Transportation Bill Advocacy Letter Submitted 4/1

April 1, 2009

House of Representatives State House Boston, MA 02133

Re: Transportation Reform – Department of Conservation and Recreation Parkways and Bridges Transfer

Dear Representative:

The undersigned organizations are writing to convey our strong opposition to any transfer of Department of Conservation and Recreation owned parkways and bridges to any new entity that results from the legislature and administration’s transportation reform efforts. The Senate bill (SB 2024) passed last week includes such a transfer (Section 55). This transfer represents, to our knowledge, the largest parklands taking since the passage of Article 97 of the Constitution, more than 700 acres of land integral to the functioning of our park system.

The Governor’s bill does not go as far, but it does include a transfer of all DCR owned bridges to the new MassDOT established in his legislation. While we appreciate that the administration has stated that the parkways are part of our park system and so DCR should retain ownership and control of them, we would make the same argument for DCR bridges. The difference between bridges and parkways is not distinguishable and would represent an impossible task of defining where and how assets are divided, managed, and cared for.

Different attempts over the years to transfer care and control of DCR parkways and bridges to MassHighway have not succeeded. We believe the reason is that ultimately, the legislature and the administration understood that no cost savings for a transfer of responsibilities has ever been documented, that the different standards for care and maintenance of our historic parkways can best be met by DCR and that, in fact, these assets are integral to our park system. Park friends groups and other environmental organizations from across the state have time and time again urged the legislature to allow DCR to continue to own and be responsible for these special roads and bridges.

The temptation to transfer these assets in an attempt to consolidate and relieve DCR of some financial burdens is great. However, no matter which entity bears the costs of these bridges and parkways, funding will be needed; transferring ownership and responsibility for these assets does not assure that new funds will be found or that any new agency will be as capable as DCR to manage these assets appropriately. If funding is available to transportation agencies that could be used for parkway and bridge repair and maintenance -- that would be unavailable to DCR -- Memorandums of Understanding can be drafted as has been the case in the past for specific projects.

While we appreciate the Senate’s efforts to pass an amendment to promulgate regulations pursuant to the Parkways Preservation Treatment Guidelines, we are not confident that this approach would sufficiently protect the unique quality of our parkways and bridges --particularly since language in the bill allows the guidelines to be waived (Section 75).

We ask that you reject those portions of any transportation reform that would transfer ownership and care of DCR parkways and bridges. We also urge you to sign on to a letter to Speaker DeLeo on this issue being circulated by Rep. Donato’s office.

For more information, please contact Nancy Goodman at 617-742-2553 or any of the organizations listed below.

Sincerely,

Kate Bowditch, Director of Projects
Charles River Watershed Association

David Bryant, Special Asst. to the President/Director of Government Relations
The Trustees of Reservations

Valerie Burns, President
Boston Natural Areas Network

David Christopher, Preservation Associate
Environment Massachusetts

Julie Crockford, President
Emerald Necklace Conservancy

Sarah Freeman
Arborway Coalition

Mike Gildesgame
Southern New England Policy Manager Appalachian Mountain Club

Nancy Goodman, VP for Policy
Environmental League of Massachusetts

Sharl Heller, President
Friends of Myles Standish State Forest

Judy Lehrer Jacobs, Executive Director
Friends of the Blue Hills

James McCaffrey, Director
Sierra Club, Massachusetts Chapter

Jennifer Ryan, Legislative Director
Mass Audubon

Mike Ryan, Executive Director
Friends of the Middlesex Fells Reservation

Renata von Tscharner, President
Charles River Conservancy