Tag: On The Record

Press Release: MCV Endorses Jonathan Zlotnik for State Senate

October 30, 2023October 30, 2023 by admin Comment Closed

Press Release: MCV Endorses Jonathan Zlotnik for State Senate For Immediate ReleaseOctober 24, 2023 Contact: Chuck Anastas774-249-8199 (mobile)chuck@massconservationvoters.com Mass Conservation Voters endorses Jonathan Zlotnik for State Senate Massachusetts Conservation Voters (MCV) today endorsed Jonathan Zlotnik in his bid to become the next senator representing the Worcester & Hampshire District. The special election will be conducted along with the regular election on November 7. The Senate seat is open because former Sen. Anne Gobi resigned last May to join the Healey-Driscoll Administration as the State Director of Rural Affairs. MCV is a statewide, non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to state parks and conserving publicly owned state lands, particularly those controlled by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. MCV board member and spokesman Henry Woolsey thanked Rep. Zlotnik for his work supporting Dunn State Park in Gardner. "His genuine commitment to land protection and conservation and understanding the importance of state parks and publicly owned lands make him the right choice for the Massachusetts Senate,” Woolsey said. “We are confident that...

Mass Parks for All, our vision for a 21st Century state park system

September 25, 2023September 26, 2023 by admin Comment Closed

Mass Parks for All, our vision for a 21st Century state park system Doug Pizzi | September 25, 2023 If you follow this space you know that on May 11, Mass Conservation Voters (MCV) unveiled our newly named 501(C)(3) charitable corporation, Mass Parks for All (MPA). More than 100 people joined us for this event, including then newly appointed Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Commissioner Brian Arrigo, who gave the keynote address, as well as state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, and state Rep. Ruth Balser, who we honored for their extraordinary legislative leadership in passing the Public Lands Preservation Act. Whether you were able to join us or not, we thank all who encouraged and supported the creation of our new charitable corporation at MCV, which shall continue to be the name on the 501(C)(4) political action side of the aisle. As of July 1, yours truly moved over from MCV to be the executive director of MPA, now the public face of our...

Charles Eliot’s public, private creations treated very differently

September 25, 2023September 25, 2023 by admin Comment Closed

Charles Eliot’s public, private creations treated very differently Opinion, Doug Pizzi and Michele Hanss | CommonWealth | September 2, 2023 https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/charles-eliots-public-private-creations-treated-very-differently/ In 1891, at the urging of famed landscape architect Charles Eliot, the Massachusetts Legislature created the world’s first land trust, The Trustees of Reservations. Eliot was 32 years old. He also played a major role in founding the Metropolitan Boston Park System, the precursor to our state parks. Unfortunately, Eliot died from spinal meningitis in the spring of 1897, having lived a short life of remarkable achievement we still benefit from today. During his brief career, he apprenticed with Frederick Law Olmsted, toured European landscapes at his mentor’s urging, founded his own landscape design company, and in March of 1883 partnered with Olmsted’s sons, forming Olmsted, Olmsted, and Eliot, all while acting as the chief planner for the Metropolitan Park System. Eliot dreamed of protecting as much public open space as possible and connecting those parcels via a scenic parkway system that the public...

Mass Parks for All Strategic Oversight Plan Public Comment

August 18, 2023August 18, 2023 by admin Comment Closed

Mass Parks for All Strategic Oversight Plan Public Comment Below is our public comment on the Stewardship Council's Strategic Oversight Plan. If you'd like to submit your own comments, click here for more info -- comments are due Tuesday, August 22. Subject: Mass Parks for All Strategic Oversight Plan Public Comment Dear Chairman Buckley and Council Members, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Stewardship Council’s Strategic Oversight Plan. As a stakeholder in the effort to secure adequate funding, staffing and other resources for our state parks, Mass Parks for All (MPA) is committed to working with the Council, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), park friends groups, the Legislature, the Governor, and other stakeholders to bring a 21st Century vision for our parks into focus and ultimately an on the ground reality. We thank the Council for this detailed plan, and in the interest of remaining brief, will concentrate on what we think are the most important goals and tasks within it. On...

