Funding for Public Lands

In the past few years, Massachusetts State Parks have seen exponential growth in visitors. But at the same time, Massachusetts is at the bottom of all states in state and local investment in parks relative to its population and total budget. In the past few years, the State Legislature has started to reverse deep cuts in funding and staffing that took place over the past decade, but Department of Conservation and Recreation staffing is still 24% lower than in 2009. The Massachusetts House of Representatives is now considering the budget for Fiscal Year 2024. We hope you'll contact your State Representative in support of robust funding for parks, climate preparedness, environmental justice, public health, and ecological restoration. The good news is that the budget proposed by Governor Healey would increase DCR operations funding by $22 million, and the House Ways and Means Committee recommended an increase of $17 million, also funding environmental justice as well as climate adaptation and preparedness at levels supported by AMC. Representative Pignatelli of Lenox has introduced an amendment that would increase DCR's budget by a full $22 million and AMC strongly supports this level of reinvestment in our parks. AMC also supports amendments by Representative Haggerty for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, by Representative Rogers for the Department of Environmental Protection, Representative Meschino for the Division of Ecological Restoration, and Representative Phillips for Natural Heritage and Endangered Species. The House begins debate on the budget on April 24. Please send a quick email to your State Representative's office to ask them to support funding for the environment. Thank you for standing with the AMC to protect our public lands and a healthy outdoors!