Newton's Rep. Ruth Balser Announces Passage Of Preservation Act

NEWTON, MA — Rep. Ruth Balser announced Monday that the Massachusetts House of Representatives has passed environmental protection legislation that she filed and has championed for many years.

The Public Lands Preservation Act, or "PLPA," would preserve public lands by requiring that there be no net loss of lands protected under Article 97 of the state constitution. It would do so by requiring that all alternatives be considered before proceeding with a proposal to transfer protected land for another use, that the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and public be notified, and that any land transferred must be replaced.

“Public lands provide our communities with many benefits ranging from the protection of our water and air quality and our natural habitats, to fighting climate change by storing carbon and protection from flooding as storms intensify," said Balser in a statement. "But nothing has demonstrated more how important public parkland is to our community than the pandemic we have recently endured."

"Who among us didn’t notice the crowds at our public parks as we tried to deal with the stress of the health crisis?" she continued. "And nowhere are those public parks more important than in our crowded urban districts, where a small amount of protected green space is particularly cherished. This is also a matter of environmental justice.”

Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution states that residents have "the right to clean air and water, freedom from excessive and unnecessary noise, and the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic qualities of their environment.” It also gives lawmakers “the power to enact legislation necessary or expedient to protect such rights.”

The PLPA currently has the support of over 150 environmental organizations, conservation commissions, municipal boards, and land trusts. It now moves to the Senate for approval.