🚨 Action Alert: URGENT CALL for Drought Management in Mass Ready!
- sgolden86
- 49 minutes ago
- 3 min read
TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY, 6/17) AT 1PM, the MA House of Representatives will vote on the Environmental Bond Bill. Massachusetts Rivers Alliance and our 85+ member groups NEED YOUR HELP ADVOCATING FOR AMENDMENT 22 ON Statewide DROUGHT MANAGEMENT preparedness.
Massachusetts remains in a statewide drought that ranges from critical to significant in most regions. State and local governments are working to balance demands for clean drinking water amidst housing expansion, infrastructure revitalization, and contamination/pollution. At the same time, more frequent and intense droughts pose an additional threat to the natural environment, humans, and our economy.
The MA Senate recognized the seriousness of drought, and amended the Environmental Bond Bill (“Mass Ready Act”) to include a long-overdue coordinated, proactive, clear response to drought conditions that safeguards our environment, public health, and sustainability of our waters. The MA House has released a version of the Mass Ready Act that fails to include this critical provision. AMENDMENT 22, SPONSORED BY Representative Joan Meschino (co-sponsored by Rep. Tram Nguyen), WILL REINSTATE these drought management measures and help us secure a better water future.
Before 1pm tomorrow, please take 2 minutes to send an email asking your state representative to co-sponsor and vote in favor of AMENDMENT 22!
1. Find your representative(s)
2. Send an email urging action in support of Amendment 22
Subject Line: Support for Amendment 22 - drought management in Mass Ready.
Recommended message (copy, paste). And feel free to add any drought that you’ve seen locally, and why your local river matters to you:
Dear Representative,
My name is [Insert Name] and I am your constituent from [town] (Add any affiliations here too). I am writing to strongly urge you to co-sponsor and vote in support of Amendment 22 (filed by Representative Meschino), which will ensure that Mass Ready includes measures on drought management. Without this amendment, the Environmental Bond Bill will fail to feature any dedicated language on the most serious, pressing climate threat that is undermining the health of our natural environment, our communities, and our economy.
Massachusetts' current drought response is a confusing patchwork of conservation measures that continues to put our water supplies, agriculture, and ecosystems at risk. Amendment 22 provides a solution:
Amendment 22 codifies the Drought Management Task Force, which provides sound, scientific advice on water conservation measures during times of drought;
Amendment 22 grants the state the authority to coordinate water savings when our rivers and water supplies are most at risk;
Amendment 22 would make non-essential outdoor watering rules consistent and clear for the public;
Amendment 22 would importantly reinforce the state’s housing and water expansion plans by supporting future access to clean and safe waters.
The Amendment would not affect water use for agriculture or business; and it would not impose a “one-size-fits-all” approach to water conservation across the state.
Please co-sponsor Amendment 22 and help champion the sustainable future of our rivers, waters, and wildlife.
[Option: See below for additional amendments and line items for which you may request support].
Thank you,
[Name]
[Town]
[Optional: Affiliations]
Consider expressing support for other “Mass Ready Act” amendments and line items that will protect the health of our rivers and watersheds:
River restoration, resilience, recreation
Amendment 8 North River Commission Enforcement
Amendment 14 Kayak Launches
Amendment 36 Increasing funding for Dams, Flood Control, and Seawalls
Amendment for $500 million for statewide climate resilience projects via the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant program.
Amendment 104 Greywater Recycling Commission.
Amendment for water banking See (H.2324/S.1443).
River water quality and public health
Amendment 2 Merrimack River Combined Sewer Overflow Reduction
Amendment 3 Further Testing after a CSO event
Amendment 32 Increasing funding for DEP PFAS and Drinking Water Infrastructure
Amendment 48 Connecticut River Combined Sewage Overflow Mitigation
And many more! Amendment texts are available here and will be periodically updated until the filing deadline at 5pm, Tuesday 6/16.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A RIVER ADVOCATE
Questions?
Contact Mass Rivers' Policy Director, Melissa Shapiro (mshapiro@massriversalliance.org)