Patrick signs parks, beaches plan

Conservation bill would also address bridge, dam woes

Governor Deval Patrick signed a $1.64 billion borrowing plan yesterday for projects that include park and beach improvements. Activists say the five-year bond is the largest of its type in the state's history and will be supplemented by Patrick's pledge to dedicate $50 million a year to land conservation.

The bill also includes an income tax credit to spur private land donations to nonprofit groups, the state, or cities and towns. Environmental activists say Patrick returned the tax credit with an amendment limiting it to $2 million a year. The bill also includes funds to reduce a park repair and improvement backlog of $1.7 billion and funds for dam removal and repair, clean water projects, and wildlife habitat protection. Annual state bond spending is capped.

The bill includes $616 million for the Department of Conservation and Recreation, including $325 million for bridge repair and reconstruction. The bond bill caps a string of new environmental laws signed this session, including bills to promote biofuels, to encourage development of clean energy sources, to force emissions reductions, and bills to regulate offshore development and to subsidize jobs in the clean-energy industry. Many of the policy ideas are being promoted by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, who has Patrick as one of his top allies.

Jack Clarke, director of public policy at Mass Audubon, said the laws signed by Patrick might serve as a test run for Obama's platform.

Jennifer Ryan, legislative affairs director at Mass. Audubon, told the News Service she almost mistook a recent Obama energy ad for a Massachusetts promotion. "It was the Deval Patrick platform," she said. "I thought it was for Massachusetts."