Wayne F. MacCallum

Wayne F. MacCallum completed his M.S. degree in Wildlife Management at Penn State in 1971. His thesis advisor was Dr. James Lindzey, leader of the Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit. His thesis, "An investigation of factors influencing waterfowl productivity of the tidal marsh of Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge," examined waterfowl nesting and the role of mammalian predators and tidal marsh management to increase waterfowl productivity. He earned his bachelor's degree in wildlife biology at the University of Massachusetts in 1968.

In 1972 Wayne was hired by Woodward-Clyde Consultants, a privately held environmental and geotechnical consulting firm. He began as Staff Scientist and advanced to Senior Scientist and then Associate and Office Manager of the firm's Environmental Systems Division eastern U.S. office in Wayne, New Jersey. His Office Manager responsibilities included the supervision of a multidisciplinary staff, market development and coordination of proposal efforts, contract development and negotiation, technical review of work, and management of major projects.

In 1983 Wayne returned to Massachusetts, joining the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MDFW) as Assistant Director of Wildlife Research. He was responsible for the supervision of the agency's wildlife management and research programs. He was appointed Acting Director of the division in 1988 and Director in 1989. As Director, Wayne was responsible for formulating policy, overseeing and administering the operations and programs of the division, and representing Massachusetts in regional and national conservation matters pertaining to fish and wildlife resources. He was a strong advocate for open space protection.

In 2001 Wayne was appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to one of seven seats on the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Council. This council reviews and approves grants to increase bird populations and wetland habitat, while supporting local economies and American traditions such as hunting, fishing, birdwatching, family farming, and cattle ranching. In 2008 Wayne was elected NAWCA chair and served in that capacity until his retirement in 2015. The council has overseen more than 1 billion dollars in grants protecting wetlands in Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

In 2003 the Secretary of the Interior also appointed Wayne to the Neotropical Bird Advisory Group, responsible for making conservation recommendations to the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Wayne has been active in the Atlantic Flyway Council serving in many capacities. He was also a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Joint Venture (ACJV), which he chaired from 1991 to 1998. The ACJV is a partnership of all the states on the Eastern U.S. Seaboard and Puerto Rico whose mandate is to coordinate and improve effectiveness of bird conservation in the Atlantic Flyway.

Wayne is a past president (1994) of the Northeast Directors Fish and Wildlife Agency Association now known as the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and was president (1997-98) of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, now called the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

During his tenure as MDFW Director, Massachusetts' state-owned and managed lands increased from 59,189 to 204,164 acres, the deer harvest went from 5,596 to 11,165, the turkey harvest from 57 to 2,550, and bear harvest from 37 (west of CT River only) to 240 (Worcester County and west). Wayne also focused on the recovery of rare and endangered species. Bald eagles increased from three pairs to 40 pairs nesting in Massachusetts, peregrine falcons increased from two pairs to 31, and piping plovers increased from 135 pairs to 670.

Wayne worked with Massachusetts Sportsman and Conservation groups generating grassroots support for a five-dollar Wildlands Conservation Stamp to fund acquisition of wildlife management areas. Legislation requiring the purchase of a "land stamp" as part of a yearly fishing, hunting, or trapping license was passed in 1990. The funding from the stamp has been matched by state open-space bonds resulting in the quadrupling of the acreage of wildlife management areas in Massachusetts from 50,000 acres to more than 200,000 acres.

Wayne also was actively involved in the 1990 passage of the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act and oversaw implementation of the Act by MDFW's Natural Heritage Program. This is some of the strongest legislation in the country, affording protection to more than 400 state-listed species of plants and animals and their habitat.

In 2008 Wayne oversaw the development of the Massachusetts State Wildlife Conservation Plan, which was cited by the Doris Duke Foundation and the Defenders of Wildlife as one of the best state action plans in the country.

Now retired, Wayne remains active in conservation at the community level. He is founder and clerk of the Massachusetts Outdoor Heritage Foundation, and treasurer with the Massachusetts Sportsmen's Junior Conservation Camp, Inc. that offers a two-week overnight conservation education program for girls and boys between 13 and 17.

In his local community Wayne established a passive education trail on town conservation lands. He also has been a long-time member of the local land trust to preserve open space.

Wayne is a master bird bander, a member of The Wildlife Society and a Certified Wildlife Biologist. He is member of Alpha Zeta (Honorary Agricultural Fraternity) and Xi Sigma Pi (Honorary Forestry Fraternity).

Wayne has received a number of awards including: Environmental Merit Award (1996) given by the Environmental Protection Agency in recognition of national leadership in protection and restoration of wetlands; George Bird Grinnell Memorial Award (2004) given by the Wildlife Management Institute in recognition of distinguished service in natural resource conservation; Seth Gordon Award of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (2012) for lifetime achievement in conserving North America's natural resources in the public trust; International Canvasback Award (2013) given by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North American Waterfowl Management Plan recognizing continental leadership in waterfowl conservation through science policy and funding; Wayne Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award (2015) given by the National Wild Turkey Federation for excellence in conservation; and New England Chapter of the Wildlife Society Professional Achievement Award (2015) in recognition of outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation.