Supporters launched the Yes on 6 ballot campaign to support funding to protect nature and water. Photo by Adilson González Morales
July 28, 2026 (Boston, MA) – Clean water and land conservation advocates from across Massachusetts gathered on the Charles River Esplanade on Tuesday — and ceremonially launched a boat into the Charles River — to mark the official launch of the “YES on 6” ballot campaign. Question 6, the Protect Water and Nature ballot initiative on the November statewide ballot, would dedicate funds from the existing state sales tax on sporting goods to protecting and conserving water and nature — without raising taxes.
Standing on the Esplanade’s Fiedler Dock, surrounded by water, leaders of some of the state’s top environmental and conservation organizations spoke about how Question 6 would protect clean drinking water; reduce pollution in rivers, lakes, and the ocean; conserve forests, family farms, and natural wildlife habitats; prevent flooding and storm damage; and create and improve parks, trails, and greenspaces for public use — all without raising taxes.
“It is long past time for Massachusetts to join the 28 states with dedicated funding for access to nature, clean water, local parks, and enhancement of our natural defenses — from tree cover to wetlands – to more extreme weather wrought by climate change,” said Brad Campbell, President and CEO of Conservation Law Foundation. “These investments yield enduring and outsized returns — with no increase in taxes — in healthier kids, clean water, cooler streets, avoided storm damage, and the recreation and tourism pillars of the Commonwealth’s economy. But year after year, these needs are the last funded and the first cut in the state’s budgeting scrum.”
“Nature is a unifying force, and today you’re witnessing the universal desire to protect our forests, drinking water, and outdoor recreational spaces,” said David O’Neill, President & CEO of Mass Audubon. “Access to nature is important for all of us, and this ballot initiative protects the habitat and greenspaces we cherish without any new taxes for Massachusetts residents.”
“The need is urgent and the moment to act is now,” said Katie Theoharides, President and CEO of The Trustees of Reservations. “Nature helps clean our waters, reduce the impacts of flooding, cool our neighborhoods, and improve physical and mental health through its restorative powers. Voting YES on Question 6 will protect what makes Massachusetts special — our beautiful beaches, forests and trails, family farms that support our food systems, and our amazing rivers, lakes, and local parks. The Trustees urges your support.”
Following the speaking program, supporters of the initiative officially launched the “YES on 6” campaign by ceremonially launching a boat bearing a banner that read “Protect Water and Nature — Vote YES on 6” into the Charles River.
“States across the country have invested hundreds of millions of dollars to conserve forests, protect clean drinking water, restore wildlife habitat, and create parks, trails, and outdoor recreation opportunities,” said Jodi Valenta, Associate Vice President and Massachusetts State Director, Trust for Public Land. “Voters have proven their support for this approach — and now Massachusetts has a chance to do the same.”
“Clean drinking water is a basic human essential, and we need to do more to protect it. By conserving forests, wetlands, and other natural areas, Question 6 will help reduce polluted runoff in our lakes, rivers and streams — restoring these waterways so we can swim and fish in them, and protecting the quality of the drinking water in our taps and wells,” said Emily Norton, Executive Director of the Charles River Watershed Association. “Past investment cleaned up Boston Harbor, paying incredible dividends for Massachusetts. By delivering a dedicated statewide funding source for nature and water conservation, Question 6 is our chance to protect clean water going forward.”
“When I collected signatures from my neighbors to put the Protect Water and Nature initiative on the ballot, I found that voters were excited to sign!” said Andrew Sharpe, Executive Director of the Authentic Caribbean Foundation. “Our urban neighborhoods need more resources to protect the valuable natural spaces that prevent flooding and storm damage, cool our neighborhoods, and ensure access to clean drinking water. Question 6 will help ensure that everyone in Massachusetts has access to clean water and nature, without new taxes.”
“As a Massachusetts-based manufacturing company, Bemis is dedicated to protecting the environment, and proud to support policies that align with and enforce our values,” said Abigail McLean, Environmental, Sustainability, and Safety Lead at Bemis Associates, Inc, a Shirley, MA-based adhesives and specialty films manufacturer. “Our work in the outdoor market is part of a growing outdoor recreation economy in Massachusetts that relies on continuous investment into protecting our natural spaces. To enjoy our forests, rivers, and parks, we must first protect them by voting YES on 6 in November!”
“Massachusetts is home to beautiful natural areas and diverse species of birds, fish, and other animals, and our relationship with nature connects us all,” said Emma Ellsworth, Executive Director of Mount Grace Land Trust. “Protecting land in the Quabbin watershed improves the quality of drinking water in Greater Boston, while creating more opportunities for fishing, hunting, and hiking here in the North Quabbin region. Creating more outdoor recreation opportunities in the Berkshires or the South Coast attracts tourists from across the state and beyond, bringing more business to local hotels and restaurants. By supporting Question 6, we can preserve critical wildlife habitat and improve the quality of our drinking water, while creating more opportunities for everyone to enjoy our beautiful outdoors.”
“Just last week, hundreds of people jumped off this dock and swam in the Charles River. That previously unimaginable event has become an annual occurrence thanks to past generations who cleaned up the river so that future generations could enjoy it,” said Laura Jasinski, Executive Director of the Charles River Conservancy. “Now, with Question 6, we have an opportunity to do the same, and protect Massachusetts’ water, land, and wildlife for each other and for future generations.”
Question 6, the ‘Protect Water and Nature’ initiative, would dedicate funds from the existing state sales tax on sporting goods to protecting and conserving water and nature — without raising taxes. Question 6 would create a dedicated Nature for All Fund with as much as $100 million each year to support the conservation and restoration of water and natural areas in Massachusetts, protect the quality of our drinking water and natural wildlife habitats, and support the creation and improvement of parks, trails, greenspaces, and other outdoor recreation spaces.
The Nature for All Fund would be funded by the state’s existing sales tax on sporting goods like camping gear, golf clubs, and fishing equipment — not by creating a new tax. Question 6 would also establish a public oversight board that would approve all expenditures from the fund, with strict annual reporting requirements to track every dollar spent.
Question 6 is supported by more than 90 environmental, conservation, and community organizations and businesses throughout Massachusetts, including the state’s leading nonprofit land and water conservation groups such as Mass Audubon, The Trustees, Appalachian Mountain Club, the Conservation Law Foundation, Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, and Trust for Public Land, as well as dozens of local groups from every corner of the state.
Over the last year, supporters collected more than 122,000 signatures from Massachusetts voters to advance the measure toward the ballot, using a combination of volunteers and paid signature gatherers. Volunteers from dozens of organizations within the coalition contributed to the campaign’s milestone by collecting thousands of signatures from their neighbors at farmers’ markets, festivals, trailheads, and wildlife sanctuaries.
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