A ballot initiative would dedicate funds from existing state sales taxes to protect green spaces.
By William M. Hill. Boston Globe, April 18, 2026
William M. Hill is former chair of the Appalachian Mountain Club and is a member of its board of advisers. He is a lawyer at Mintz in Boston.
Earth Day, which is April 22, was enacted in 1970 and unofficially launched the modern environmental movement. Fueled by Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking 1962 bestseller “Silent Spring,” the environmental movement has accomplished many great things to protect the planet. Watersheds and aquifers have been preserved. People have learned of the importance of clean air, safeguarding wildlife, and valuing our finite natural resources. But there is still more to do.
This year, Massachusetts voters have an opportunity to protect outdoor spaces in a significant way for the health and enjoyment of future generations. The Protect Water and Nature Ballot Initiative is headed to the ballot this fall. Driven by more than 100,000 signatures, the ballot question, if passed, would dedicate funds from the portion of existing state sales taxes being collected on sporting goods to protect green spaces.
Based on current collection rates, this would amount to more than $100 million per year allocated to land and water protection. The proposed law would establish a public oversight board for the transparent and sensible expenditure of funds for land and resource protection. The potential result? Clean water, healthy forests, and more trails, parks, and outdoor access for citizens and visitors.
Fortunately for us, Greater Boston has been ahead of the curve on public parks, conservation, and outdoor recreation for centuries. America’s first public park? America’s first regional park system? The Boston Common in 1634. Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston in 1893, which now includes nearly 20,000 acres of parklands in 37 communities, with 10 ocean reservations, seven forested reservations, and three river reservations. Throughout the Commonwealth, communities have focused on land and natural and historic resource protection: Sixteen national parks and historic sites attract nearly nine million visitors; than 150 state parks protect about 450,000 acres.
And if outdoor resource protection for the use of our residents and visitors isn’t enough, how about the economic impact? Statistics recently released by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis show that outdoor recreation contributed $14.6 billion to the state economy. It’s not surprising that people are willing to spend money here to enjoy our state’s beautiful outdoor resources. Creating, improving, and stewarding outdoor places so that they are safeand available for all is elemental to what we’ve been doing in the Commonwealth for centuries.
The Protect Water and Nature Ballot Initiative would support the creation and improvement of parks, trails, green spaces, and other outdoor recreation spaces. It would protect clean drinking water by conserving natural areas, forests, and wildlife habitats and reducing runoff in lakes, rivers, and streams. The initiative would also conserve forests, farms, and other natural areas that might otherwise be lost to development.
This ballot initiative is aimed squarely at protecting outdoor places and resources for the enjoyment and health of residents. By the millions, we are going outdoors and having memorable experiences. On a walk last fall, I hiked through a beautiful patch of land in the western part of the state that had been protected — a Massachusetts Audubon wildlife sanctuary called Arcadia.
There, with my 3-year-old grandson, I had the experience of seeing commonplace things in nature as if for the first time. He remarked how small a turtle’s “arms” were in comparison to its mahogany shell. We wondered together what it would be like for the turtle to survive the winter in the deep mud by the stream.
Earth Day’s prime mover, Rachel Carson, eloquently captured the “why” of protecting our resources: “One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, ‘What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?’” In the spirit of Earth Day, voters should give the state a chance for transformational work on land protection.
PCT is helping collect signatures this May and June. Contact us to find out how you can help!