State of Our Waters
A legislative breakfast at the MA State House on April 12, 2018
From left to right, top to bottom: attendees, Senator Vinny deMacedo, herring numbers graph, Senator Patrick O'Connor, WAA members Don Williams and Love Albrecht Howard, Senator Marc Pacheco
Watershed Action Alliance (WAA) of Southeastern Massachusetts hosted a legislative breakfast on April 12th, 2018 at the Massachusetts State House that was broadcast on Facebook live video. The Old Colony Memorial published an excellent article covering the event.
WAA comprises 13 member watershed and pond associations from Southeastern Massachusetts, representing over 20,000 members. Watershed association staff made presentations to Southeastern Massachusetts legislators and their aides concerning the diminished quantity of water available for people and the environment, the threat of stormwater pollution to water quality, and the benefits of dam removal and river restoration efforts in our region.
Senator Vinny DeMacedo, the sponsor of the breakfast, spoke first and was followed by Senators Patrick O’Connor and Marc Pacheco – all representing the Southeastern Massachusetts region. Each took the opportunity to convey legislative initiatives they support that protect our water resources, how important clean and plentiful water is to our economy, and how they see watershed associations as an invaluable resource to them and their staff when it comes to understanding local water issues. After the presentations from member associations and the senators, members of the watershed associations visited their local state senators’ and representatives’ offices to provide fact sheets about critical water issues and a summary of our legislative priorities.
The legislative breakfast was well timed, taking place during this year’s state budget session. In fact, the newly released House budget included increased funding for many of our environmental agencies for the first time in a decade. The breakfast provided an opportunity for watershed associations to thank representatives for the funding increases and encourage senators to follow suit, as well as to educate them and other attendees about regional water issues, priority projects for ensuring our water is protected, and what funding is necessary to ensure its protection.
Following the breakfast, non-legislative attendees (i.e., constituents) divided into groups, grabbed information packets and went to the offices of over 40 legislators who were unable to attend. In many cases, they were able to sit down with a representative, senator, or aide and talk about their concerns pertaining to water and healthy watersheds. In a short time, much was accomplished to demonstrate to legislators the importance of clean, plentiful, and free-flowing water to residents of Southeastern Massachusetts.
Thanks go to Senator Vinny DeMacedo for hosting and speaking, and to Senators Patrick O’Connor and Marc Pacheco, also, for taking the time to speak. The legislators who attended (Reps. Barrows, Driscoll, Fiola and Schmid) and/or sent staff (Senators Chang-Diaz, Feenan, and Keeney, Timilty; Reps. Coppinger, Crocker, Fiola, Kafka, Meschino, and Straus) to attend were much appreciated, too.
From left to right, top to bottom: Tess Goldmann and Don Williams, Alex Mansfield, map of river restoration projects, Samantha Woods, attendees, Kerry Snyder