NANTUCKET – State officials have announced $343,985 in grants to restore and protect wildlife habitat, including almost $150,000 in funding to support a pair of projects protecting pitch pine and scrub oak habitats in Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Edgartown’s Trustees of Reservations was awarded $75,000 to thin out pitch pine and scrub oak habitat at the Wasque Reservation on Chappaquiddick, with the goal of mitigating the risks associated with southern pine beetle outbreaks.
The Nantucket Island Land Bank received a similar allotment of $72,143 to thin out pitch pine forests at Gardner Farm, a 112-acre parcel adjacent to Hummuck Pond.
In addition to reducing the risk of southern pine beetle outbreaks, thinning will also support habitat conditions supporting numerous species identified under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act, including rare moths and butterflies which favor pine barrens.
“MassWildlife’s Habitat Management Grant Program builds on the success of ongoing efforts to advance our mission of conserving the great diversity and abundance of wildlife, plants, and habitats in Massachusetts,” said Eve Schluter, Director of MassWildlife.
“Public and private investment in habitat management,” she said, “is critical for promoting ecological resiliency and biodiversity, and we are thrilled to work with this year’s grant recipients as they commit to improving landscapes for people and nature.”
Past grants in recent years have included pitch pine thinning at Head of the Plains, the Caroline Tuthill Preserve, and Tisbury’s Phillips Preserve.
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