Attendees
Present: Emma Ellsworth/Chair, Malcolm Haith/Secretary, Sasha Dyer, Kyla Hastie, Deborah Rocque, Matthew Sisk, Eve Schlüter/Director (Acting), Tom O’Shea/Commissioner/DFG, Nicole McSweeney/Assistant Director of Outreach and Education, Todd Richards/Assistant Director of Fisheries, Jesse Leddick/Assistant Director of Natural Heritage and Endangered Species, Michael Huguenin/Assistant Director of Wildlife, Emily Myron/Assistant Director of Land and Habitat Conservation, Trina Moruzzi/Assistant Director of Operations, Joe Rogers/ Conn. Valley Wildlife District Manager, Patricia Huckery/Northeast Wildlife District Manager, Jason Zimmer/ Southeast Wildlife District Manager, Todd Olanyk/Central Wildlife District Manager, Andrew Madden/Western Wildlife District Manager, David Scarpitti/Turkey and Upland Game Project Leader, Martin Feehan/Deer and Moose Project Leader, Jim Burnham/Program Coordinator, Jennifer Sulla/General Counsel/DFG, Christine Smith/Assistant General Counsel/DFG; Jennifer Jones/Stewardship Specialist, Liz Newlands/Conservation Restriction Stewardship Coordinator; Public: Melinda Mackendrick, Steve Larivee, David Lapointe
Introduction of new Fisheries and Wildlife Board member Deborah Rocque of Worthington; Western District (DFG Commissioner O’Shea)
Commissioner O’Shea introduced Deborah Rocque as the Fisheries and Wildlife Board Member appointed from the Western District. Commissioner O’Shea provided an overview of Dr. Rocque’s professional and personal background. Dr. Rocque spoke briefly about her personal background in farming as the co-owner of a maple sugaring business in Worthington, her position in municipal government on the Worthington select board, and her strong interest in engaging locally and regionally in conservation moving forward.
Acceptance of the minutes of the March monthly business meeting
Ms. Dyer moved to accept the minutes of the March business meeting as presented. The motion was seconded by Ms. Hastie. The vote in favor was unanimous.
Chair's comments
Chair Ellsworth provided comments on the current drought conditions, noting that the conditions are set for wildfires to occur, and on her attendance at a Give Back to the Land Day event.
Director’s updates
Director Schlüter thanked the members for attending the public hearing on April 13 on the 2026-2027 migratory waterfowl regulations and noted that the members would hear staff’s final recommendations from Assistant Director Huguenin later in the meeting. She reported that MassWildlife hosted the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards at the Field Headquarters on March 28, noting that it is a wonderful event that recognized anglers young and old who caught the biggest fish throughout the state in the previous year. Director Schlüter also reported that trout stocking is underway, and, as of the previous week, the Southeast District had stocked 81% of its spring allocation and the other districts were at around 30%. She pointed out that staff had several school vacation trout stocking events coming up in the following week that members could find in MassWildlife’s calendar of events on the website.
Director Schlüter was delighted to report having received a letter from US Department of Interior Director Nesvik informing the agency that the US Fish and Wildlife Service has formally approved the update of Massachusetts’ State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). As a reminder, she stated that the SWAP will serve as MassWildlife’s comprehensive conservation strategy for the next 10 years, unless staff choose to revise it sooner. Noting that the SWAP is a living document on MassWildlife’s website, Director Schlüter recognized and applauded the huge effort by numerous staff that went into pulling together an extremely robust and user-friendly product.
Director Schlüter reported participating in an outdoor recreation listening session on April 13 with the Lieutenant Governor and industry partners in the Berkshires in celebration of 413 Day at Berkshire East, with Commissioner O’Shea and Western District Manager Andrew Madden. She noted there was a lot of good discussion about fishing. She also gave a shout-out and congratulations to Western District staff, who sent two teams—including the winning team—to compete at Berkshire East’s Berkshire Highlands Pentathlon. The pentathlon consisted of a 4-mile run, an 18-mile bike ride, a 2-mile paddle on the Deerfield, and a 2-mile adventure/ obstacle run with a hike up Berkshire East and a ski down. The Director also reported that the MassWildlife monthly e-newsletter had just hit a major milestone with the April edition distributed to over 300,000 subscribers. She congratulated the O&E staff members involved in producing the newsletter for their accomplishment.
