By Jess Nahigian and Emma Brown
Thanks to relentless community advocacy and the efforts of Senator Jamie Eldridge, a version of the Public Lands Preservation Act (PLPA, S.2820) passed the Senate, by a vote of 39-0 on Thursday. Passage is an important milestone; it keeps the PLPA alive in this legislative session.
However, passage is not a final victory. The Senate version is very different from the House bill (H.851) and is inferior, to be frank. The Senate bill would make it easier for developers to bypass the PLPA's safeguards for Article 97 land by providing them with a waiver and cash payment alternative. This effectively puts a price on every parcel of Article 97 land in the Commonwealth, and the political pressure to grant waivers will be intense. Our public lands are not for sale!
The benefits of protecting open space are numerous and widespread, from helping fight climate change, to improving the quality of life for people accessing those spaces, to supporting wildlife biodiversity and habitat. This legislation will provide consistency, predictability, and enforceable regulations to make sure open space is preserved for future generations.
With passage we live to fight another day. The Senate bill needs work to bring it into line with the House bill, which is the canonical Public Lands Preservation Act. The House version of the PLPA, sponsored by Rep. Balser, would provide needed protection for state public open space land, such as parks, playgrounds, conservation land, forests, and watersheds. We are pleased the bill has cleared this latest hurdle and we look forward to a final bill that includes enhanced protections from the House’s version of the bill.
We thank Senator Eldridge for his efforts and his long-term commitment to the bill, as well as Representative Ruth Balser for her work on a strong House bill. We also thank the large coalition of environmental groups, conservation commissions, municipal leaders, and advocates across the Commonwealth that worked hard to support this bill.
Take action to support the PLPA!
Join our Forest Protection Team to continue learning and advocating for stronger conservation policies by coming to our meetings! The team meets every 2nd and 4th Thursday from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Head over to our Events Calendar to RSVP for a team meeting.
Please also take a moment to thank Senator Eldridge for his efforts via email at James.Eldridge@masenate.gov.