Legislative Parks Caucus Meets
Doug Pizzi | December 8, 2022
On December 7, the state Legislature’s Parks Caucus met for the first time in recent memory. More than 70 legislators, aides, and park and conservation advocates joined caucus chairs Senator Michael Rush and Representative Bruce Ayers in discussing the future of our parks. More specifically, how to rebuild the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to 2008 staffing levels while continuing to work on the reforms outlined by the Legislative Special Commission on DCR.
Senator William Brownsberger, who created the special commission, outlined his priorities, including more and consistent funding, strengthening the DCR Stewardship Council’s role in guiding the agency, and elevating DCR to a cabinet-level agency reporting directly to the Governor.
Heather Clish (Appalachian Mountain Club) and Laura Jasinski (Charles River Conservancy) outlined DCR’s efforts to fulfill the aspirations of the Special Commission, which released its final report in December of 2021, over the past year. To its credit, DCR hit the ground running and is making significant progress along those lines. This includes developing a Strategic Readiness Initiative, converting 50 seasonal employees to full-time staff, filling an additional 50 positions, developing a much-needed public-private partnership guide, improving staff training, and creating a more open capital planning operation. Work in 2023 on the agency’s Strategic Plan will depend on continued support from the Parks Caucus, the rest of the Legislature, and the incoming Healey-Driscoll Administration. To that end, the Park Caucus chairs pledged to meet regularly during the next legislative session.
MCV looks forward to working with all of them, and all of you, in what could be a banner year for DCR. If we continue to build on the success we achieved in FY2023; it will be. If you support our work, please donate today. The park you save may be your own.
Doug Pizzi is MCV’s Executive Director
To sign up to receive updates like the above, click here