The Director reported that in-person R3 programs are critical for helping participants learn hunting and fishing skills, but that many programs struggle with a lack of volunteers and mentors. To address this, the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies R3 Committee, led by MassWildlife’s R3 Coordinator, Astrid Huseby, secured a multi-state grant to recruit, train, and retain more volunteers across the region. This effort includes developing onboarding resources, expanding outreach, and offering workshops, with the goal of strengthening volunteer networks and increasing program capacity.
On the habitat management front, Director Schlüter reported that MassWildlife hosted a site visit at the Muddy Brook Wildlife Management Area for 20 colleagues from the Interagency Lands Committee, which includes land protection and stewardship staff from DFG/MassWildlife, DCR parks and water supply, MDAR, and EEA. This same group visited the site ten years ago when the restoration was just kicking off, so it was a great opportunity to share the restoration work staff has done in the interim and showcase the impressive outcomes for biodiversity that we have seen there.
The Director also gave a shout-out to Todd Olanyk, Central District Manager, who was recognized by the Worcester County League at its annual banquet with the Words of Wisdom Award, given in recognition of Mr. Olanyk’s efforts to inform, educate, and promote issues for the sporting community.
Looking ahead to the next few weeks, Director Schlüter reported that the Coop Unit at UMass Amherst would be conducting its annual graduate student research presentations and networking event at the Field Headquarters on May 5, and she invited the Board members to attend if they had an opportunity. She also reminded the members of the virtual public hearing on fishing regulations had been rescheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 18, and of the joint meeting with the DCR Stewardship Council on May 13 at 12:30 p.m., after the May business meeting.
Commissioner’s updates
Commissioner O’Shea reported that the Governor had filed a bill that included MassWildlife’s proposed changes to the current hunting laws. He reflected on his attendance at the 413 Day event and how building outdoor recreation in Franklin County could be of interest to tourists to the area. The Commissioner reported that he had attended the swearing in of the PILOT [payments in lieu of taxes] Commission members and that he has appointed Emily Myron as his designee. He also remarked on his attendance at the Sportfishing Awards ceremony and stated that he was looking forward to attending upcoming trout stocking events around the state. Commissioner O’Shea also reported that he was the keynote speaker at the first annual Massachusetts Ocean Day, and he stated that, with donations to the Hunters Share the Harvest Program expanding, additional venison processors will be necessary and that staff continue to work to address that need.
Commissioner O’Shea reported that candidates’ resumes are being received for the MassWildlife Director position and are being reviewed, as are those for the Chief Biodiversity Officer position. He hopes to have the ability to staff these positions despite the current hiring freeze, and he emphasized the challenges in the upcoming budget season for all state agencies. The Commissioner closed his comments by noting that he is looking forward to the spring turkey hunting season.
Approval of letters to the state senate and house of representatives leadership in support of the recommended changes to the hunting laws (Emma Ellsworth)
Chair Ellsworth requested that the Board members endorse letters provided in their meeting packets to be sent to the president of the state senate and the speaker of the state house of representatives in support of MassWildlife’s recommended changes to the state hunting laws. She reflected on questions and concerns that she has heard regarding the proposed legislative changes and recommendations to the Governor, and provided information on her own personal interest in outdoor sports, the safety instruction students receive in both firearms and hunter safety courses, and her experiences growing up in and out of hunting culture.
Mr. Sisk moved to endorse the letters as presented. Ms. Dyer seconded the motion. The vote in favor was unanimous.
Comment review and vote: 2026-2027 migratory bird hunting seasons [321 CMR 3.02(2); Michael Huguenin]
Assistant Director for Wildlife Mike Huguenin reviewed the proposed migratory bird hunting dates and bag limits for the 2026-2027 season and provided a summary of the public comments received on the proposals before and during the virtual public hearing that was held on April 13 at 6:00 p.m. At the close of his presentation, he requested a vote for final approval of the regulations as proposed.
