On November 17, Governor Baker signed An Act preserving open space in the Commonwealth (H.5381), also known as the Public Lands Preservation Act (PLPA), into law. Read the statement. This was the result of strong advocacy by many conservation partners over the past 20+ years. The law will provide clarity and transparency to ensure No Net Loss of conservation land by:
- Codifying into law an existing administrative process that requires replacement of public parks and conservation land that are converted to a different use.
- Providing transparency and accountability in the limited cases when cash payments are allowed in lieu of contemporaneously designating replacement land to be conserved.
- Requiring that any cash payments be expended on comparable replacement land within 3 years.