Bill > S448

This bill aims to invest in natural and working lands in Massachusetts. It does so by: 1. Defining "Nature Services" as the benefits and resources provided by natural and human-managed ecosystems, such as food, clean air and water, and environmental stabilization. 2. Defining "Reforestation" as the replanting of trees in areas depleted by natural or unnatural disturbances. 3. Establishing a municipal "Farm and Forest-Friendly Communities" program that provides technical and financial assistance to municipalities that adopt policies to prevent the loss of farmland, forest land, and trees, and promote carbon sequestration, reforestation, and nature services, particularly in environmental justice communities. 4. Requiring the Environmental Policy Act Office to establish a review threshold for projects that involve significant forest clearing or farmland conversion, and develop methodologies for quantifying the greenhouse gas emissions implications of such land use changes. 5. Directing the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs to include information about the Farm and Forest-Friendly Communities program in their roadmap plans and implementation reports, as well as recommendations for updated incentive rates for land conservation and stewardship programs. 6. Requiring the Department of Energy Resources to make recommendations to the legislature on a successor program to the solar incentive program, considering the benefits of distributed generation, equity and environmental justice, and avoiding impacts to natural and working lands.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/S448