Policy Priorities

As we look forward to the 2025-2026 legislative session, MLTC’s Policy Committee is working to establish a limited number of legislative priorities that advance our primary 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.

After a marathon 23-hour session, the two-year state legislative session came to a formal close on August 1, 2024 without action on several important bills, including MLTC’s priority bills detailed below. While it is still possible for some laws to pass in informal sessions between now and the end of the year, this is a perilous path for controversial legislation, given that passage can be stopped by an objection from any single legislator present. Bills requiring a roll call vote, including bond bills, can only be passed in formal sessions. Lawmakers say that work on priority bills is ongoing and that they may convene a special formal session where bills such as the Economic Development Bond bill could be considered, but details are thus far unknown.

Environmental Bond

The Commonwealth issues bonds to fund capital spending on the land acquisition and restoration programs that are critical to our work and other environmental projects. In anticipation of the next bill, expected early in 2025, MLTC is working closely with our conservation partners to advocate for the bill to authorize investments that expand and create new programs in alignment with our priorities. As part of the Environmental Bond Coalition, in September, MLTC signed onto a letter to the Healey-Driscoll Administration to discuss how the Coalition’s priorities can inform the filing and development of upcoming legislation. On September 5th, Coalition representatives held an initial meeting with EEA officials to discuss priorities. MLTC has also joined an additional coalition which is undertaking parallel advocacy on priority issues related to Agriculture.

An Act increasing the conservation land tax credit (H.2839, S.1940)

The formal session concluded without passing MLTC’s top legislative priority to raise the annual cap under the Conservation Land Tax Credit (CLTC), the state income tax credit for donations of conservation land, from $2 million to $5 million. Though the Joint Committee on Revenue reported this bill favorably and language based on this bill was added to the House version of the FY25 State Operating Budget in April, it was not included in the Senate version passed in May. Despite efforts from MLTC, our supporters, and partners, the expansion of the conservation land tax credit was not included in the consensus budget sent by the Legislature to the Governor. MLTC will continue to work with our conservation partners to explore strategies to pass it in the next session. Read more about this bill here. 

Joint letter of support (PDF), June 10, 2024
Joint testimony at Revenue Committee hearing (PDF), June 6, 2023
Amendment #770 (PDF)
Article: Waiting list for tax credits hurts land donation, Cape Cod land trusts say. By Jeanette Barnes. May 17, 2023

State Operating Budget

On July 29, Governor Healey signed the $57.78 state operating budget for FY25, and our environmental agencies generally fared well. After some $11 million in line item vetoes, final funding for work under the Executive Office and Energy and Environmental Affairs totals just over $555 million, a bit under 1% of the overall budget.

An Act to reimburse the George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund (S. 499, Sen. Gobi)

The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), which works to conserve and restore critical fish and wildlife habitat and plant species and to deliver education programs, is primarily funded through hunting and fishing license fees deposited in the Inland Fisheries and Game Fund. This legislation will create consistency and reimburse MassWildlife for the loss of revenue associated with providing both discounted (currently reimbursed) and free hunting and fishing licenses. Language based on this bill was included in the final FY25 budget, reimbursing the Fund in FY25; however, this language does not provide the permanent fix we sought through this bill.

Joint statement of support (PDF), June 10, 2024

The formal legislative session ended on August 1 with none of the following bills passing:

Energy Facilities Siting

The legislature failed to pass the highly anticipated climate bill addressing recommendations from Governor Healey’s Commission on Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting before the conclusion of the 2023-2024 formal legislative session. Final House and Senate versions of the climate bill both included provisions to streamline the process for siting and permitting clean energy projects to help the state to meet its emissions reduction goals; however significant differences in other provisions were not reconciled before the session ended. However, on September 11, Governor Healey filed a supplemental $714 million spending bill for FY2024, which includes components of the climate bill that had consensus between chambers, including siting and permitting reform. The other pieces of the climate bill remain in Conference Committee and have the potential to move forward if the conferees can agree on a proposal.

MLTC commends our statewide partners for their efforts on the climate bill. You can read more in an April 2024 comment letter to the legislature.

An Act relative to uniform partition of heirs property (H.1744, Rep. Roy.)

Heirs property is real estate owned by the legal heirs of a previous owner when there is no will. Under state law, multiple heirs take ownership as tenants-in-common, an unstable form of ownership that too often results in the heirs losing the land through a forced partition sale. The bill would institute new process protections for heirs in such situations by requiring that co-tenants receive fair market value in any partition sale, and generally providing that co-tenants have an option to buy. The Judiciary Committee failed to report the bill favorably and sent it to study. The Coalition continues to meet to discuss strategies for pursuing passage in the next session.

American Farmland Trust testimony (PDF)

An Act investing in natural and working lands ( S.448, Sen. Comerford)

This bill would create a local opt-in program under EEA called “Farm and Forest Friendly Communities,” to incentivize municipalities to make land use and planning decisions that reduce loss of farmland and forests, which would help meet the nature and working lands goals of the Clean Energy Climate Plan (CECP). Communities would receive technical and financial assistance and increased payments in lieu of taxes on state-owned land. Consistent with CECP recommendations, this bill would also direct DEP to set a MEPA review threshold for projects that involve certain levels of forest clearing or farmland conversion, and recommend a successor to the SMART solar siting incentive program that would minimize impacts to priority forest and farmland. The Environment and Natural Resources Committee failed to report the bill favorably and sent it to study.

Summary and bill text (PDF)

An Act to encourage solar development on buildings and disturbed land (H.3225, SD2013, Reps. Lindsay Sabadosa & Sean Garballey/Sen. Mark)

Massachusetts has committed to deploying solar energy that maximizes clean energy generation, avoids impacts on humans and natural communities, and connects efficiently to the grid. This bill would help achieve these goals by encouraging installation of solar panels on buildings and disturbed sites, such as parking lot canopies, brownfields, and roadway cuts. It would require the Department of Energy Resources to make changes to existing policies and programs, such as net-metering and SMART, to increase incentives for generation and siting of solar projects in the built environment. The Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee failed to report the bill favorably and sent it to study.

Letter of support (PDF, June 2023)

An Act to create a commission to determine the feasibility of voluntary acquisition of flood risk properties (H.876, S.557) (Rep. Sarah Peake, Sen. Marc Pacheco)

This bill would create a new commission to bring together agency officials, legislative leaders, and expert stakeholders to study the feasibility of a voluntary acquisition program for properties that are subject to risk of catastrophic flood damage --- helping owners and renters move out of harm’s way while conserving land and restoring wetlands to increase climate resiliency. The commission would be tasked with making concrete recommendations to lawmakers for how to address this difficult and pressing issue, especially for Massachusetts’ most vulnerable residents. The Environment and Natural Resources Committee reported this bill favorably and discharged it to the Joint Committee on Rules in April, but the bill did not make it out of committee before the end of the legislative session.

Legislative fact sheet (PDF)
Letter supporting flood risk protection (PDF)

Outdoor Recreation Act (H.757, S.488 Rep. Natalie Blais & Sen. Paul Feeney)

This bill would create a statewide dedicated fund to ensure the success of the newly created Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation and provide grants for outdoor recreational purposes, with priority given to projects that benefit underserved and Environmental Justice populations. There would be no increase in sales tax, but existing sales tax revenues received by the Commonwealth from the sale of sporting goods would be placed in the Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund for the purposes of conservation, creation, preservation, and restoration of natural resources for recreational use. The Environment and Natural Resources Committee failed to report the bill favorably, sending it to study.

Fact sheet (PDF)
Joint Testimony (PDF)

Prior Policy Priorities >>