Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announced more than $12 million in state grants for community projects aimed at protecting open space, building parks, and expanding access to the outdoors, including $100,000 for Swampscott.

“Protecting open spaces is about investing in the health, safety and wellbeing of our communities,” Healey said. “These projects support local economies, improve public health and make our neighborhoods better places to live. This funding helps ensure that every resident has access to the benefits of nature.” 

The state grants will support projects such as creating new walking trails, protecting forests and wetlands, building neighborhood parks, and preserving land near rivers that supply drinking water. The funding is being awarded through three programs under the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. One of them, the Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities program, helps cities and towns create and improve outdoor recreation areas, like the project planned in Swampscott.

Swampscott will receive $100,000 for surface safety improvements at Abbott Park Playground. The project will remove the existing surface material and install new, accessible safety surfacing to ensure a safer play area for children and families.

“Local governments and conservation commissions are essential to protecting the land that matters most to their communities,” Driscoll said. “They know the land, they understand the needs, and they’re trusted by the people they serve. These grants give them the resources to turn local priorities into lasting protections.”  

Neighboring communities also received funding. Lynn was awarded $425,000 for the first phase of restoration at Ames Park, while Chelsea received $425,000 for renovations at Kayem Park, including replacing aging play structures with new, inclusive equipment.

The grants are part of a broader state effort to support climate resilience and land conservation.

“As we see more flooding, hotter summers and unpredictable weather, protection of natural land becomes all the more necessary,” said Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “Forests, wetlands and other open spaces help absorb stormwater, cool down neighborhoods and reduce the impacts of extreme weather. These grants allow communities to hold onto the land that protects them.”