Preserving Massachusetts In the News

As the new home of MASSPIRG's environmental work, Environment Massachusetts can be contacted regarding this op-ed.

Massachusetts' character comes from the state's classic New England landscape - from the sweeping hills of the Berkshires to the pine forests and sandy beaches of Cape Cod. In a sense, this landscape defines Massachusetts.

As home to the nation's first public park, now the Boston Common, Massachusetts has a long legacy of public land preservation.

Unfortunately, many of our treasured places are endangered - symbols of a system in decline. Included in the commonwealth's beautiful landscape is almost half a million acres of public land, encompassing hundreds of public forests, parks and reservations. Locally, we enjoy public treasures from the Middlesex Fells and the Mystic River to Rumney Marsh.

These jewels and others in the Massachusetts State Forests and Parks system support dozens of rare species and critical natural communities, boast champion tree sites and exemplary old growth - forests undisturbed for centuries. Our public parks and forests annually attract more than thirty million visitors who walk, play, camp, bike, hike and otherwise enjoy these natural resources.

Despite the critical importance of state lands to Massachusetts, our forests and parks system is in crisis. A 1994 report commissioned by the state legislature found the system overburdened, sparsely staffed and poorly maintained.

Twelve years later, our state forest and parks system is struggling more than ever. Since 2001, the budget for the system has declined approximately 30 percent. Full-time staff has been cut by 20 percent since 2000.

Once a leader, Massachusetts currently ranks 48th out of the 50 states in per-capita spending on parks and recreation.

Unfortunately, the problems at the Middlesex Fells are symbols of a system in decline. Twice this past summer, local residents drowned while illegally swimming in reservoirs at the Fells. Without adequate staff to patrol the area, illegal swimming and other illegal activities are commonplace.

Routine maintenance has also suffered under budget cuts. Wright's Tower, on top of Pine Hill, is a local favorite with spectacular views of Boston. Unfortunately, the tower is closed to visitors, is often covered with graffiti and is surrounded by unsightly litter and dangerous broken glass.

While local citizens have taken on the lion's share of upkeep and maintenance at the Fells, they cannot shoulder the responsibility alone. With insufficient funding, treasures and recreational havens like the Fells are poorly maintained, inadequately patrolled and left to deteriorate.

And the Fells is just one example. From littered trails to decaying bathrooms, this degradation jeopardizes these critical places and cannot continue. More than a century after Massachusetts established the first regional park system, we have fallen from leader to last.

Our elected officials must follow some 'trail markers' to ensure that Massachusetts leads again.

First, they must restore funding for our forests and parks system. An additional $10 million per year over the next four years would get us headed in the right direction. This is less than $1.60 per person and a small price to pay to preserve our parks, playgrounds and forests for our kids and their kids.

Second, they must promote better management and planning. Our system currently lacks long-term planning and stewardship. Without this, ad-hoc decisions are made under the radar, or at the behest of commercial interests that compromise preservation and belie public trust.

Third, the state must re-insert citizen participation into the process. In the late 1990s, the Legislature dissolved the Citizen Advisory Committees, organized around properties or clusters of properties. These Committees offer input on management, help with maintenance and provide a crucial public forum to share information and build consensus with local community members.

A recent fight over proposed logging at Robinson State Forest in Agawam highlights the need for better management and increased citizen participation. Local residents were unaware of the state's plans to thin the forest and are now at odds with state officials about the cutting plans and the existence of rare plant and tree species in some of our most cherished woodlands.

Without adequate resources, proper management and citizen stewardship, places we love and enjoy will continue to be threatened.

Charles Eliot, a 19th century advocate for green spaces, explained that for people to be healthy and happy, they "must have space for air, for light, for exercise, for rest and for the enjoyment of that peaceful beauty of nature, which because it is the opposite of the noisy ugliness of towns, is so wonderfully refreshing to the tired souls of townspeople."

These public places were set aside to protect and preserve our heritage and natural treasures for future generations to enjoy. We cannot continue turning our back on our legacy.