Category: News

The Federal Money Spending Challenge: What's Next for Massachusetts? State House News Service | January 25, 2022 Some of the $4 billion of the federal funds allocated to Massachusetts from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) have been spoken for. But the discussion between Gov. Charlie Baker and the Legislature over how to spend the remaining $2.3 billion in ARPA funds is very much alive. How are key lawmakers making spending decisions as a recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill directs even more federal aid to Massachusetts? It’s a once-in-a-generation position to use billions in federal dollars for projects and initiatives all across the state. The choices legislators and administration officials make in the next few months will impact generations to come. Join MASSterList for a virtual State House News Forum with Rep. Dan Hunt, chair of the House Committee on Federal Stimulus and Census Oversight, MassBudget President Marie-Frances Rivera, Lizzi Weyant of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and Doug Howgate of the...

Governor Hochul Announces Another Record Year for State Parks in 2021 Press Release | Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, New York State | February 8, 2022 https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-another-record-year-state-parks-2021 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that New York's State parks, historic sites, campgrounds, and trails welcomed a record-setting 78.4 million visits in 2021, continuing the robust level of visitation seen since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. "From Niagara Falls to Montauk Point, our State Parks and Historic Sites are a treasure that every New Yorker should be able to enjoy," Governor Hochul said. "During the pandemic, parks and public spaces have become more important than ever -- providing New Yorkers with safe and enjoyable outdoor spaces for gatherings and recreation. New York was proud to welcome a record-setting number of visitors to our State Parks last year, and we look forward to modernizing our parks system as we approach its historic 100th anniversary in 2024." Total visits statewide increased in 2021 by more than 427,000, driven by...

Questions for you. Answers for your Park. Massachusetts Forest and Park Friends Network | February 7, 2022 http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/1495467/9d91ff94bb/546750267/e8871384b1/ Where do you go for exercise, inspiration, quiet? Where can you find wildlife, wildflowers and wonder? The answer should be Massachusetts’ State Parks. But while we love to boast how we compare to other states in terms of education, history and tourism, Massachusetts spends less than 46 other states on parks and recreation. It’s no wonder that there is a billion-dollar backlog of deferred maintenance and crumbling infrastructure at Massachusetts State Parks. You see it on your walk, your hike, as you kayak or canoe. You see it from horseback, on your bicycle, from the top of the hill. ARPA Funds to the Rescue! We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend $100 million dollars on park infrastructure through the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) funds* —But we must ask for it! *More about ARPA at the MCV website. PLEASE TAKE OUR VERY SHORT SURVEY Tell us where you would spend the $100 million ARPA funds. We will send your answers...

Events at Heritage State Park in Fall River for February Ken Paiva | Fall River Reporter | February 6, 2022 https://fallriverreporter.com/events-at-heritage-state-park-in-fall-river-for-february/ All programs are free and open to the public. The Visitor Center is located at 200 Davol Street in the Captain Thomas J. Hudner, Jr. Memorial Building. Free parking is available in the DCR Lot at 5 Water Street in Fall River. An adult must accompany children. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request. Please follow all current COVID guidelines. Visit Mass.gov/COVID. For more information call 508-675-5759. HERITAGE QUEST: Activities Daily 9:00 AM—3:00 PM Stop by the Visitor Center, grab one of our unique coloring sheets of moments in Fall River History. Try your hand at origami or even weave a row on our community loom. If you complete an entire row, you too can add your name tag! Get creative and make a holiday ornament or decoration! This is a drop-in self-guided program. Stay for the duration or drop in for a few moments. PROGRAMS: Water +...

7 Black Environmentalists Who Truly Made History This blog was written in part by Naomi Snyder, an Urban Green Lab volunteer, and edited by Nicole Brose. The environmental movement has a troubled past. The historical defenders of nature in this country, such as Madison Grant and Henry Fairfield Osborn, espoused conservation at the same time they espoused white supremacy. Early conservationists such as John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt said and wrote horrible things about Black and brown people. It’s a shame, since Black and brown communities often suffer the worst impacts from environmental damage due to systemic racism. However, Black people have not stayed on the sidelines when it comes to the historical conservation movement. We’ll honor just a few of their names here. Solomon Brown 1829-1906 Photo Credit: Smithsonian Institution Archives Solomon Brown was the first African-American employee of the Smithsonian Institution. He served under three Smithsonian secretaries. He rose in the ranks despite a lack of formal education, writing letters that help document the experience of a free Black man during the Civil War....

