An Act relative to forest protection
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill directs the Department of Conservation and Recreation to conduct a comprehensive review of its forest management practices and policies. The review will assess the department’s effectiveness, seek public input, and recommend changes to improve forest protection, transparency, and carbon sequestration efforts. It also includes a temporary restriction on leasing, selling, or exchanging forest land until the department completes its review and shares its findings with the legislature.
Key provisions
- A formal review of the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s forest management guidelines is required.
- The review must assess the department’s existing practices and make recommendations for operational improvements and statutory changes.
- Public hearings and written testimony submissions are mandated to gather input on forest management practices.
- The department must release a draft report and solicit public comment for at least 30 days.
- The review will consider opportunities to increase forest reserves, particularly old-growth forests.
- The department must assess the commonwealth’s capacity for carbon sequestration on public forest land.
- The review will evaluate the department’s preparedness to mitigate climate change impacts on forests.
- A temporary restriction is placed on leasing, selling, or exchanging forest land until the review is complete and findings are shared.
Who is affected
Bill text
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Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
29 on record
Primary sponsor
Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources
Cosponsors
Amy Mah Sangiolo
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