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Question 6

Question 6: Protect Water and Nature — Nature for All Fund Initiative

On the ballot

Massachusetts · November 2026 general election · Citizen initiative · Election day November 3, 2026
Topics: Energy and environment, Taxes and revenue

In plain language

Question 6 would create a Nature for All Fund in the state treasury for natural resource conservation, administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs with a 15-member oversight commission. Half of the state sales and use tax revenue collected on sporting goods, recreational vehicles and golf would be deposited in the fund, rising to all of that revenue after July 1, 2028. The measure would not create a new tax; it would redirect money that now goes to the General Fund. Government agencies, public charities and tribal governments could receive money from the fund for land, water and habitat protection.

Fiscal impact

No official fiscal note has been issued for this measure yet.

When the state publishes a fiscal analysis, it will appear here and be listed in the sources below.

What supporters and opponents say

These are summaries of arguments made by the named organizations, drawn from the sources listed below. They are their claims, not this site's, and this site takes no position on the measure.

What supporters say

  • Mass Audubon says that setting aside part of the revenue already collected from the sales tax on sporting goods would dedicate more than $100 million a year to conservation without any increase in taxes.
  • Nature for Massachusetts, the campaign committee behind the measure, says conserving forests, wildlife habitat and natural areas reduces runoff into lakes, rivers and streams and helps protect drinking water quality.
  • Katie Theoharides, CEO of The Trustees, says the state has a limited window to protect its remaining large tracts of open space before they are developed.
  • The Nature Conservancy, the Conservation Law Foundation, the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, the Trust for Public Land and REI are among the coalition backing the measure.

Attributed to Nature for Massachusetts, Mass Audubon.

What opponents say

  • Ballotpedia reports that it has not located an organized campaign or published arguments opposing Question 6 as of August 2026.
  • Ballotpedia notes that lawmakers declined to enact the proposal and that the Legislature could choose not to appropriate money from the new fund even if voters approve it.

Attributed to the sources cited below.

Official ballot language

The certified ballot text is not yet available for this measure. Once the state certifies it, the verbatim wording will appear here.

Sources

Everything on this page traces to these sources. Follow them to read the original documents.

Last updated . How this page is sourced and corrected is described in the correction policy.