Massachusetts State Wildlife Action Plan

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

State Wildlife Action Plan Draft -- Comments accepted through July 31, 2015

The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) is soliciting public comment on the draft Massachusetts State Wildlife Action Plan.
Congress requires each state to complete a State Wildlife Action Plan, or SWAP, and to update it at least every ten years.  The SWAP focuses on the animal and plant species of greatest conservation need for the state and on the actions proposed to conserve those species. DFW completed the last SWAP in 2005.

We welcome any comment on the draft of 2015 SWAP.  We are particularly interested in comments on the following:

• The list of species of greatest conservation need (found in chapter 3).  Are there species that should be added to or dropped from this list?
• The habitats of the SWAP species and the threats to those habitats (found in chapter 4).
• Proposed conservation actions, both for each habitat (in chapter 4) and statewide (in chapter 5).  Are there other actions that should be added?  Are there proposed actions that should be dropped?
• Is your conservation organization completing or planning conservation actions or monitoring efforts (chapter 6)? If we didn’t mention your efforts, please tell us; conserving the biodiversity of the Commonwealth cannot be accomplished by DFW alone – it will take all of us together.

Submit your comments to John O’Leary, Asst. Director of Wildlife at:

John.Oleary@state.ma.us

OR

SWAP
DFW Field Headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Rd.
Westborough, MA 01581

Please include your name, address, and phone number or email address, so we can contact you if we have any questions.  If your comments represent the views of an organization, agency, or municipality, please include that information as well.

Three informational meetings are planned to present the draft SWAP:

• July 8, 2015, 6:00- 8:30 P.M., in the University of Massachusetts Cranberry Station, 1 State Bog Rd., East Wareham, MA 02538
• July 14, 2015, 10:00 A.M.- noon, at the DFW Western District Office, 88 Old Windsor Rd., Dalton, MA 01226
• July 18, 2015, from 10:00 A.M. - noon, at the DFW Field Headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Rd., Westborough, MA 01581

Thank you for your interest and your comments!
Source: Mass. DEM. Media Press Release