To the editor:

As we’re deep into the presidential transition, it’s time for many to let go of denial and anger and accept the reality of a Donald Trump White House come January 20. For the environmental community, there’s three things we’re going to do.

First, with conservation partners across the country, we’re going to fight to hold on to what we have. For almost half a century and until most recently, we’ve had environmental success coming from Congress. Starting in 1969, GOP President Richard Nixon cooperated with bipartisan lawmakers to pass the National Environmental Protection Act, followed by the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. These laws protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we live, work and play on. Millions of American lives have improved as a result of their implementation.

Congress later enacted legislation to conserve the nation’s forests and parks, historic sites, wildlife and wetlands, coasts and oceans. These laws benefit people, nature and the economy and are a sacrosanct part of America’s natural heritage.

Encouraged by the White House, the upcoming 115^th Congress, with 239 Republicans and 193 Democrats in the House of Representatives, may try to weaken or do away with some of these provisions. To prevent a rollback of progress, we’ll work in the House but focus on the Senate. Although Republicans outnumber Democrats 52-48 in the upper chamber, we’ll call on Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey to initiate and lead a stop-the-repeal campaign. If needed, we will ask them to use the filibuster, which will require a 60 vote supermajority to erase America’s environmental legacy.

In addition, we’ll watch what goes on behind the scenes in the Oval Office. So often, bureaucratic actions fly under the public’s radar screen. The executive branch is mandated by the constitution, courts and Congress to implement, enforce and execute the nation’s laws. This is done largely through administrative rule-making. However, the President can unilaterally weaken or repeal regulations. He can also cut funds for existing programs, fail to enforce the law, make hostile political appointments, reduce the workforce, and simply drag his feet. As a preventive measure, we’ll go to court to require that the law be enforced.

Second, we’re going to support state and local governments in stepping up protection of our health and environment. A few examples:

• Mr. Trump believes climate change is a hoax. But 95 percent of utility and electricity oversight is done by the states, not the feds. So it will be in states like ours and California where we will continue to reduce heat-trapping air pollution and require industry to produce and use more green energy.
• The Massachusetts Endangered Species Act protects 432 native Massachusetts plants and animals on the edge of extinction. With that in place, we will continue to defend endangered species even if protections are relaxed or removed at the federal level.
• And there are a host of additional state laws providing public health and environmental benefits for Bay Staters that we will work to ensure are adequately funded and fully implemented on Beacon Hill.

On November 8, there was a huge success for Massachusetts at the ballot—the Community Preservation Act passed in 11 municipalities. This brought the state adoption to 172 cities and towns, or 49 percent of the Commonwealth. Since the Massachusetts legislature passed the enabling statute in 2000, almost $2 billion has been raised for community preservation projects providing for the creation of 10,000 affordable housing units; 26,300 acres of open space; 4,400 historic preservation initiatives; and 1,700 outdoor recreation projects—all without any federal involvement.

It’s in the city and town halls across the Commonwealth where mayors and selectmen, city councils and town meetings, school committees, planning boards, boards of health, conservation commissions, and public safety officials make some of the most important day-to-day decisions that directly affect our children and families. We will increase our efforts at the local level to support and enhance their work.

Finally, we remain committed to our aspirations, goals, and vision and for a clean, healthy and vibrant environment. Irrespective of who controls the levers of government, we will continue to advocate for a progressive environmental agenda in our nation’s capital—an agenda that provides for the health, safety, and natural security of all Americans while protecting the nature of this great land for this and future generations.

Sincerely,

Jack Clarke
Director of Public Policy and Government Relations, Mass Audubon

---

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.