HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3063 FILED ON: 1/20/2017
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3562
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
William Driscoll
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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 to study the health of the Blue Hills Forest and ecology to inform long-term reservation management.
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PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: | Date Added: |
William Driscoll | 7th Norfolk | 1/20/2017 |
Denise Provost | 27th Middlesex |
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Bruce J. Ayers | 1st Norfolk | 1/30/2017 |
Mike Connolly | 26th Middlesex | 2/1/2017 |
Paul McMurtry | 11th Norfolk | 2/1/2017 |
Louis L. Kafka | 8th Norfolk | 2/2/2017 |
William N. Brownsberger | Second Suffolk and Middlesex |
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Daniel J. Ryan | 2nd Suffolk |
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Natalie Higgins | 4th Worcester |
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Marjorie C. Decker | 25th Middlesex |
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Angelo M. Scaccia | 14th Suffolk | 2/2/2017 |
Kenneth I. Gordon | 21st Middlesex |
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James M. Cantwell | 4th Plymouth |
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Daniel Cullinane | 12th Suffolk |
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John F. Keenan | Norfolk and Plymouth |
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Dylan Fernandes | Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket |
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Joan Meschino | 3rd Plymouth |
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Michelle M. DuBois | 10th Plymouth | 1/31/2017 |
Alice Hanlon Peisch | 14th Norfolk |
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John H. Rogers | 12th Norfolk |
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Sean Garballey | 23rd Middlesex |
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Jack Lewis | 7th Middlesex |
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William L. Crocker, Jr. | 2nd Barnstable |
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Michael F. Rush | Norfolk and Suffolk |
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Daniel Cahill | 10th Essex | 4/6/2017 |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3063 FILED ON: 1/20/2017
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3562
By Mr. Driscoll of Milton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3562) of William Driscoll and others for legislation to authorize an independent scientific organization to study and survey of the forest, wildlife and environmental health of the Blue Hills Reservation. Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)
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An Act to study the health of the Blue Hills Forest and ecology to inform long-term reservation management.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
There shall be conducted an independent, scientific study and survey of the forest, wildlife and environmental health of the Blue Hills Reservation, which shall focus on: (i) potential reasons for the declining forest health, (ii) the deer population and the effectiveness of hunting as a means of culling large deer populations, (iii) the health of plant and insect life on the reservation and potential factors contributing to any decline in plant or insect health, (iv) the effect of ecological changes and climate change on the health of the forest and the plant and animal species, and (v) proposed solutions to ensure improvements in the forest, wildlife and environmental health of the reservation.
The study and survey shall be conducted by an independent scientific organization to be selected by the department of conservation and recreation and the department of fisheries and wildlife. The departments shall choose such organization to conduct the study and survey within 6 months after the effective date of this act, and the independent scientific organization shall report its findings and data in the form of a report and survey, which shall include proposed solutions and the costs associated with such solutions, to the department of conservation and recreation and the department of fisheries and wildlife within 1 year following the start of the study.
There shall be a moratorium on the continuation and further implementation of the blue hills reservation deer management program and any controlled deer hunting in the reservation until the findings of such study and survey have been reported to the department of conservation and recreation and the department of fisheries and wildlife, and such departments have reviewed the findings and proposed updated solutions based on such findings.