50+ Organizations Sign Letter to Support State Parks
Despite significant progress during the FY2023 budget process and the recently passed economic development bill, our parks remain in crisis due to a decade of underfunding and understaffing. During this period, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) lost some 300 positions and accumulated a $1.0 billion deferred maintenance backlog.
This reality prompted Massachusetts Conservation Voters (MCV) to hold a state parks summit on October 14, 2022. Participants drafted the open letter below, signed by more than 50 park-supporting organizations across the Commonwealth. The letter provides a path to reverse the shockingly sad fact that Massachusetts is ranked 50th in the U.S. in per capita spending on state and municipal parks.
We hope this will be the start of an ongoing, fruitful discussion to bring our parks into the 21st Century. During the worst of the pandemic, park visits increased exponentially, a trend that continues today, proving beyond all doubt that our public open spaces are essential to our physical and mental well-being.