As we close out a challenging year, we are also taking a moment to be thankful for the many strides we made toward advancing environmental protections, which ranged from federal laws to local community action. These 2020 wins included:
- Advocating for the Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law. The new law includes $900 million annually in long-awaited permanent funding for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund to protect our public lands, water resources, and cultural heritage.
- Filing a lawsuit with partners in federal court that challenges rollbacks to the Clean Water Act, which has helped safeguard America’s rivers, lakes, and other interconnected landscapes for nearly 50 years.
- Advancing state climate legislation, An Act to Create a 2050 Roadmap to a Clean & Thriving Commonwealth, which passed the House along with a related bill in the Senate. We are continuing to advocate for its final passage into law, and continued inclusion of strong environmental justice language and prioritization of natural climate solutions, before the session ends.
- Producing the sixth edition of our statewide land use analysis, Losing Ground: Nature’s Value in a Changing Climate, highlighting the value of forests, farmlands, and wetlands for climate resilience. The rate of development has remained steady at around 13 acres/day, while the rate of conservation has increased 37% to 55 acres per day, reflecting success based on our state and local advocacy work.
- Securing revisions to the Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target program, which provides financial incentives for solar energy projects. Our input centered on support for solar sited away from ecologically- and socially-valuable open space. We are continuing to push for more progress to reduce the loss of forests and farmlands while increasing the pace of solar projects on rooftops, parking lots, and other altered lands.
- Opposing state mosquito spraying legislation that would have been damaging to wetlands and wildlife. We achieved major improvements, including a comprehensive review under the newly formed state Mosquito Control for the 21st Century Task Force, of which we are a member. As a warmer, wetter climate is enhancing mosquito breeding and increasing the frequency of outbreaks of mosquito-borne disease, we have an opportunity to overhaul our antiquated mosquito control system, which relies on widespread spraying of pesticides. We are pushing instead for ecologically-based approaches that will benefit human health and wildlife habitat while increasing climate resilience.
- Working with cities and towns on smart land use and resiliency planning through our Shaping Climate Resilient Communities Program, and reaching over 900 participants through our workshops. The program also produced new resources on the economic and health benefits our forests, wetlands, and other ecosystems provide us, and collaborated with partners to advance climate resilience in parts of Southeastern Massachusetts.
- Celebrating wins for the Community Preservation Act in nine more Massachusetts cities and towns. CPA is a smart growth tool that helps communities preserve open space and historic sites, create affordable housing, and develop outdoor recreational facilities. Nearly 32,000 acres of open space have been protected through CPA to date.
Now we’re looking forward to 2021, when we’ll push the new administration to reverse recent environmental rollbacks, employ nature-based solutions, and continue advancing toward equitable climate action. Thanks to everyone that has taken action along the way by contacting elected officials, speaking up against damaging policy rollbacks, or working to improve resilience in your community. We’ll see you in the New Year!
