STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR MASSACHUSETTS BILLS H.4150 AND H.904

TO: Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Sen. Rebecca Rausch, Senate Chair and Rep. Daniel Cahill, House Chair

RE: H.4150, An Act Relative to Forest Protection
       H.904, An Act Relative to Increased Protection of Wildlife Management Areas 

Dear Senator Rausch and Representative Cahill,

If passed, two bills — H.4150, sponsored by Representative Carmine Lawrence Gentile and H.904, sponsored by Representative Danillo Dena — would make the state a national leader by permanently protecting more than 460,000 acres of state-owned lands as parks and reserves, where natural processes are allowed to proceed with minimal human management, similar to the stewardship of our National Parks.

By preserving 8.8% of the land base and 14% of forested lands in Massachusetts, the bills would:

• fight climate change by allowing forests to grow back and keeping them standing so they can maximize carbon removal from the atmosphere and optimize long-term carbon storage;

• preserve large, contiguous tracts of forest, water, and wetlands that sustain the full range of native diversity, which only our public lands are now capable of providing;

• provide public benefits such as clean air and water, recreational opportunities, and economic diversification;

• contribute to the mitigation of climate change impacts for all Massachusetts residents, including environmental justice communities, coastal areas, and watersheds of urban centers.

The bills would also allow management flexibility to address public health, safety, environmental, and other concerns. They would require little or no increased funding to the agencies for implementation.

Please ensure the passage of these bills.