BOSTON – An amendment sponsored by Senator Brian A. Joyce to protect the critical environment and wildlife of the Fowl Meadow habitat in Milton and Canton has been voted into the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2014 budget.

“Fowl Meadow is an irreplaceable environmental area of critical concern that deserves protection,” said Joyce. “It serves as a habitat to a diverse array of plants and animals, including some rare and endangered species, and also acts as a crucial flood barrier along the Neponset River, protecting homeowners and businesses.”

The amendment requires anyone seeking to significantly alter any priority habitat to receive a statement from the conservation commission of the city or town of the habitat before doing any work. This statement would evaluate the proposed alteration on the habitat by considering factors like the effects of the construction and chemicals on the environment, the potential of increased pollution due to new traffic, and the potential loss of recreation space. The effect of this amendment, if agreed to by the House of Representative and the governor, would be to greatly decrease the likelihood the 276-unit housing development known as Milton Mews proposed at the Milton – Canton line would ever be built.