Press Release: More Than 130 Organizations Now Backing “YES on 6” Ballot Campaign to Protect Water and Nature

For Immediate Release

October 20, 2026

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

More Than 130 Organizations Now Backing “YES on 6” Ballot Campaign to Protect Water and Nature

Conservation Groups, Land Trusts, & Community Organizations Endorse Ballot Question 6 to Create Dedicated Nature for All Fund for Water and Land Conservation in Massachusetts — Without Raising Taxes

BOSTON — Two weeks before Election Day, more than 130 organizations across Massachusetts are now endorsing the “YES on 6” ballot campaign, which aims to create a dedicated source of funding for land and water conservation in Massachusetts. Question 6, the Protect Water and Nature ballot initiative on the November statewide ballot, would create a new Nature for All Fund and dedicate funds from the existing state sales tax on sporting goods to protecting and conserving water and nature — without raising taxes.

The YES on 6 campaign is led by the state’s leading nonprofit land and water conservation groups such as Mass Audubon, The Trustees, Appalachian Mountain Club, the Conservation Law Foundation, Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, and Trust for Public Land. 

“States across the country have shown that dedicated funding can make a meaningful difference in protecting natural areas and creating and improving parks, trails, and outdoor spaces, and Question 6 gives Massachusetts the opportunity to make the same kind of long-term investment,” said Jodi Valenta, Associate Vice President and Massachusetts State Director at Trust for Public Land. “We know our communities need more resources to protect nature and expand access to parks. Question 6 is critical to ensuring parks are welcoming, well-maintained, and accessible to everyone.”

“The people of Massachusetts deserve healthy rivers. Protecting forests and wetlands will help us deliver on that promise, and shield our communities from the worst floods and droughts,” said David McGlinchey, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance. “The Massachusetts Rivers Alliance endorses ‘YES on 6’ as a vote in favor of clean water for all and a more resilient Massachusetts.”

Question 6 is strongly supported by clean water advocates including American Rivers Action Fund, Clean Water Action, and more than a dozen local watershed and ocean protection groups from across the state.

“Clean drinking water starts with protecting the land and waterways around us,” said Cynthia Mendes, Massachusetts Director for Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund. “Voting YES on Question 6 will help protect forests, wetlands, rivers, and streams, reduce pollution, and safeguard clean drinking water for communities across Massachusetts.”

“Everyone, no matter where you live or who you are, deserves clean drinking water which is why American Rivers endorses Question 6 – the Protect Water and Nature ballot initiative,” said Andrew Fisk, Ph.D., Senior Advisor to the American Rivers Action Fund. “Dedicating funds from existing sales tax on sporting goods to protect and restore water and nature is just common sense.  All across the country millions of people get clean drinking water from protected lands and restored rivers – our work here in Massachusetts is not done.  Your vote for Question 6 on November 3rd makes a difference to your quality of life.”

Also supporting Question 6 are sporting and outdoor recreation groups such as Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Surfrider Foundation Massachusetts, and the New England Mountain Bike Association, and farming and gardening advocates including the Northeast Organic Farmers Association, American Farmland Trust, Grow Native Massachusetts, and Native Plant Trust.

“Massachusetts needs more trails and more protected natural areas,” said Nicole Freedman, Executive Director of the New England Mountain Bike Association. “Question 6 will provide dedicated funding to conserve open spaces while creating and improving trails, parks and outdoor recreation opportunities across the Commonwealth. It’s a win for conservation, mountain biking and everyone who loves getting outside — without raising taxes.”

"Massachusetts is rapidly losing farmland, which is the foundation of a thriving farm economy, regional food system, and local economy,” said Jim Habana Hafner, New England Regional Director & Northeast Managing Director, American Farmland Trust. “Question 6 gives us a lasting way to protect the farms, forests, and drinking water that sustain our communities, without a new tax.”

“A big part of what makes the Commonwealth a great place to live, work, and play is the abundance of nature,” said Tim Johnson, CEO of Native Plant Trust. “Question 6 helps ensure that this abundance will grow by bringing much needed funding to support the biodiversity and ecosystems we rely on.”

Advocates for the health benefits of the outdoors are supporting Question 6, citing how exposure to nature promotes both mental and physical well-being.

“The Institute for Wild Med encourages all Massachusetts residents to vote Yes on 6. Honestly, it's a no-brainer,” said Nicole Roma Thurrell, CEO and Director of Education of Wild Med. “It's well documented: Connection to nature is fundamental to our physical health and mental well-being. In a world where we are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature (to the detriment of our physical and mental health), we need to say yes wherever we can to conserving, protecting, and increasing access. Please join us in voting Yes on 6!”

“Whether I'm hiking with my dogs, mountain biking with my wife, or helping build and maintain trails for others, I've spent most of my life reaping the benefits of being outdoors,” said David Alden-St. Pierre, physician assistant, owner of SafeTrails First Aid and co-owner of Northeast Trailworks. “My experience as both a healthcare provider and a trail advocate has reinforced my belief that access to nature is not a luxury, but an essential component of our physical and mental well-being. Question 6 is an opportunity to invest in the health of our communities by protecting our natural landscapes, preserving clean water, and expanding access to parks and trails for generations to come — all without raising taxes.”

