Welcome to The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts blog, your inside look at our efforts to tackle climate change, ensure a healthy ocean and coasts, and protect our land and freshwater across the state. We’ll share stories from the field, at the State House, behind-the-scenes and more, highlighting our latest projects and progress.
June 2024
Funding Appalachians-Scale Protection
This spring, The Nature Conservancy announced $1.2 million in awards for the first round of the Connectivity, Climate and Communities Fund (CCCF), a program established to provide funding opportunities for conservation efforts in the Appalachians.
The program, which is part of the Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant program, will fund 27 projects totaling more than 10,000 acres across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. In Massachusetts, four partner organizations were awarded $196,000, which will help protect 900 acres in the state. The organizations include the Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Franklin Land Trust, Kestrel Land Trust and Mass Audubon.
In addition to connecting a network of lands and waters in the Appalachians, in support of the people, plants and animals that inhabit those regions, the program will help to ensure healthy forests that can store significant amounts of carbon.
The Appalachians touch down in Massachusetts for an expanse of over 90 miles from Mouth Greylock in the northwest to Mount Everett in the southwest region of the state.
May 2024
Celebrating the High Street Dam Removal
Last fall’s removal of the High Street Dam in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, opened up 10 miles of river habitat, mitigated flood risk and improved the water quality of the Town River. And while the dam took just a few short days to dismantle—in coordination with the Town of Bridgewater, and with the support of many local and federal partners—the project was many years in the making.
In May, over 70 partners, community members, and dignitaries, including Congressman William Keating (MA-09), Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Tom O’SHea, and Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz gathered to celebrate this big step forward, and the collaboration it took to get there. Learn more about the story in this great recap from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
August 2024
Climate and Energy Legislation Updates
The Commonwealth is facing a paradigm shift with the amount of land needed to build distributed renewable energy generation, storage, and transmission infrastructure to meet increased energy demand from the transition away from fossil fuels and electrifying our transportation and buildings sectors, with the goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
Governor Healey established the Massachusetts Commission on Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting and charged it with developing recommendations to make the siting and permitting process more efficient and equitable for renewable energy infrastructure. The governor appointed representatives of diverse sectors along with our own Steve Long, director of policy and partnerships. We made sure that the recommendations provided better outcomes for people and nature by requiring science to inform site suitability and community engagement to provide people’s lived experiences and combine the two to inform the location, design, and operation of energy infrastructure. TNC ensured that site suitability includes forest carbon, biodiversity, resilience and environmental justice – and a sequential analysis and hierarchy to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts.
In order for the Commission’s recommendations to take effect, a new law would need to be enacted. The Commission, administration and the legislature collaborated on drafting legislation which moved through the House and Senate. Unfortunately, despite having reached consensus on the bill, the legislature failed to pass the broader climate change bill in which it was included before the end of the session. While this is extremely disappointing, there is a remote chance that the legislature could pass a stand-alone siting and permitting bill before the end of the calendar year during its “informal” portion of the session, though it would need unanimous consent.
May 2024
Increasing the Cap on Massachusetts’ Conservation Land Tax Credit
Massachusetts’ popular and heavily oversubscribed Conservation Land Tax Credit program, which provides up to $75,000 to landowners if they donate their land to conservation, was recently featured in an article on NPR’s Marketplace. Programs like this are important tools to advance conservation of our natural resources and to meet the state’s climate change goals, as these natural and working lands store and sequester carbon pollution. But with a lengthy waitlist, and only $2 million in annual funding, landowners have found themselves having to wait longer than expected to conserve their properties.
This news piece tells the story of some of the generous landowners stuck on the waitlist, and makes the case for why that is also bad news for the state’s climate goals. Laura Marx, Climate Solutions Scientist for TNC in MA, was quoted in the story: “All of their projections forward kind of fall apart if we don’t have that land base to continue to sequester and store carbon year after year.”
TNC has been leading the effort to increase the cap on the Conservation Land Tax Credit program for years, working alongside over 40 environmental and municipal organizations, bipartisan legislative champions, and the Administration. Unfortunately, despite unanimous support in the House, the FY25 budget conference committee did not include an increase to the annual cap in their final bill.
May 2024
Celebrating 50 Years of Hawley Bog as a National Natural Landmark
In 1974, the National Park Service declared Hawley Bog—one of TNC in Massachusetts’ preserves and a beautiful example of a southern New England level bog—a National Natural Landmark. In June, TNC and the Five Colleges Consortium, who co-own the land, celebrated the 50th anniversary of the designation with a gathering and walk through the bog. Community members, staff and supporters from both organizations, plus staff of a local lawmaker attended to celebrate this unique ecosystem that supports rare plants and animals, as well as serves as an easily accessible green space and outdoor classroom for exploration and research.
Plan your visit to Hawley Bog preserve today to see it for yourself!
July 2024
TNC's 2024 Trailblazer Awards
The Massachusetts Chapter is thrilled to congratulate two staff members for being recognized for their extraordinary leadership at The Nature Conservancy.
Congratulations to Jessica Rice Healey, senior associate director of development, on her nomination for TNC’s 2024 Trailblazer “One Conservancy” Award, which recognizes an individual who values the strength and vitality that comes from working together as one organization in local places and across borders to achieve our global mission. Jessica contributes to building a strong culture at TNC and inspires others to do the same!
We would also like to congratulate Meg Connerton, director of operations and culture, on her well-deserved nomination for TNC’s 2024 Hidden Gem Trailblazer Award. She also celebrated her 25-year anniversary with TNC this summer! Meg’s hard work, given without any expectation of recognition, is truly extraordinary. We couldn’t do what we do without you, Meg!
There is a saying that TNC folks come for the mission and stay for the people, and Jessica and Meg’s valuable contributions to our chapter are a part of what makes TNC such a special place to work.
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More From Massachusetts
Using Nature to Reduce Carbon Pollution
Forests, wetlands and farms play an important role in tackling climate change by storing large amounts of carbon. Not to mention the other benefits they provide for people and nature.
Diving Deep on Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration
To safeguard the health of coastal environments, TNC is both restoring natural shellfish reefs and working directly with shellfish farmers.
Connecting Lands for Climate Resilience
TNC data shows which landscapes will support plants and animals as the climate changes. We're working to protect them.