Fisheries and Wildlife Board meetings

Upcoming meeting notices and agendas and approved minutes from past meetings are posted on this page.

The Fisheries and Wildlife Board convenes monthly by statute for a public business meeting to listen to reports and program updates from MassWildlife staff, to discuss issues related to the wildlife resources of Massachusetts, and to vote as needed on policy and regulation under its jurisdiction. The Board also occasionally holds public discussion or governance meetings, and special meetings as needed.

Meeting notices, agendas, and approved minutes are posted on this page. Minutes are drafted and approved by the Board at the next scheduled meeting; therefore, please allow 4–6 weeks for final minutes to be posted on this page.

Please note: If you have a disability or medical condition and would like to request special accommodations, or if you would like interpretive language services for any of the Board's meetings, please contact Susan Sacco at [e-mail].

Next meeting notice: July 16, 2025

The July monthly business meeting of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board will be held on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, Massachusetts, and in a Zoom webinar.

The agenda will be posted here when it is available, no later than 2 business days in advance of the meeting date and time.

How to join

Interested persons can attend the meeting in person or via a Zoom video webinar. The Fisheries and Wildlife Board members and MassWildlife staff will be present at the physical meeting location given above. Instructions for how to attend the meeting via Zoom are below. Attendees can enter and exit the Zoom webinar at any time. Please note that the in-person meeting will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the remote connection.

Click to join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android

Passcode: 321123

Call to join via telephone: [phone]

Webinar ID: 814 3423 8278
Passcode: 321123

Posted June 26, 2025; 4:00 p.m.
Updated and posted June 27, 2025; 11:45 a.m.

June 2025

1. Acceptance of the minutes of the May monthly business meeting
2. Acceptance of the minutes of the May 23, 2025, special business meeting
3. Chair’s comments regarding the potential impacts of proposed EPA changes and federal funding reductions; Hunter Education; Western District activity
4. Director’s updates for the Board, including on recent and upcoming meetings and events; MassWildlife staff activities, including the recent retirements of Susan Langlois and 
   H Heusmann; and a donation to the Wildlands Acquisition fund from Mike Moss and the Worcester Fish and Game Club
5. Commissioner’s updates, including on recent and upcoming meetings and events, activities of the Department and the other divisions, and status of projects
6. Law Enforcement updates on MEP personnel and operations, current hunting and other recreational seasons, and examples of fish-and-wildlife-related calls for service in the previous month
7. Personnel Report (Supervisory Staff)
   1. Introductions
      1. Jack Bonafini; Outdoor Education Specialist (Game Biologist I); Westborough
      2. Joseph Facendola; Southeast District Aquatic Biologist (Aquatic Biologist III); Buzzards Bay
8. Annual deer review (Martin Feehan)
   1. 2024 deer harvest and trends
   2. Hunters share the harvest program update
   3. Antlerless deer permit allocations
   4. Regulatory change proposals
      1. Only synthetic and other non-deer-based lures allowed
      2. Allow MEP to substitute confirmation numbers for metal seals
      3. Remove the on-island deer check requirement for Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket
      4. Remove the visibility requirement for harvested deer
      5. Extend youth deer day to include the preceding Friday
      6. Change the start of the archery season to the Monday following the youth deer day
      7. Expand the winter primitive arms (includes archery equipment) season to include WMZs 9, 10, and 11
9. Short video of the June 12, 2025, prescribed burn in the MacCallum WMA near the Field Headquarters (Alex Entrup)
10. Confirm July business meeting date and time: July 16, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters and in a Zoom webinar. The August 13 meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., and the September 17 meeting at 11:00 a.m., both at the Field Headquarters and in Zoom webinars
11. Members’ comments
    1. Sasha Dyer: spotlight on a successful turkey hunting season; timely MassWildlife information regarding snakes in Massachusetts
    2. Ernie Foster: teaching Hunter Education; Susan Langlois’ retirement
    3. Emma Ellsworth: the urgency of land conservation decisions in the face of historic generational land and wealth transfer
    4. Bob Durand: update on over-70 license reimbursements and Environmental Bond bill
    5. John Organ: a remembrance of Jan Dizard, who passed away earlier in June; an update on the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units
12. Executive session for the purpose of discussing proposed land acquisition projects whose negotiations may be compromised by discussion in open session
13. Adjourn

The minutes will be linked here after they have been approved in the next scheduled monthly business meeting.

