🚨 Action Alert: Finalize Drought Management in the Mass Ready Act!

sgolden86
1 hour ago
4 min read

Massachusetts is STILL in a statewide drought that began in August 2024. January-June of this year marked the driest six months on record. The Boston Globe agreed that, in light of this reality, if the Massachusetts legislature is to take only one action on climate before the end of session, it should be on drought management. Now, we need your help making sure that the final version of the Mass Ready Act includes a framework for a coordinated, clear response to drought conditions that protects our environment, health, and our water supplies.

The background: The Governor’s version of the environmental bond bill included major authorizations for river restoration and watershed protection, but it failed to include action on the biggest climate threat to Massachusetts waterways — drought. The Senate voted to solve this problem with an amendment filed by Senator Jamie Eldridge, which was featured as Section 13 of S 3064 (the Senate version of Mass Ready). Representatives Joan Meschino and Dave Rogers also filed this language as an amendment but despite receiving 46 co-sponsors, and ranking among the most supported proposals, the House did not include drought in its adopted version of the bill.

What’s next: With the House and Senate both having passed their versions of the bill, select members of the two chambers now come together for a conference process that will determine the final language. The appointed Mass Ready Conference Committee, which includes Senators Cyr, Durant, Rausch, and Representatives Finn, Barber, and Sweezey, is responsible for selecting which provisions and authorizations from the House and Senate versions of the bill make the cut. Our ask: We need your help convincing the Committee to keep the Senate’s drought management language in the final version.

There are 2 actions you can take:

Send an email asking the Mass Ready Conference Committee to support the drought management language!

To: Becca.Rausch@masenate.gov, Peter.Durant@masenate.gov, Michael.Finn@mahouse.gov, Ken.Sweezey@mahouse.gov, julian.cyr@masenate.gov, Christine.Barber@mahouse.gov

Recommended Subject Line: Support drought management in Mass Ready

Recommended message (copy, paste). And feel free to add any drought impacts that you’ve seen locally, and why your local river matters to you:

Dear Honorable Conferees:

Thank you for your continued leadership as you serve on the Conference Committee for the Mass Ready Act. As you work towards the final version of this bill, please consider including the Senate’s featured language on drought management (Section 13 of S 3064)--as this is the most important action you can take to protect our future water supplies.

Right now, only the Senate version of the bill includes a critical and long-overdue response to drought– i.e., the most pressing climate hazard that is threatening our current and future water supplies. Section 13 of S. 3064 codifies the Drought Management Task Force, which provides sound, scientific advice on water conservation measures during times of drought. This provision does the following:

It grants the state the authority to coordinate water savings when our rivers and water supplies are most at risk;
It would make non-essential outdoor watering rules consistent and clear for municipalities; and
It would ensure the state’s future housing and water expansion plans are not derailed by a lack of access to clean, free-flowing waters.

The Amendment would not affect water use for agriculture or business; it would not introduce new enforcement mechanisms or undermine local authority; and it would not impose a “one-size-fits-all” approach to water conservation across the state.

The Senate and nearly 50 members of the House have heard and echoed our calls in support of this provision. We hope we can count on you to listen to your constituents and peers and include the Senate-approved drought management language in the final version of Mass Ready.

Thank you.

Send an email to your local representative/senator asking them to advocate for drought management in Mass Ready.

1. Find your representative(s)/senator

Find your legislators >>

2. Request a letter of support to be sent to the Conference Committee

To: [legislator]

Recommended Subject Line: Request for Letter of Support for drought management in Mass Ready

Recommended message (copy, paste). And feel free to add any drought impacts that you’ve seen locally, and why your local river matters to you:

Dear Representative /Senator [Insert Name],

My name is [Insert Name] and I am your constituent from [town] (Add any affiliations here too). Thank you for all of the work that you did to champion the health of our waters and natural environment during this legislative session. As you may be aware, the Conference Committee for the Mass Ready Act has been appointed; I am respectfully requesting your assistance in ensuring that the Committee include the Senate’s featured language on drought management (Section 13 of S 3064) in the final version of Mass Ready--as this is the most important action that the MA legislature can take to protect our future water supplies.

It grants the state the authority to coordinate water savings when our rivers and water supplies are most at risk;
It would make non-essential outdoor watering rules consistent and clear for municipalities; and
It would ensure the state’s future housing and water expansion plans are not derailed by a lack of access to clean, free-flowing waters.

The Senate and nearly 50 members of the House have heard and echoed our calls in support of this provision. We have requested that the Conference Committee listen to these calls; but, we hope we can count on you to write a letter of support or otherwise offer an additional endorsement for this Senate-approved drought management language in the final version of Mass Ready.

Thank you,

[Name]

[Town]

[Optional: Affiliations]

THANK YOU FOR BEING A RIVER ADVOCATE

Questions?

Contact Mass Rivers' Policy Director, Melissa Shapiro (mshapiro@massriversalliance.org)