The natural spaces of Massachusetts are invaluable to residents. Photo: EcoPhotography
This November, Massachusetts voters can increase funding for land and water conservation by passing Question 6, the Nature for All ballot measure. Our rolling hills, sandy coasts, dense forests, and the places that we go for fun, for respite, and for connection, all suffer from chronic underfunding. The Nature for All ballot question would generate up to $100 million per year for land and water protection. It’s our chance to make sure these spaces remain healthy and accessible for everyone.
Where Would the Money Come From?
When you buy anything, you already pay a sales tax. Question 6 would dedicate that existing sales tax from the sale of sporting goods – think fishing rods, RVs, tents – to a land and water protection fund. That fund would be overseen by a public oversight board made up of Massachusetts residents that would establish rules for spending and approve all annual spending. Similar measures have passed and been successfully implemented in other states like Virginia, Georgia, and Texas.
What Would “Nature for All” Pay For?
This money would:
- Expand trails, parks, and other green spaces.
- Reduce runoff to protect drinking water.
- Conserve family farms.
- Protect wildlife habitats.
- Safeguard beaches and coastlines.
If we vote yes on Question 6, we’ll get all of these benefits without having to raise taxes. Massachusetts already has a sales tax on sporting goods. This policy would simply use some of that existing money to protect special places in Massachusetts.
Why Do We Need “Nature for All”?
Despite the state’s strong conservation goals, including new targets for biodiversity, funding for land and water protection has been woefully short of what’s actually needed to achieve those goals. Massachusetts ranked last in per-capita state park funding as of 2021. The Nature for All fund would go a long way toward rectifying the imbalance between the state’s commitment to conservation and the funding it allocates to meet those goals.
Climate change and pollution pose an increasing threat to our environment. Sea level rise is eroding coasts, increasingly severe wildfires are tearing through forests, and toxic runoff from extreme storms is poisoning lakes and rivers. Natural spaces need all the protection they can get.
How Do Ballot Campaigns Work?
After months of collecting tens of thousands of resident signatures this spring, the state has approved our question to appear on the ballot in November. Now it’s all up to the voters. If a majority vote “yes,” investing in nature for all will become official policy.
What Can You Do to Support “Nature for All”?
Please vote Yes on 6 this November and tell your friends and family about this campaign. Everyone’s vote matters. There will also be some events promoting the ballot question in the coming months, so please sign up to receive our emails if you haven’t already and keep an eye out for your invite. You can get a Yes on 6 lawn sign, as well as sign up to volunteer your time to spreading the word.
Let’s stand up for nature and vote Yes on 6!
More information is available on the Yes on 6 campaign website.