May 23, 2025, special meeting

1. Personnel Report (Supervisory Staff)
   1. Approvals: New Hire
      1. Cela Dorr; Outreach and Education Program Coordinator (Program Coordinator I); Westborough
      2. Nicole Keleher; Habitat Restoration and Management Program Manager (Environmental Analyst V); Westborough
      3. Michelle Morrison; Federal Aid and Compliance Manager Assistant (Office Support Specialist II); Westborough
2. Adjourn

Read the May 23, 2025, special meeting minutes

May 2025

1. Acceptance of the minutes of the April monthly business meeting
2. Acceptance of the minutes of the April 29, 2025, special meeting
3. Chair’s comments: Berkshire County League of Sportsmen updates; public fishing access; DCR forestry presentation; constituent requests for assistance and input on various topics
4. Director’s updates for the Board, including recent and upcoming meetings and events, MassWildlife staff activities, and status of projects
5. Commissioner’s updates, including on recent and upcoming meetings and events, activities of the Department and the other divisions, and status of projects
6. Law Enforcement updates on OLE personnel and operations, current hunting and other recreational seasons, and examples of fish-and-wildlife-related calls for service in the previous month
7. Personnel Report (Supervisory Staff)
   1. Approval: Promotion
      1. John (Jack) Bonafini; Outdoor Education Specialist (Game Biologist I); Westborough
   2. Introduction
      1. Rachel Shepardson; Western District Clerk (Clerk IV); Dalton
8. VOTE: Bear hunting regulations: comment review and final recommendations (Dave Wattles)
9. MassFishHunt update (Dan Koch)
10. Confirm June Business Meeting Date and Time: June 18, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters and in a Zoom webinar. The July meeting is July 16 (no time set) and the August meeting will be held on August 13 (no time set), both at the Field Headquarters and in Zoom webinars
11. Members’ Comments
    1. Matthew Sisk: Monatiquit River restoration project
    2. Sasha Dyer: Quabbin boat ramp dedication; trout stocking day on Lake Quinsigamond; special memento presented to MassWildlife staff member Ray Bressette
    3. Ernie Foster: the passing of Al Bonney of Scituate and his impact with the Mass. Sportsmen’s Council and the Plymouth County League of Sportsmen in Massachusetts
    4. Emma Ellsworth: turkey hunting season, the arrival of spring, posted land versus public
    5. Bob Durand: an update on the reimbursement to MassWildlife for over-70 licenses
    6. John Organ: update on the UMass Cooperative Fisheries and Wildlife Research Unit; update on the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson funding programs
12. Executive Session for the purpose of discussing land acquisition projects whose negotiations might be compromised by discussion in open session
13. Adjourn

Read the May 2025 meeting minutes

April 29, 2025, special meeting

1. Open session
2. Suspend meeting for public hearing
3. Public Hearing on the proposed 2025-2026 migratory bird hunting regulations
4. VOTE: comment review and final recommendations for the proposed 2025-2026 migratory bird hunting regulations
5. Adjourn

Read the April 29, 2025, special meeting minutes

April 2025

1. Acceptance of the minutes of the March monthly business meeting
2. Chair’s updates on a Berkshire County League of Sportsmen topic: the voluntary labeling of non-motorized recreational vehicles; access to trout for fishing derbies; the R3 Summit
3. Director’s updates for the Board on recent and upcoming meetings and events, including the April 29 public hearing and special meeting at 1:00 p.m. to vote on the 2025-2026 migratory bird regulations; MassWildlife staff activities; and status of projects
4. Commissioner’s updates on recent and upcoming meetings and events; activities of the Department and the other divisions; and status of projects, including an update on the MassFishHunt licensing system
5. Environmental Police updates on OLE personnel and operations, current hunting and other recreational seasons, and examples of fish-and-wildlife-related calls for service in the previous month
6. Personnel report (Supervisory staff)
   1. Approvals
      1. Joseph Facendola; Southeast District Aquatic Biologist (Aquatic Biologist III); Buzzards Bay
      2. Rachel Shepardson; Western District Clerk (Clerk IV); Dalton
   2. Introductions
      1. Erin Carpenter; Central District Wildlife Technician; West Boylston
      2. Cynthia Pratt; Procurement and Contracting Supervisor; Westborough
7. VOTE: Wildlife sanctuary regulations: comment review and final recommendation (Mike Huguenin)
8. Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Advisory Committee quarterly meeting report (Matthew Sisk)
9. Confirm May business meeting date and time: May 14, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters and in a Zoom webinar. Confirm special meeting and public hearing: April 29, 2025, at 1:00 p.m., in a Zoom webinar (virtual only). Set June 18, 2025, meeting time (1:00 p.m. or later). Future meeting dates currently set are July 16 and August 13, 2025; times TBD.
10. Members’ comments
    1. Matthew Sisk: Northeast District Manager Pat Huckery’s work on a local issue; trout stocking
    2. Sasha Dyer: the R3 Summit; thanking the volunteers from Hunter Education and Learn to Hunt programs; recent speaking opportunity with the Central Mass. Chapter of Trout Unlimited
    3. Ernie Foster: hunter education; catch-and-release vs fly-fishing-only
    4. Emma Ellsworth: conservation as a bipartisan and critical issue that unites across political divides
    5. Bob Durand: Essex County League banquet; over-70 reimbursement legislation update; Governor’s Biodiversity Initiative
11. Executive Session for the purpose of discussing proposed land acquisition projects whose negotiations might be compromised by discussion in open session
12. Adjourn