Flush With Federal Cash, States Invest in Their Crowded Parks Alex Brown, Stateline | The Pew Charitable Trusts | June 23, 2021 https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2021/06/23/flush-with-federal-cash-states-invest-in-their-crowded-parks For years, Michigan officials have fretted about the ever-growing list of overdue maintenance needs at their 103 state parks: roads and trails, water and sewer systems, restrooms and electrical infrastructure. All are in dire need of replacement or repair—with a price tag that exceeds a quarter-billion dollars. “A lot of these parks are coasting on the fumes of the investments we made in the ‘60s and ‘70s,” said Dan Eichinger, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “We’ve had this $264 million millstone around our neck.” Much of that aging infrastructure was pushed to the limit last year, as the pandemic drove people outdoors in record numbers. Michigan state parks saw 36 million visitors in 2020, up from 27 million in a typical year. State leaders expect that demand to continue. So when the American Rescue Plan dropped more than $6 billion...

Report: State parkland agency neglected Christian Wade | The Salem News | January 10, 2022 https://www.salemnews.com/news/report-state-parkland-agency-neglected/article_8e1bed5a-7253-11ec-bcc3-a7d50e345a94.html BOSTON — The state agency overseeing security at the Statehouse and a vast swath of recreational facilities and Massachusetts parklands has been starved of resources for years, according to a new report, which calls for a major boost in funding and other reforms. The report, released by a 15-member state commission, found that funding for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation has dropped by 16% since 2009 and remained largely flat over that time period. This, coupled with a 25% reduction in staffing since 2009, has prevented the agency from dealing with a backlog of maintenance needs estimated at more than $1 billion in 2016, according to the report, which was compiled by the University of Massachusetts’ Donahue Center. “Considering the state’s needs for conservation and recreation and its renewed focus on climate change, the adequacy of the DCR budget to address future needs has come into question,” the...

Baker-Polito Administration Announces First Day Hikes at Massachusetts State Parks Press Release | Department of Conservation & Recreation | December 28, 2021 https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-polito-administration-announces-first-day-hikes-at-massachusetts-state-parks BOSTON — Continuing a decades-long tradition, the Baker-Polito Administration today announced it is offering First Day Hikes throughout the Massachusetts State Parks System on Saturday, January 1, 2022. Organized by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the Administration will offer seven guided hikes as part of the 31st annual First Day Hikes in Massachusetts to provide the public with an opportunity to incorporate outdoor recreational activities into their New Year’s Day celebrations. “The Baker-Polito Administration is thrilled to continue the tradition of offering First Day hikes at state parks throughout the Commonwealth again this year,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. “There is nothing more invigorating than hiking through one of our beautiful parks with family and friends, and we’re pleased to offer the opportunity kick off the New Year by getting outside and exploring the wonderful natural...

Author Dennis Drabelle on how national parks came to be Jeff Glor | CBS News | December 11, 2021 https://www.cbsnews.com/video/author-dennis-drabelle-on-how-national-parks-came-to-be/ Our national parks system is one of our country's proudest achievements, but protecting lands like this wasn't always a goal. Dennis Drabelle, the author of "The Power of Scenery: Frederick Law Olmsted and the Origin of National Parks," speaks to Jeff Glor about the man who helped bring about the change. https://www.youtube.com/embed/9viKjd68G_Y Author Dennis Drabelle on how national parks came to be...

The state needs a better way to track what it owns The Editorial Board | The Boston Globe | December 5, 2021 https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/05/opinion/state-needs-better-way-track-what-it-owns/ The tragedy involving the dilapidated staircase near the MBTA JFK/UMass Station, where a Boston University professor fell to his death, is an opportunity for state leaders to rethink how they track state-owned properties and come up with a better system for tracking maintenance and repairs. As the Globe’s Elizabeth Koh recently reported, several government agencies, including the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, flagged safety issues on the staircase that led from Columbia Road toward JFK/UMass Station. The staircase was shut down and blocked off, but not repaired or removed, until after professor David Jones died. At that point, it also became clear there was confusion over which state agency was responsible for repairing those stairs. Initially, a T official suggested the structure belonged to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. That was true up until 2009, when the Legislature reorganized the state’s...