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MassWildlife
News Release
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MassWildlife News is published 1-2 times/month. If you are interested in receiving the MW News electronically, send an e-mail to the following address: Join-MassWildlife.news@listserv.state.ma.us
August 2008
- OVER 6,100 ACRES WILDLIFE LANDS PROTECTED IN FY 2008
- FRANCIS W. SARGENT CONSERVATION AWARD PRESENTED
- 2009 ARCHERY AND PRIMITIVE FIREARMS STAMP WINNER SELECTED
- ROAD FENCING PARTNERSHIP PROTECTS RARE TURTLES
- REMEMBERING DENNIS MCNAMARA
- UPCOMING MEETINGS & PUBLIC HEARINGS
- NEWS & NOTES-Early Goose Season Dates Set With Increased Bag Limit; Forest Management Site Walk in Middlefield; 2007 All Season Deer Season Figures
OVER 6,100 ACRES WILDLIFE LANDS PROTECTED IN FY 2008
6,197 acres of key fish and wildlife habitat in 41 towns were protected
in the past fiscal year (July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2008) through the efforts
of the Department
of Fish and Game and MassWildlife. These protected properties ranged
in size from a .5-acre public recreation access point in Orange, to
a 2,300-acre conservation easement (CE) in Montgomery and Westfield.
These lands will be added to the list over 164,000 acres currently under
the care and control of MassWildlife, most of which are Wildlife Management
Areas (WMA). Most properties were purchased outright (in fee) but, on
some properties, the agency purchased conservation easements (development
rights), with the land held by the original landowner. A
listing of the newly acquired FY 2008 properties is on the web.
With the exception of a gifted CE, all lands are open to fishing, hunting,
trapping, wildlife observation, hiking, and other passive wildlife related
recreation.
"Conservation easements played a major role in our FY 2008 habitat
protection efforts," said Bill Minior, MassWildlife's Realty Chief.
"Seven CEs, including the 610-acre East Brookfield gift and the
2,300 acre Westfield Watershed CE, provided protection to over 3,650
acres at a cost of only 2.9 million dollars. CEs accounted for 59% of
this years protected land but only 26% of the total cost. Although not
DFG and MassWildlife's preferred method of protection, CEs are a useful
tool when circumstances do not allow for fee acquisition."
The primary mission of the Department of Fish and Game and MassWildlife
land acquisition program is to protect the ecological integrity of the
Commonwealth. The agency seeks to ensure biological diversity by acquiring
the most important fish and wildlife habitat and natural communities
and to provide public access to the lands and waters of the Commonwealth.
State WMAs include river corridors, wetlands, various type of forested
upland, habitat for state listed endangered and threatened species and
species of special concern, and high quality examples of other important
habitat types. Maps
for many state WMAs are posted on the agency website. Fishing
and boating access information.
Support for the land acquisition program comes from several sources. The primary funding mechanism is the Commonwealth's open space bond authorization. Fishing, hunting and trapping license buyers also contribute a $5 fee to the Wildlands Fund for wildlife habitat acquisition as an additional revenue source. Some individuals and organizations make direct donations to the Wildlands Fund. A significant amount of funding is also leveraged or received through non-profit conservation organizations. Other organizations provided assistance with surveys, title searches, negotiations, and other administrative support activities.
"Together with our partners, DFG and MassWildlife permanently
protected more acres of land in FY 2008 than it has in any of the last
five years," said DFG Commissioner Mary Griffin. "Our success
can largely be attributed to Governor Deval Patrick and Secretary Ian
Bowles's commitment to land conservation and the hard work and dedication
of our land acquisition team. The Governor and Secretary's increased
investment in land conservation today will benefit fish and wildlife
communities and the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for
generations to come."
FRANCIS W. SARGENT CONSERVATION AWARD PRESENTED
Michael Yacino, a long-time champion of Massachusetts sportsmen and women, recently received the Governor Francis W. Sargent Conservation Award from the Fisheries and Wildlife Board for his contributions to conserving the Commonwealth's natural resources. Yacino, of Douglas, is the seventh recipient of the award established in 2000, by the Board to honor the former governor and noted conservationist who directed the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW) in 1963 and '64.
"Mike Yacino has been a tremendous supporter of Massachusetts's conservation and land protection efforts, as well as an effective leader in protecting sportsmen's interests and educating young people regarding wildlife conservation and outdoor skills," said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Mary Griffin.
Yacino received the award - a hand-carved wooden loon decoy by Geoff Walker of Hank Walker Decoys of Newbury - at a ceremony held at the Asa Waters Mansion in Millbury. In attendance was MassWildlife Director Wayne MacCallum and members of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board, who selected Yacino after reviewing nominations from a selection committee. Representatives from sporting clubs, land trusts and Douglas town officials were also present.
"Mike Yacino has been a life-long advocate for wildlife conservation and sportsmen's activities," said Fisheries and Wildlife Board Chairman George Darey. "He has been one of the principal voices in ensuring that sportsmen's license fees support professional wildlife management and protect valuable wildlife habitat."