Read the April 2025 meeting minutes 

March 2025

1. Acceptance of the minutes of the February monthly business meeting
2. Chair’s comments: explanation of cancellation of governance meeting and upcoming Environmental Bond bill; letter from constituent regarding crossbows; impact of changes in federal funding on MassWildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; constituent request: future funding from non-hunting users of Wildlife Management Areas; zebra mussel identification and treatment authority, oversight, and responsibilities in lakes and ponds; annual Berkshire County League of Sportsmen’s Silvio O. Conte dinner: April 5, 2025, 5:00 p.m., Cheshire Rod and Gun Club
3. Director’s updates for the Board, including on recent and upcoming hearings, meetings, and events; MassWildlife staff activities; and status of projects
4. Commissioner’s updates, including on recent and upcoming meetings and events, activities of the Department and the other divisions, and status of projects
5. Law Enforcement updates on MEP personnel and operations, current hunting and other recreational seasons, and examples of fish-and-wildlife-related calls for service in the previous month
6. Personnel report (supervisory staff)
   1. Approvals
      1. New hire: Erin Carpenter; Central District Wildlife Technician; West Boylston
      2. Promotion: Cynthia Pratt; Procurement and Contracting Supervisor; Westborough
7. Hitting the mark: MassWildlife’s temporary archery ranges (Astrid Huseby and Todd Olanyk)
8. Confirm April business meeting date, April 16, 2025, and set meeting time, at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters and in a Zoom webinar. Other upcoming meetings are May 14 and June 18, 2025, meeting times TBD.
9. Members’ comments
   1. Matthew Sisk: report on local events attended in the previous month, including with Trout Unlimited
   2. Sasha Dyer: recent MassWildlife turkey-calling classes/discussion panel and the National Wild Turkey Federation’s calling contest; upcoming seminar for youth and adults on preserving the turkey tail to commemorate a successful harvest; praise for MassWildlife's Freshwater Sportfishing Awards event and spotlight on local youth angler Kyler Leslie; rainbow trout stocking on the Deerfield River
   3. Emma Ellsworth: fish and pheasant stocking as valuable engagement tools; rainbow trout stocking on the Deerfield River
10. Adjourn

Read the March 2025 meeting minutes

February 2025

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the January Monthly Business Meeting
2. Director’s Comments
   1. Announcement of reopening of the bear-hunting regulations comment period
   2. Updates for the Board, including on recent and upcoming meetings and events, MassWildlife staff activities, and status of projects
3. Commissioner’s updates, including on recent and upcoming meetings and events, activities of the Department and the other divisions, and status of projects
4. Law Enforcement updates on OLE personnel and operations, current hunting and other recreational seasons, and examples of fish-and-wildlife-related calls for service in the previous month
5. VOTE: Hunting of Deer regulations (Martin Feehan)

• Chronic Wasting Disease prevention in Massachusetts
  • Expand deboning requirements
  • Sunset captive deer facilities
• Authorize deer decoy use during Archery deer hunting season
• Clarify that food plots are legal
• Remove Antlerless Deer Permit daily bag and possession limits
• Authorize Youth deer hunting permits for the entire season
• Establish a January Primitive Arms (Including Archery) deer hunting season in WMZs 13 and 14

