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58-504: The preserve, acquired in 1975 by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations , is suitable for hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, and cross country skiing; it is also maintained as habitat for ground nesting birds such as the bobolink , red-winged blackbird , and eastern meadowlark . Access to North Common Meadow is located off Massachusetts Route 32 and East Street in Petersham center. The property

116-467: A 1929 report by the Governor's Committee on Needs and Uses of Open Spaces that emphasized the need to protect the state's rural character and countryside and the importance of identifying and describing the qualities and characteristics of specific sites that should be preserved. The report included a "Map of existing and proposed open spaces". Today, nearly every site listed in the report is protected by

174-617: A government or nonprofit conservation agency. The 1929 report included a proposal by Benton MacKaye , the creator of the Appalachian Trail , to build a "Bay Circuit Trail" encircling Boston from Plum Island to Duxbury . Work to build the Bay Circuit Trail began in 1990 when the Bay Circuit Alliance was created. Six individuals have served The Trustees as President and CEO. Andrew Kendall held

232-426: A law. It is usually effective in ninety days. The day after the governor signs the bill is considered to be the first day, and each succeeding day, including Sundays and holidays is counted until the ninetieth. Laws considered "emergency" in nature take effect immediately upon signing if the legislature has voted to attach an "emergency preamble" to the bill. Adoption of the preamble requires a two-thirds standing vote of

290-733: A new headquarters was established in Boston . The Trustees Archives & Research Center (ARC) is located in Sharon . In June 2006, The Trustees earned gold-level recognition from the United States Green Building Council for its Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster . Financial support for the organization comes from membership dues, annual contributions, property admission fees, special events, grants, and endowments. In 2014, after seven years as an affiliate,

348-641: A state legislature in the United States. She was outed against her will following the election and served one term. As of 2018, the General Court was composed of 75 percent male and 25 percent female representation. There are 40 senatorial districts in Massachusetts, named for the counties in which they are located. There are 160 representational districts in Massachusetts, named for the counties in which they are located. The speaker of

406-507: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . The Trustees of Reservations The Trustees of Reservations (also referred to as Trustees or The Trustees after a 2021 rebranding ) is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts . It is the oldest land conservation nonprofit organization of its kind in

464-908: Is a collaborative recreational project of The Trustees, the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust , Harvard University 's Harvard Forest , the National Park Service , the New England Forestry Foundation , state agencies, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers . Appleton Farms of Ipswich is a combination CSA project, retail feed and mulch haying operation, livestock and dairy program, recreation area, and ecological preservation area; it includes experiential education programs for adults and children. Current conservation projects include cooperative efforts on

522-412: Is composed of six senators and eleven representatives. The standing committees schedule public hearings for the individual bills, which afford citizens, legislators and lobbyists the opportunity to express their views. Committee members meet at a later time in executive session to review the public testimony and discuss the merits of each bill before making their recommendations to the full membership of

580-821: Is now a part of the Middlesex Fells Reservation . Waverly Oaks itself was also conveyed to the state by The Trustees and is part of the Beaver Brook Reservation , established in 1893. In 1925, The Trustees joined with the Appalachian Mountain Club , Massachusetts Audubon Society , and the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England ) to organize a conference on "The Needs and Uses of Open Spaces." This conference led to

638-588: Is part of the cooperatively managed Southeastern Massachusetts Bioreserve which protects 13,600 acres (5,500 ha) of forest in Fall River , Freetown and Dartmouth, Massachusetts . Slocum's River Reserve is a cooperative effort by the state, The Trustees and the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust and includes protected braken river frontage and farming conservation restrictions. The Tully Trail , in northern Worcester County ,

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696-737: Is referred to the Senate or House Committee on Ways and Means after the first reading. Adverse reports ("ought not to pass") are also referred to the Committee on Steering and Policy in the Senate or placed without debate in the Orders of the Day for the next session of the House. Acceptance by either branch of an adverse report is considered the final rejection and the matter of the matter. However, an adverse report can be overturned. A member may move to substitute

