In the wake of my post about Wareham, Massachusetts using Community Preservation Act funds to conserve 300 acres on Buzzards Bay, TPL’s Conservation Finance team alerts me that state matching grants from the CPA are shrinking.
Communities that adopted the Community Preservation Act are receiving less money this year from the state as more cities and towns are vying for a shrinking pool of funds.
Officials say communities will have to cut back on new initiatives involving open space and recreation and projects geared toward affordable housing and historic preservation, as the average state match plunged to 40 percent this year. That’s its lowest level since the program began eight years ago, down from a high of 100 percent just two years ago.
Legislation has been filed that would set the minimum match at 75 percent.
Read more at Boston.com
Tags: Community Preservation Act, conservation funding, Massachusetts