6. Preview and request to send to public hearing proposed 2025-2026 Migratory Bird Hunting seasons (Michael Huguenin)
7. VOTE: Send to public hearing proposed Taking of Certain Fish regulation changes (Todd Richards)

• American eel: limits to match DMF and recognize ASMFC requirements
• Atlantic salmon: removal of “Broodstock” from Table 1 and clarification of waters where harvest is allowed
• Definition of possession
• Trout limits

8. Upper Deerfield River stocking update (Andrew Madden)
9. Confirm March business meeting date and time: March 26, 2025, at 1:15 p.m. at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters and in a Zoom webinar. A governance meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. on the same day in the same locations. Upcoming business meeting dates: April 16, May 14, and June 18, 2025 (meeting times TBD)
10. Members’ Comments

• Sasha Dyer: recent public hearings' processes and participation; positive voices from MassWildlife staff on behalf of the environment and all wildlife; youth engagement from a local environment science class; sportsmen’s show feedback
• Ernie Foster: appreciation for recent public hearings; importance of focus on Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
• Bob Durand: Full-time Facilities Manager/Capital Asset Manager position; Massachusetts Wildlife magazine as a vehicle to promote the Governor’s Biodiversity Initiative
• Emma Ellsworth: possible impact of changes to federal funding on conservation efforts and farm viability

8. Executive Session for the purpose of discussing proposed land protection projects whose negotiations would be compromised by discussion in open session
9. Adjourn

Read the February 2025 meeting minutes

January 2025

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the December Monthly Business Meeting
2. Chair’s Comments
   1. Berkshire County League of Sportsmen’s Clubs’ Silvio Conte dinner
   2. Recent constituency meetings related to trout
   3. A presentation on bears by MassWildlife staff
3. Director’s Announcement of Pheasant Program and Hunter Education Program Logistics
   Coordinator Steven Foster’s retirement
4. Commissioner’s updates, including on recent and upcoming meetings and events, activities
   of the Department and the other divisions, and status of projects
5. Law Enforcement updates on OLE personnel and operations, current hunting and other
   recreational seasons, and examples of fish-and-wildlife-related calls for service in the
   previous month
6. Personnel Report (Supervisory Staff)
   1. Approvals
      1. Kjestine Alspaugh; Western District Office Clerk (Clerk IV); Dalton
   2. Introductions
      1. Debra Chamberlain; Program Coordinator; Westborough
      2. Jessi Manty; Central District Aquatic Biologist; West Boylston
      3. Emily Myron; Assistant Director of Land and Habitat Conservation; Westborough
      4. Thornton Ritz; Stream and River Project Leader; Westborough
7. Annual Review of the Open Meeting Law (Jennifer Sulla)
8. Update on Chronic Wasting Disease Prevention in Massachusetts (Martin Feehan)
9. Proposed Fishing Regulation Amendments; 321 CMR 4.00; the Taking of Certain Fish (Todd
   Richards)
   1. American Eel: limits to match DMF and recognize ASMFC requirements
   2. Atlantic Salmon: removal of “Broodstock” from Table 1 and clarification of waters where
      harvest is allowed
   3. Definition of possession
   4. Trout limits
10. Comments from Board Members on the MassWildlife Draft Wild Trout Conservation Plan
    (Todd Richards)
11. Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Advisory Committee Meetings Report: November
    14, 2024, and January 9, 2025 (Matthew Sisk)
12. Confirm February Business Meeting Date and Time: February 27, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the
    MassWildlife Field Headquarters and in a Zoom webinar
13. Members’ Comments
    1. Bob Durand: Gene Chague's Sargent Award event; letter to the Commissioner on the
       Governor’s biodiversity initiative; upcoming deer and bear hearings; upcoming fishing,
       gun, and sporting shows
    2. Emma Ellsworth: landscape-scale conservation efforts; habitat management goals; comanagement with Indigenous partners
    3. Ernie Foster: requests for information on license sales and Hunter Education and Learn
       to Hunt participation
14. Executive Session for the Purpose of Discussing Proposed Land Acquisitions Whose
    Negotiations Would Be Compromised by Discussion in Open Session
15. Adjourn

