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Supporters urge codifying Office of Outdoor Recreation and Fish and Game divisions to expand access, grants
Summary
House Chair Christine Barber opened a hybrid hearing on legislation to establish a Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation and to codify divisions of the Department of Fish and Game, and witnesses told the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources the bills would expand grants, technical assistance and access to outdoor recreation and river restoration.
House Chair Christine Barber, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, opened the hearing by calling testimony on House Bill 902, an act to establish a Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation, and House Bill 986, which would codify divisions within the Department of Fish and Game.
The proposals drew a mix of business, nonprofit and municipal supporters who told the committee the measures would sustain grant programs, expand equitable access, and strengthen technical capacity for river restoration and boating access.
A witness who identified themself as an outdoor-industry business owner described how a small grant from the existing Office of Outdoor Recreation helped the speaker’s program provide nearly 1,000 nature trips in year one and pay local…
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