2019 Annual Report Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife 161 Annual Report 2019 Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife Mark S. Tisa, Ph.D., M.B.A. Director 163 Table of Contents 2 The Board Reports 6 Fisheries 60 Wildlife 82 Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program 98 Information & Education 114 Hunter Education 116 District Reports 138 Wildlife Lands 149 Archivist 150 Federal Aid 152 Personnel Report 154 Financial Report Front Cover: Jim Lagacy, MassWildlife Angler Education Coordinator, teaches Fisheries Management to campers at the Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp in Russell. Photo by Troy Gipps/MassWildlife Back Cover: A blue-spotted salamander (Ambystoma laterale), a state-listed Species of Special Concern, rests on an autumn leaf at the Wayne F. MacCallum Wildlife Management Area in Westborough. Photo by Troy Gipps/MassWildlife Printed on Recycled Paper. 1 The Board Reports Joseph S. Larson, Ph.D. Chairperson Overview 32 years of experience with MassWildlife, including as the The Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board consists Assistant Director of Fisheries for 25 years; as the Depu- of seven persons appointed by the Governor to 5-year ty Director of the agency for the previous 3 years (March terms. By law, the individuals appointed to the Board are 2015—April 2018); and most recently as its Acting Director, volunteers, receiving no remuneration for their service to effective April 30, 2018. The Fisheries and Wildlife Board ap- the Commonwealth. Five of the seven are selected on a pointed Director Tisa because of his lifelong commitment to regional basis, with one member, by statute, representing wildlife and fisheries conservation and his excellent record agricultural interests. The two remaining seats are held by of service to the agency and the Commonwealth. The Board a professional wildlife biologist or wildlife manager and one looks forward to working closely with the new Director to representative with a specific interest in the management achieve his goals for the agency in the coming years. and restoration of wildlife populations not classified as game species. The Board oversees operations of the Mas- On October 30, 2018, the Board was very proud to honor sachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), former Board Chair George L. (Gige) Darey with the Francis reviews the agency’s programs, approves all personnel ap- W. Sargent Conservation Award for his many contributions pointments, and sets policy and regulations pertinent to to the sporting community and to the conservation of the wildlife in the Commonwealth. Commonwealth’s natural resources as chair for 35 years. Mr. Darey was the fourteenth recipient of the award. Es- The Board has continued its tradition of holding monthly tablished in 2000 by the Fisheries and Wildlife Board, the meetings at locations around the state whenever possible, Sargent Award honors the former governor and noted con- holding public hearings on proposed regulatory chang- servationist who directed MassWildlife in 1963–1964. es, and addressing many issues of specific concern. While many different matters and issues are brought before the Longtime Board member Frederic Winthrop, representing Board each year, most of its meeting time is spent in review the Northeast District and Agricultural Interests, stepped and scrutiny of proposals for regulatory changes; of agency off the Board at the end of his term, effective November programs and policies; and of possible land and conserva- 6, 2018, citing his intention to retire and spend more time tion-restriction acquisitions, usually, given the confidential with his family, after serving on the Board since 2001. Mr. nature of land-purchase negotiations, in executive session. Winthrop noted in his resignation letter to Governor Bak- The Board also incorporates brief reports or comments from er that “it has been my honor to represent the citizens of the Commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game and Northeastern Massachusetts in particular, as well as the from a representative of the Massachusetts Environmen- agricultural interests of the Commonwealth, in helping to tal Police in the agenda of the monthly business meeting. assure that MassWildlife fulfilled its mission to conserve Anyone interested in the details of the monthly meetings the wildlife resources and habitats of…Massachusetts.” The of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board is referred to the archive Board members, staff, and visitors attending his last meeting of approved Board meeting minutes the staff maintains on thanked Mr. Winthrop for his dedicated service and wished MassWildlife’s website. him much happiness – and fewer long drives – in his retire- ment. This left the Northeast District seat of the Board open This report is organized topically, then roughly chronolog- for several months, until, on May 22, 2019, Mr. Bob Durand ically within each topic. This predictable structure allows of Marlborough, having been duly appointed by the Gover- relatively easy searching and