Advisory Committee Meetings

All Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public. Upcoming meeting notices and agendas and approved minutes from past meetings are posted on this page.

Meetings of the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Advisory Committee are held quarterly on the second Thursday of every third month. Topics on non-game and endangered species are covered, and updates on agency activities are part of the agenda.

Meeting notices, agendas, and approved minutes are posted on this page. Minutes are drafted and approved by the Committee at the next scheduled meeting; therefore, please allow 3-4 months for final minutes to be posted on this page. Anyone wishing to be placed on the agenda to speak at a meeting must begin by notifying the Committee in writing at least 2 weeks prior to a meeting.

Please note: We will do our best to accommodate any needs to allow community members to participate as fully as possible.

• Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. To submit a request for an accommodation, please email [e-mail] or call 617-626-1282; an ADA Coordinator will receive your request. Please include a description of the request in as much detail as possible and a way we can contact you if we need more information. Please allow at least 2 weeks’ (14 days) advance notice. Last-minute requests will be accepted but we may be unable to fulfill the request.
• If you would like interpretive language services for any of the Committee's meetings, please contact Susan Sacco at [e-mail].

October 2026

The October quarterly meeting of the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Advisory Committee will be held on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 1:30 p.m., at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, Massachusetts, and in a Zoom webinar. 

August 2026

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the July Meeting   
2. Committee Chair Mark Mello's Comments:
   1. Southern Pine Beetle in Massachusetts
   2. New members search question
3. Board Member Matthew Sisk’s Comments:
   1. Brief Fisheries & Wildlife Board update
4. Presentation: 16th Natural Heritage Atlas: Proposed Updates to Priority Habitat Maps (Jesse Leddick, Assistant Director)
5. NHESP & Assistant Director Jesse Leddick's Report:
   1. Updates on personnel and operations
   2. Updates on key projects and activities of the NHESP  
   3. Follow up Discussion - DFW Habitat Goals (Emily Myron and Nicole Keleher)
6. Member’s Comments:
   1. Kevin Powers: None
   2. Wayne Petersen: None
   3. Bill Brumback: None
   4. Dave Small: None
7. Associate Member’s Comments:
   1. Andy Finton: None
   2. Russ Hopping: None
8. Confirm October meeting date: Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. 
9. Adjourn

The August minutes will be linked here after they are approved by the Committee.

July 2026

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the April Meeting   
2. Committee Chair Mark Mello's Comments:
   1. Thank you to the Ecological Restoration staff for the field trip presentation at Muddy Brook in April
   2. Status of search for new Advisory Committee members
   3. Interesting sitings at Sudbury Memorial Forest
3. Board Member Matthew Sisk’s Comments:
   1. Fisheries & Wildlife Board update
   2. Deer Hunting Legislation update
   3. Introduce new DFW Board Members (Deborah Rocque and Jonathan Hitt)
4. NHESP & Assistant Director Jesse Leddick's Report:
   1. Updates on personnel and operations
   2. Updates on key projects and activities of the NHESP  
5. Presentation: “Goals for Upland Habitat on MassWildlife Lands” Emily Myron (Assistant Director for Land and Habitat Conservation) and Nicole Keleher (Habitat Restoration & Management Program Manager)
6. Member’s Comments:
   1. Kevin Powers: None
   2. Wayne Petersen: None
   3. Bill Brumback: None
   4. Dave Small: None
7. Associate Member’s Comments:
   1. Andy Finton: None
   2. Russ Hopping: None
8. Confirm October meeting date, Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. 
9. Adjourn

Read the July 2026 meeting minutes.

April 2026

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the January Meeting   
2. Committee Chair Mark Mello's Comments:
   1. Status of new member search
   2. Review of NHESAC policy regarding presentation requests or public comments during meetings
   3. Policy regarding change of use of commercial cranberry bogs to non-agricultural use (ex. sand mining) relative to MESA regulations
   4. April 21 field trip regarding barrens restoration in MA
3. Board Member Kyla Hastie’s Comments:
   1. Recent Fisheries & Wildlife Board activities
4. NHESP & Assistant Director Jesse Leddick's Report:
   1. Updates on personnel and operations
   2. Updates on key projects and activities of the NHESP  
5. Member’s Comments:
   1. Kevin Powers: Update on Right Whale calves born over the winter (2025-2026)
   2. Wayne Petersen: None
   3. Bill Brumback: None
   4. Dave Small: None
6. Associate Member’s Comments:
   1. Andy Finton: None
   2. Russ Hopping: None
7. Confirm July meeting date, Thursday, July 9, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom webinar
8. Adjourn

Read the April 2026 meeting minutes.