Ms. Dyer moved to approve the regulations as presented and Mr. Sisk seconded. After a brief discussion, the vote in favor was unanimous.
Introduction of new fishing kit loaner program (Jennifer Jones)
Connecticut Valley Stewardship Specialist Jennifer Jones began her presentation by thanking the team of 15 MassWildlife staff that has supported launching the new fishing kit loaner program. She reported that the program, called Hooks and Books, was started in 2025 and ran June through October, with staff partnering with the Greenfield Public Library by providing 10 fishing kits to loan out to library cardholders. She reported that 87 families took advantage of the program in its first year. The program was promoted in a series of free learn-to-fish events, including at Greenfield Eats!, with 280 children and over 450 total attendees; in a learn-to-fish event at Barton Cove; and in fishing practice areas created and staffed at the Greenfield Farmer’s Market and the Franklin County Fair. The kits contain a spin-caster fishing pole, a starter tackle box, an array of educational materials to get started fishing, and a list of local places to fish.
This year, Ms. Jones reported there are 13 libraries participating, all but one of them in towns where there are designated Environmental Justice communities. She reported that more targeted Angler Education Program promotion events are planned through the late summer, and that a donation of poles to support the program has been gratefully received from Bass Pro Shops.
The Chair and members thanked Ms. Jones for her work and for her presentation.
Confirm the May business meeting date and time, May 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
The members confirmed May 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., at the Field Headquarters and on Zoom for the May business meeting.
Members’ comments
Ms. Dyer reported on attending sportfishing awards ceremonies as a child. She also stressed the importance of tick safety while out in the woods. Ms. Dyer detailed speaking at several recent events, including the Massachusetts Bowhunters Association annual meeting and Whitetails Unlimited and National Wild Turkey Federation meetings. Ms. Dyer shared feedback she has received at several sporting clubs regarding Governor Healey's announcement of the legislative changes and from constituents on attending MassWildlife Learn to Hunt events.
Ms. Hastie reported on the Wildlife Management Institute's "Foundational Elements of Fish and Wildlife Conservation" initiative. She reported that she had attended the most recent Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Advisory Committee meeting. Announcements included a field trip (April 21) visiting barrens restoration projects in Massachusetts, starting at Muddy Brook WMA, with staff from the New York Department of Conservation expected to join. The Committee also strategized about finding candidates for open seats on the Committee. Ms. Hastie reported that the Heritage Program is reenergizing the Scott Melvin Memorial Fund for shorebird conservation. Ms. Hastie also announced with sorrow the passing of Diane Opper, who devoted her career to the US Fish and Wildlife Service at the Region 5 office as the Chief of the Division of Operations and Support.
Executive session
Mr. Haith moved that the Board go into executive session for the purpose of discussing potential land acquisition projects whose negotiations might be compromised by discussion in open session and not return to open session. Ms. Hastie seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken.
Ms. Ellsworth: Yes
Ms. Dyer: Yes
Mr. Haith: Yes
Ms. Hastie: Yes
Dr. Rocque: Yes
Mr. Sisk: Yes
The vote in favor was unanimous.
Nine parcels were presented to the Board for consideration. Each parcel was discussed and each was unanimously approved in roll-call votes.
Adjourn
There being no further business, a motion to adjourn was made by Ms. Dyer and seconded by Ms. Hastie. The vote in favor was unanimous, and the meeting was adjourned at 3:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Malcolm Haith
Secretary
List of documents presented to the Board in its April business meeting packets
April agenda
Draft March meeting minutes
Draft letters (2) to state legislative leadership in support of MassWildlife’s recommended changes to the hunting laws
April report from the Massachusetts Environmental Police
Written comments received on the proposed 2026-2027 migratory game bird hunting regulations
Draft regulations packet: 321 CMR 4.01 The Taking of Certain Fish
Opinion essay from The Boston Globe Editorial Board: Massachusetts should allow hunting on Sundays
Opinion essay from The Berkshire Eagle Editorial Board: Healey is right to take aim at hunting blue law
Confidential executive session packet