Massachusetts parks have a historic legacy worth saving
One of the critical lessons this pandemic has taught us is that our open spaces, particularly public open spaces, are critical to our physical and mental health. From early on and continuing through the worst of COVID-19’s impact, writer after writer after writer from across the nation extolled the virtues of our great outdoor spaces. This was particularly true for people who live in more densely populated cities and suburbs.
Closer to home, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) kept everything it could safely keep open available to the public, even as other states and non-profits closed their parks. The result was that our forests, parks and beaches became even more of a refuge to the public, with some DCR facilities seeing upwards of a 300 percent increase in use. In order to cope with what can only be described as an onslaught, DCR developed real time communications tools to let people know what was open, what had reached capacity, and alternative sites to visit if a park had reached its safe occupancy.
And while Massachusetts does not have a national forest, a Grand Canyon, or a Yellowstone to offer residents and visitors, it does have something among its 450,000 acres under DCR stewardship that most states do not have. Massachusetts has a proud, historic heritage that includes parks and parkways designed by none other than this country’s premier landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Charles Eliot.
Protecting that legacy for all of us and future generations is no easy task. It takes dedication, effort and no small amount of money to make sure these assets receive their due. In an attempt to do our part, MCV has been actively involved in the Special Legislative Commission now taking a top to bottom look at how DCR operates the facilities under its tutelage. As shocking as it may sound, in 2020 DCR had about $3.0 million dollars less to run its vast portfolio than it had in 2009.
MCV has pointed this out to the Special Commission and to anyone else who will listen. But we cannot do this alone. That’s why we’ve been circulating a petition, which we will present to the Special Commission when the public comment period ends on June 8. The Special Commission will continue meeting through the summer, then make a report to the Legislature and the Baker Administration on what DCR does, how well it does it, and what it may need to do differently.
We have a few more days to gather signatures. If you share our belief that our public parks are essential, or even important, that the people who run them should have the resources they need to do their jobs, then please sign it and share it with like-minded people. And remember, the park you save may be your own.
Doug Pizzi is the executive director of Massachusetts Conservation Voters