Private and municipal landowners of conserved lands can apply for grant funding to support active habitat management projects that benefit wildlife and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities. MassWildlife’s Habitat Management Grant Program (MHMGP) provides financial assistance for projects that:
- improve habitat for game species (species that are hunted, fished, and trapped),
- manage for State Wildlife Action Plan species, with an emphasis on State Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern species, and
- enhance habitat in ecological communities disproportionally susceptible to climate change.
Investment in habitat restoration and management is urgently needed on public and private lands across the state. To address this need, MassWildlife and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs have substantially increased their investment in habitat management on state wildlife lands and are committed to working with partners to promote these efforts on conserved lands across the state
The MHMGP program encourages private and municipal landowners to engage in active habitat management on their properties to benefit wildlife.
Applicants are eligible to receive between $10,000 and $75,000 per grant towards their approved habitat management project.
Types of Projects Eligible for Funding include:
| Upland | Mowing, Prescribed Burning, Invasives Control, Harrowing, Seeding, Tree Clearing & Stumping |
| Wetland | Prescribed Burning, Invasives Control |
| Aquatic | Invasives Control, Woody Debris Addition, Riverbank Stabilization, Small Dam Removal, Culvert Removal / Replacement Stream Crossing Improvements |
Grant applications will be accepted starting September 1, 2023 and are due by 5 p.m. on October 31, 2023.
All work must be completed and all awarded funds expended by June 30, 2024. There are no extensions possible under this program.
For more information or to begin your application, see the MHMGP webpage at MassWildlife Habitat Management Grant Program | Mass.gov