Guidance for ContractorsContractors
on Implementing + Stewarding Healthy Soils Across Land Types

This site is a growing resource hub for implementing the Massachusetts Healthy Soils Action Plan (part of the Massachusetts Healthy Soils Initiative). It brings together implementation guides, data tools, and applied research to support planners, designers, land managers, regulators, and practitioners in making soil-informed decisions that strengthen ecological function, climate resilience, and long-term land stewardship across Massachusetts.

Cross section of soil showing composition and depth

Building a primer for practitioners

In order for the findings from HSAP to be implemented at an impactful scale, practitioners first need to be aware of basic healthy soil principles and understand how development affects soil health and climate change resiliency.

Soil Organic Carbon Project

Statewide land cover-adjusted soil organic carbon (SOC) maps to support carbon-informed land use decisions in Massachusetts.

Healthy Soils Guide for Site Design + Construction

A practical, practitioner-focused guide translating the MA Healthy Soils Action Plan into clear, site-specific strategies for integrating soil health into design, construction, and land management decisions across the Commonwealth.

Healthy Soils Guide to Wetland Management

Coming soon: guidance for applying healthy soils principles to wetland protection, restoration, and management in Massachusetts.

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Additional Resources

Read the MA Healthy Soils Action Plan

Foundational guidelines and strategies for enhancing soil health and resilience in Massachusetts.

Browse the Resource Library

Access a curated collection of research, case studies, and tools for understanding and implementing healthy soil practices.

What is the Massachusetts Healthy Soils Action Plan (HSAP)?

Commissioned by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, the HSAP promotes strategies to improve food security, environmental justice, and climate resilience. Developed with input from diverse stakeholders, the HSAP provides a roadmap for policymakers, land managers, and advocates to enhance soil carbon sequestration and ecosystem health across the Commonwealth.

Cover of the Massachusetts health soils action plan