Mass. Fish and Game frames biodiversity goals as statewide priority; seeks environmental-justice input

Commissioner Tom O'Shea of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game told the Environmental Justice Council that the agency is drafting statewide biodiversity goals under an executive order and wants council input on how those goals intersect with environmental justice. "This is a biodiversity movement," O'Shea said, adding that biodiversity is "a crisis just like the climate crisis."

O'Shea said the department's strategic plan emphasizes environmental justice, language access and tribal partnerships and that the biodiversity effort will set targets for 2030, 2040 and 2050. He described four guiding pillars—protect, restore, sustain and connect—and urged the council to help shape neighborhood-level access to nature and delivery of grants and toolkits for local projects. "We have 200,000 acres of wildlife management areas in the state, but not all of them are in places that are easily accessible," he said.

The presentation listed ongoing and planned programs that the department believes align with biodiversity and community needs, including hunter-education and food-security efforts such as the Hunter Share the Harvest program (which O'Shea said grew from about 3,000 meals to nearly 20,000) and pilot projects to route bycatch to food pantries. He also highlighted efforts to improve language access so limited-English-proficiency communities can participate in conservation programming.

Council members asked how the department will coordinate with other state agencies. O'Shea said his office is preparing a report and recommendations but expects a whole-of-government approach, working across secretariats and with agencies in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. "We will be taking a review of all existing efforts across the Commonwealth," he said, and indicated the department will play a coordinating and championing role but cannot accomplish the work alone.

Several council members praised the focus on tribal partnerships and community engagement. The presentation materials and O'Shea's remarks indicate the department plans more public comment and listening sessions in coming months and to deliver a set of recommended goals to the administration for consideration.

The council did not vote on any formal action during this presentation. Next steps described by O'Shea include additional outreach to the council and public input on the draft goals ahead of a future administration announcement.