Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision imperils private property rights; MESA a good law with bad implementation Reply

A look at the Massachusetts Priority Habitat GIS Map overlay that shows how of the valley has been designated a priority habitat.

A screenshot of Massachusetts Priority Habitat GIS Map overlay that shows how much of the Pioneer Valley that has been designated a priority habitat, which is shown in yellow. Click on the photo for a larger view.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) recently upheld a lower court’s ruling regarding the authority of Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, also known as MassWildlife, to designate certain areas as a priority habitat under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA), thereby limiting a private landowner’s use of their property without recognizing said landowner’s property rights.   More…