Penobscot River Habitat Focus Area bscot R o iv n e e r P Background Habitat Focus Areas are targeted places where NOAA is collaborating with communities to measurably improve the environment through NOAA’s mission of science, service, and m e stewardship. ain Ten Areas for Action NOAA selected ten Habitat The longest river within Maine, the Focus Areas nationwide to Penobscot River and its watershed help communities protect and cover nearly one-third of the restore valuable natural resources state. Historically, fisheries on the that support local economies. Penobscot River were bountiful. Experts in the HFAs design and Today, its Atlantic salmon (pictured) implement solutions to address are endangered and many other threats to coastal habitats, working sea run fish are at historically low with partners to achieve shared numbers. Dams and other barriers conservation goals within a 5-year threaten its 12 migratory fish species, period. Using habitat science and which are important to the Penobscot best practices, HFAs demonstrate Indian Nation—one of the vital a concrete application of NOAA’s partners of NOAA’s Penobscot River mission. Habitat Focus Area.

NOAA Habitat Blueprint laces ▶ Habitat Focus Areas are part of the PThick woods line the banks of the Habitat Blueprint: a framework Penobscot River and its upper tribu- for NOAA to address the growing taries touch Canada. Nearly 270 miles challenge of habitat loss. Visit south the river drains into Penobscot the Habitat Blueprint website at Bay and the Gulf of Maine. The river’s https://www.HabitatBlueprint. The Penobscot River is one of freshwater habitat supports river her- noaa.gov. ten NOAA Habitat Focus Areas ring, sturgeon, brook trout, Atlantic across the U.S. salmon and many other species. The historical legacy of the lumber indus- Tour all ten online at try and current dams have affected HabitatBlueprint.noaa.gov the river’s water quality and ability to support these migrating fish by blocking access to important habitat.

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Habitat Conservation https://www.HabitatBlueprint.noaa.gov NOAA Habitat Focus Area

Credit: M. Chelminski, Stantec, Inc. Many dams still exist within the The watershed of the Penobscot River Habitat Focus Work to restore the Penobscot River Penobscot River watershed. Area drains into the Atlantic Ocean. may involve removing barriers or building new fishways.

ssues ▶ artners ▶ IDams block salmon and other PA central team and partners migrating fish from reaching their coordinate on-the-ground and in- spawning grounds in upstream river the-water efforts in Maine, and those habitats, ponds, and lakes. Growing partners include: fish face obstacles swimming down- • Penobscot Indian Nation stream and into the Atlantic Ocean. • State of Maine People still fish the Penobscot River, • Atlantic Salmon Federation but numbers of wild fish fall far short • The Nature Conservancy of the many millions historically • Maine Audubon Society present in its waters. The Habitat Fo- • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cus Area aims to provide innovative • Maine Sea Grant solutions to the issues. • Maine Coast Heritage Trust

riorities ▶ Local communities support the HFA by PThe Penobscot HFA team aims to working with NOAA and other partners achieve the following five goals: to replace culverts, remove dams, and build fishways on publicly-owned 1. Restore river herring and infrastructure. endangered and threatened species, such as Atlantic salmon, Atlantic sturgeon, and shortnose lans ▶ sturgeon. PFor more background and resources 2. Improve the numbers of small about this Habitat Focus Area, connect river fish reaching the Atlantic with the HFA section on the Habitat Ocean. Blueprint website: 3. Increase the quantity and quality HabitatBlueprint.noaa.gov. of open river habitat. 4. Promote habitat restoration. Visit the story map for a visual tour 5. Increase collaboration and of the HFA. For details about its goals, information sharing. download the Implementation Plan. Contact: Matt Bernier To achieve these goals, NOAA [email protected] is building on local and regional momentum to protect and restore river habitats. The focus is a place— the Penobscot River, Maine—but the real drivers of positive change are its people.

Veazie Dam: built in 1912, taken down 101 years later, in 2013.

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Habitat Conservation