Massachusetts State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP)

The State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) identifies and assesses the health of rare, declining, and vulnerable plants and animals in Massachusetts, and outlines key actions for conserving them.

An approved State Wildlife Action Plan is required by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in order to be eligible for State Wildlife Grants, a key federal funding source for states to conserve plants and animals of greatest conservation need and the habitats on which they rely. Plans must be revised every 10 years to evaluate the health of rare, vulnerable, and declining species and to identify opportunities to conserve these species and associated habitats. The Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), with input from conservation partners and the public, developed State Wildlife Action Plans in 2005 and 2015 and has completed the 2025 draft update. The 2025 SWAP is digital; all SWAP components can be accessed using the links provided on this page.

Introduction

The goal of the Massachusetts State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is to proactively conserve Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in the Commonwealth. This is achieved by reviewing threats and identifying conservation actions to halt and reverse the loss of these rare and vulnerable species and their habitats—all while keeping common species common.

For decades, BioMap has provided a framework that guides strategic protection and stewardship of lands and waters that are most important for conserving biological diversity in Massachusetts. In 2022, MassWildlife and The Nature Conservancy released an updated and expanded BioMap. MassWildlife has updated the SWAP to incorporate BioMap data and conservation and restoration recommendations for SCGN and their habitats. 

The Massachusetts SWAP was submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for review on September 29, 2025.

What's new for 2025?

MassWildlife developed its first State Wildlife Action Plan in 2005 and updated it in 2015. The 2025 Massachusetts SWAP:

  • is available entirely online;
  • builds off of BioMap, which is an online tool that guides the strategic protection and stewardship of lands and waters that are most important for biodiversity conservation in Massachusetts;
  • features 620 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) with an updated dashboard and fact sheets;
  • describes 35 habitat categories containing over 100 distinct natural communities that are essential for conserving SGCN in Massachusetts; and,
  • identifies key actions needed to help conserve and restore SGCN.

Species of Greatest Conservation Need

The 2025 SWAP designates 620 plants and animals as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in Massachusetts. MassWildlife biologists, with review and cooperation from conservation partners and species experts, developed criteria for designating SGCN. These include risk of extirpation (disappearing from MA), population trends, regional conservation concerns, emerging threats, and climate change vulnerability.

Habitats of Massachusetts

Habitat protection and restoration are key to conserving biodiversity in Massachusetts. Our nearly 3 million acres of forest, 1,500 miles of coastline, over 2,000 miles of rivers and streams, and expansive wetlands provide habitat for a variety of plants and animals, as well as ecosystem services that benefit all people in the Commonwealth. MassWildlife has grouped habitats into 35 categories that contain over 100 distinct natural communities; each SGCN relies on one or more habitats to survive.

Threats

Massachusetts is a leader in the conservation of land, water, and habitat for the benefit of people and wildlife. Nevertheless, our biodiversity is in crisis, in Massachusetts and globally. Land development and roads destroy and fragment habitat, and invasive species threaten ecosystems. Pollution of our air, soil, oceans, and rivers degrades habitats, affecting the animals and plants that rely on them.  In addition, the increasingly severe effects of climate change exert stress on global biodiversity—and Massachusetts is not immune.

Learn more about the threats facing specific habitats and species by exploring the Habitats of Massachusetts and Species of Greatest Conservation Need pages.

Conservation Actions

The actions identified in the SWAP to ensure the conservation of populations of SGCN fall into 6 broad categories: conservation planning; proactive habitat protection; habitat restoration and management; law and policy; monitoring and research; and public outreach. These conservation actions can be found in several locations, including: 

  • Species of Greatest Conservation Need: SGCN web pages contain specific conservation actions for plant and animal species, including species listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act.
  • Habitats of Massachusetts: These pages contain information about conservation actions for specific habitats and natural communities, including consideration of habitat management and restoration needs.
  • BioMap: BioMap incorporates the species and habitat content listed above, as well as an important map to help guide protection and restoration at statewide, regional, and local scales.
  • Conservation Actions: This page provides a summary of key conservation actions at a statewide scale.

Effectiveness Monitoring and Adaptive Management

Monitoring of conservation actions and measuring success is necessary to determine the effectiveness of efforts to protect and restore biodiversity, natural areas, and open spaces in Massachusetts.

Note that additional content related to monitoring can be found in the SGCN and habitat web pages, as well as in the BioMap Habitat Restoration Resource Center.

Public Engagement

Input from conservation partners and the public is important for developing the State Wildlife Action Plan and putting its recommendations into practice. A brief summary of public engagement is outlined below:

  • Considerable input from conservation partners and the public was incorporated into BioMap during the most recent update in 2022 and while setting biodiversity goals for the Commonwealth (EO 618, signed in 2023).
  • MassWildlife solicited extensive input from partners and content experts to develop the 2025 SWAP. To improve accessibility, SWAP components were moved from static PDFs to a web-based format with interactive dashboards. This shift allows viewers to make use of screen readers and language translation applications; the shift also enables more frequent updates as new data become available.
  • MassWildlife promoted the availability of the draft SWAP and encouraged public input through a variety of outreach methods including emails to conservation partners, social media posts, and e-newsletter announcements. To further promote engagement, MassWildlife held public meetings on July 16, 17, and 18, 2025. Individuals, Tribal Nations, and conservation organizations were invited to provide feedback during a 30-day comment period.
  • Public response was overwhelmingly positive related to the depth of content, ease of finding information, and quality of the visuals used. MassWildlife received 135 comments and revised several components of the SWAP based on public feedback. MassWildlife thanks the organizations and individuals who contributed knowledge and provided many thoughtful comments which resulted in a stronger, more collaborative SWAP. Read a summary of revisions.
  • MassWildlife will continue to seek new collaborators and strengthen existing partnerships to share resources and knowledge and accelerate the implementation of conservation actions.
  • Although the official public comment period has concluded, MassWildlife continues to welcome feedback from partners and the public. Use this form to submit feedback on the Massachusetts SWAP.

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