Bill > H1058

This bill creates a new water use transfer program specifically for cranberry growers in Massachusetts. Under current law, water use registrations and permits are typically rigid and tied to specific users. This legislation allows the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to authorize cranberry water use registrations and permits to be transferred and used for mitigation purposes by other municipal users within the same watershed. To utilize this transfer, the new users must first obtain the appropriate registrations and permits under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 21G. The bill provides flexibility for water resource management by enabling water use credits from cranberry operations to be shared or reallocated to other municipal users in the same geographic water system, potentially helping to optimize water usage and support local agricultural and municipal needs.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1058