Rebranded conservation group vows to fight for Massachusetts state parks and forests

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Mary C. Serreze | The Republican | August 28, 2018 https://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/08/statewide_environmental_group.html The Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters has rebranded as Massachusetts Conservation Voters and is pledging to fight for state parks and forests. The state's environment budget "suffered devastating reductions" during the great recession, and properties run by the Department of Conservation and Recreation still suffer from deferred maintenance, said MCV executive director Doug Pizzi. While the DCR got a modest funding boost this year, a decade of cuts eliminated 436 positions, more than a third of the agency's workforce, according to a release. Pizzi said the cuts have hurt maintenance at a half-million acres, including parks and forests, campgrounds, beaches, swimming pools, walking and bike trails, skating rinks, ballfields, playgrounds, Boston Harbor islands, and historic parkways. "In a state that has one of the oldest and largest state park systems, MCV is one of the few organizations whose sole focus is on giving residents and visitors the world class public parks they deserve," he said. A new website has...
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Environmental non-profit changes name and mission to benefit state parks

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BOSTON – As state funding continues to significantly decline for Massachusetts parks, beaches, forests and other protected areas, a new organization has formed to ensure the long-term viability of these critical places that play a major contribution to tourism, recreation, education and quality of life. Massachusetts Conservation Voters (MCV) will strive to keep voters and elected officials informed about the importance of supporting the operation, maintenance and improvement of our state’s open spaces, one of the first state park systems in the nation. “The state budget for environmental programs suffered devastating reductions during the Great Recession, and the Dept. of Conservation and Recreation still has not recovered from those losses, particularly from the impact of deferred maintenance,” said MCV’s Executive Director Doug Pizzi. “In a state that has one of the oldest and largest state parks systems, MCV is one of the few statewide organizations whose sole focus is on giving residents and visitors the world class public parks they deserve.” While there...
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Letter to The Honorable Jeffrey Sanchez

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June 27, 2018 The Honorable Jeffrey Sanchez, Chairman House Committee on Ways & Means State House, Room 243 Boston, MA 02133 Dear Chairman Sanchez and House Ways & Means Members, We at Massachusetts Conservation Voters (MCV) wish to be on record as opposing passage of An Act Authorizing the Town of Westminster to Acquire State Forest Land (H-4677). MCV is a newly re-named statewide conservation and environmental education non-profit, formerly called the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters, (MLEV) dedicated to protecting and improving our state-held open spaces, primarily those administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Converting this 85-acre parcel protected by Article 97 of the state Constitution from state forest land to expand a landfill would forever alter the forest and destroy a portion of the Ball Hill Trail, one of the more popular hiking trails in the forest, a large gem acquired by the state over a 30-plus-year period beginning in the 1920s. We respectfully request that the House Committee on Ways and Means reject...
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Landswap with Leominster forest would grow Westminster landfill

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Mina Corpuz | Sentinel & Enterprise | July 31, 2018 http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/news/ci_32041943/landswap-leominster-forest-would-grow-westminster-landfill WESTMINSTER -- Town Administrator Karen Murphy is calling a land swap that could allow the town to expand its landfill and grow the Leominster State Forest a win-win situation. Legislation could authorize the town to acquire 85 acres of forest land, which the town plans to use for the landfill. In return, Westminster would give 175 acres to the state, increasing the forest by about 90 acres. "We're losing a lot of landfill space around the state, so we feel the landfill is meeting a need around here," she said. Acquiring the state forest land could add another 10 years to the landfill, according to a fact sheet about the legislation proposed by Reps. Jon Zlotnik, Kim Ferguson, and Stephan Hay. Extending the life of the landfill could help while solutions for longterm waste management are developed, he said. "This will help us while we figure things out," Hay said. The bill is up for consideration by...
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