754-621: The Boston Natural Areas Network merged with the Trustees. The Trustees of Reservations was proposed in 1890 when the New England periodical Garden and Forest published a letter by landscape architect Charles Eliot (protégé of Frederick Law Olmsted ) entitled "The Waverly Oaks." Eliot's letter proposed the immediate preservation of "special bits of scenery" still remaining "within ten miles (16 km) of

812-618: The Conservation Common, was active from 2007 to 2012. It offered workshops, conferences, and networking for land conservationists, urban park advocates, historic preservationists, watershed associations, state agencies, and municipal commissions. The Highland Communities Initiative was a cooperative effort of The Trustees and community members from small hilltowns in The Berkshires geography dedicated to preserving regional cultural and physical landscapes and enhancing

870-500: The East India Company . The freemen would meet annually to elect representatives in the form of a Royal Governor, a Deputy Governor, and a Council made from the directors of the company. These officials were to have royally assented governmental control of the colony and would be tasked with the management and defense of the colonial plantation. The first Court assembled would be made from these members to discuss and evaluate

928-537: The General Court of Massachusetts , is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston . The name "General Court" is a holdover from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony , when the colonial assembly, in addition to making laws, sat as a judicial court of appeals . Before the adoption of the state constitution in 1780, it

986-591: The Mount Tom Range and interpretive development of the birthplace of suffragist Lucy Stone in West Brookfield . The Trustees owns and manages a broad range of properties across the state of Massachusetts. Many properties contain historic buildings, including nine historic house museums and two lighthouses open to the public. The Trustees manages five National Historic Landmarks, one National Natural Landmark, and several properties that are listed on

1044-606: The legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since the adoption of the Massachusetts Constitution in 1780. The body was in operation before Massachusetts became a U.S. state on February 6, 1788 . The first sessions, starting in 1780 , were one-year elected sessions for both houses. This was expanded to two-year sessions starting with the 142nd General Court in January 1921. Thereafter,

1102-506: The Committee on Bills in the Third Reading. This amounts to preliminary approval of the bill in that branch. That committee examines technical points, as well as the legality and constitutionality of the measure, and ensures that it does not duplicate or contradict existing law. The committee then issues a report and returns the bill to the House or Senate for its third reading. At that time, legislators can further debate and amend

1160-425: The House has historically been quite powerful, exerting significant influence over all aspects of state government. The General Court is responsible for enacting laws in the state. The two legislative branches work concurrently on pending laws brought before them. Lawmaking begins when legislators, or their delegates, file petitions accompanied by bills, resolves or other types of legislation electronically, using

1218-604: The House or Senate. Matters not requiring reference to another Joint, House or Senate committee are, following the first reading, referred without debate to the Committee on Senate Rules if reported in the Senate, except certain special laws (relative to a city or town) are placed directly on the Senate Calendar (Orders of the Day), or, without debate to the House Steering, Policy and Scheduling committee if reported into

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1276-524: The House or Senate. The Health Care Financing Committee is required to provide an estimated cost of the bill, when making their report. If the estimated cost is less than $ 100,000, the bill bypasses having to be referred to Ways and Means. If a bill is not related to health care, but affects the finances of the Commonwealth, or, if it is reported by the Health Care Financing Committee with an estimated cost greater than $ 100,000, it

1334-512: The House or Senate. The public may still observe "executive" sessions, but may not participate in these meetings. The committee then issues its report, recommending that a bill "ought to pass" or "ought not to pass" and the report is submitted to the Clerk's office. The first reading of a favorably reported bill is automatic and generally occurs when the committee's report appears in the Journal of

1392-558: The House. Reports from Senate Rules or House Steering, Policy and Scheduling are placed on the Calendar of the Chamber receiving the report for a second reading. If a bill reported favorably by a joint committee affects health care it is referred by the House or Senate Clerk to the joint committee on Health Care Financing; and the first reading is delayed until the next favorable report, thus allowing Health Care Financing to report to either

1450-597: The Legislative Automated Workflow System (LAWS). The electronically submitted legislation is received in the House or Senate Clerk's office where the petitions , bills , and resolves are recorded in an electronic docket book. The clerks number the bills and assign them to appropriate joint committees. There are 26 of these committees, each responsible for studying the bills which pertain to specific policy areas, taxation , education , health care , insurance , and others. Each committee

1508-517: The Massachusetts General Court, often by large majorities. The Democrats enjoyed veto-proof supermajorities in both chambers for part of the 1990s (i.e., enough votes to override vetoes by a governor) and also currently hold supermajorities in both chambers. State senators and representatives both serve two-year terms. There are no term limits ; a term limit was enacted by initiative in Massachusetts in 1994 but in 1997

1566-919: The National Register of Historic Places. In addition, The Trustees manages, per contract, the Tully Lake Campground in Royalston and the Westport Town Farm . Until 2023, the Trustees managed Norton Point Beach in Edgartown , which is owned by Dukes County . Notable properties include: Moose Hill Farm in Sharon and Cormier Woods in Uxbridge are some of the most recent acquisitions. Massachusetts General Court Minority (4) Minority (24) Vacant (1) The Massachusetts General Court , formally

1624-595: The State House which possess uncommon beauty and more than usual refreshing power." To this end, Eliot proposed that legislation be enacted to create a nonprofit corporation to hold land for the public to enjoy "just as a Public Library holds books and an Art Museum holds pictures." In the spring of 1891, the Massachusetts Legislature established The Trustees of Public Reservations "for the purposes of acquiring, holding, maintaining and opening to

1682-434: The authority of the General Court. Under this new system the religious qualification, that suffrage be for only Puritan men, was changed to a qualification of property ownership. The Assistants were also officially changed to a Governor's Council to be selected by the governor to act as an upper house as well as a council for advice and consent . All laws passed by the General Court were to be approved by Royal Governor of

1740-417: The bill for the report, and, if the motion to substitute carries, the matter is then given its first reading and follows the same procedure as if reported favorably by committee. After a bill is read for a second time, it is open to debate on amendments and motions . Following debate, a vote is taken and if the bill receives a favorable vote by the membership, it is ordered to a third reading and referred to

1798-425: The bill, first in the House and later in the Senate, is the final step in the passage of a bill by the legislature. Following enactment, the bill goes to the governor , who may sign the bill into law, allow it to become law without signing it (if the governor holds the bill for ten days without taking any action while the legislature is in session, it becomes law without his or her signature), veto it, or return it to

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1856-554: The bill. Following the third reading, the body votes on "passing the bill to be engrossed." The bill must then pass through three readings and engrossment in the second legislative branch. Should that occur, it is sent to the Legislative Engrossing Division where it is typed on special parchment in accordance with the General Laws . However, if the second branch passes an amended version of the bill,

1914-824: The book burnt on Boston Common . With the collapse of the Dominion of New England in the Glorious Revolution in 1689 The Assistants convened an assembly of delegates from each town to reform the General Court. With the Massachusetts Charter in 1691 the Province of Massachusetts Bay absorbed the colony of Plymouth . The Plymouth Colony , along with the District of Maine and the islands off Cape Cod , Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket were to be an extension of Massachusetts and thus under

1972-637: The charter was not being followed, a compromise resulted in recomposition of the General Court as two deputies elected by freemen in each town. Problems with a judicial case resulted in another reform in 1638, where the Council of Assistants became an upper house that sat separately, with consent of both houses required to pass legislation. In October 1650 the General Court took exception to the book The Meritorious Price of Our Redemption by William Pynchon . They regarded it as containing many errors and heresies and decided to make their views very plain by having

2030-548: The city on March 17, 1776. The Governor's Council acted as the executive in the absence of the governor and lieutenant governor, administering the rebel forces of the colony during the early years of the American Revolutionary War , which began in Massachusetts at the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775. The General Assembly declared Massachusetts independent from Britain on May 1, 1776. With

2088-497: The distinction between delegates elected by towns and the Council of Assistants. The assistants acted as magistrates and counselors of jurisprudence, however when in session they served as a sort of upper house . Their assent and approval was needed in order for any decision from the house of delegates to be passed. The new legislature was elected annually. Suffrage was allowed only for men who were Puritan church members and freemen. This General Court removed any feudal restraints on

2146-585: The form of the Governor, the Governor's Council, etc. had more executive authority the Court could cause political stalemate if its demands were not met. Even the Governor's reserve power to dissolve the General Court was ineffective because a new assembly had to be elected the following year. With the passage of the Intolerable Acts by the Parliament of Great Britain there was political turmoil in

2204-415: The legislation returns to the original branch for a vote of concurrence in the amendment. If concurrence is rejected, a conference committee consisting of the three members from each legislative branch representing both political parties may be formed to effect a compromise piece of legislation. When a compromise is reached, the bill is sent to both legislative branches for their approval. A vote "to enact"

2262-429: The legislative year was defined as: "The first legislative year starting with the opening of the biennial session and ends at midnight on Tuesday before the first Wednesday of the following year. The second legislative year starts on the first Wednesday of the second year and ends when the legislature prorogues or at midnight on Tuesday before the first Wednesday of the following year. Watson F. Hammond , seated in 1885,

2320-462: The legislature with recommended changes. If the legislature has concluded its yearly session, and the governor does not sign the bill within ten days, it dies. This is referred to as a " pocket veto ." This ten-day period includes Sundays and holidays, even if they fall on the tenth day, and it begins the day after the legislation is laid on the governor's desk. A bill signed by the governor, or passed by two-thirds of both branches over his veto, becomes

2378-512: The membership. The governor may also declare an act to be an emergency law and make it effective at once. A special act takes effect thirty days from the day it is signed, unless it contains a provision to make it effective immediately. The State House News Service is an independent privately owned wire service based in the Massachusetts State House that provides comprehensive coverage of the Commonwealth's government. It

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2436-595: The original Thirteen Colonies , was a royally chartered joint stock company founded in 1628 in London . Much like other joint-stock companies of the time the first General Court was a meeting of shareholders, known as freemen . The "Great and General Court" was to meet in London and elect its officers and members in the same manner as other colonial charted companies of the time such as the Virginia Company and

2494-555: The population and codified a Bill of Rights and powers of a judiciary. The General Court also enshrined the Laws of Moses as legal code under the discretion of local magistrates creating a theocratic quasi-democratic state. By votes of the General Court in the 1630s, the system of government changed to have an elected governor and to restrict the list of "freemen" to those affiliated with certain Puritan churches. In 1634, after complaint

2552-797: The position from 2000 to 2012. Barbara Erickson, the first woman to serve in the role, was appointed in 2012. John Judge was appointed in 2021. Katie Theoharides was appointed in 2023. The purpose of The Trustees is to "to protect and share the Massachusetts places people love for their exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value." The Doyle Conservation Center is a green architecture initiative and regional office, conference, and education center located in Doyle Community Park in Leominster, Massachusetts. The structure, designed by HKT Architects of Somerville, Massachusetts and landscape architects Hines Wasser & Associates,

2610-529: The province. The powers of the monarch to be expanded in this new system as well. The King had full control of maritime affairs and acted as an executive, through the Royal Governor, to enforce commercial law. This separation of powers led to some friction with the Royal Governor and the General Court. The General Court retained power over spending and budget and while the Royal Officers, in

2668-579: The province. With political disorder Thomas Gage , then the Royal Governor, cancelled the new elections for the General Court and in 1774 the assembly was essentially dissolved. This allowed the governor to rule by decree and appoint town governments. In defiance of both Crown law and Gage, members of the General Court formed the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and seized control of the colony except for Boston, where British troops maintained control until when they evacuated