An avid hunter and fisherman, Yacino served as executive director of
the Gun Owners' Action League from 1977 to 2005. During that time, he
supported a range of conservation initiatives in Massachusetts, including
funding for open space preservation, legislation to create the Wildlands
Conservation Stamp, and the Rivers Protection Act of 1996, many times
working with other sporting groups and environmental organizations.
Yacino is also an outdoor writer, a supporter of youth outdoor recreational
opportunities, and was a leader in the 1998 Lead Shot Initiative - a
program designed to educate shooting range owners and operators about
environmentally responsible management of spent ammunition. A Douglas
Conservation Commission member since 1997 and its vice-chairman for
the past three years, Yacino has actively pursued land protection efforts
in town. He recently organized and conducted an informational meeting
for town residents who are on private wells and is currently working
with town officials on stormwater management issues.
2009 ARCHERY AND PRIMITIVE FIREARMS STAMP WINNER SELECTED
Massachusetts' annual art competitions for Archery and Primitive Firearms Stamps were held at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters and this year, one artist has won both contests. Barry Julius of Brockton was selected in independent blind judging contests. When the identity of the winning artist was revealed, judges were surprised that the two winning entries had been painted by the same artist.
They were no more surprised than the artist himself who was delighted to learn of his "sweep." An active sportsman since childhood, Barry Julius grew up in East Bridgewater. He studied graphics and design at Massasoit Community College and initially planned to pursue a career in advertising. In fact he taught art for many years and now serves as a recreation officer for the Mass. Department of Corrections. His art remains an active hobby. Julius had previously won the archery/primitive firearms competition in 1995, the archery stamp competition in 2002 and the Massachusetts waterfowl stamp competition in 2001. He has also placed high in wildlife art contests in other northeastern states.
The 2009 archery stamp portrays a watchful buck and two does feeding in a meadow. The primitive firearms stamp illustrates a buck picking its way through a snow-covered woodland. The pair of stamps highlights the differences between deer behaviors and habitat during different seasons.
Archery stamps have been required of anyone hunting deer during the archery deer season since 1960. In 1980, MassWildlife established a requirement for a similar stamp for the newly established historic firearms deer hunting season during which sportsmen hunt with flintlocks and caplocks, and hunters in both seasons bought what was called an archery/primitive firearms stamp. In 1996, two stamps were created; one stamp for archery and a separate stamp for the primitive firearms season. This allowed biologists to assess bowhunters and primitive firearms hunters activities. In 2006, MassWildlife opted to use separate artwork to alleviate any possible confusion between the stamps.
Not only are these stamps required of the sportsmen and women hunting during the special deer seasons, they are also being sought by philatelists and other collectors of wildlife art. The annual sale of archery stamps and primitive firearms stamps generates over $250,000 for wildlife research, management and restoration in the Commonwealth. The 2009 stamps will go on sale in early December at hunting and fishing license outlets throughout the state.
ROAD FENCING PARTNERSHIP PROTECTS RARE TURTLES
A partnership among MassWildlife, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, MassHighways and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. to help restore the Commonwealth's population of rare Blanding's turtles got a boost with reported results of recent turtle surveys conducted by MassWildlife. Lori Erb, MassWildlife Turtle Conservation Biologist, found that as a result of fencing and fence repairs along a busy state road in central Massachusetts bisecting Blanding's turtle habitat, there was a drastic reduction in the number of rare and common turtles killed by cars. In 2007, before any fencing was erected, surveys by Erb during the turtle nesting season showed 43 turtles had been killed by cars, 5 of them Blanding's turtles. In 2008, along the same stretch of highway, where fencing was erected and fence repairs made by Bristol-Myers Squibb employee volunteers, a total of 4 turtles were found killed, none of which were Blanding's turtles.
Native to areas of eastern and central Massachusetts, Blanding's turtles are imperiled by roads and vehicles across their range. The turtles typically travel to several wetlands throughout a single year - including migration by females crossing roads to nesting sites. Essential to the protection of the Blanding's turtle are the creation and improvement of wildlife corridors, protection of nesting habitat, and public education about the species' conservation needs.
"Blanding's turtles are particularly vulnerable because they travel long distances during their active season and do not reproduce until late in life (14-20 years). They also have low nest survival", said Lori Erb. "These traits make them sensitive to even a 1 to 2 percent increase in adult mortality. I think it's clear that this fencing has been a huge success. I would like thank everyone who was involved in informing us of the problem on this roadway, working to come up with a solution, installing fencing and patching fencing holes."
The fence project was part of a growing partnership between Bristol
Myers-Squibb Co. and wildlife agencies to protect and restore Blanding's
turtles, listed in the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. Other restoration
efforts included Bristol Myers-Squibb employees working with their partners
in May to create new nesting habitat for Blanding's turtles in Devens,
where the company has recently relocated.
