Press Release: 50+ Organizations Endorse ‘Protect Water and Nature’ Ballot Campaign In Broad Show of Support for Land & Water Conservation in MA
For Immediate Release: October 20, 2025
Contact: Andrew Farnitano, 925-917-1354, andrew@acfstrategies.com
50+ Organizations Endorse ‘Protect Water and Nature’ Ballot Campaign In Broad Show of Support for Land and Water Conservation in Massachusetts
Dozens of Organizations Collecting Signatures to Place Initiative on November 2026 Ballot That Would Establish Dedicated Fund for Land and Water Conservation — Without Raising Taxes
BOSTON — More than 50 environmental, conservation, and community organizations throughout Massachusetts today announced their endorsement of the ‘Protect Water and Nature’ ballot initiative, which would dedicate funds from the existing state sales tax on sporting goods to protecting and conserving water and nature — without raising taxes.
If passed, the ballot initiative would dedicate $100 million each year to support the conservation and restoration of water and natural areas in Massachusetts, and to create more outdoor recreational spaces like trails and state parks that everyone can enjoy.
The organizations endorsing the campaign include the state’s leading nonprofit land and water conservation groups as well as dozens of local groups from every corner of the state. In recent weeks, they have collected tens of thousands of signatures to qualify the ballot initiative for the November 2026 ballot.
“Climate change and biodiversity loss are the biggest existential threats of our lifetimes yet we’re seeing the elimination of federal grants and other funding at the exact moment we need it the most,” said David O’Neill, President & CEO of Mass Audubon. “We can help fix these problems but it’s going to take a dedicated funding source at the state level to do it, and this plan allocates $100 million a year to protect the Commonwealth’s land and water without residents paying any new taxes. Massachusetts has long been a leader on climate resiliency, but we can no longer lag behind other states that have already put funding like this in place, which is why we’re confident voters will approve protecting the nature of Massachusetts at the ballot box.”
“Massachusetts voters have a powerful opportunity to shape the future of our environment,” said Jodi Valenta, Associate Vice President and Massachusetts State Director for Trust for
Public Land. “By signing the petition to place the Protect Water and Nature initiative on the 2026 ballot, we can protect clean water, conserve wildlife, create parks, and preserve the natural beauty that defines our Commonwealth for generations.”
“From local parks to long-distance trails, outdoor recreation is part of who we are in Massachusetts,” said Nicole Zussman, President and CEO of the Appalachian Mountain Club. “This initiative ensures that the places where we hike, paddle, and explore are protected for generations to come, while creating new opportunities for everyone to get outside in their community.”
“Boston Harbor Now is excited to participate in this campaign to create dedicated funding for land and water conservation and restoration as well as public parks and trails,” said Linda Orel, Chief Impact Officer with Boston Harbor Now. “Enhancing access to our green and blue spaces is critical to improve public health, connectedness, and overall well-being, especially for urban communities.”
“Whether we walk, run, ride, or boat, we all benefit from access to the outdoors. As mountain bikers, we love riding through Massachusetts' forests, mountains, and trails, but we need to do more to protect those shared natural resources,” said Nicole Freedman, Executive Director of the New England Mountain Bike Association. “By dedicating the sales tax we're already paying on sporting goods like bikes and shoes to water and land conservation, we can ensure that more of our tax dollars are going to protect the forests, trails, and rivers we love — for families today and for future generations.”
“The Protect Water and Nature Initiative is not just a vote, it’s a commitment to future generations,” said Brad Campbell, President of the Conservation Law Foundation. “Compared to most other states, the Commonwealth has woefully underinvested in protecting our precious water resources, improving access to parks and nature, and conserving landscapes essential to wildlife and recreation. Dedicating existing sales tax revenue to these goals is overdue and essential to the resilience of our communities and ecology in a fast warming climate.”
“One of the best things you can do for a river is to protect the land around it,” said Julia Blatt, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance. “Natural lands filter pollution, provide cooling effects, and buffer the effects of flooding. The Protect Water and Nature Initiative will unlock a much needed funding stream to help wildlife as well as communities across the state that depend on healthy rivers for both clean water and recreation.”
“Investing in conservation delivers real returns—at least $4 for every $1 spent—through cleaner water, stronger defenses against extreme weather, and healthier communities,” said Kris Sarri, State Director of the Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts. “In Massachusetts, biodiversity supports thousands of jobs and sustains industries from tourism to agriculture to fisheries. The
Nature for Massachusetts initiative isn’t just about protecting nature—it’s about protecting the people and prosperity that depend on it.”
“The Trustees is accelerating the pace of land conservation to protect 12,000 acres over the next 5 years to build resilience, sequester carbon, protect biodiversity and give people more access to nature,” said Katie Theoharides, President and CEO of The Trustees. “This legislation would provide game changing funding to protect and restore the lands and waters across Massachusetts and keep all conservation partners on pace to help achieve the Commonwealth’s goal of 30% of land protected by 2030. Our forests, rivers and coasts are what make Massachusetts so special - this funding would ensure that everyone has access to the outdoors.”
The ‘Protect Water and Nature’ ballot initiative would create a dedicated Nature for All Fund to support the conservation and restoration of water and land in Massachusetts, and to support the creation and improvement of parks, trails, greenspaces, and other outdoor recreation spaces. The Nature for All Fund would be funded by the state’s existing sales tax on sporting goods such as hiking boots and tents — not by creating a new tax. The law would also establish a citizen oversight board that would approve all expenditures from the fund.
A full list of endorsing organizations is below:
American Rivers
Appalachian Mountain Club
Association to Preserve Cape Cod
Authentic Caribbean Foundation
Bemis
Berkshire Environmental Action Team
Berkshire Natural Resources Council
Boston Harbor Now
Brookline GreenSpace Alliance
Boston Society of Landscape Architects (BSLA)
Charles River Conservancy
Charles River Watershed Association
Concord Climate Action Network (ConcordCAN)
Concord Land Conservation Trust
Connecticut River Conservancy
Conservation Law Foundation
Franklin Land Trust
Friends of Cold Spring Park
Green Cambridge
GreenRoots
Hale Education, Inc
Ipswich River Watershed Association
Kestrel Land Trust
Land / Water Associates
Land Trust Alliance
League of Women Voters Concord Carlisle
Mass Audubon
Mass Parks for All
Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition
Massachusetts Society of Municipal Conservation Professionals
Massachusetts Rivers Alliance
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust
Mystic River Watershed Association
Native Plant Trust
New England Mountain Bike Association
Norcross Wildlife Foundation
North County Land Trust
OARS 3 Rivers
Quincy Climate Action Network (QCAN)
Regional Environmental Council (REC)
REI
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay
Studio Shangri-La Multimedia
Sudbury Valley Trustees
Sustainable Marblehead
The Nature Conservancy
The Trustees
Trust for Public Land
Waypoint Adventure
Wild Cohasset
Wildlands Trust
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The Protect Water and Nature ballot initiative campaign is led by Nature for Massachusetts, a large and diverse coalition of environmental, conservation, and community organizations that seek to create a dedicated, annual revenue stream to conserve water, land, urban greenspace, outdoor recreation access, and wildlife in Massachusetts. For more information, visit natureforma.org.