Bill > H714

This bill establishes a special commission, to be known as the commission, to investigate the various impacts of beaver dams across the Commonwealth, including their effects on the environment, public health, safety, private property, and finances. The commission will be led by the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs and will include thirteen members appointed by legislative leaders, state commissioners from Fish and Game and Public Health, the president of Mass Audubon, and three subject matter experts chosen by the Governor. The commission's duties will involve assessing the beaver population's impact by surveying towns, reviewing existing data, holding public hearings, and gathering expert testimony, with the goal of determining the best strategies for managing these impacts. The commission is required to begin its work within 60 days of the bill's enactment and must submit its findings and any proposed legislation to the state legislature by January 1, 2016, with the reports to be made publicly available online.