Everyone in Massachusetts — no matter where we live — deserves clean drinking water and access to nature. This year, our state has an important, time-sensitive opportunity to protect our rivers, lakes, forests, family farms, and wildlife habitats by voting YES on Question 6 on the 2026 statewide ballot.

We are proud to join a wide statewide coalition of over 90 organizations supporting this critical, common-sense measure.
Here is why Question 6 is a win for our environment, our health, and our communities — all without raising taxes.

What is Question 6?

The Protect Water and Nature ballot initiative is a common-sense measure to secure steady, long-term funding for protecting and conserving water and nature. It would create a dedicated Nature for All Fund, generating as much as $100 million each year to support the conservation and restoration of water and natural areas in Massachusetts, protect the quality of our drinking water and natural wildlife habitats, and to support the creation and improvement of parks, trails, greenspaces, and other outdoor recreation spaces.

Dedicated Conservation Funding—Without Raising Taxes

The best part? Question 6 does not raise taxes or create a new tax.
Instead, it simply dedicates the standard sales tax we already pay on sporting goods — like camping gear, golf clubs, and fishing equipment — to water and land conservation. Other states like Virginia, Georgia, and Texas have already successfully used this model to secure hundreds of millions of dollars for their parks and natural resources, and now Massachusetts has the chance to do the same.
To ensure every dollar is used responsibly, the initiative establishes a public oversight board to approve all expenditures and requires strict annual public reporting.

Why Question 6 Matters to Our Mission

• Protecting Clean Drinking Water: Nothing is more important than having clean water at our taps and wells. Massachusetts is currently losing wetlands and facing a backlog of polluted waterways. By conserving forests and natural areas, Question 6 will reduce runoff into our lakes, rivers, and streams, safeguarding our drinking water sources.
• Conserving Forests, Farms, and Wildlife Habitats: Our forests, family farms, and other natural areas are part of what makes Massachusetts so great, and we have an important opportunity to protect them so they’re here for families today and for future generations. Question 6 will help conserve forests, family farms, wildlife habitat, salt marshes and wetlands, and other natural areas throughout Massachusetts.
• Future Generations: We need to protect our rivers, lakes, natural areas, and wildlife habitat and provide recreational opportunities for future generations. Unless we act to protect these areas now by passing this measure, many of our beautiful natural areas will disappear before our children and grandchildren have a chance to use and enjoy them.

 

What This Means for Our Local Community

The Protect Water and Nature ballot initiative will help deliver much-needed funding to protect water and nature right here in Newton. For our community, this funding could help support vital local priorities, such as improving a neighborhood park or creating new walking trails. Protecting and improving our local greenspaces helps keep our community a healthy, vibrant place to live.

The Time to Act is Now

We are losing vital forests, farms, and wetlands every single year. With federal funding under threat and the accelerating impacts of climate change endangering our watersheds, we cannot afford to wait. The longer we wait, the more expensive it will be to protect these irreplaceable natural assets.
It is time to permanently protect the places we love, improve access to the outdoors for everyone, and secure clean water for future generations before these beautiful spaces disappear forever.
Join us in voting YES on Question 6 this election!
To learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved, visit www.natureforma.org or reach out to us at info@greennewton.org.