 
|
How to Take Action
Dial 617-722-2000 and ask for your senator or representative by name. If you
don't know your representative's name, then mention your town and
the operator will connect you, or go to www.wheredoivotema.com
You can also get your legislator's contact information directly
from the House or Senate web pages.
If you would like further information, please contact
Margaret
Van Deusen at CRWA. Click here
for contact information. |
Public Lands Preservation Act
May 22, 2008
The Public Lands Preservation Act (PLPA, S. 2388) is important for protection of public lands in Massachusetts and is priority legislation for CRWA. Massachusetts suffers a continual loss of open space, including public open space, and this bill makes an effort to stop that loss. Although Article 97 of the state constitution protects public land acquired for "natural resource purposes" (e.g., parks, conservation land, watershed), the reality is different. The last legislature agreed to transfers of some interest in over 60 parcels of city, town, or state lands "protected" by Article 97, mostly to allow the lands to be used as building sites.
S. 2388 would establish a government policy that public land acquired for natural resource purposes (Article 97 land) not be disposed of or converted to other uses without demonstration that there is no feasible alternative and replacement with equivalent natural resource land. The bill is supported by over 100 environmental organizations and public entities, including CRWA.
The bill is currently stuck in the House Committee on Ways and Means, and it is going to stay there unless Chairman Robert A. DeLeo of House Ways and Means Chairman is contacted by many representatives urging him to move the bill forward.
Take action!
It is critical that your representative hear from you on this issue! Please write, call, or email your representative and request that the representative urge to report the bill out favorably ASAP. Ask your representative to actually write or speak to Chairman DeLeo; it isn't enough for a rep to "support" the bill or be willing to vote for it.
Dial 617-722-2000 and ask for your representative by name. If you
don't know your representative's name, then mention your town and the
operator will connect you, or go to www.wheredoivotema.com
If you'd like to write or email, you can view sample letters at
http://www.protectmassenvironment.org/PLPA_letter_full.htm
http://www.protectmassenvironment.org/PLPA_letter_short.htm
More information and a copy of the PLPA is available at http://www.protectmassenvironment.org/public_lands_preservation_act.htm
Thank you for your
support!
|
WATERSHED INFO
