The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs encourage hunters, anglers, hikers, birdwatchers, and outdoor lovers of all stripes to complete the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan survey, which can be accessed at bit.ly/3fHIguj.
The survey page states that the U.S. National Park Service requires Massachusetts to complete this plan every five years “to remain eligible for funding from the [federal] Land and Water Conservation Fund grant program,” which supports “a variety of conservation projects” in the state. This fund started in 1965, and “more than $100,000,000 has been awarded to projects in every county in the state for the acquisition of conservation and parkland, development of new parks, or renovation of existing parks,” according to MassWildlife. Input from the survey will be used for the next plan, and will help determine how funding will be distributed over the next five years.
“The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs requests your time to fill out this survey. It should take about 10 minutes to complete. It is critical for us to hear from as many residents as possible to know how to best distribute LWCF funding over the next five years,” the survey page states.
The last day to complete the survey is Wednesday, Nov. 30, Danielle Burney, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs deputy communications director, told The Times. Those who have comments or questions that are not addressed in the survey can send emails to scorp.2022@mass.gov.
Additionally, separate surveys for municipal officials and land trusts are available. Answers from these surveys will also be incorporated into the plan.
