Boston 25 News, 10/20/26, Mass. Ballot Question 6 explained: Voters to decide on new nature conservation fund
Lexington Observer, 10/21/26, Conservation groups say Lexington needs consistent environmental funding. Is Ballot Question 6 the answer?
What is Question 6?
Sam Anderson, Senior Director of Government Affairs for Mass Audubon, one of the eight groups backing Question 6, said environmental funding, particularly for natural resources, is often the first cut and last funded.
“Over the past 20 years, funding for land protection programs out of the capital budget has gone down, despite the fact that the budget has increased significantly year over year,” Anderson said. “We’re trying to sort of reverse a trend.”
Anderson said this ballot question would protect that funding. His team researched alternative sources of funding and landed on sporting goods, golfing and recreational vehicle sales tax revenue.
“We wanted something that would be sort of equitable and not raise prices on Massachusetts residents and taxpayers, and we wanted something that would be impactful,” Anderson said. “The cost of meeting our land goals is humongous, and we wouldn’t want to advocate for something that wouldn’t even be a drop in the bucket.”
Question 6 does not create a new tax or add to current taxes, but instead proposes allocating 70% of the revenue raised through sports sales tax to the Nature for All Fund.
The impact of Question 6
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs set out four key goals for biodiversity conservation last summer: protect, restore, sustain and connect. Their 25-year plan outlines steps they’ll take to reach those goals, such as removing 10% of dams and establishing a Local Biodiversity Grant Program.
Charlie Wyman, chair of Lexington Living Landscapes, a volunteer group that advocates for sustainable landscaping, said right now, the state is not on track to meet those goals.
“We are not spending anywhere near enough money to get there,” said Wyman, who was also the town’s conservation commissioner and conservation administrator before retiring in 2016.
Wyman said Question 6 could provide the funding to meet the state’s goals, which would also work to reduce chemical pollution of the land that feeds into the Quabbin Reservoir, Lexington’s drinking water source, and local farmlands.
The Village Green News, 10/22/26, Ballot Questions 4-6
QUESTION 6: SALES TAX DIVERTED TO FREE UP MORE LAND FOR CONSERVATION AND RECREATION
There is currently no dedicated funding mechanism for land and water conservation in Massachusetts. The state does fund grants to land trusts and communities, but it’s subject to the legislature’s discretionary appropriations each year.
Question 6 would create a dedicated stream to supplement that discretionary spending.
The money would come from sales tax on recreational equipment, such as camping gear, ski boots, golf clubs, fishing equipment, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and RVs. (Clothing is not included.) In other words, no new tax would be collected through Question 6, but a YES vote would redirect existing revenue from the general fund into the “Nature for All Fund.”
The fund would be phased in, getting 50% of the relevant revenue starting July 1, 2027 and rising to 100% after July 1, 2028.
I spoke to Wendy Ferris for background on #6, as she’s been the measure’s spokesperson in our area. She is the Regional Vice President for The Trustees of Reservations, for the Central and Valley regions of Massachusetts.
The coalition she’s part of estimates the Fund would collect up to $100 million a year, but that the Department of Revenue considers that number ambitious and puts it closer to $60 million.
The money would pay for two things:
New conservation and trails, with an explicit aim of reaching places that haven’t traditionally enjoyed such access, meaning cities and less affluent communities.
Stewardship of existing conserved land, to fight invasive plants and maintain and build trails. She called these “ongoing needs forever.”
Geographic and equity priorities are not explicit in the legislation. Rather, if Question 6 passes, a commission of between 12 and 15 members would be created to establish the implementation criteria, including how to weight geography and climate factors.
Ferris has not seen any organized opposition to Question 6, although, she says, some state legislators don’t like to obligate funds in this way. They want to make the appropriations decisions themselves, while the enactment of Question 6 would commit existing operating budget revenue to a specific purpose.
Question 6 is on the ballot through a grassroots, citizen petition, with a coalition of the Trustees, Mass Audubon, recreation groups and land trusts collecting roughly 300,000 signatures. It requires a simple majority vote to pass.