COTTONTAIL HABITAT MANAGEMENT MEETING, FALMOUTH PUBLIC INVITED Interested conservation-minded citizens are invited to an informational meeting to learn about proposed habitat management activities on portions of the Quashnet Woods State Reservation and Wildlife Management Area, co-owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) in Mashpee. The meeting, hosted by DCR and MassWildlife, will take place on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Headquarters, 131 Waquoit Highway (Rte. 28) in Falmouth at 7 P.M. Learn more about the uncommon New England cottontail rabbit and how DCR and MassWildlife are working together proactively to enhance, create, and maintain appropriate habitat conditions for New England cottontails and other wildlife which depend on shrublands and young forests. Proposed habitat management activities will also address fire safety concerns by reducing the amount of available material that could fuel a serious wildfire. Virtually identical in appearance to the common Eastern cottontails seen in many backyards, New England cottontail populations in Massachusetts and surrounding states have fallen 86% in the past 50 years. Because of these declines, this rabbit is a Candidate Species for listing by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service under the federal Endangered Species Act. The rabbit’s population decline is related to landscape-scale habitat changes. On Cape Cod, New England cottontails live in a variety of habitats, but are most frequently found in pitch pine/scrub oak habitats. As a result of fire suppression, these forests have matured to a point where they are no longer viable habitats for New England cottontails and other wildlife such as Bobwhite quail and Eastern towhee. Furthermore, the amount of flammable woody plant material (fuel load) in some remaining areas of mature pine barren forests has substantially increased and potentially threatens public safety and property. Management activities in the Quashnet Woods State Reservation and Wildlife Management Area such as understory mowing, tree clearing, and prescribed fire are all methods which will address both the needs of wildlife in conservation need and the protection of property and people. For more information, email David Scarpitti at the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, at [email protected] or by phone at (508) 389-6377. Link to Cottontail information on MassWildlife’s website. mass.gov/eea/agencies/dfg/dfw/fish-wildlife-plants/mammals/cottontails-in-massachusetts.html
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 23:31:28 +0000
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