FY24 Budget Could Put DCR On Track For Great Things

August 4, 2023August 4, 2023 by admin Comment Closed

FY24 Budget Could Put DCR On Track For Great Things By Doug Pizzi On Monday, July 31, the Legislature sent a $56.2 billion Fiscal Year 2024 budget to Gov. Healey for her consideration. The governor has 10 days to approve and/or veto any of its provisions. While lawmakers approved the budget just shy of a month late, they say good things come to those who wait. And there is very good news for the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and in turn for our state parks and those of us who frequent them. If the governor approves the budget as submitted, DCR will receive the largest operational increase ever, with one caveat, which I’ll explain later in this post. It is worth noting that the House-Senate Conference Committee, charged with aligning their respective chambers’ proposed budgets, actually came in with a higher number than either chamber proposed originally. This is not something you see every day and it is a sure indication that...

Olmsted and Friends: Meet Betsy Shure Gross

April 18, 2023April 18, 2023 by admin Comment Closed

Olmsted and Friends: Meet Betsy Shure Gross National Association for Olmsted Parks | March 16, 2023 https://olmsted200.org/olmsted-and-friends-meet-betsy-shure-gross/ https://youtu.be/gPlcO0azSmU Meet our Olmsted 200 Honorary Committee! Betsy Shure GrossFounding Board Member and Former Co-ChairNational Association for Olmsted Parks Betsy Shure Gross grew up playing in Olmsted parks, but it wasn’t until she moved a block and a half from Boston’s Emerald Necklace that she fully realized who Olmsted was and his importance. “The most exquisite component of Olmsted’s vision for me is the fact that his parks are places where there really is democracy in dirt, where everyone is welcome…It’s one of the few places left in society where you can spend as much time as you want and have no cost except for interest and commitment. So, his vision of parks for people— all kinds of people— was always critical for me.” The years that followed Gross’ move to Boston were some of the most significant in the movement to restore and protect historic landscapes— and she was there for them all. In Boston, she witnessed the National Park...

Healey-Driscoll Budget Update

March 2, 2023March 2, 2023 by admin Comment Closed

Healey-Driscoll Budget Update March 2, 2023 Dear MCV Members, The Healey-Driscoll Administration unveiled its FY24 proposed budget yesterday. This is great news for our parks and all of us who rely on them for our physical and mental well-being. We thank the Administration for supporting our forests, parks, beaches, trails and other Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) facilities and encourage you to do the same. As you know, Mass Conservation Voters’ (MCV) 2021 comments to the Legislative Special Commission on DCR stated the agency needed at least a $10 million per year increase in its State Parks and Recreation operations account (2810-0100) each year for the next decade. With your help, we succeeded in getting a $10 million increase in the account for the FY23 operations budget, funded at $85 million. Our October 2023 state park summit open letter, sent to the Administration and the Legislature, repeated that request for FY24. We are happy to report that the Administration’s proposed FY24 budget for that account...

February Blog: And So, It Begins – Again

February 13, 2023February 13, 2023 by admin Comment Closed

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...

MCV’s 2023 Wish List

MCV's 2023 Wish List for Massachusetts State Parks On December 14, 2022, we published our Wish List for 2023 and asked you to comment and add to our list. Thanks to all of you who sent replies in agreement and encouragement, and especially for your additions. Here’s our final curated list. Let’s compare notes later this year -- here’s to making wishes come true! The MCV 2023 Wish List for Massachusetts State Parks: 1. An experienced Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Commissioner with vision, and leadership, committed to parks and open spaces, who will serve at least four years. 2. More Public/Private Partnership funding for DCR park improvements. 3. A dollar amount affixed to the Parkways Master Plan and a public planning and construction schedule. 4. A cabinet-level Secretary of Conservation, Recreation, Wildlife Management, and Agriculture reporting directly to the Governor. 5. More public ocean beaches, bike and pedestrian trails, and universal access to these facilities. 6. Clean park bathrooms and staffed park headquarters open all year. 7. A...

