Ecological Restoration Program

The Ecological Restoration Program, launched in January 1997, is a program funded through the Commonwealth’s Biodiversity Initiative, paid for with Open Space Bond funds, and administered by the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program. The Ecological Restoration Program (ERP) focuses on sites identified from NHESP’s database of exceptional ecological significance on public lands under permanent conservation protection. Over the years, nearly

Photo: Bill Byrne ©2002 MassWildlife

half a million acres of land have been protected by conservation agencies in the Commonwealth. These lands and waters represent an extraordinarily successful effort to protect our natural resources. However, in many cases the biological resources - the plants, animals, and natural communities - dependent on these conservation lands remain  threatened. For example, alterations in water levels due to dam construction or water withdrawal or changes in water chemistry from offsite impacts can alter the plant and animal communities of a protected natural area. Many of our dry forests, shrublands and grasslands were managed with fire for thousands of years by Native Americans. Now, lack of occasional fire has caused significant changes in those communities, decreasing habitat for many of our rare plants and animals.

Many natural communities have been changed by introduced plant and animal species that became invasive on this continent without their natural enemies to control them. Some of the invasive exotic plants and animals now dominate native communities and alter the ecological relationships. Many of our conservation areas are threatened by these non-native species.

Successful ecological restoration requires a basis of thorough scientific understanding of the natural dynamics of any system to be restored or managed. The ecological restoration program has funded several projects to understand the dynamics of the ecosystems involved along with others where we have initiated needed management. For more information on the Ecological Restoration Program, please contact Tim Simmons at tim.simmons@state.ma.us.

Updated: 4/29/05

Questions or comments to:natural.heritage@state.ma.us