REMEMBERING DENNIS MCNAMARA
The land conservation community in northeastern Massachusetts lost a valuable resource with the recent death of Dennis McNamara, Land Protection Specialist for the Department of Fish and Game and MassWildlife. In 2006, McNamara was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Hired in the summer of 1989, McNamara worked for the Commonwealth for 19 years overseeing land protection efforts in MassWildlife's Northeast District, a region that comprises Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk and Norfolk counties and has some of the highest land values in the state. During his tenure, nearly 5,000 acres of valuable wildlife habitat in the region were protected and are now open to recreation such as fishing, hunting, hiking, and wildlife viewing.
"He was a wonderful colleague who contributed a lasting legacy of protected open space for the benefit of wildlife and public recreation," said Mary Griffin, Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game. Fellow staff from the Department of Fish & Game and MassWildlife noted McNamara's quick wit and easy smile as well as his effective grant writing skills. He successfully applied for funding to protect significant salt marsh habitats in Salisbury.
A member of the Essex County Greenbelt Association, McNamara was recognized
in 2007 by that organization at their annual meeting for his outstanding
work in land conservation. A lifelong resident of Dracut, McNamara was
also active in Dracut town government, elected to the Planning Board
and School Committee and at one time had been employed by Dracut as
the Selectmen's Executive Secretary. He was recently honored by the
Town of Dracut when a wooded handicapped accessible trail on town property
was named in his honor.
UPCOMING MEETING & PUBLIC HEARINGS
The August meeting of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board will be held
Thursday, August 28, at 1PM at the Newburyport Elks Lodge, 25 Low Street
in Newburyport. This meeting is open to the public and is handicapped
accessible. Two public hearings will take place at the same location.
At 3 PM, a public hearing regarding the establishment mentored hunt
for youth turkey hunters. Oral and written public comments are invited
at this hearing. The Fisheries and Wildlife Board will vote on the proposed
season at the September Board Meeting. The second Public Hearing will
held at 7 PM at the Newburyport Elks Lodge, 25 Low Street in Newburyport
relative to establishing seasons and bag limits for the 2008 - 2009
migratory game bird seasons. Public comment about the migratory game
bird regulation proposals is also invited. As in past years, the Board
will vote on migratory game bird seasons and bag limits immediately
following this hearing.
NEWS AND NOTES-Early Goose Season Dates Set, Bag Limit Increased; Forest Management Site Walk in Middlefield; 2007 All Season Deer Season Figures
- Early Goose Season Dates Set With Bag Increased Limit --The early Canada goose hunting season dates are September 2 - September 25, 2008, with hunters allowed a new, increased bag limit of 7 birds per day. "Data collected from agency goose banding activities this summer indicate the early goose hunting seasons have kept populations stable in the central and western parts of the state and full bag limits are rarely reached.," commented MassWildlife's Waterfowl Project Leader H Heusmann. "However, in northeastern and southeastern Massachusetts, where we find our densest goose populations, hunters frequently filled their 5 bird limit. This indicates that the potential to reduce what are often nuisance population levels of resident Canada geese can be increased with a higher bag limit. The early season provides goose hunters with ample hunting and landowners to allow hunters to reduce the size of nuisance flocks of resident geese." Waterfowlers are reminded that state and federal waterfowl stamps are required for hunting waterfowl and that hunting hours begin one half hour before sunrise and end at sunset. Hunters planning to hunt ducks, geese, woodcock and other migratory birds must also be registered with the Harvest Information Program (HIP) after purchasing a hunting license. This free registration number may be obtained by calling 1-800-WETLAND. Other migratory bird season dates and bag limits will be set by the Fisheries and Wildlife Board immediately following a public hearing on August 28 in Newburyport.
- Forest Management Site Walk In Middlefield--As part of a series of Forest Management Site Walks offered by MassWildlife to the public, agency foresters will lead a site walk on state wildlife land at 6PM on Friday, August 15, 2008. This walk will focus on the results of forest cutting practices for aspen regeneration and reclamation of abandoned orchard habitat at the Fox Den Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Middlefield and Worthington. Foresters and biologists will be on hand to provide information on the wildlife species benefiting from active forest management as well as answering questions from attendees. The walk will take place rain or shine--wear appropriate clothing and sturdy footgear for walking in the woods and fields. Bring insect repellant, binoculars and a camera! Meet at the Middlefield General Store in the center of Middlefield at the intersection of Skyline Trail and Bell Road (immediately west of the Middlefield Fair Grounds and the Middlefield Highway Garage, and across the road from the Methodist Chruch). Because of the rough terrain, car pooling from the meeting location in 4 wheel drive vehicles will be necessary. Foresters are reminded that this public site visit will be approved for 1 Continuing Forestry Education credit in Category 1. Complete listing of Forest Management Site Walks .
- 2007 All Season Deer Season Figures--A total of 11,576 white-tailed deer were taken by licensed hunters during the combined 2007 seasons, which is an increase from the 2006 harvest. Additionally, 147 deer were taken during the Quabbin Reservation hunt. The statewide harvest combined with Quabbin was 11,723. By season, the total breaks down to 7 deer taken during the special season for paraplegic sportsmen, 3,303 taken by archers, 6,020 taken during the shotgun season and 2,246 taken during the muzzleloading season. Detailed breakdown of the deer harvest.