“I’ve seen shorebirds, egrets, ducks, and hawks that I’ve never observed before on the Sprague River saltmarsh. There are mummichogs* in the waters of the high marsh for the first time since the marsh was ditched 50 years ago.” Judy Marden, Director of the Bates Morse-Mountain Conservation Area in Phippsburg, Maine made these comments after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service restored 61 acres of degraded Shorebirds, wading birds, waterfowl, and other wetlands on property owned by Bates College. fish and wildlife resources benefit from saltmarsh * mummichog - a small fish that is very important to restoration. the saltmarsh food web.

Introduction and General Maine Partners Program are examples of declining bird Description Activities species that directly benefit from the Partners Program in Maine. The Service’s Partners For Fish # Freshwater restoration and Wildlife Program provides # Saltmarsh restoration technical advice, funding, and # Fishway construction Threats construction assistance to private # Riparian restoration landowners and Native American # Grassland restoration Although wetland losses in Maine Tribes to restore and enhance fish # Forest stewardship are relatively small compared to and wildlife habitat. Begun in # Assist Native American Tribes losses that have occurred in 1990 to help farmers restore in managing their wetlands midwestern States, wetlands degraded wetlands for wildlife, the and woodlands continue to be filled or severely Partners Program continues to # Farm Bill Conservation degraded by development, grow as more opportunities are Provisions particularly in southern and central found to restore wetland, riverine, Maine. Conversion of prime and upland habitats. farmland to residential home Habitats of Special development and farmland In Maine, over 200 landowners, Concern abandonment contribute to including farmers and private grassland losses in Maine. conservation groups, have Wetlands Consequently, grassland birds, requested assistance from the such as bobolinks, grasshopper Service’s Partners For Fish and Wetland restoration continues to sparrow (State endangered) and Wildlife Program to restore habitat be a high priority of the Partners meadowlarks, are declining faster on private lands. Judy Marden and Program in Maine. Nearly a dozen than any other group of birds in the others, are leaving a legacy of migratory bird species of special Northeast. stewardship for future generations management concern inhabit by making the lands they own or wetlands in the State. Northern Streams and Rivers manage a better place for fish and harriers, sedge wrens, American wildlife. bitterns, pied-billed grebes, olive- Water quality degradation sided flycatchers, and black ducks continues to plague Maine rivers and streams, impacting Atlantic salmon (federally endangered), yellow lampmussel (State landowners and town road crews. planting native trees, averages threatened), and other aquatic The Partners Program constructed about $4,000 per mile. resources. Dams on rivers and beaver exclosure devices to protect streams and undersized culverts on roads and wetlands. (The beaver Grasslands tidal creeks prevent/limit exclosure devices prevent a beaver anadromous fish runs. Roads and pond from getting too large.) The Partners Program in Maine is undersized culverts on salt marshes These wetlands, often the last working cooperatively with impair tidal circulation, remaining “open” spaces in urban landowners to restore hundreds of encouraging the establishment of environments, act as wildlife acres of grassland habitat for invasive plants such as phragmites magnets, attracting bitterns, rails, declining grassland birds on the (a very tall grass) and purple green herons, moose, ducks, and Kennebunk Plains and elsewhere in loosestrife. songbirds. Maine. Grassland restoration costs range from $20 to $250 per acre, The Partners Program in Maine The costs of beaver exclosure depending on prescriptions and site has worked voluntarily with 30 work averages $20 per acre. preparations. landowners to restore degraded Restoring wetlands that have been emergent wetlands and saltmarshes State and Federally Listed Species to improve habitat for many Federal trust species, including The Partners Program is working waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading closely with farmers and land trusts birds. to improve water quality in the Ducktrap, Sheepscot, Kennebec, Kenduskeag, and other federally- Conservation Strategies endangered Atlantic salmon rivers

Wetland Conservation, with Olive-sided flycatchers, and special emphasis on Native other seriously declining American Lands migratory birds, inhabit wetlands protected by beaver exclosures. To help offset the annual loss of hundreds of acres of wetlands in ditched and drained is another Maine, the Partners Program is important part of the Partners partnering with the Maine Program. The average cost of Department of Inland Fisheries and restoring ditched wetlands on Upland sandpipers, a State threatened species, benefit from Wildlife, Penobscot Indian Nation, farms averages $500 to $1000 per acre in Maine. Partners Program grassland and the Passamaquoddy Tribe to restoration projects. prevent hundreds of acres of beaver-influenced wetlands from The Partners Program is working that are also home to State being drained by private cooperatively with Bates College, threatened mussels and rare The Nature Conservancy, and dragonflies and damselflies. other partners to restore hydrology to portions of a 300-acre saltmarsh near Phippsburg, Maine. Saltmarsh restoration averages $2,000 and up per acre.

