The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife is updating its list of endangered, threatened and special concern species. The list changes based on knowledge of the status of birds, bees and plants, and the state’s understanding of habitat requirements. The list influences development and land acquisition efforts, since species are afforded legal protections and conservation groups are often guided by habitat protection efforts.

This year’s proposed changes, which are up for a public hearing later this month, would shift the bald eagle and peregrine falcon from threatened species down a notch to special concern species. In 2011, the eagle was downlisted from endangered to threatened.

“The continued recovery of these two birds in Massachusetts is the result of decades of restoration work,” MassWildlife spokeswoman Marion Larson said.

According to state records, there were 68 nesting bald eagle pairs documented in Massachusetts during 2017. Bald eagles were known to be present at 40 bodies of water, including 23 ponds, lakes and reservoirs, and 17 streams and rivers, with core breeding areas in the Connecticut River and Quabbin Reservoir. The water bodies all have forested shorelines or islands that provide nest and roost trees and adequate supplies of prey.

The eagles are thriving in the region and the nation, MassWildlife ornithologist Andrew Vitz said.

“They’re doing great. They now have a robust population nationally. We have no evidence that the increase is going to stop anytime soon.”

Not so lucky

The proposed list also moves two types of bees that were not even on the list, the American Bumble Bee and Walsh’s Anthopora, up all the way up to endangered status. The previously unlisted Yellow-banded Bumble Bee is also marked for threatened status.

Common throughout Massachusetts more than 50 years ago, the American Bumble Bee during the past 25 years has been in decline and has become restricted to the Connecticut River Valley region of Franklin and Hampshire counties, according to state records.

“This is something that started decades ago,” Michael Nelson, an entomologist and invertebrate zooligist at MassWildlife, said. “It’s getting worse.”

Habitat loss and degradation, commercial pathogens, and the use of pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, are cited as factors driving down the species’ presence.

The bees marked for the endangered list were present statewide 30 to 50 years ago.

“Now, both of them are extremely rare in the state and have only recently been recorded in a few places over the past few years,” Nelson said, noting their decline throughout the Northeast.

The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program’s Advisory Committee finalized the proposed species change recommendations in 2018. In all, new listings are proposed for 17 species.

The state Fisheries and Wildlife Board plans an Aug. 28 public hearing at MassWildlife’s Westborough field headequarters to take feedback on the proposed changes.

Author: mkmcst

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