Massachusetts Forest Protection Bills 2025

Contact legislators. Ask for support for the forest protection bills.

Please contact your state representative and senator and ask them to co-sponsor the bills. We have a template letter for fast action or to write on your own: First click on the bill number, then click on Petitioners. If your Rep’s or Senator’s name is not on the list, then ask them to "Please co-sponsor these bills, which would protect our state-owned lands as permanent reserves, with similar protection to that of our National Parks." If their names are listed as Petitioners, then thank them for co-sponsoring.

Together H.952, H.953, and H.1048 would permanently protect 462,000 acres as intact ecosystems that are influenced primarily by natural processes in our forests and parks — a level of protection that now exists for only 1% of the state’s land base.  

H.952 AN ACT RELATIVE TO WATERSHED FOREST PROTECTION 
Sponsored by Representative Carmine Gentile, would designate over 100,000 acres of state owned watershed lands as parks or reserves.
Fact Sheet H.952

H.953 AN ACT RELATIVE TO FOREST PROTECTION
Sponsored by Representative Carmine Gentile, would update century-old public land policies written before we recognized the climate crisis and global loss of biodiversity and would help address these concerns by designating 312,000 acres of  forest lands controlled by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) as parks or reserves.
Fact Sheet H.953
 
H.1048 AN ACT RELATIVE TO INCREASED PROTECTION WILDLIFE  MANAGEMENT AREAS
Sponsored by Representative Danillo A. Sena, would add 50,000 acres of state owned Wildlife Management areas as reserves.
Fact Sheet H.1048

H.1013 / S.553 AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE MUNICIPAL REFORESTATION PROGRAM 
Sponsored by Representatives Steven Owens and Jennifer Balinsky Armini, would set up a structure to provide funding to municipalities throughout the Commonwealth to create a robust urban tree canopy cover in strategic locations, especially in treeless areas.
Fact Sheet H.1013/S.553. 
Massachusetts Community Trees Coalition Website

Other Actions You Can Take:

The Forest Protection Team aligns with and supports the work of Trees as a Public Good Network. Read about additional bills and action you can take to protect more trees!