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Public Lands Preservation Act Article 97 of the State Constitution grants citizens of Massachusetts a right to a clean environment and the enjoyment of natural resources on publicly owned land.
There is hardly a city or town in the Commonwealth that does not have some park, playground, conservation land, or other public land that is supposed to be protected by Article 97. Article 97 Lands.
The
Public
Lands Preservation Act or PLPA (H. 3438), also known as the Article 97 bill and
the No-net-loss bill, would be a statement of legislative policy to approve
change in use or disposition of Article 97 land, only when there is no feasible
alternative and if replacement land of equivalent acreage, market value, and natural
resources value is provided.
The alternatives analysis and replacement land requirements may be waived where
a disposition is of buildings, leads to no permanent physical changes in the
land, or is of 2,500 square feet or less and has insignificant environmental
impact. The
PLPA has been sponsored by many senators and representatives and endorsed by over 100 public and
private organizations.
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The article requires that public land acquired for natural resource purposes
not be used for other purposes or otherwise disposed of without a two thirds
vote of each branch of the legislature.
Unfortunately, conversion of land acquired for natural resource purposes to
other uses has been sanctioned frequently by the legislature with little
examination, debate, or opposition. 
