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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 nonprofits and photographers to reach underrepresented communities. The commenter said the work is “on the cusp of something huge” as the program pursues pilots linking outdoor recreation and health care in gateway cities.
Randall Lyons, executive director of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association, told the committee he supports H902 and H986 and emphasized the economic contribution of the recreational boating industry. Lyons said the sector represents roughly a $5 billion annual economic impact in the Commonwealth, supports about 18,000 jobs and nearly 1,000 primarily small businesses, and that codifying the office and a division of fishing and boating access would help expand boating and fishing opportunities while supporting clean waters and resilient habitats.
Heather Klisch, policy director at the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, spoke in support of H986 and the effort to codify the Division of Ecological Restoration (DER). Klisch summarized DER’s work since its 2009 creation: the division has removed more than 65 dams, restored over 3,000 acres of wetland, upgraded more than 120 culverts across about 90 municipalities, reconnected roughly 700 miles of river, and awarded more than $77 million in community grants while leveraging an estimated $135 million in additional economic activity. She said DER provides both grants and technical assistance and that codification would preserve “community access to this expertise,” particularly for projects that reduce flooding, improve water quality, and expand public access.
Committee members asked how the offices are funded. A witness said current Office of Outdoor Recreation grants are relatively small and that the office distributes mostly $10,000 awards at present; Klisch said DER provides grants that “contribute” toward project costs and offers technical assistance but that she did not have average project costs on hand and offered to follow up with the committee.
The witnesses who supported the bills urged the committee to report the measures favorably so the offices and divisions can provide continued and expanded grantmaking, technical assistance, and cross‑agency coordination for recreation, river restoration, and boating access.
Ending: The committee did not take a vote during the hearing and encouraged submission of written testimony; staff contact information was given for follow‑up materials.