Individual endorsers include current and former elected officials like Governor Maura Healey and former Governor Deval Patrick, as well as environmental leaders like former U.S. EPA Administrator and White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and author, environmentalist, and activist Bill McKibben. A full list of Question 6 endorsements can be found at natureforma.org/endorsements.

This month, the YES on 6 campaign is airing an ad titled “Naturally” on television and digital channels across the state. The ad features Mass Audubon wildlife biologist Lyra Brennan and The Trustees park ranger Matt Zieper addressing how Question 6 would protect clean drinking water; conserve forests, family farms, and natural wildlife habitat; and create more parks, trails, and greenspaces for all to enjoy — without raising taxes.

The following organizations have endorsed Question 6 as of today:

The 300 Committee Land Trust (Falmouth)

Adventure East

American Farmland Trust

American Rivers Action Fund

Amherst Democratic Town Committee

Appalachian Mountain Club

Arlington Land Trust

Ashby Land Trust

Association to Preserve Cape Cod

Athol Bird and Nature Club

Authentic Caribbean Foundation

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers

Barnstable Land Trust

Bemis

Berkshire Environmental Action Team

Berkshire Natural Resources Council

Beyond Plastics Greater Boston

BiodiversityWorks

Boston Harbor Now

Boston Society of Landscape Architects (BSLA)

Brewster Conservation Trust

Brewster Ponds Coalition

Brookline GreenSpace Alliance

BTA/BOLT, Inc.

Buzzards Bay Coalition

Charles River Conservancy

Charles River Watershed Association

Chatham Conservation Foundation

Clean Water Action

Climate Reality Project Boston Metro Chapter

Cohasset Open Space and Recreation Committee

The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts

Concord Climate Action Network (ConcordCAN)

Concord Land Conservation Trust

Connecticut River Conservancy

Connecticut River Watershed Partnership

Conservation Law Foundation

Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust

Dedham Greenspace Coalition

Deerfield River Watershed Association

Dudley Conservation Land Trust

Emerald Necklace Conservancy

Esplanade Association

Essex County Greenbelt Association

Farming Falmouth

Fenway Forward

First Parish UU Climate Action Team

Franklin Land Trust

Friends of Cold Spring Park

Friends of Holly Hill Farm

Friends of Lawrence Heritage State Park

Friends of Pleasant Bay, Inc.

Friends of the Blue Hills

Friends of the Middlesex Fells Reservation

Green Cambridge

Green Newton

GreenRoots

Groton Conservation Trust

Grow Native Massachusetts

Hale Education, Inc

Hardwick Pond Preservation Association

Harwich Conservation Trust

Haverhill Democratic City Committee

Hilltown Land Trust

Institute for Wild Med

Ipswich River Watershed Association

Kestrel Land Trust

Land / Water Associates

Land Trust Alliance

Lenox Garden Club

Lincoln Land Conservation Trust

Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust

MA Association of Conservation Commissions

Mass Audubon

Mass Parks for All

Massachusetts Land Trust Coalition

Massachusetts Rivers Alliance

Massachusetts Society of Municipal Conservation Professionals

MASSPIRG Students

Merrimac Neighbors for Nature

Mill City Grows

Mount Auburn Cemetery

Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust

Mystic River Watershed Association

Native Land Conservancy

Native Plant Trust

The Nature Conservancy

Nature Medicine Foundation

The Neighborhood Developers

New England Forestry Foundation

New England Mountain Bike Association

Newton Conservators

Norcross Wildlife Foundation

North and South Rivers Watershed Association

North County Land Trust

Northeast Organic Farmers Association (NOFA/Mass)

Northeast Trailworks, LLP

Northeast Wilderness Trust

OARS 3 Rivers

Ocean River Institute

Opacum Land Trust

Orleans Conservation Trust

Orleans Pond Coalition

Our Revolution Massachusetts

Pocasset Water Quality Coalition

Provincetown Conservation Trust

Quincy Climate Action Network (QCAN)

Regional Environmental Council (REC)

Rehoboth Land Trust, Inc.

SafeTrails First Aid

Salem Sound Coastwatch

Shaker Ridge Trails

Somerville Democratic City Committee

Speak Up For Animals

Studio Shangri-La Multimedia

Sudbury Valley Trustees

Surfrider Foundation Massachusetts

Sustainable Marblehead

Sustainable Plymouth

The Swampscott Conservancy

Tree Boston

Trust for Public Land

The Trustees

Upstream Carbon

The Walden Woods Project

Waltham Land Trust

Wareham Land Trust

Waypoint Adventure

Wellfleet Conservation Trust

Wild Cohasset

Wildlands Trust

Woodwell Climate Research Center

Young Democrats of Massachusetts

Background

Question 6, the ‘Protect Water and Nature’ initiative, would dedicate funds from the existing state sales tax on sporting goods to protecting and conserving water and nature — without raising taxes. Question 6 would create a dedicated Nature for All Fund with as much as $100 million each year to support the conservation and restoration of water and natural areas in Massachusetts, protect the quality of our drinking water and natural wildlife habitats, and 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 camping gear, golf clubs, and fishing equipment — not by creating a new tax. Question 6 allocates just 0.16% of the state’s $63.4 billion annual budget, but it would make a big difference for land and water. Question 6 would also establish a public oversight board that would approve all expenditures from the fund, with strict annual reporting requirements to track every dollar spent.

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The YES on 6 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.