Requires separate reporting of benchmarks, baseline measurements, measures of carbon flux, Massachusetts’ climate “roadmap” goals and plans for agricultural lands, forest lands that produce wood products, forest lands in parks and reserves and not producing wood products, and other natural or working lands.
Creates an online portal and database for pesticide use reporting records with online public access to the annual data and requires that pesticides be proven safe before being used on playgrounds and fields where children learn and play.
H.869/S452 Reps. Steven Owens and Jennifer Balinsky Armini, Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem
Establishes an advisory urban forestry council that would provide funding and technical assistance to participating municipalities to plant, replace and maintain trees in their communities.
Gives the Commonwealth the mission to preserve our forests and farmland by ensuring that state agencies work to prevent development of such land and value them for the totality of services they provide, while allowing for economic development and respecting local land use and planning authority.
Amends the 2021 Climate Roadmap law to remove biomass from the list of “non-carbon emitting sources” that municipal lighting plants can use to meet the new MLP greenhouse gas emission standard.
Makes commercial-scaled and institutional heating facilities that burn wood fuels ineligible for subsidies under Massachusetts’ Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (APS), while allowing those already qualified to continue.
Solar
An Act allowing municipalities to reasonably regulate solar siting
H.845/S.445 Rep. Kathleen LaNatra, Sen. Jo Comerford
Ends broad scale aerial application of pesticides and supports a scientifically-based mosquito-borne disease management program to protect public and environmental health.
Calls for testing of sewage sludge for PFAS chemicals that may end up in agricultural land – and eventually our food, warning labels on products containing PFAS, and funding to help farmers access alternatives to products containing PFAS.
Ends application of glyphosate on any lands owned or maintained by the Commonwealth without a special permit, when there is an immediate threat to human and environmental health, and there is no viable alternative to glyphosate.
Protection of air, water, and other natural resources
Establishes a commission to develop recommendations for supporting investments, policies and practices designed to promote equity in agriculture for socially disadvantaged groups.
for support and funding to help with–for example–farmers transitioning to regenerative soil health practices, etc. This is incentivized and ‘enabled legislation’ meaning the funding is legislated and not subject to the administration.
Amends the 2021 Climate Roadmap law to remove biomass from the list of “non-carbon emitting sources” that municipal lighting plants can use to meet the new MLP greenhouse gas emission standard.
Makes commercial-scaled and institutional heating facilities that burn wood fuels ineligible for subsidies under Massachusetts’ Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (APS), while allowing those already qualified to continue.
