Amendment #1261 to H4600

Charles River Task Force on Equitable River Access

Ms. Decker of Cambridge moves to amend the bill in section 2, in item 2800-0100, in line 5, by inserting after the word “department” the following words: “; and provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for the operation of the Charles river task force, established in section XXXX”; and in said item by striking out the figure “$6,806,755” and inserting in place thereof the figure: “$6,906,755”;

and by adding the following section:

“SECTION XXXX. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:

“Department”, the department of conservation and recreation.

“Environmental justice population”, as defined in section 62 of chapter 30 of the General Laws.

“Environmental justice principles”, as defined in said section 62 of said chapter 30 of the General Laws.

“Riverside neighborhood”, the portions of Cambridge bounded by the Charles river, River street, Massachusetts avenue and John F. Kennedy boulevard, as shown on maps on file with the Cambridge Community Development Department Cambridge GIS.

(b) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a task force to study and make recommendations to the department to address equitable access to the Charles river in the area between the Longfellow bridge and Eliot bridge. The task force will also make recommendations that ensure inclusive processes are in place to engage all relevant stakeholders when decisions around the Charles river area are made, and to improve communication with all involved stakeholders. The department may expend money for the operation of this task force.

(c) The task force’s recommendations shall include, but not be limited to, ways to: (i) ensure that the department considers environmental justice principles when making decisions involving the span of the Charles river in question; (ii) ensure that all stakeholders are engaged when substantive decisions are made regarding closing or limiting access to Memorial drive; (iii) ensure that the residents of the abutting neighborhood receive proper notification when the department makes changes to access to Memorial drive; and (iv) improve programming along the river that can be enjoyed by a wide variety of stakeholders.

(d) The task force shall consist of: the commissioner of the department or a designee, who shall serve as co-chair; the undersecretary of environmental justice and equity or a designee, who shall serve as co-chair; the director of the bureau of climate and environmental health within the department of public health or a designee, 1 member appointed by the Cambridge Health Alliance; 1 member appointed by the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority; 1 member appointed by the Cambridge branch of the NAACP; 1 member appointed by the Cambridge Black Pastors Alliance, Inc.; 1 member appointed by My Brother’s Keeper Cambridge; 1 member appointed by the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, Incorporated, also known as MassBike; 1 member appointed by the Charles River Conservancy, Inc.; 1 member appointed by Cambridge Mother’s Out Front; 1 member appointed by The Nature Conservancy of Massachusetts, Inc.; 1 member appointed by the Charles River Watershed Association; 1 member appointed by The People for Riverbend Park Trust; and not less than 6 individuals whose primary residence is within a half mile of the Charles river and are members of an environmental justice population or live in subsidized housing, at least 2 of whom reside in the Riverside neighborhood. Task force membership shall reflect diverse representation in the commonwealth including, but not limited to, diverse cultures, races, ethnicities, languages, disabilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, geographic locations and ages.

(e) The task force may consult with the department to inform its work. The department shall provide requested information to the task force upon request.

(f) The task force shall hold at least 3 public hearings and accept public comment before filing its final report pursuant to subsection (g).

(g) Not later than June 30, 2025, the task force shall submit a report with its recommendations to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate”.