2022, A Year To Remember

December 22, 2022December 22, 2022 by admin Comment Closed

2022, A Year To Remember Doug Pizzi | December 22, 2022 Massachusetts Conservation Voters (MCV) has had its most successful year since rebranding to focus primarily on our state parks nearly four years ago. In the space of 12 months, with your support, we have gone from a fledgling state park-supporting NGO to a vital leader in park advocacy. One reason for this was October’s MCV state park summit, attended by more than 20 organizations. Summiteers produced an open letter signed by more than 50 organizations and distributed it to legislators, the incoming and outgoing gubernatorial administrations, and the media. The idea was, in part, to satisfy many legislators’ requests that to the extent possible, park advocates speak with one voice. Here are links to some of the media coverage we obtained, which started with the State House News Service and Commonwealth Magazine, a publication of MassINC, picking up the story. This includes an editorial endorsing our position, and quoting the letter, which ran...

Press Release: Governor Baker signs Public Lands Preservation Act into law!

November 21, 2022November 22, 2022 by admin Comment Closed

Press Release: Governor Baker signs Public Lands Preservation Act into law! On November 17, Governor Charlie Baker signed H.5381, An Act preserving open space in the Commonwealth, AKA the Public Lands Preservation Act (PLPA). The bill codifies the existing “no net loss” state policy when open space protected by Article 97 of the state Constitution is converted to another use. Because of inconsistent application of the policy and outright attempts to evade it completely, advocates for more than 20 years have been trying to get the policy written into state law. MCV is a long-time supporter of the bill and worked with a coalition of more than a dozen environmental organizations to get this bill over the finish line. For this, we are thankful. To read the press release, please see below. Press Release: Governor Baker signs Public Lands Preservation Act into law!Download...

Press Release: More than 50 organizations call for major improvements at Massachusetts state parks

November 17, 2022November 17, 2022 by admin Comment Closed

For Immediate ReleaseNovember 17, 2022 Contact: Doug Pizzi508-314-7988 (mobile)508-251-2599 (office) More than 50 organizations call for major improvements at Massachusetts state parks Despite significant progress during the FY2023 budget process and the recently passed economic development bill, our state parks remain in crisis due to a decade of underfunding and understaffing, a condition exacerbated by an exponential increase in use that began with the pandemic and continues unabated today. This on the ground reality prompted Mass Conservation Voters (MCV) to hold a state parks summit on October 14, 2022. Participants representing more than 20 organizations drafted an open letter on our parks, subsequently signed by more than 50 park-supporting organizations across the Commonwealth. “The pandemic proved beyond all doubt that our parks are essential for our physical and mental well-being. It’s long past time to treat them that way,” said MCV Executive Director Doug Pizzi. “We truly appreciate the progress we have made over the last year, but it will take at least another decade...

50+ Organizations Sign Letter to Support State Parks

November 16, 2022November 17, 2022 by admin Comment Closed

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...

Public Lands Preservation Act, State Budget Updates

August 4, 2022August 4, 2022 by admin Comment Closed

Public Lands Preservation Act, State Budget Updates Doug Pizzi | August 4, 2022 The following are updates on the Public Lands Preservation Act and the State Budget. PLPA: The coalition supporting the Public Lands Preservation Act (PLPA), which includes MCV, has weighed in on the Legislature’s inability to come to an agreement between the House and Senate versions of the bill before the legislative session ended in the early morning hours of Aug. 1. We are disappointed the legislative conference committee named to bring the respective versions into agreement could not finish before the clock ran out. The coalition supporting the bill has urged legislators to continue working so that the bill can come up for approval in informal session. The conferees have committed to as much. The reason to avoid missing the end of session deadline is that for a bill to pass in an informal session the vote must be unanimous. More succinctly, one no vote can scuttle a bill. But the...

Joint Statement on the Public Lands Preservation Act Conference Committee

August 2, 2022August 2, 2022 by admin Comment Closed

Joint Statement on the Public Lands Preservation Act Conference Committee August 2, 2022 A coalition of environmental groups, including the Massachusetts Conservation Voters (MCV), today issued this statement on the legislative conference committee's inability to reach consensus on the Public Lands Preservation Act. MCV will continue to advocate for this bill, which now would have to pass in an informal session before year's end, where one objection can derail it. Joint-Statement-re-PLPA-Conference-Committee_02AUG22Download...