Haverhill, MA Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Haverhill City Code § 193-18A
- Covered areas
- Winnekenni Park, Meadow Brook, Tattersall Farm, more
- First-offense fine
- $50, § 193-25
- Repeat fines
- $100 second, $300 third and after
- Enforcers
- Conservation Officer, police, animal control, state environmental police
Summary
Feeding, catching, harassing or otherwise interfering with any wild bird, reptile, amphibian or mammal is banned in Haverhill's Conservation Areas under § 193-18A, covering Winnekenni Park, Meadow Brook, Tattersall Farm, John's Woods, Lake Saltonstall, Crystal Lake and several smaller preserves. The Conservation Officer, police and state environmental police can fine violators up to $300 per day.
§ 193-18. Animals. A. Catching, injuring, destroying, harassing, agitating, feeding, or interfering in any way with birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals or any other wild animal, including its nest, burrow, den or other habitat is prohibited. ... ... § 193-25. Violations and penalties. A fine of not more than $300 per day shall be imposed for any violation of this article, or of a permit issued under this Article, according to the following schedule: $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, $300 for a third or subsequent offense.
Full Breakdown
Section 193-18A of Chapter 193, Article IV, Conservation Areas, prohibits 'catching, injuring, destroying, harassing, agitating, feeding, or interfering in any way with birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals or any other wild animal, including its nest, burrow, den or other habitat' anywhere within the City's designated Conservation Areas. Section 193-14 lists those areas by name and acreage: Winnekenni Park and Kenoza Lake (about 550 acres), Meadow Brook (about 300 acres), Tattersall Farm (about 85 acres), John's Woods (about 65 acres), Lake Saltonstall/Plug Pond (about 170 acres), Lake Pentucket/Round Pond (about 70 acres), several Crystal Lake-area parcels, Brandy Brow Forest, Clement Farm, Wheeler Woods and the Riverside Trail.
The same section carves out hunting and trapping in season with a state license under § 193-18B, though firearms, bows, trapping gear and slingshots remain banned outright at Winnekenni Park, Tattersall Farm and John's Woods, and at Meadow Brook except during the state's deer trapping, archery, shotgun and primitive firearm seasons. Section 193-18F separately bars releasing any pet, including fish, snakes, turtles, frogs, other reptiles, birds or mammals, into a Conservation Area. Article IV's enforcement and penalty section, § 193-25, authorizes state and local police, local animal control officers, state environmental police officers and the Haverhill Conservation Officer to issue fines under MGL c.
40, § 21D: $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, and $300 for a third or later offense, with a $300-per-day cap and a separate offense for each day a violation continues; restitution for any damage can be assessed alongside or instead of the fine.
Violations & Fines
Feeding or harassing wildlife in a Haverhill Conservation Area draws an escalating fine under § 193-25: $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, and $300 for a third or later offense, capped at $300 per day, with each day of a continuing violation counted separately. Local and state police, animal control officers, state environmental police and the Haverhill Conservation Officer can all issue the fine, and the City may also seek restitution for damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to feed geese or deer at a Haverhill conservation area?
What is the fine for feeding wildlife in a Haverhill Conservation Area?
Who enforces the Conservation Area wildlife rules in Haverhill?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Haverhill
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