2726-566: The public beautiful and historic places within the Commonwealth." The act was signed into law by Governor William E. Russell on May 21, 1891. The word "Public" was dropped from the organization's name in 1954 to avoid confusion with government-owned land. Virginia Wood in Stoneham was the first property acquired by The Trustees. This property was conveyed to the Metropolitan District Commission in 1923 and

2784-493: The public. In addition, it holds 393 conservation restrictions to protect an additional 20,000 acres (8,100 ha). Properties include historic mansions, estates, and gardens; woodland preserves; waterfalls; mountain peaks; wetlands and riverways; coastal bluffs, beaches, and barrier islands; farmland and CSA projects; and archaeological sites. The main office of the organization was formerly at Long Hill in Beverly . In 2017,

2842-481: The quality of life of local residents. Copicut Woods , Slocum's River Reserve , the Tully Trail , and Appleton Farms represent collaborative efforts of The Trustees, government agencies, local communities, and private groups to create a bioreserve, a mixed use open space preserve, a 22-mile (35 km) recreation trail, and a mixed use and community supported agriculture preserve, respectively. Copicut Woods

2900-487: The situation of the colony. The first meeting of the original General Court took place in London in 1629. The General Court selected John Endicott as its representative to the colony. Soon after, Governor John Winthrop and the Deputy Governor Thomas Dudley broke with protocol when they themselves traveled to New England and moved the government to Massachusetts Bay. Along with them came

2958-553: The stock holders of the company and the Council of Assistants . Once in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the new government reorganized itself out of convenience. Instead of attempting to assemble all stockholders to the meeting of the General Court the government decided on having each town elect two representatives to send in their stead. The General Court became a de facto bicameral legislature by virtue of

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3016-543: The war still ongoing, demands for government reform resulted in the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1778 , but the text proposed by the legislature failed in a statewide voter referendum. The Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1779–1780 was held by a specially-elected body, and the resulting text, after amendment and ratification, became the current state constitution. The current Massachusetts General Court has met as

3074-416: The world and has 100,000 member households as of 2021. In addition to land stewardship, the organization is also active in conservation partnerships, community supported agriculture (CSA), environmental and conservation education, community preservation and development, and green building . The Trustees owns title to 120 properties on 27,000 acres (11,000 ha) in Massachusetts, all of which are open to

3132-819: Was called the Great and General Court , but the official title was shortened by John Adams , author of the state constitution . It is a bicameral body . The upper house is the Massachusetts Senate which is composed of 40 members. The lower body , the Massachusetts House of Representatives , has 160 members; until 1978, the state house had 240 members. It meets in the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill in Boston. Since 1959, Democrats have controlled both houses of

3190-693: Was formerly pasture land; later, it was part of the golf course of the Nichewaug Inn . It was given to the Trustees of Reservations by an anonymous donor. North Common Meadow is part of the Petersham Common Historic District , placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. 42°29′40″N 72°10′31″W  /  42.49444°N 72.17528°W  / 42.49444; -72.17528 This Worcester County, Massachusetts geography–related article

3248-568: Was registered for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certification with the United States Green Building Council . The building includes " photovoltaic panels, high-efficiency lighting and controls, a displacement ventilation system, high performance windows, a high performance building envelope, geothermal wells and carbon dioxide monitoring systems;" it incorporates green materials such as desks made of sunflower seeds, bamboo and cork flooring, and recycled fiber carpet and paneling. The Putnam Conservation Institute , also known as

3306-453: Was struck down by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court , which ruled that it was an unconstitutional attempt to provide additional qualifications for office by statute, rather than constitutional amendment. The legislature is a full-time legislature, although not to the extent of neighboring New York or some other states. The earliest history of the General Court is in the original charter of 1629. Massachusetts Bay Colony , one of

3364-432: Was the first Native American to be elected to the body. Florence Slocomb was one of the first three women in the Commonwealth to be elected to the state Legislature and the first woman from Worcester to win a state legislative seat, representing that district from 1926 to 1928. Althea Garrison was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1992 and is known as the first transgender person to serve in

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