Milford Daily News: Vote yes on question 6 | Letter

If you’ve ever taken a child to see the owls and otters at the Trailside Museum in the Blue Hills or walked the trails at Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary here in Natick, you know what these places give our families. I raised my kids around both, through school field trips, summer programs and weekend walks, and that love of nature has stayed with them into adulthood.

What makes these sanctuaries irreplaceable is how welcoming they are to families and people of all ages and abilities, and how their educational programs connect children to the natural world. Question 6 on the Nov. 3 ballot gives us the opportunity to protect and expand spaces like these across Massachusetts.

It creates a dedicated Nature for All Fund delivering up to $100 million a year to protect clean drinking water, conserve forests and improve parks and trails. Right now, Massachusetts provides only about $25 million annually in bond funding for land conservation.

Crucially, Question 6 does not raise taxes. It dedicates existing sales tax revenue from sporting goods like camping and fishing gear to conservation, with public oversight and annual reporting. That is why it’s endorsed by Gov. Maura Healey and more than 120 organizations, including Mass Audubon.

Broadmoor and the Trailside Museum shaped my children’s lives. I’m voting yes on Question 6 so the next generation of MetroWest families has that same opportunity, and I hope my neighbors will join me.

Pamela Laufer

Natick