Massachusetts lawmaker pitches aid plan for campgrounds
A Massachusetts state representative is asking the state's Department of Environmental Protection to undertake a study and pitch an action plan to help campgrounds attract more business.
According to the Boston Herald, Representative James Murphy (Democrat) says the family camping experience in the state of Massachusetts is becoming "endangered." His bill that is aimed at helping revitalize the camping industry in the state will be brought before the Legislature later this month.
Paula Carroll, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Campground Owners (MACO), says that camping has changed dramatically over the past 10 years.
"People still want to be outside at night by the campfire, but they want to be entertained, too, and they want the comforts of home. You have to keep up with that," she told the newspaper.
MACO president, Marcia Galvin, says that a current law that restricts many family-owned campgrounds to only having one 10,000-gallon septic tank on the property is hurting the industry's growth.
"The fear is the mom and pops can't afford to keep the land as it is, and they could be bought out easily by housing developments and shopping malls," she tells the Boston Herald. "Camping is a great way to connect with your family and it's affordable, but the value of the land is priceless. Camping will go by the wayside."
