authorize $2.9 billion in borrowing for capital projects across all of the environmental agencies and the secretariat that oversees them, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. It contains $587,375,000 for DCR property upgrades (line 2840-7028), including state parks, forests, beaches, trails, and other DCR managed assets. It also includes $176,670,000 (line 2890-7036) for parkways, boulevards, multi-use trails, internal park roads and pedestrian bridges, among other assets, and $308,100,000 (line 2800-1123) to fix or remove dams around the Commonwealth, many of which are owned by DCR, as well as fund improvements to coastal and marine infrastructure, coastal ecological resources, shore protection, docks, piers, culverts, beaches, dunes and salt marshes.
As noted by our summit panelists, this is just the beginning of the process. Following the July 15 ENR hearing, the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets will schedule and conduct a hearing. Ultimately, both House and Senate Ways & Means Committees will weigh in on the bill before the full Legislature votes on it.
Our job throughout this process is to make sure DCR receives its fair share of these funds. We will need your help to be successful. When the bill begins to go through the legislative process, legislators will attach local projects, called earmarks, within the various broad pots of authorizations in the bill. We will be monitoring this process and keep you informed. As always, thank you for supporting us in this important work.
Doug Pizzi is executive director of Mass Parks for All