January 2026

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the November Meeting   
2. Committee Chair Mark Mello's Comments:
   1. Receipt of Max Strahan's letter
   2. Upcoming conferences of interest:
      1. Sandplain Grassland Network Conference
      2. North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange
3. Board Member Matt Sisk's Comments:
   1. Recent Fisheries & Wildlife Board activities
   2. Introduction of new Fisheries and Wildlife Board members (Kyla Hastie & Malcolm Haith)
4. NHESP & Assistant Director Jesse Leddick's Report:
   1. Updates on personnel and operations
   2. Updates on key projects and activities of the NHESP  
5. Community Land & Water Coalition Comments (Meg Sheehan/Janet Sinclair):
   1. Oral comments about forest management on private lands, loss of Priority Habitat, and “Cranberry Agriculture” activities in southeastern Massachusetts
   2. Follow-up questions from Advisory Committee
6. Member’s Comments:
   1. Kevin Powers: Update on North Atlantic Right Whales
   2. Wayne Petersen: None
   3. Bill Brumback: None
   4. Dave Small: Winter birds and bat monitoring in 2026
7. Associate Member’s Comments:
   1. Andy Finton: None
   2. Russ Hopping: None
8. Confirm April meeting date, Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom webinar
9. Adjourn

Read the January 2026 meeting minutes.

November 2025

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the April and July Meetings
2. Committee Chair Mark Mello's comments, including condition of rivers during Viking trip
3. Board Member Matt Sisk's comments, including recent Fisheries & Wildlife Board activities
4. NHESP & Assistant Director Jesse Leddick's Report:
   1. Updates on personnel and operations
   2. Updates on key projects and activities of the NHESP 
5. Presentation: Update on Diamondback Terrapin Projects (Mike Jones, State Herpetologist)
6. Member’s Comments:
   1. Kevin Powers: None
   2. Wayne Petersen: None
   3. Bill Brumback: None
   4. Dave Small: Replacement of Tim, reinvigorating the Committee, goals for 2026
7. Associate Member’s Comments:
   1. Andy Finton: None
   2. Russ Hopping: None
8. Confirm January meeting date, Thursday, January 8, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom webinar
9. Adjourn

Read the November 2025 meeting minutes.

July 2025

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the April Meeting 
2. Committee Chair Mark Mello's comments, including discussion on Vice Chair
3. Board Member Matt Sisk's comments, including recent Fisheries & Wildlife Board meetings
4. NHESP & Assistant Director Jesse Leddick's Report:
   1. Updates on personnel and operations
   2. Updates on key projects and activities of the NHESP  
5. Presentation: Proposed Revisions to the MA State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) (Jesse Leddick)
6. Discussion on SWAP Presentation
7. Member’s Comments:
   1. Kevin Powers: Absent
   2. Wayne Petersen: None
   3. Bill Brumback: None
   4. Dave Small: None
8. Associate Member’s Comments:
   1. Andy Finton: None
   2. Russ Hopping: None
9. Confirm next meeting date, Monday, November 10, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom webinar (Please note this meeting was originally scheduled for Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 1:30 p.m., but was rescheduled to November 10.)
10. Adjourn

Read the July 2025 meeting minutes. 

April 2025

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the January Meeting  
2. Committee Chair Mark Mello's Comments:
   1. Reminder of Conflict of Interest Law requirements
   2. Discussion on membership status/renewals
   3. Discussion on Vice Chair starting meeting if Chair unavailable
   4. Discussion on potential summer field trip meeting
3. Board Member Matt Sisk's comments, including recent Fisheries & Wildlife Board meetings
4. NHESP & Assistant Director Jesse Leddick's Report:
   1. Updates on personnel and operations
   2. Updates on key projects and activities of the NHESP  
5. Presentation: Overview of Turners Falls / Northfield Mountain Fish and Flows Settlement Agreement (Jesse Leddick and Caleb Slater, Chief of Hatcheries)
6. Member’s Comments:
   1. Kevin Powers: New information on horseshoe crabs
   2. Wayne Petersen: None
   3. Bill Brumback: None
   4. Dave Small: Kestrel boxes, loons, and spring migration
7. Associate Member’s Comments:
   1. Andy Finton: None
   2. Russ Hopping: Absent
8. Confirm July meeting date, Friday, July 18, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom webinar
9. Adjourn

Read the April 2025 meeting minutes. 

January 2025

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the November Meeting   
2. Committee Chair Mark Mello's Comments:
   1. Receipt of Max Strahan's letter
   2. Upcoming conferences of interest:
      1. Sandplain Grassland Network Conference
      2. North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange
3. Board Member Matt Sisk's Comments:
   1. Recent Fisheries & Wildlife Board activities
   2. Introduction of new Fisheries and Wildlife Board members (Kyla Hastie & Malcolm Haith)
4. NHESP & Assistant Director Jesse Leddick's Report:
   1. Updates on personnel and operations
   2. Updates on key projects and activities of the NHESP  
5. Advancements in Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation in MA (Rebecca Quiñones, NHESP Conservation Science Program Manager)
6. Member’s Comments:
   1. Kevin Powers: Update on North Atlantic Right Whales
   2. Wayne Petersen: None
   3. Bill Brumback: None
   4. Dave Small: Winter birds and bat monitoring in 2026
7. Associate Member’s Comments:
   1. Andy Finton: None
   2. Russ Hopping: None
8. Confirm April meeting date, Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom webinar
9. Adjourn

Read the January 2025 meeting minutes.

Request minutes from a previous meeting

To obtain any minutes not listed on this page, please submit a public records request to MassWildlife.