Massachusetts HD 970: An Act establishing the municipal reforestation program

Bill Text

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 970 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 869

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Steven Owens and Jennifer Balinsky Armini
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act establishing the municipal reforestation program.
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PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED:
Steven Owens 29th Middlesex 1/17/2023
Jennifer Balinsky Armini 8th Essex 1/19/2023
Joan Meschino 3rd Plymouth 1/19/2023
Michelle L. Ciccolo 15th Middlesex 1/25/2023
James K. Hawkins 2nd Bristol 1/27/2023
Lindsay N. Sabadosa 1st Hampshire 2/1/2023
Patricia A. Duffy 5th Hampden 2/2/2023
David M. Rogers 24th Middlesex 2/3/2023
Carol A. Doherty 3rd Bristol 2/6/2023
Rodney M. Elliott 16th Middlesex 2/7/2023
James C. Arena-DeRosa 8th Middlesex 2/8/2023
Patrick M. O'Connor First Plymouth and Norfolk 2/9/2023
Paul McMurtry 11th Norfolk 2/15/2023
Brian W. Murray 10th Worcester 2/17/2023
Michael P. Kushmerek 3rd Worcester 3/20/2023
Margaret R. Scarsdale 1st Middlesex 3/22/2023
Erika Uyterhoeven 27th Middlesex 4/5/2023
Samantha Montaño 15th Suffolk 5/4/2023

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Danillo A. Sena 37th Middlesex 5/5/2023
Jeffrey Rosario Turco 19th Suffolk 5/8/2023
Ruth B. Balser 12th Middlesex 5/8/2023
Adrian C. Madaro 1st Suffolk 5/17/2023
Jack Patrick Lewis 7th Middlesex 5/25/2023
Tommy Vitolo 15th Norfolk 6/15/2023
Bruce E. Tarr First Essex and Middlesex 7/20/2023
Sean Garballey 23rd Middlesex 10/10/2023
Carmine Lawrence Gentile 13th Middlesex 10/12/2023
Kay Khan 11th Middlesex 1/26/2024
Kristin E. Kassner 2nd Essex 2/1/2024

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 970 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 869
By Representatives Owens of Watertown and Armini of Marblehead, a petition (accompanied by
bill, House, No. 869) of Steven Owens, Jennifer Balinsky Armini and others for legislation to
establish a municipal reforestation program within the Executive Office of Energy and
Environmental Affairs. Environment and Natural Resources.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act establishing the municipal reforestation program.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 SECTION 1. Chapter 21A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official
2 Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
3 Section 28. (a) There shall be established an advisory council under the executive office
4 of energy and environmental affairs, known as the urban forest advisory council. Members shall
5 be appointed by the secretary from public, private, and nongovernmental organizations with
6 expertise in urban forestry, arboriculture, landscape architecture, green infrastructure, demand-
7 side energy efficiency management, and climate change resilience and mitigation. Such members
8 may include representatives from the following: (i) municipal arboriculture or tree warden
9 association; (ii) arboriculture or nursery industry association; (iii) urban landscape architecture
10 association; (iv) demand-side energy efficiency management; (v) green infrastructure and
11 climate change resilience and mitigation; (vi) nonprofit organization with experience in planting
12 trees; (vii) environmental organization with expertise in energy conservation, energy efficiency,

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13 or green infrastructure building practices; (viii) local affordable housing or community
14 development organizations; (ix) workforce development programs; (x) municipal departments of
15 public works responsible for roads, water mains, sewers, and utility infrastructure; (xi)
16 researchers with expertise in data collection related to natural resources, energy management,
17 and climate change indicators; (xii) gas company infrastructure; (xiii) electric company
18 infrastructure; (xiv) nonprofit transportation organizations with expertise in clean transportation;
19 (xv) nonprofit organizations with expertise in municipal finance; (xvi) the Metropolitan Area
20 Planning Council, other regional planning agencies, and the Massachusetts Municipal
21 Association; (xvii) small business associations; (xviii) organized labor associations; (ix)
22 municipal tree committees; (xx) officials from the department of conservation and recreation, the
23 department of environmental protection, and the department of transportation; (xxi) agricultural
24 high schools; (xxii) federally recognized and state acknowledged tribes within the
25 commonwealth; and (xxiii) the University of Massachusetts Amherst Center for Agriculture,
26 Food, and the Environment.
27 (b) (1) The secretary shall convene the council to provide advice and technical