Press Release: 2025-01-29

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards $325K to Restore Critical Wildlife Habitat

 



Funding to support prescribed burns, invasive species management, and forest care in Cape Cod & Islands, Sheffield, and Sudbury



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:



1/28/2025



MEDIA CONTACT



Media Contact, MassWildlife



 Online



Email Media Contact, MassWildlife at masswildlife.news@mass.gov



Habitat management techniques, like prescribed fire, will improve habitat for wildlife, steward biodiversity, enhance climate resiliency, and promote public recreational opportunities.



BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced $325,000 in grants to restore approximately 520 acres of wildlife habitat across Massachusetts. The Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) is awarding grants to six organizations through the Habitat Management Grant Program (MHMGP), which provides crucial financial assistance to private and municipal owners of conserved lands to improve habitat for wildlife, steward biodiversity, enhance climate resiliency, and promote public recreational opportunities. 



“Partnership and collaboration are essential for meeting our ambitious biodiversity and climate goals. Most forests and other wildlife habitats in Massachusetts are not state-owned, and we rely on conservation organizations, cities and towns, private landowners, and other partners to greatly expand our impact,” said DFG Commissioner Tom O’Shea. “This program provides us with the unique opportunity to improve habitat for at-risk wildlife while also bolstering outdoor recreation opportunities for all.” 



While Massachusetts has made significant strides to permanently conserve over 28% of our state, many essential habitats for wildlife are degraded by invasive species growth, emerging pests and disease, and face increasing threats from climate change. Habitat management is crucial to address these challenges and support wildlife. MassWildlife leads work to restore habitat on state conservation lands and, through the MHMGP, supports private and municipal conservation partners in doing the same. Through this work, MassWildlife and partners restore healthy, resilient landscapes that support a variety of species, particularly those of greatest conservation need. Since 2015, the MHMGP has funded 117 projects by partners that have restored over 4,300 acres of natural habitat statewide.



“MassWildlife’s Habitat Management Grant Program builds on the success of ongoing efforts to conserve the great diversity and abundance of wildlife, plants, and habitats in Massachusetts,” said MassWildlife Director Mark S. Tisa. “Public and private investment in habitat management is critical for promoting ecological resiliency and biodiversity, and we are thrilled to work with this year’s grant recipients as they commit to improving landscapes for people and nature.”  



The following projects will receive MassWildlife Habitat Management Grants: 




  • Edgartown and West Tisbury – The Nature Conservancy has been awarded $65,100 to conduct prescribed burns at Katama Plains and The Frances Newhall Woods Preserve. 

  • Edgartown – The Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation has been awarded $75,000 to manage southern pine beetle-infested pitch pine and pitch pine/oak forest at Caroline Tuthill Preserve. This expansion of a sanitation harvest is aimed at combating the spread of southern pine beetle, a southern species that has been expanding its range north, threatening our pitch pine forests. 

  • Nantucket – The Nantucket Conservation Foundation has been awarded $46,433 to help protect pitch pine barren habitat at Head of the Plains. This funding will cover the removal, chipping, and safe disposal of southern pine beetle-infected pitch pine.  

  • Nantucket – The Nantucket Island Land Bank has been awarded up to $75,000 to help restore pine barrens at Gardner Farm. Areas of dense pitch pine forest that are most susceptible to southern pine beetle outbreaks will be thinned to promote site resiliency and a heathland / sandplain-grassland understory, both of which are beneficial to numerous rare moths and butterflies.  

  • Sheffield – The Sheffield Land Trust has been awarded $28,150 to treat invasive species at The Schenob Brook Preserve, a large calcareous wetland complex surrounding Schenob Brook.

  • Sudbury and Marlborough – The Sudbury Valley Trustees has been awarded $36,526 to conduct a prescribed burn at Desert Natural Area.



"I think we can all agree that one of the most enjoyable aspects of living in Massachusetts is the pure natural beauty of our Commonwealth. Restoring 520 acres of wildlife habitat, ranging from the stunning Caroline Tuthill Preserve in Edgartown to the pine barrens of Nantucket, is not only an investment in biodiversity but also in the future of Massachusetts’ ecosystems," said State Senator Julian Cyr (D—Cape & Islands). “As we face increasing threats from climate change, it is critical that we protect and enhance our gorgeous landscapes that support at-risk species, bolster outdoor recreation, and ensure our natural resources are resilient for generations to come. The collaborative work of conservation organizations, municipalities, and private landowners, along with this important funding, will help us meet our ambitious climate and biodiversity goals."



For more information about the MassWildlife Habitat Management Grants, please visit the program’s webpage.