Massachusetts Environmental Laws Today

Article 97 of the Massachusetts Constitution (quoted above) is designed to protect natural lands by mandating that change in use of lands held for certain public purposes (like parks or forests) must first be approved by a two-thirds vote from both houses of the Legislature. The goal is to provide a legislative ‘check’ to ensure that lands purchased by cities or the state for conservation purposes are not converted to other uses like commercial buildings, residences, or parking lots.

In 2021, MA Governor Charlie Baker signed new climate legislation that sets new goals on emissions and clean energy. This law establishes guidelines for environmental justice, saying that communities must have a meaningful voice in how the state makes decisions on future infrastructure projects in their neighborhood or town/city. The state must take into account how existing pollution levels already affect residents when seeking approval for new projects. This process of environmental justice will help the state's residents, particularly those in low-income communities, have more say in the establishment of possibly harmful development in their town/city.