DCR criteria explained

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Many of the DCR Criteria are greek as far as the general population is concerned. What is a 'resource management plan', or what is the Wildlands program all about? As I gather information I will be posting it in here for everyone to read and get a better understanding of what these criteria really are and how they may be applied to any future ORV trails. As a note this thread will be locked; so any comments or questions you have, please start a new post, this way we can keep the information in here easy to find.

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Resource Management Planning

Resource Management Planning forms the framework for managing public lands based upon a comprehensive inventory and assessment of environmental and recreational resources, an identification of the unique characteristics of a property or management unit, the development of clear management goals and objectives, and an implementation plan to guide the short and long-term management of the parks, forests and reservations under the stewardship of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

The mission of the DCR Resource Management Planning (RMP) Program is to work with all Divisions and Bureaus of DCR, partner agencies and organizations, and the general public to:

    * develop and implement an RMP program that meets current and future statewide resource management planning needs for DCR, and
    * prepare and submit resource management plans to the DCR Stewardship Council for the Council’s adoption with respect to all reservations, parks and forests under the management of the department.

The DCR Division of Planning and Engineering is responsible for the oversight and coordination of the Resource Management Planning Program. Program staff coordinate closely with the Divisions of Urban Parks and Recreation (DUPR), State Parks and Recreation (DSPR), and Water Supply Protection (DWSP), as well as with the Bureaus of Forestry, Ranger Services, and Recreation.

Please see the RMP Updates page for additional information about the RMP Program.

The Department has a legislative mandate to prepare management plans for state parks, reservations and forests. M.G.L. Chapter 21: Section 2F. states that:

    The Commissioner of Conservation and Recreation shall submit management plans to the DCR Stewardship Council for the Council’s adoption with respect to all reservations, parks and forests under the management of the Department.

    Management plans shall include guidelines for operations and land stewardship, provide for the protection of natural and cultural resources, and ensure consistency between recreation, resource protection, and sustainable forest management.

    The Commissioner shall seek and consider public input in the development of management plans, and shall make draft plans available for a public review and comment period through notice in the Environmental Monitor.

    Within thirty days of the adoption of such management plans, as amended from time to time, the Commissioner shall file a copy of such plans as adopted by the Council with the State Secretary and the Joint Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture of the General Court.

    The Commissioner shall be responsible for implementing said management plans.

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Priority Habitat as identified by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program

Natural communities are assemblages of species that occur together in space and time. These groups of plants and animals are found in recurring patterns that can be classified and described by their dominant physical and biological features: Red Maple swamp and Pitch Pine/Scrub Oak communities are two examples. Natural communities are not discrete units with neat boundaries; there is overlap among and between communities in their composition, structure, and physical characteristics. Large animals often make use of multiple communities.
Natural communities may be restricted or widespread in their distribution across the state. Conservation priority should be given to: natural communities with limited distribution across ecoregions within the state, those with restricted global distribution, and those common types for which the best documented examples occur in Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Natural Heritage Program actively inventories and tracks the distribution and status of uncommon and exemplary natural communities across the state. Recently, NHESP produced a draft classification of natural communities, which we use to better understand, map, and track them.

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Core Habitat as identified on the MNHESP Biomap and Living Waters projects


With funding made available by the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, the Natural Heritage Program developed the BioMap to identify the areas most in need of protection in order to protect the native biodiversity of the Commonwealth. BioMap focuses primarily on state-listed rare species and exemplary natural communities but also includes the full breadth of the State's biological diversity.
The goal of the BioMap is to promote strategic land protection by producing a map showing areas, that if protected, would provide suitable habitat over the long term for the maximum number of Massachusetts' terrestrial and wetland plant and animal species and natural communities.

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Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) Program

What is the purpose of the ACEC Program?

The purpose of the Areas of Critical Environmental Concern(ACEC) Program is to preserve, restore, and enhance critical environmental resources and resource areas of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The goals of the program are to identify and designate these ecological areas, to increase the level of protection for ACECs, and to facilitate and support the stewardship of ACECs.

What is the ACEC Program’s background?

The ACEC Program was established in 1975 when the Massachusetts Legislature authorized and directed the Secretary of Environmental Affairs to identify and designate areas of critical environmental concern to the Commonwealth and to develop policies for their acquisition, protection, and use. Since that time, 28 ACECs have been designated covering approximately 241,000 acres in 73 communities, from the Berkshires to the North Shore and Cape Cod. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) administers the ACEC Program on behalf of the Secretary.

