The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Morrissey, Michael (SEN)

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
                Court assembled:

                The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill:

An Act creating the blue hills advisory .

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PETITION OF:

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. S00526 OF 2007-2008.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand and Nine

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An Act creating the blue hills advisory .

                Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

            SECTION 1.   Chapter 21A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting, after section 11C, the following section:-
Section 11D. There is hereby established within the department of conservation and recreation an advisory board to be designated as the blue hills advisory board. The board shall consist of eleven members to be appointed by the governor, one of whom shall represent the Appalachian Mountain Club; one member shall represent the Massachusetts Audubon Society; one member shall represent the Friends of the Blue Hills; one member shall represent the Friends of the Trailside Museum; one member shall represent the New England Mountain Bike Association; two members shall represent the Ponkapoag Golf Club; one member shall represent the Sierra Club; and three of whom shall be representative of the horse stable business community that has a fundamental interest in the maintenance and improvement of the Blue Hills Reservation. Each member shall serve for a term of three years. The chairman of the board shall be appointed, from the eleven members, annually by the governor, and in the absence of same shall be designated by the director. Board members shall be appointed or reappointed for terms of three years.

The blue hills advisory board shall meet at least quarterly and four members in attendance shall constitute a quorum. The commissioner of the department of conservation and recreation, or their designees, shall attend all meetings of said board and shall provide such information as said board shall request.

Said board shall review the budgetary recommendations of the commissioner of the department of conservation and recreation and the secretary of the executive office of environmental affairs concerning the expenditure of state funds allocated to the department of conservation and recreation for the blue hills reservation and the ponkapoag golf course each fiscal year prior to the submission of such recommendations to the secretary or the governor, as the case may be. In the event said board disapproves of any such recommendation it may file a report noting its objection and such report shall be transmitted to the governor and to the house and senate committees on ways and means.