Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund Overview 2007
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Maine Atlantic Salmon conservation fund overview 2007 A program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Gulf of Maine Coastal Program and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries Service, the Maine Department of Marine Resources and other conservation partners. inside The Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation “We simply cannot have salmon without Fund supports efforts to recover wild Atlantic salmon by ensuring healthy watersheds and healthy rivers. But it’s not just the salmon restoring other sea-run fish with which they are closely linked. This report summarizes that need healthy rivers. We do too.” MASCF’s accomplishments to date and highlights the work of organizations that are – Jim Lichatowich, making a difference today and for the future. Salmon Without Rivers The Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation background, providing technical support Fund is committed to creating healthy rivers. and critical funding that enables local Contents From providing tools to help communities conservation groups, private landowners, 3 MASCF Funding Supports tackle difficult resource issues, to funding and agencies to implement projects that Barrier Assessment and Removal Initiatives habitat protection and restoration projects, benefit salmon and other migratory fish like 5 Cove Brook Watershed Council MASCF is making a visible difference. This alewife, American shad, and American eel. Initiative Strengthens Community Approach overview profiles just a few of the 120-plus The long-term solutions we facilitate today 6 Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association projects MASCF has supported since are critical to maintaining the healthy Acquires Key Parcel October, 2000. These projects, indicative watersheds necessary for their very survival. of the breadth of MASCF’s involvement, 7 Machias River Project Provides Thanks to funding provided by Maine’s demonstrate how the fund is: Protection and Access congressional delegation, the program is now in its seventh year. In this very short 8 2006 Projects • Building momentum for identifying time, MASCF has helped protect over 81,000 10 Past Projects and removing barriers that block access to historic habitat acres of riparian habitat, opened up many 12 About MASCF miles of historic habitat where migration • Assisting land trusts with engaging had been blocked and supported a growing individual landowners public awareness of the issues facing salmon. This long-term commitment is critical to • Fostering communication and ensuring that both we and salmon have coordination with local communities healthy rivers in our futures. • Supporting a large scale effort to conserve habitat on the Machias River Sincerely, Atlantic salmon recovery is complex. There Jed Wright, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is no one answer, no silver bullet and no quick Gulf of Maine Coastal Program fix. However, we do know that in order to Lynn Dwyer, National Fish and set the stage for recovery, communities and Wildlife Foundation landowners in salmon watersheds have to be engaged. MASCF operates quietly in the Since its inception, MASCF has supported more than 120 projects and permanently protected more than 81,000 acres of riparian habitat critical to long-term survival of Atlantic salmon. MASCF Projects to Date Pre-2006 Projects 2006 Projects The following conservation partners play a vital role in implementing MASCF funded projects: ABG Consulting Kleinschmidt Energy and NOAA-Fisheries Services Atlantic Salmon Federation Water Resource Consultants Parish Geomorphic, Inc. Boston College Land for Maine’s Future Board Penobscot River Restoration Trust BSA Environmental Consulting Machias River Watershed Council Pleasant River Watershed Council Coastal Mountains Land Trust Maine Aquaculture Association Plymouth State University Concepts of Place, Inc. Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission Project SHARE Cove Brook Watershed Council Maine Council of the Atlantic Salmon Federation Quoddy Regional Land Trust Dartmouth College Maine Department of Conservation Saco River Salmon Club Dennys River Watershed Council Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Sheepscot River Watershed Council Downeast Resource Conservation Maine Department of Transportation Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association and Development Council Maine Department of Marine Resources The Nature Conservancy Downeast Rivers Land Trust Maine Department of Environmental Protection Time and Tide RC&D Downeast Salmon Federation Maine Forest Service Town of Cherryfield Ducktrap Coalition Maine School Administrative District 64 Trout Unlimited East Machias River Watershed Council MariCal, Inc. U.S. Forest Service Forest Society of Maine Narraguagus River Watershed Council University of Maine International Paper, Inc. National Academy of Sciences Washington County Soil and Kennebec County Soil Natural Resources Council of Maine Water Conservation District 2 and Water Conservation District New England Forestry Foundation, Inc. Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine MASCF Funding Supports Critical Barrier Assessment catches on the Kennebec (400,000 blueback and Removal Initiatives herring in 1880), the Damariscotta River (2,472,000 alewives in 1896). In addition, River connectivity has been identified as a in the mid- to late 1800s, the rainbow smelt critical issue for Atlantic salmon recovery. fishery was the second most important fishery Salmon depend on unobstructed access to in the Penobscot River.1 inland freshwater rivers and streams for spawning and juvenile rearing habitat, as Precipitous Population Decline well as a refuge for adults. Many diadromous fishes in Maine are at The scientific community suggests that or near historic lows and some, including removing barriers may offer a direct lifeline salmon, are currently listed or being for Atlantic salmon, as well as to other considered for listing under the Endangered co-evolved diadromous fishes (including Species Act. Other species, while not listed American eel, alewives, blueback herring, as endangered or threatened, are well below American shad, rainbow smelt, striped bass, historic levels. The cumulative effect is the Sea-run brook trout, and sea lamprey) that near elimination of species that likely provided were historically abundant and able to travel several important benefits to the Atlantic inland on the same rivers and streams. These salmon population in Maine. Improperly installed culverts are often significant fish likely provided important benefits to impediments to fish passage. the Atlantic salmon population including The study by Saunders and his team finds becoming alternate prey for predators, a it likely that the sheer numbers of alewives, food source for juvenile and adult salmon, blueback herring, American shad, American The use of CMPs and slip liners is nutrient cycling that ensured healthy river eel, rainbow smelt and sea lamprey that widespread throughout North America, conditions and habitat conditioning. shared waterways with Atlantic salmon primarily because they are less expensive to provided an important (and alternative) install than bridges. A recent study by the A recently published study co-authored food source for double-crested cormorants, U.S. General Accounting Office notes that by Rory Saunders and Michael A. Hachey river otters, mergansers, great blue heron, on Bureau of Land Management and U.S. of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service mink and ospreys. Forest Service lands in Oregon and and the late Clem W. Fay, a fisheries manager Washington over 10,000 CMPs exist on of the Penobscot Nation, Department of In addition, juvenile alewives and other fish bearing streams. Assessments on Forest Natural Resources proposes that, “restoring small diadromous fish are a significant food Service lands in these two states found that the co-evolved suite of diadromous fishes resource for Atlantic salmon in most of their 80% of the CMPs are barriers to salmon that sustain [the above] functions may be life stages. For example, studies have shown migration. Closer to home, an inventory required for successful recovery of the last that rainbow smelt are important forage for conducted in the Ashuelot River watershed native Atlantic salmon populations in the Atlantic salmon kelts shortly after ice out. in New Hampshire found that 82% of road United States.” Broad declines in rainbow smelt populations crossings and dams were barriers to fish may partially account for the decline in passage. In Maine, where road crossings repeat spawners in Maine Rivers. Historical Abundance on diadromous fish streams are numerous, it is not hard to imagine that a similar Before the construction of dams in the The Impact of Dams and Culverts scenario is occurring. 1800s and construction of extensive road networks over the last century, migrations The impact of dams and culverts on the of salmon and other diadromous fish migration of Atlantic salmon and other extended to the headwaters of Maine’s diadromous fish is extreme. While dam continued on page 4… coastal watersheds except in cases where removals (and to a less successful extent large natural waterfalls halted their progress. fish ladders) have been used to improve Historical records boast of prodigious catches river connectivity for salmon and other of alewives, blueback herring and American diadromous fish, studying the impact of shad. Before the construction of dams on corrugated metal pipes (CMPs) and slip the Penobscot in the 1830s, the combined liners has only recently been the focus of total annual catch for Atlantic