The ACEC Regulations (301 CMR 12.00) describe the procedures for the nomination, review, and designation of ACECs. The regulations also direct Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) agencies to take actions, administer programs, and revise regulations to preserve, restore, or enhance ACEC resources. As a result, DCR has a close working relationship with many state agencies. Together these agencies can provide information on a variety of resource management issues, grants to communities and organizations, and technical assistance for planning, research, and project design, review, and permitting. In particular, DCR coordinates closely with the Office of Coastal Zone Management regarding all aspects of coastal ACECs.

How are ACECs nominated?

An ACEC nomination is usually prepared by citizens and communities and involves extensive public input and discussion. Public outreach and community meetings help inform citizens about the nomination review process, and identify local and regional goals for resource management of the area. A nomination describes the area’s natural and cultural resources and its ecological relationships; discusses potential benefits of and reasons for designation; identifies goals and objectives for stewardship; describes the process of public outreach and education prior to submitting the nomination; and proposes a potential ACEC boundary to the Secretary for public review. More detailed information is provided in the ACEC Nomination Guidelines fact sheet.

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DCR Wildlands program

MassWildlife holds 102 Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and 13 wildlife sanctuaries. All WMAs are open to hunting, fishing, trapping and other outdoor recreation activities. Sanctuaries are more restrictive. Sanctuary booklets are available only from the MassWildlife Field Headquarters Office in Westboro.

    * No person shall possess any alcoholic beverage except under permit or dump or discard any can, bottle or rubbish.

    * No person shall remove vegetation, soil or stones from any WMA except under permit.

    * No person shall use excessive speed in driving a vehicle.

    * No person, unless under permit, shall drive or possess any vehicle except on roads or trails maintained for public traffic.

    * No person shall deface or tamper with any sign, building or equipment.

    * No person shall build or maintain a fire without written permission from the Director of the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MDFW) or his designee.

    * No person shall camp within any WMA without written permission from the Director of the MDFW or his designee.

    * No person shall engage in target practicing without written permission from the Director of the MDFW or his designee.

    * No person shall use any means other than shotgun or bow and arrow during the pheasant and quail season on areas stocked with pheasant or quail except for hunting raccoons between 9PM and 3AM.

    * No person shall hunt on any WMA where pheasant or quail are stocked before sunrise or after sunset during the open season on pheasant or quail, except for the hunting of raccoons between 9PM and 3AM.

    * No person shall hunt during the pheasant or quail season on wildlife management areas where pheasant or quail are stocked without wearing a "hunter orange" cap or hat except while night hunting for raccoons or while hunting from a blind or boat.

    * No person, except under permit, shall dig or disturb any artifact or archaeological remains.

The Director may make special regulations to handle special situations peculiar to any WMA. Controlled hunts are in effect at certain times on Burns, Delaney and Ludlow WMAs. Contact District Supervisor for details.

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Areas classified as Zone 1 under DCR’s Land Stewardship Zoning.

Summary of Draft Land Stewardship Zoning Guidelines
In July, 2003 state legislation established the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), consisting of a Division of Urban Parks and Recreation, a Division of State Parks and Recreation, and a Division of Water Supply Protection. In addition, the legislation required the preparation of management plans for state parks, forests and reservations under the management of DCR (Chapter 21, Section 2F). This legislation states that management plans shall include guidelines for operation and land stewardship, provide for the protection and stewardship of natural and cultural resources, and shall ensure consistency between recreation, resource protection, and sustainable forestmanagement. As part of addressing this legislative requirement, land stewardship zoning guidelines will be incorporated into the development and implementation of DCR Resource Management Plans. The purpose of these revised Guidelines is to provide a general land stewardship zoning framework for the development of Resource Management Plans for all state reservations, parks and forests under the management of the DCR Divisions of Urban Parks and Recreation and State Parks and Recreation. The Guidelines are intended to be flexible and help guide the long-term management of a specific DCR property or facility. The Guidelines define three types of zones to address the legislative requirement to provide for the protection and stewardship of natural and cultural resources and to ensure consistency between recreation, resource protection, and sustainable forest management. The three zones may be supplemented with significant feature overlays that identify specific designated/recognized resource features (such as Forest Reserves, Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, or areas subject to historic preservation restrictions).