The Community Preservation Act (CPA) is a new tool to help communities acquire open space, preserve historic sites and create affordable housing. The CPA allows a community to voluntarily impose a surcharge on town property taxes (between 1% and 3%), and in return receive matching state funds for uses that include "the acquisition, creation and preservation of open space, for the acquisition and preservation of historical resources, for acquisition, creation or preservation of land for recreational use, for the creation, preservation and support of community housing and for rehabilitation or restoration of such open space, historic resources, land for recreational use and community housing." The enabling legislation was signed by former Governor Cellucci and Lieutenant Governor Swift on September 14, 2000.

On the South Shore, the towns of Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Marshfield, Norwell, Plymouth and Scituate have passed the CPA. The NSRWA is providing assistance and networking opportunities for the Community Preservation Committees (CPC) in these towns. Through occaisional networking meetings and a discussion listserve, CPC members are sharing thoughts and ideas such as how to structure an operating budget, creative ways to expand community housing opportunities, and how to present at Town Meeting. NSRWA is also working with CPCs on the South Shore and local land organizations such as the Nature Conservancy and The Wildlands Trust to provide seminars for landowners who are considering donating or selling their land for conservation purposes.

NSRWA manages the South Shore Community Preservation Committee Network's discussion listserve. To submit a message to the list, address your email to CPCnetwork@lists.nsrwa.org. You can subscribe to the listserve by sending a BLANK email to CPCnetwork-subscribe@lists.nsrwa.org. You can unsubscribe at any time by sending a BLANK email to: CPCnetwork-unsubscribe@lists.nsrwa.org. The NSRWA will not share or distribute names and/or email addresses to other parties.

The full text of the CPA, (Chapter 267 of the Acts of 2000 and Chapter 165 of the Acts of 2002) is available online at http:/www.communitypreservation.org/statelegis.htm.