State Policy Priorities
The 2025-2026 legislative session started on January 2, 2025, with Committee assignments and bill filing to follow in subsequent weeks. Under the guidance of our Policy Committee, MLTC will focus our administrative and legislative advocacy throughout the session on advancing our strategic objectives:
- To increase state investment in land conservation and in the work of land trusts, and
- To maximize the integrity and natural resource value of protected lands as well as unprotected lands of significant conservation value.
Our primary efforts will include the following:
- Commenting on draft regulations for An Act Preserving Open Space in the Commonwealth (also known as the Public Lands Protection Act) and monitoring their implementation.
- Advocating for robust measures to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts on ecological and human communities in new energy-facility siting frameworks to be adopted under the 2024 omnibus climate law.
- Continuing to monitor and advocate for resolution of the long-standing backlog in Conservation Restrictions under review by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA).
- Representing land trusts on EEA-convened working groups, including on Resilient Lands and revision of the state’s model Conservation Restriction.
- Passing a strong Environmental Bond bill that authorizes robust state investment for years to come in programs that are vital to the land conservation sector.
- Supporting a new legislative proposal to create a dedicated funding source for conservation, restoration and improvement of lands and waters to benefit nature and people.
- Passing legislation to increase the annual cap on the state conservation land tax credit program.
We will also work with partners to support:
- FY26 state operating and capital budgets that maintain robust investment in environmental programs.
- Legislation, funding and programs that promote acquisition and management of natural and working lands to reduce impacts from climate change.
- Legislation to increase protection for legal heirs of property owners who die without a will in place.
- Legislation and regulatory updates to facilitate expanded wetlands restoration.
- Legislation to consistently reimburse MassWildlife for revenue lost from providing free hunting and fishing licenses.
- Effective implementation of the Farmland Action Plan, Healthy Soils Action Plan and strategic actions to set and achieve statewide Biodiversity Goals.
We will also advocate on select high-priority federal policy matters, with guidance from the Land Trust Alliance and other partners.