Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust is pleased to announce their Executive Director Emma Ellsworth has been appointed as a member of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) Board. This appointment was made official July 18th and she will begin serving the Commonwealth with seven other board members at monthly public meetings.
The Board is responsible for supervising and controlling the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, has hiring authority over agency staff, and makes decisions concerning the acquisition and protection of land and water for wildlife.
“We are extremely proud that Emma has been chosen to serve on the Board of such an important conservation partner. As a long-time collaborator in the NQRLP [North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership], MassWildlife has been a valuable ally in our work conserving land and fighting climate change, helping to inform our understandings of wildlife management and natural heritage. Emma’s love of the land and her experience as an outdoorswoman will be a benefit to MassWildlife and will strengthen the partnership between Mount Grace and MassWildlife long into the future,” said Max Feldman, President of the Mount Grace Board of Directors.
The MassWildlife Board's mandate is to protect and manage the wildlife of the Commonwealth as an essential public natural resource for the use and enjoyment of all citizens who hunt, fish, trap, and enjoy nature study and observation.
Commissioner Ron Amidon announced the Governor’s appointments and introduced the new members at the Board’s July monthly business meeting. “All four citizens joining the Fisheries and Wildlife Board are lifelong outdoors-people and conservationists,” the Commissioner said, “and I and MassWildlife Director Mark Tisa look forward to working with the new members and the entire Board to continue to advance the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, and habitat in the Commonwealth.”
As Executive Director of Mount Grace, Ellsworth leads the 36-year-old land trust in achieving its mission to benefit the environment, the economy, and future generations by protecting significant agricultural, natural, and scenic lands and encouraging land stewardship in northern and central Massachusetts.
The goals of both Mount Grace and of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Board have clear overlap, allowing Ellsworth to effectively work toward the shared goals of both organizations.
“My hope as Executive Director of Mount Grace and a member of the MassWildlife board is to help bridge differences between people who love the land, so we can collaborate more and come together as a community in the face of so much urgent pressure from development and climate change. Whether we are hunters, anglers, bird watchers, hikers, or just people who breathe air and drink water, we have a common purpose and common need,” said Ellsworth.
Another significant board appointment is Mount Grace Board Member Phil Stevens, owner of Carter & Stevens Farm in Barre, to serve on the Massachusetts USDA-FSA state committee.
“The FSA state committee members play an integral role in the continuity of operations, equitable and inclusive program administration and ensure the overall integrity of services to the nation’s agricultural producers,” said Marcus Graham, FSA Deputy Administrator for Field Operations in the USDA press release.