Voters must act now, before more of the landscapes that define Massachusetts are lost.
By Katie Theoharides and David J. O’Neill
Katie Theoharides is president and CEO of The Trustees of Reservations. David J. O’Neill is president and CEO of Mass Audubon.
We all have places in nature we love: a neighborhood park where our children chase butterflies and climb trees, a family farm where we buy fresh produce, or a community trail to hike. These places help make the Commonwealth home, and the choices Massachusetts makes today will determine whether these resources remain for future generations. But for decades, the state has underfunded and overlooked nature, threatening the outdoor places we all share.
Voting yes on ballot Question 6 is a chance for voters to help safeguard the state’s natural places, without raising taxes.
Question 6 is simple: It would dedicate funds from the existing state sales tax on sporting goods to a new Nature for All Fund, generating as much as $100 million annually for land and water conservation. It’s a proven model, used successfully by other states like Texas and Georgia. Transparency is built into Question 6, with a public oversight board that would approve all expenditures from the fund and strict annual reporting requirements to track every dollar spent.
Today, public funding for conservation continues to fall short of what is needed. Massachusetts is losing forests, farms, wetlands, urban green spaces, and wildlife habitats to development at a rate of more than 10,000 acres every year. Voters have a chance to act now, before more of the landscapes that define Massachusetts and keep us healthy are lost.