comparison of the Board’s an- nor, was sworn in by Lieutenant Governor Karen Polito at nual reports year over year. the State House as the Board’s member representing the Northeast District for the remainder of the existing term. Fiscal Year Highlights Mr. Durand attended his first Board meeting as a member In July 2018, MassWildlife started the new fiscal year with a on June 18, 2019, and was welcomed by the Board and the new Director when the Board voted unanimously to perma- attendees. nently appoint Mark S. Tisa, Ph.D., M.B.A., to the position at the start of the July 17, 2018, monthly Board meeting. Administrative Matters At the time he was appointed, Director Tisa brought almost The Board held its annual election of officers during the No- 2 vember Board meeting, reelecting Joseph S. Larson to the Chair, Mr. Michael Roche as the Vice Chair, and Ms. Bonnie Proposals for New, Updated, or Amended Regulations Booth as the Secretary of the Board. Proposed MESA List Changes Adopted Regulations and Other Votes of the Board At the October meeting, Invertebrate Zoologist Dr. Michael 2019-2020 Migratory Game Bird Season Regulations Nelson detailed the proposed MESA list changes developed by the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program In February 2019, the Board heard the staff’s proposals, staff. Staff had typically been reviewing the MESA list for which as always were based on the federal frameworks for possible changes every 2 years; the agency is required to do migratory bird hunting; in April, it held the public hearing; it every 5 years, and that the time of Dr. Nelson’s report to and, at the close of the hearing, during a discussion of the the Board it had been about 5 years since the last updates. proposal and in response to public comments during the The Board was informed that the Natural Heritage and En- hearing, it voted to change the proposed opening day in the dangered Species Advisory Committee had reviewed and Berkshire Zone to the Saturday before the Monday open- approved the proposed amended list, and the Board vot- ing in the Central Zone, so that the two zones had differ- ed unanimously to send the amended MESA list to a public ent opening days, as has been traditional. The Board voted hearing. The hearing had not yet been approved for sched- unanimously to adopt the regulation package as amended. uling at the close of the fiscal year. For the final regulations, see the Waterfowl sub-report in the Wildlife Section of this Annual Report on Page 68). Agency Program Reviews 2018 Annual Deer Review and 2019 Antlerless Deer Permit Southeast District Activities (Southeast Wildlife District Allocation Recommendations Manager Jason Zimmer) Deer and Moose Project Leader David Stainbrook presented August meeting the annual Deer Review to the Board at its May meeting. He also presented the staff recommendation for the 2019 Connecticut Valley Wildlife District Activities (Connecticut Antlerless Deer Permit (ADP) allocations, which were unan- Valley Wildlife District Manager Joseph Rogers) imously approved by the Board. Please refer to Page 71 in the Wildlife Section of this Annual Report for the details of September meeting the review and of the ADP allocations for 2019. Trout Fisheries in Massachusetts (Coldwater Fishery Re- Turkey Review; Public Hearing; Public Comment Review and source Project Leader Adam Kautza) Vote: Proposed Turkey Hunting Regulations November meeting Staff came before the Board several times during the fis- cal year to discuss an analysis of and potential proposals Spring Fishing Marketing Campaign (Outreach and Market- to amend the turkey-hunting regulations that were based ing Coordinator Nicole McSweeney) in part on suggestions from state chapter representatives of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Turkey and Upland December meeting Game Project Leader David Scarpitti introduced the Board to some preliminary research the staff was conducting in Land Protection Review (Chief of Wildlife Lands Elizabeth October 2018, then Mr. Scarpitti returned to the Board in Wroblicka) March 2019 with fleshed-out recommendations for amend- ments to the regulations at 321 CMR 3.02(9) and asked for December meeting the Board’s approval to formally develop and then take proposed regulations to a public hearing. The Board voted Linking Landscapes and Other DOT Projects Update (Senior unanimously to do so. The hearing was scheduled for May Endangered Species Review Biologist David Paulson) 15, 2019, and, at the June meeting, after a public-comment review by Assistant Director of Wildlife Michael Huguenin, January meeting the Board voted unanimously to adopt the regulations as proposed for the 2020 turkey hunting seasons. Please refer Fee and CR Land Stewardship Review (Fee Stewardship Co- to Page 65 in the Wildlife Section of this Annual Report for ordinator Christine Chisholm and Conservation Restriction the details of the turkey-hunting review and of the regula- Stewardship Coordinator Elizabeth Newlands) tions as adopted for 2020. 3 February meeting ment goals, and the details of the request that resulted in this inquiry.