Sometimes the system, even the U.S. Congress, functions as it was designed to. By now you probably know that an amendment sponsored by Congressman Keating resulted in the full House Armed Services Committee extending the funding for the multipurpose machine gun range (MPMGR) at Fort Devens, while striking from the National Defense Authorization Act a similar extension of the funding for the MPMGR atop the Upper Cape Water Supply Reserve.
The House Armed Services Committee, chaired and under majority Republican control, made the right policy choice by enhancing readiness by funding an instate training facility while avoiding the location critical to the water supply of an entire region. The committee demonstrated what APCC has long said to be true; that the premise that we need to choose between military preparedness and the protection of critical environmental resources and drinking water was an unnecessary and false choice. We can achieve both outcomes at the same time.
The other lesson here is that local political engagement works. APCC often asks our members to contact elected officials and express their interest in environmental protection. If you ever doubted that such contact matters, last week should make you doubt no more. Over 700 people took the time to contact Congressman Keating to express support for the protection of our water resources. I can assure you that the collective weight of your input tipped the scales and was an important contributor toward the positive outcome at the committee hearing.
While there is a lot left to do to hold the ground gained last week, the fundamental dynamics remain the same. Nothing good happens by accident and you will soon be asked again, and repeatedly, to weigh in with the Senate and then with the governor and the Environmental Management Commission. I hope we can count on your voice as we see this through to the end.
