United States Department of Agriculture

United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Massachusetts State Office
451 West Street, Amherst, MA 01002
413-253-4350, fax 413-253-4375
www.ma.nrcs.usda.gov
Helping People Help the Land
USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

NEWS RELEASE

Issued jointly with the Montague Grange
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2007
CONTACT: Diane Baedeker Petit Colleen Sculley Jill Liske-Clark
USDA-NRCS Montague Grange MassWildlife
413-253-4371 413-367-0006 508-389-6306

Montague Grange receives federal help to restore wildlife habitat on the Montague Wildlife Management Area

Public invited to walk the site on Saturday, May 26 at 10:00 am

The Montague Grange in Montague, Mass. will receive nearly $10,600 in federal costshare assistance to restore important wildlife habitat on the state-owned Montague Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Montague Center. As part of the project the Montague Grange is sponsoring a public walk at the Sawmill River Access Area on Saturday, May 26th at 10:00 am to discuss the details of the habitat restoration project.

Those interested in attending should meet at the entry gate at the end of North Street. There is very limited parking on North Street; drivers are encouraged to park at the town common and walk to the entry gate.

The funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through the agency’s Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). WHIP funds will allow the Grange to mow and brush hog the field during a three-year period to reduce the amount of invasive plants and improve the overall quality of grasslands habitat. The Montague Grange will implement the project in partnership with MassWildlife, which owns the WMA, and NRCS.

The work will be done on the Access Area where 35 acres of grasslands and old fields are being invaded by non-native plants, including multiflora rose, Japanese barberry, Japanese knotweed and bush honeysuckle.

The invasive plants degrade the quality of the grassland habitat making them unsuitable nesting habitat for bobolinks, savannah sparrows and other grassland-dependent birds experiencing population declines throughout New England. The restoration work will also ensure easier access for outdoor enthusiasts who use the WMA for fishing, hunting, hiking, bird watching and wildlife viewing.

"Members of the Montague Grange are thrilled to receive this WHIP grant so we can restore these old fields for critical wildlife habitat while also providing opportunities for our community to experience the scenic beauty of our rural heritage," said Chris Mason, Steward of the Grange. "By working with MassWildlife and NRCS to restore these old fields, which were first established and then maintained by Montague farmers, the Grange honors our traditional role of supporting rural agriculture while fulfilling our newer role as a community service organization for all residents in Montague."

“MassWildlife has long viewed the restoration and maintenance of habitat as critical to the many creatures dependant on available and suitable habitat. Invasive species pose one of the greatest threats to the native biodiversity of Massachusetts, “said Jill Liske-Clark, MassWildlife’s Upland Habitat Coordinator. “These kinds of projects create valuable partnerships with groups such as the Montague Grange who share common concerns about wildlife and wildlife habitat and make it possible for partners to accomplish their habitat management goals.”

Liske-Clark noted that the project on the Montague WMA is one of a number of ongoing statewide grassland habitat maintenance and restoration projects on MassWildlife lands. “NRCS is pleased to partner with the Montague Grange and MassWildlife to restore this important habitat and protect a natural resource that’s so important to Montague and surrounding communities,” said Christine Clarke, Massachusetts State Conservationist for NRCS. “This project is one great example of the $1.1 million in WHIP projects that will be implemented cooperatively with state and local partners across Massachusetts this year.” Through WHIP, NRCS provides technical and cost-share assistance to landowners to protect or restore valuable ecosystems and wildlife habitat on their property. Landowners may receive up to 75 percent of installation costs for conservation practices. For more information on the WHIP program, visit www.ma.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip.html.

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Posted by mik - July 08, 2007