Senator Deeds’ land conservation bill asks DCR to map path to 20% permanence and estimate funding

Senator Deeds told the study subcommittee that the original, broader conservation legislation was narrowed into a section‑1 bill that asks the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) to analyze how the Commonwealth could reach a goal of permanently conserving 20 percent of its land area (and 10 percent in urban areas).

"The bill also directs the DCR to estimate how much funding will be required to meet this goal and to report back to the General Assembly on 11/01/2026," Senator Deeds said during the presentation. The senator characterized the change as an effort to produce an implementation plan rather than set an immediately enforceable policy.

The subcommittee provided one minute for testimony and recorded none. After brief discussion the panel voted to carry the bill over to the 2026 session to allow additional work and to request that DCR prepare the assessment and the funding estimate.

What the bill does and why it matters: As presented, the measure does not itself appropriate money or require land acquisitions; instead it tasks DCR with outlining options, costs and likely funding sources so legislators can judge the fiscal and programmatic feasibility of the 20 percent target. That report — with a specific 11/01/2026 deadline noted in the hearing — is intended to inform future budget and statutory decisions.

What we do not know from the hearing: The bill language as discussed does not specify funding sources, an implementation timeline, or which programs would carry out purchases or easements. The committee carried the bill rather than report it to a subsequent committee without additional agency analysis.

Next procedural step: The subcommittee carried SB 5 19 to the 2026 session and requested a DCR report by 11/01/2026. Any funding requests or statutory proposals to implement the goal would require follow‑up legislation and appropriation approval.