February Blog: And So, It Begins – Again
Doug Pizzi, Executive Director | February 2023
At the beginning of each new legislative session, it’s always important to remember the immense responsibilities of the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Planning, maintaining, improving, and programming 500,000 acres of public land is a tremendous responsibility. MCV, our members, and the public share this responsibility with DCR because when all is said and done, DCR land is our land.
And so, it begins – again.
It is natural at this point with a new administration to feel impatient for an announcement of a new DCR Commissioner and get to work. But this appointment comes at a critical time. Getting the right choice of a commissioner – one who is qualified, capable, and focused on DCR’s core mission – is more critical than immediately naming one. MCV is confident that the Healey-Driscoll Administration and Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper know that our public lands are essential for our mental and physical health and a backstop for the increasingly disruptive and deadly effects of climate change.
So, as we embark on the 2023/24 legislative session and before the next commissioner begins work, it is an excellent time to take stock of where we have been and where we are going.
The Operating Budget
Last year saw the elimination of Retained Revenue from fees and other income as a method of financing DCR’s day-to-day operations. Instead, the money that DCR might expect to come in over the course of the fiscal year was replaced with general revenue tax dollars. This welcome policy change meant that for the first time in more than a decade, DCR planners knew how much money they had to run the agency at the start of the fiscal year. And speaking of operations, DCR received a $10 million increase in DCR’s Parks and Recreation Operations account (2810-0100), the largest in recent memory and perhaps ever. MCV thanks our state Legislature and the former Baker Administration for these critical changes, as well as our members and other advocates who joined us in calling for them.
Job one of the Governor and the Legislature is the annual budget. The most critical need at DCR is to continue last year’s progress in replenishing the devastating cuts in the wake of the Great Recession, the loss of 300 positions combined with the cratering of Massachusetts’ public dollars dedicated to parks. In its final report, the Legislative Special Commission on DCR noted that Massachusetts is 50th out of 50 states in terms of per capita spending on state and municipal parks. The last two budget cycles made significant progress, but we still have a long way to go. As recommended by the Special Commission, DCR has embarked upon a Strategic Readiness Initiative and received permission to add 50 new positions. We need more of the same in next year’s budget if we want DCR to ultimately have the ability to carry out its mission.
The Capital Budget
The public lands DCR controls have a $1.0 billion deferred maintenance backlog. Needed capital improvements for bathrooms, roofs, parkways, and bike and pedestrian trails have been deferred for nearly 15 years. The time is now to reverse this trend. Also of note, the five-year environmental bond bill passed in 2018 is expiring. A new environmental bond bill, should one be filed, provides one more avenue to bring DCR capital spending to a level the agency needs to move forward.
DCR has about $140 million in capital funding for Fiscal 2023, which runs until June 30th. Unfortunately, that’s not near enough to make significant progress in eliminating the $1.0 billion deferred maintenance backlog and deal with ongoing capital needs, such as building new parks and acquiring new lands in Gateway cities, environmental justice neighborhoods, and fragile ecosystems. It is most certainly not enough to make our public lands safe from the effects of climate change.
The operating budget and the capital budget work hand in hand. DCR needs the capacity, both in terms of money and personnel, to get these projects done. This is essential to achieve a sustainable 21st-century park system. As we did in our comments to the Special Commission, MCV again calls for a $250 million capital budget for FY2024, which will allow the agency to make significant progress on the backlog and still have funds to deal with ongoing capital needs.
The DCR Stewardship Council
For the first time in years, the Council is nearly at full membership. Governor Healey will have the opportunity to appoint the 13th member of the Council in the coming months, one of two environmental seats as mandated by the Council’s enabling legislation. Meanwhile, the Council continues to shed important light on DCR’s needs by offering a public forum for park and land advocates. This year the Council will receive an update on DCR’s most recent hires and presentations on the operating budget and the five-year capital plan. Additionally, the Council is planning a special public meeting on budget issues in May. Finally, it will look at DCR’s progress on developing and enacting a Strategic Plan, a critical Legislative Special Commission recommendation.
Advocates
At the end of last year, more than 50 environmental organizations signed MCV’s Open Letter, derived from a state parks summit in October, on DCR’s needs and the future of our state park system. The letter was the culmination of efforts years in the making, and requests from Legislators that park advocates, to the extent possible, speak with one voice. We will be working hard to obtain even more signatures for this letter in the coming months. The Legislative Special Commission Report, our success in advocating to increase the DCR budget, and the engagement of the Legislative Parks Caucus have created new energy to move forward with a unified voice.
May 11th Special Event Announcing – Mass Parks For All
And finally, I’d like to take a moment to tell you about a significant change at MCV. On the evening of May 11th, we will announce the transformation of our 501 (C)(3) charitable organization into a new organization called Mass Parks for All.
The essential work of Mass Parks for All is to build and advocate for a 21st-century parks system that is adequately funded, universally accessible, and equitable with multimodal greenways and blueways connecting our parklands. We will do this through advocacy and education aimed at protecting our ecological, recreational, historical, and cultural assets that support our well-being and our multi-billion-dollar annual outdoor industry. We believe every person in the Commonwealth deserves clean, safe, adequately staffed parks that offer recreational opportunities for all. We expect our shared parks, forests, beaches, trails, and recreational assets to be protected and managed based on the best available practices and science. We will encourage the development of public-private partnerships to help achieve these goals.
More information about our May 11th special event is coming soon. We hope you will join us.
Doug Pizzi is the Executive Director of Massachusetts Conservation Voters