Read the January 2025 meeting minutes

December 2024

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the November Monthly Business Meeting
2. Update on the Plan to Implement the Biodiversity Executive Order (Tom O’Shea)
3. Set January Business Meeting Date and Time at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters and in a Zoom webinar: January 15, 2024, 10:00 a.m.
4. Adjourn

Read the December 2024 meeting minutes

November 2024

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the September and October Monthly Business Meetings
2. Chair’s Comments
3. Director’s Comments
4. Commissioner’s Comments
5. Law Enforcement Comments
6. Personnel Report: Approvals (Supervisory Staff)
   1. Debra Chamberlain; Program Coordinator; Westborough
   2. Emily Myron; Assistant Director for Land and Habitat Conservation; Westborough
   3. Thornton Ritz; Stream and River Biologist Project Leader; Westborough
7. Wild Trout Management Plan (Todd Richards and Adam Kautza)
8. Board Member Proposed Fishing Regulation Changes (321 CMR 4.01[2]; Matthew Sisk and Todd Richards)
   1. Proposed Gear Type Changes in Catch-and-release Areas
   2. New Proposed Catch-and-release Area on the Quinapoxet River
9. Confirm December Business Meeting Date and Time: December 4, 2024; 3:00 p.m. at the Stationery Factory, Dalton
10. Members’ Comments
11. Executive Session for the Purpose of Discussing Proposed Land Acquisitions Whose Negotiations Would Be Compromised by Discussion in Open Session

Read the November 2024 meeting minutes

October 2024

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the September Monthly Business Meeting
2. Chair’s Comments
3. Director’s Comments
4. Commissioner’s Comments
5. Law Enforcement Comments
6. Personnel Report: Approval (Supervisory Staff)
7. The Development of the MassWildlife Health Program: An Update on the Zoonotic Disease Initiative (Martin Feehan)
8. Board Election of Officers
9. Confirm November Business Meeting Date and Time: November 13, 2024; 10:00 a.m., at the Westborough Field Headquarters
10. Members’ Comments
11. Executive Session for the Purpose of Discussing Proposed Land Acquisitions Whose Negotiations Would Be Compromised by Discussion in Open Session

Read the October 2024 meeting minutes

September 2024

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the August Monthly Business Meeting
2. Chair’s Comments
3. Director’s Comments
4. Commissioner’s Comments
5. Law Enforcement Comments
6. Personnel Report: Introduction (Todd Richards)
7. Recognition of MassWildlife Staff Participation on Interagency Fire Crews 
   (Caren Caljouw)
8. Proposed Regulation: Prohibition of Use of Thermal Imagery While Hunting 
   (Susan McCarthy)
9. Bear Review, Including Proposed Regulation Amendments (321 CMR 3.02[1] Hunting of Bear; Dave Wattles)
   1. Season Length
   2. Youth Bear Hunting Permit
10. MassWildlife/DFG Review of New Gun Law and Implications for MassWildlife Programs (Susan Langlois and Tori LaBate)
11. Confirm October Business Meeting Date and Time: October 2, 2024; 
    10:00 a.m., at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters and on Zoom
12. Members’ Comments

Read the September 2024 meeting minutes

August 2024

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the July Monthly Business Meeting
2. Chair’s Comments
3. Director’s Comments
4. Law Enforcement Comments
5. Personnel Report: Introductions (Supervisory Staff)
6. Division of Ecological Restoration Review (Beth Lambert)
7. Confirm September Business Meeting Date and Time: September 11, 2024; 
   1:00 p.m., at the MassWildlife Field Headquarters and on Zoom
8. Members’ Comments

Read the August 2024 meeting minutes

July 2024

1. Acceptance of the Minutes of the June Monthly Business Meeting
2. Chair’s Comments
3. Director’s Comments
4. Commissioner’s Comments
5. Law Enforcement Comments
6. Personnel Report: Approvals and Introduction (Supervisory Staff)
7. Biodiversity Executive Order Update (Jennifer Ryan)
8. DFG’s Environmental Justice Initiative (Conrad Crawford)
9. MassFishHunt License Vendor Update (Dan Koch)
10. Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Advisory Committee Report
11. Confirm August Business Meeting Date and Set Time: August 21, 2024, at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Newburyport
12. Members’ Comments
13. Executive Session for the Purpose of Discussing Proposed Land Acquisitions Whose Negotiations Would Be Compromised by Discussion in Open Session

Read the July 2024 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.