Woolsey Honored by Nature Conservancy

[FishNews]

The Massachusetts Chapter of The Nature Conservancy presented its 2007 Conservationist of the Year award to Henry Woolsey, Program Manager of MassWildlife's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP). The Conservancy selected Mr. Woolsey to receive the award in recognition of his 20 years of leadership and vision in support of land and water conservation. "Every day, the Heritage Program identifies and mitigates impacts on truly critical lands before it is too late," said Loring Schwarz, acting state director of The Nature Conservancy's Massachusetts Chapter. "Over the years, Henry's program has developed new and innovative ways to measure, map and protect our natural areas. The Massachusetts landscape and the animals and plants it harbors would have a different quality if not for his persistent leadership." Schwarz noted that Woolsey conceived and oversaw the development of the BioMap and Living Waters maps that have driven many conservation initiatives and decisions over the past several years. She also noted that recently these maps served as integral elements in the Massachusetts's Wildlife Action Plan, a planning tool recognized as one of the best in the nation, in part due to the quality and quantity of Natural Heritage Program data and input.

MassWildlife's NHESP is responsible for the conservation and protection of hundreds of species that are not hunted, fished, trapped, or commercially harvested in the state. The overall goal of the Program is the protection of the state's wide range of native biological diversity. The Program's highest priority is protecting the 178 species of vertebrate and invertebrate animals and 264 species of native plants that are officially listed as Endangered, Threatened or of Special Concern in Massachusetts.