Protect Water and Nature Ballot Initiative

A top priority for AMC in MA this year is the passage of the Nature for MA ballot question. The question — if passed by voters on the November 2026 ballot — would dedicate funds from the existing state sales tax on sporting goods to raise an estimated $100 million every year for protecting and conserving water and nature in MA. Some of this funding could also go toward outdoor recreation priorities. The Boston Globe published a great piece on this last weekend, authored by AMC Board Member William Hill. To get this question on the ballot in November, 21,000 signatures need to be collected between May 8 and June 14. Please join us in collecting signatures from May 8 to June 14 and mobilize your members to do the same. Visit the Nature for Massachusetts Coalition website for volunteer information, including background, timeline, and resources like the signature collection training video, fact sheet, do's and dont's, and FAQs. More information about the Nature for MA initiative can also be found on the AMC blog. We would like to stress the urgency of this ballot initiative. Across MA, we are in the middle of a major generational transfer of land. Farms, forests, and undeveloped parcels are changing hands as landowners retire or sell. In each case, there is a choice: conserve the land or develop it. That decision happens once. Conservation tools like easements and land acquisition only work at the moment of transfer. Once land is developed, the opportunity to protect it is lost. A dedicated, consistent funding source is what allows conservation organizations and communities to act when it matters most. At the same time, shifting federal priorities have made state-level investment more important than ever. With uncertainty around federal conservation funding, MA has an opportunity — and a responsibility — to lead. Please consider volunteering to get signatures!