Press Release: Land and Water Conservation Supporters Hike Up Beacon Hill, Turn In 90,000 Signatures to Advance ‘Protect Water and Nature’ Ballot Initiative Toward 2026 Statewide Election

For Immediate Release: December 1, 2025 

Contact: Andrew Farnitano, 925-917-1354, andrew@acfstrategies.com 

Land and Water Conservation Supporters Hike Up Beacon Hill, Turn In 90,000 Signatures to Advance ‘Protect Water and Nature’ Ballot Initiative Toward 2026 Statewide Election 

Dozens of Organizations Backing Ballot Initiative to Establish Dedicated Fund for Land and Water Conservation in Massachusetts — Without Raising Taxes 

BOSTON — Supporters 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, hiked across the Charles River and up Beacon Hill on Monday morning before rallying outside the State House, as they turned in more than 90,000 certified signatures to advance the land and water conservation measure toward the 2026 statewide ballot. 

“Everyone in Massachusetts — no matter where we live — deserves clean drinking water and access to nature. Next year, Massachusetts has an important opportunity to protect our rivers, lakes, forests, farms, and other natural areas,” said David O'Neill, President & CEO of Mass Audubon. “There is perhaps no better setting than the Boston Common — the nation’s first 

public park which has played an essential role in conservation, political history, and recreation for almost four centuries— to celebrate the coalition’s major milestone. Today’s delivery of more than 90,000 certified signatures to the Secretary of State advances our pursuit of the Protect Water and Nature ballot initiative, which will dedicate funds from the existing state sales tax on sporting goods to protecting and conserving water and nature — without raising taxes.” 

Dozens of hikers carried backpacks full of petition sheets as they hiked through Charlestown, over the Charles River, and up Beacon Hill to the State House. Standing across from Boston Common, the country’s first public park, environmental and conservation leaders from across 

the state spoke at a rally in support of the ballot initiative. The initiative would dedicate approximately $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 parks that everyone can enjoy — without raising taxes.

“Our hike this morning, through sidewalks and traffic instead of parks and trails, underscores why we’re here,” said Rae Ettenger, New England Conservation Policy Coordinator for the Appalachian Mountain Club. “We want every neighborhood in Massachusetts to have easy access to clean water, resilient forests, and outdoor spaces where people can walk, paddle, bike, and play. This initiative gets us closer to a future where nature isn’t a luxury, but a guaranteed part of everyday life.” 

The ballot campaign is supported by more than 60 environmental, conservation, and community organizations throughout Massachusetts, including the state’s leading nonprofit land and water conservation groups as well as dozens of local groups from every corner of the state. 

“When we protect our open spaces, our forests and farms, the places where we go to hunt and fish, source local food and local timbers — we are also protecting the air we breathe and our drinking water,” said Emma Ellsworth, Executive Director of the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust. “Those trees and wetlands are doing the job of a state of the art water treatment facility. And they are doing it without chemicals! Passing the Protect Water and Nature ballot initiative will help protect the 150 miles of streams that feed the Quabbin Reservoir alone, ensuring access to clean drinking water for millions of people in Massachusetts.” 

The campaign collected more than 100,000 signatures from registered voters this fall to qualify the initiative for the ballot, far more than the required 74,574. Signatures were certified by local cities and towns, and more than 90,000 certified signatures were then submitted to the Secretary of State’s office to advance the ballot initiative toward the 2026 ballot. Signatures for the ballot initiative came from voters in 332 of the state’s 351 cities and towns — everywhere from large cities like Worcester and New Bedford to smaller communities like Williamstown, Salisbury, and Orleans. 

“With more than 100,000 people voicing their support, Massachusetts now has the opportunity to follow a proven, fiscally responsible path to protect clean water, conserve forests, and ensure every community has access to the outdoors,” said Jodi Valenta, Associate Vice President, Massachusetts State Program Director for Trust for Public Land. “Nature isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity, and communities are happy and healthier when they have access to the outdoors.” 

“With the support of Massachusetts’ incredible environmental and conservation community, we’ve successfully collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot,” said Andrew Sharpe, Founder and CEO of the Boston-based Authentic Caribbean Foundation. “As we talk to our neighbors at farmers’ markets and parks across the state, it’s clear that voters want to prioritize and protect our rivers, lakes, forests, farms, and other natural areas, especially as federal funding for land and water conservation is under threat. With this ballot question, we can deliver clean water, healthy forests, more trails and parks, and access to the outdoors and nature for everyone in Massachusetts — all without raising taxes.” 

“This ballot initiative directs a sensible reinvestment of the sporting goods sales tax revenue into these natural resources,” says Patrick Herron, Executive Director of the Mystic River

Watershed Association. “These much-needed resources can be used to update our infrastructure to improve water quality for swimming at our public beaches, improve the park experience for everyone, and even boost the economy.” 

“For many of us, a transformative experience in nature as a child helped shape the path that brought us here today, whether it was a neighborhood park, or a community garden, or a beautiful beach,” said Katie Theoharides, President and CEO of The Trustees. “We believe public access to nature is a fundamental human right, and we believe the next generation deserves more opportunities to get outside. We look forward to protecting the special places people love — and the places nature needs — all across our state.” 

The ‘Protect Water and Nature’ ballot initiative would create a dedicated Nature for All Fund with approximately $100 million each year 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 like golf clubs, RVs, and camping gear — not by creating a new tax. The law would also establish a public oversight board that would approve all expenditures from the fund. 

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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.