Assessment
Protecting, managing, and restoring Massachusetts’ natural and working lands is critical for carbon removal and storage as well as resilience to hazards like flooding and extreme heat and protection of biodiversity. These lands, particularly forests, currently offset about 10% of Massachusetts’ annual GHG emissions, though this carbon sink has begun declining in recent years due to deforestation and aging forests. Conservation efforts have permanently protected over 28% of Massachusetts’ land from conversion, totaling 1.41 million acres, exceeding the state’s 2025 target. However, the pace will need to pick up significantly to meet 2030 and 2050 targets. Despite progress with permanently protected land, total statewide natural and working land area has declined roughly 4,800 acres per year between 2020 and 2024 due to conversion of unprotected lands, with forests constituting most of these losses. Recent federal award cancellations have also constrained the state’s ability to accelerate conservation efforts. The state has made progress with tree canopy coverage, with trees covering nearly 48% of developed land statewide as of 2023, up slightly from 2021. Environmental justice neighborhoods lag behind in overall canopy cover, at 41%, but targeted efforts have helped these communities see larger increases in tree canopy than the rest of the state since 2021.
| Metric | Submetric | 2023 Report Value | 2024 Report Value | 2025 Report Value | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanently protected natural and working land (NWL) area | Percent of statewide land area permanently protected | 28.1% (1.396 million acres) through June 20231 | 28.2% (1.405 million acres) through June 20241 | 28.4% (1.412 million acres) through June 2025 | 28% by 2025, 30% by 2030, 40% by 2050 (CECP) |
| Natural and working lands area | Percent of statewide land area – all NWL | 69.7% (3.612 million acres) in 2022 | 69.7% (3.608 million acres) in 2023 | 69.6% (3.603 million acres) in 2024 | No specific target but minimizing the loss of NWL is a goal of the CECPs, and a target for reducing forest loss is being developed as part of the Forests as Climate Solutions Initiative. |
| Annual net change in NWL area | Loss of ~4,700 acres, 2021 to 2022 | Loss of ~4,200 acres, 2022 to 2023 | Loss of ~4,800 acres, 2023 to 2024 | ||
| Percent of statewide land area – forest land | 59.0% (3.057 million acres) in 20222 | 58.9% (3.053 million acres) in 20232 | 58.9% (3.051 million acres) in 2024 | ||
| Annual net change in forest land area | Loss of ~3,700 acres, 2021 to 20222 | Loss of ~3,800 acres, 2022 to 20231 | Loss of ~2,500 acres, 2023 to 2024 | ||
| Tree canopy cover in developed areas | Percent canopy cover in developed areas – statewide | New in 2024 | 47.5% in 20223 | 47.8% in 2023 | No specific target, but increasing percent tree canopy cover in developed areas advances the CECP goal of expanding tree cover in urban and EJ areas, as well as the state’s resilience goal of ensuring safe and easy access to public green space and tree cover. |
| Percent canopy cover in developed areas – EJ communities | New in 2024 | 40.3% in 20223 | 40.6% in 2023 |
Primary Challenges
- Massachusetts has competing needs for its land, including the need to develop housing.
- The value of land is increasing, and additional resources will be necessary.
- The Trump Administration cancelled two Regional Conservation Partnership Program grants totaling $45M for land conservation in Massachusetts.
- Massachusetts’ lands are experiencing numerous stressors that are exacerbated by climate change, including invasive species, novel diseases, drought, intense storms, and extreme heat.
How we are meeting the moment
The Mass Ready Act, filed by Governor Healey in June 2025, authorizes substantial additional public investment in land conservation and stewardship and streamlines permitting for important restoration activities. The Administration has also been working to ensure that clean energy facilities better avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts on natural and working lands through reforms to the state’s solar incentive program and to siting and permitting processes. The Commonwealth launched a broad initiative to develop a statewide integrated land use strategy that will align Commonwealth land use policies and locational priorities among state agencies. The state published a long range plan to pursue statewide biodiversity goals, including substantial commitments to natural and working lands conservation and restoration. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has also sponsored numerous projects to support these lands, including removing invasive species, protecting land for agricultural use, managing wildlife habitat, supporting tribal land acquisition and stewardship, and planting trees to mitigate extreme heat in particularly vulnerable communities. Governor Healey issued E.O. 645 establishing a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) Commission to review current policy and suggest reforms, such as the inclusion of carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services in land valuation, to encourage ongoing land conservation and enhance alignment with the state’s land conservation, biodiversity, and climate goals. Finally, Massachusetts is implementing key elements of the Forests as Climate Solutions initiative, including enhanced data collection through the Continuous Forest Inventory, greater clarity and availability of information on state land management activities, and expansion of forest reserves.