Hoodline: Boston State House Hears Push For Nature For All Fund

March 24, 2026 - Lawmakers and conservation advocates filled a State House hearing room on Monday as backers pressed a plan to create a "Nature for All" fund. Supporters say the proposal would redirect part of the state's sporting goods sales tax into a dedicated pot for land protection, water restoration and new parks, roughly $100 million a year by their estimate. The measure would set up a 15-member board to approve grants and oversee spending, and would be administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs…

Katharine Lange of the Conservation Law Foundation told the room that "residents across the state deserve equal access to outdoor green spaces," and Mass Audubon CEO David O'Neill was quoted saying if lawmakers do not act "we'll go to the ballot and we'll win there," per the WBZ account. The hearing brought representatives from a wide coalition of conservation groups to Beacon Hill to press lawmakers for quick action.