The Houlton Band of Maliseet is restoring riparian corridors along Beaver exclosures help their lands next to the maintain diverse wildlife with financial habitat by preventing the and technical assistance from the complete drainage of wetlands Partners Program. The costs by road crews. associated with purchasing and Gravel pit restoration in riparian areas and streambank Fishways can cost $100,000 and up, per facility. The fencing on dairy farms are two conservation steps Partners Program contribution to the Orland project being taken to improve water quality for fish and was $20,000, or 20 percent of the actual cost. wildlife. Farm Bill Conservation Provisions

The Partners Program in Maine works most effectively by “piggy-backing” its dollars with partners sharing similar conservation missions. By working closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, other FWS offices, State agencies, conservation organizations, and private landowners, the Partners Program is able to “stretch” its funds to accomplish habitat restoration.

Most notably, as a member of USDA State Technical The Partners Program works voluntarily with Committee, the Partners Program plays a significant dairy farmers and other private landowners to role in deciding how best to allocate funds for USDA restore degraded habitat. conservation programs (i.e., the Wetlands Reserve Program, Conservation Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program,Wildlife Federally threatened Canada lynx populations on Habitat Incentives Program) designed to assist farmers Passamaquoddy Tribal lands have benefitted from the in restoring, enhancing, and protecting fish and Partners Program’s recommendations to Tribal wildlife habitat on their own lands. Additionally, as a foresters, particularly the management of early member of an interagency Easement Review Team, successional stage coniferous forests. the Partners Program plays an important role in setting aside conservation areas through the Farm Service Fish Passage Agency’s Debt-For-Nature and Inventory Property programs. The Partners Program has The Partners Program worked with the Farm Service worked voluntarily Agency’s Debt-For-Nature Program to protect Furbish with Champion lousewort (a federally endangered plant species) Paper Company to populations on the St. John River in northern Maine. improve fish passage on the Public Outreach by installing a fishway Partners Program staff attend Maine Cooperative for alewives, and Extension Service evening meetings with farmers and other anadromous other landowners to inform the public of federal (migratory) fishes programs available to assist landowners interested fish that are and wildlife resources in Maine. We also work economically and closely with public libraries, schools and scouting environmentally groups by leading field trips for youngsters interested important to local in learning about wetland restoration and migratory communities. birds. The Partners Program has been featured in Maine Public Radio broadcasts and on numerous local Partners Program funds are radio stations to help educate the public about the used to help construct work of the Partners Program and the Service. fishways for alewives and other migratory fishes. Partners

Penobscot Indian Nation Passamaquoddy Tribe Houlton Band of Maliseet Aroostook Band of Micmac Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Bates College The Nature Conservancy - Maine Chapter Ducks Unlimited Trout Unlimited National Marine Fisheries Service Coastal Mountains Land Trust Natural Resources Conservation Service Introducing youngsters to the wonders of a restored wetland is an important component of Champion Paper Company the Partners Program Public Outreach effort. Kittery Land Trust Maine Coast Heritage Trust Farm Service Agency T 180 acres of saltmarsh restored Clayton Lake Woodlands, Inc. Aroostook County Soil and Water Conservation T 550 acres of upland restored Districts (3) Waldo County SWCD T 33 miles of river habitat opened up for Kennebec County SWCD anadromous fishes Lincoln County SWCD Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection T 130 acres of ditched, emergent wetlands restored Georges River Land Trust Coalition T 9,500 acres of freshwater wetlands protected from Coastal Conservation Association drainage by installing 500 beaver exclosures (includes Phippsburg Land Trust wetlands owned by the Penobscots, Passamaquoddy, Maine Audubon Society and Maliseet Indians) Boy Scouts of America Bangor Public Library T 6 miles of Atlantic salmon river habitat fenced to National Fish and Wildlife Foundation prohibit livestock from degrading water quality Partners In Flight - Maine Chapter Other USFWS offices in Maine Partners Program and USDA Conservation Programs

Accomplishments T 2,234 acres of wetlands in perpetual conservation easement status, managed by USFWS Partners Program Habitat Restoration T 7,325 acres of wetlands and uplands enrolled in T Developed close working relationships with four 50-year conservation contracts Native American Tribes who collectively own 230,000 acres in Maine T 25,000 acres of grassland enrolled in CRP

T Partnerships formed with over 30 organizations T 1,500 acres of grasslands enrolled in WHIP Future Needs

< Assist Native American Tribes, with identification of fish and wildlife restoration opportunities, funding, and implementation of habitat projects on Tribal lands.

< Restore or maintain hundreds of acres of beaver- influenced wetlands.

< Locate and replace undersized culverts on tidal creeks to restore or improve tidal circulation to hundreds of acres of saltmarshes.

< Install fishways and streambank fences to improve Three hundred dollars from the Partners Program water quality and anadromous fish runs on hundreds in Maine funded the construction of a beaver of miles of river in the Penobscot, Sheepscot, exclosure device that prevented the draining of Ducktrap, Kennebec, Narraguagus, Dennys, and other this 200-acre wetland on Native American lands. focus river watersheds.

< Maine has lost over1.26 million acres of wetland since European settlement. Many of those acres could be restored through the voluntary efforts of private landowners.

< Restore several thousand acres of native grasslands.

CONTACT

Ron Joseph Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1033 South Main Street Old Town, ME 04468 207 827-5938 ext. 15 (Fax) 207 827-6099

August 2001