1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1477 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1048
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Danillo A. Sena
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to increased protection of wildlife management areas.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex1/15/2025Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/23/2025David Paul Linsky5th Middlesex2/19/2025James Arciero2nd Middlesex2/21/2025James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/27/2025 1 of 5
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1477 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1048
By Representative Sena of Acton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1048) of Danillo
A. Sena and others relative to increased protection of wildlife management areas. Environment
and Natural Resources.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act relative to increased protection of wildlife management areas.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 131 of the General Laws is hereby amended in Section 6 by
2inserting the following-
3 (4) The director shall identify, mark and inform the public regarding all existing
4designated Reserve areas on the lands referred to as Wildlife Management Areas under its
5control as of the date of passage of this law.
6 (5) On or before January 1, 2030, the department shall designate a minimum of 30% of
7all Wildlife Management Area lands under its control as Reserves. Further designations shall be
8made as additional lands are acquired in order to maintain the minimum of 30% at all times.
9 The Council, pursuant to section 6(6) shall identify lands and waters as Reserves in
10accordance with the following criteria, which include areas that: contain a significant proportion
11of trees that are very large, older than 100 years in age, or otherwise exceptional; encompass or
12build on large blocks of contiguous forest; contain forest interior habitats; encompass wetlands, 2 of 5
13riparian areas, or headwaters of streams; include Living Waters critical watersheds; provide
14connectivity with existing Reserves and other core natural areas; include valley bottom land;
15have a high capacity for ongoing carbon capture and storage; contribute to the mitigation of
16climate change impacts; are representative of all eco-regions in the state; provide geographic
17redundancy to ensure against catastrophic disturbances; support viable rare or imperiled natural
18communities; have unique or unusual ecological significance; or have archeological or historical
19importance.
20 The Council may from time to time review these selection criteria to ensure they are
21consistent with available scientific evidence and always serve to enhance ecological protection
22and public welfare.
23 (6) The secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs shall
24create a “Reserves Scientific Advisory Council,” hereinafter referred to as the Council, to
25oversee the designation and management of the Reserves, and to suggest additional acquisitions
26to enhance the ecological value of the Reserves program as a whole. The Council shall consist of
27eight members, including: one member from the Harvard Forest or designee, who is an expert in
28forestry and forest management; one member from the Highstead Foundation or designee, who is
29an expert in forest ecology; one member from the Center for Biological Diversity or designee,
30who is an expert in nongame wildlife and endangered species; one member from the Native Plant
31Trust or designee, who is an expert in the field of plant ecology; one member from the Woodwell
32Climate Research Center or designee, who is an expert in climate; one member from the
33University of Massachusetts who has technical training and experience in the field of soil or
34watershed science; one member from Friends of the Middlesex Fells or designee; one member
35from Friends of the Mohawk Trail State Forest or designee. 3 of 5
36 The members of the council shall be reimbursed for their necessary expenses incurred in
37the performance of their duties. Each member shall be appointed for a term of three years, except
38that for the initial term, three members shall be appointed for one year, three members shall be
39appointed for two years and two members shall be appointed for three years. Any person
40appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve for the unexpired term. Any member shall be eligible for
41reappointment.
42 The council's duties shall include overseeing the policies and rules and regulations
43concerning Reserves, with consultation of additional qualified scientific advisors requested by
44the Council, to ensure that Reserves are maintained in their natural state with only minimal
45human intervention, and then only when proven necessary to preserve ecological integrity or
46protect public health, safety and welfare, consulting with the department regarding the
47nomination of potential Reserves, and advising the department on budgetary matters related to
48such Reserves. The council shall submit a biennial report to the governor on or before May first
49of such year, describing the condition of each Reserve, outlining any actions taken by the council
50since the last report, and making any recommendations related to the Reserve program which the
51council deems necessary.
52 The department shall hold a public hearing in accordance with the provisions of Chapter
5330A, for any substantial management or other activities in designated Reserves.
54 (7) Reserves established in accordance with the provisions of this section shall be
55monitored and maintained as nearly as possible in its natural condition, and as defined in Chapter
5631 section 1, and shall be used in a manner and under limitations consistent with its status as a
57Reserve, without impairment or artificial development for the public purposes of present or 4 of 5
58future scientific research and education, and of providing a habitat for plant and animal species,
59communities and other natural objects and for preservation of areas representative of the
60significant habitats and ecosystems of the commonwealth.
61 The division shall, after a determination that said parcel qualifies as a Reserve, hold a
62public hearing thereon in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 30A.
63 The Director shall not approve or provide for the installation of new commercial solar
64arrays, wind electricity generating systems, gas pipelines, commercial communications sites,
65commercial transmissions lines, cellular communications towers, or other such industrial
66infrastructure; provided that new solar installations will be allowed if they have the primary
67purpose of supplying electricity to an existing or approved public facility and the added
68environmental impacts would not be significant, and the installation of new communication
69hardware or replacement of existing communications hardware on existing fire towers or
70communications sites will be allowed if they would not have significant environmental impacts.
71 SECTION 2. Chapter 131 of the General Laws is hereby amended in Section 1 by
72inserting the following-
73 "Reserve", an area permanently protected to allow natural processes to prevail with
74minimal human interference, which conserves intact ecosystems with the goals of ensuring the
75recovery and protection of mature and old growth forest ecosystems, maintenance of connected
76habitat blocks and species movement corridors to promote ecosystem resilience, conservation of
77habitat for threatened and endangered species, long‐term carbon sequestration and storage,
78nutrient cycling and soil formation, preservation of reference sites for scientific research,
79comparative studies, and long-term monitoring, and opportunities for wild land recreation. No 5 of 5
80timber or other natural resources shall be sold, removed, or destroyed, provided that active
81management shall be allowed in circumstances where it is proven that such action is necessary to
82control erosion and stabilize soils; for invasive species management, to maintain existing
83agricultural fields, vistas, and hiking trails; or for public health, safety and welfare. Creation of
84new fields, vistas, and wildlife openings is prohibited. The application of pesticides or herbicides
85shall not be permitted unless there is a clear threat to public health and safety, as determined by
86the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
87 “Early-successional habitat,” also called young forest, pre-forest, early seral, or open
88habitat, is a regenerating forest dominated by shrubs, sapling trees, and herbaceous vegetation
89less than 15-20 years old, which may be created by natural disturbances, by artificially
90maintaining such habitats where they exist, or by clearing a standing forest to expand such
91habitats with the intention of benefitting specific species.
92 SECTION 3 - Chapter 131 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting the
93following- Section 5D- No lands under the under the control of the Division shall be cleared for
94early-successional habitat if there are equivalent other areas in the Commonwealth that meet
95early-successional habitat criteria equal to 10% of forested land.