An Act to create a Merrimack River Collaborative

This bill establishes the Merrimack River Collaborative, a coordinating group designed to monitor, improve, and restore water quality along the Merrimack River in Massachusetts. The Collaborative will be managed by the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission and will include representatives from local governments, state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and universities, with an invitation to include partners from New Hampshire. Its primary tasks involve convening a working group, standardizing water quality data, educating the public, and identifying funding opportunities for restoration projects. The group is required to hold public hearings, appoint its members within 30 days of the bill's effective date, and submit an annual report by December 15th starting in 2023. Members of the Collaborative will serve without compensation.