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BE AWARE. ASK QUESTIONS. _ DON'T LET YOUR GUNS BE USED IN ACRIME. Sell your guns only to someone you know can legally possess them or directly to a federally licensed gun dealer. CONTACT US FOR A GUN SELLER'S SAFETY KIT (207) 771-3294 OR 262-4694
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Gun Sellers Awareness Canpaign Project Sale Neighborhoods Task Force United States Attorney - District of Maine • Portland/Bangor, Maine usame. psn@usdo j. gov Page 2 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Winter 2007
l\1AINE Fish and Wildlife Governor John E. Baldacci Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Roland D. Martin, Commissioner Paul F. Jacques, Deputy Commissioner Kenneth H. Elowe, Director, Bureau of Resource Management Don Ellis, Financial Analysist Bureau of Administrative Services Thomas Santaguida, Colonel, Bureau of Warden Service Andrea Erskine, Assistant to the Commissioner Advisory Council Robert. S. Savage, Limington Ron Usher, Westbrook R. Leo Keiffer, Caribou Sheridan Oldham, Waterville Lance Wheaton, Forest City David A. Wardwell, Penobscot Joseph E. Clark, Millinocket Marc Michaud, Editor Lisa Kane, Copy Editor Mark Latti, Copy Editor (ISSN 0360-005X) MAINE Fish and Wildlife is published quarterly by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State St., Station 41 , Augusta, Maine 04333, under appropriation 010-09A-0529. Subscription rate is $9.95 per year. Permission to reprint text material is granted, provided proper credit is given to the author and to the Department. Clearance must be obtained from artists, photographers and non-staff authors to reproduce credited work. Š Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 2002. CHANGE OF ADDRESS : Send both old and new addresses to P.O. Box 1457, Yarmouth , Maine 04096. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to MAINE Fish and Wildlife, P.O. Box 1457, Yarmouth , Maine 04096. QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION? Call 1-800-276-0883 Out of state call 207-846-9501 Periodical Postage Paid at Augusta, Maine The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife receives federal funds from the U.S. Department of Interior. Accordingly, all department programs and activities must be operated free from discrimination with regard to race , color, national origin, age or handicap. Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against should write to the Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240
Vol. 48, No.4
Winter 2007 Editorial
4
Roland D. Martin
5
Lee Kantar
Maine's lynx are doing well.
Deer in Winter
Yards are key to winter whitetail survival.
Jim Dorso
8
Sandy Ritchie
A tribute to Maine's duck nesting box pioneer.
Eagle Cam
10
Wing Goodale
Thousands watch eagle family live on television.
Environmental Review
12
Lisa Kane
14
Mark Latti
A tool to protect wldllife habitat.
Chesterville WMA
A wildlife management area photo essay
Kidbits
16
Kisa Kane
A whale of a tale about Maine's biggest mammals.
Beginning With Habitat 18
Sandy Ritchie
A landscape approach to wildlife conservation efforts.
Outdoor Radio
24
Mark Latti
Fish and Wildlife Outdoors is on the air.
Winter Hatcheries
25
Tom Seymour
Coping with the cold and keeping the fish lively.
Pilot's Barn
27
Ron Taylor
Department's Greenville headquarters gets new building.
About the Cover: A portrait of Jim dorso on the job looking after wood ducks. Painting by Tom Merriam
Winter 2007 Page 3
Editorial By Roland D. Martin, Commissioner
Maine Lynx Population Doing Well If you follow the news, you have certainly noticed that the Canada Lynx has been at the forefront of fish and wildlife news in Maine the last few months. First, the Department was served with a lawsuit that seeks to effectively ban all trapping in the state. The guise of the lawsuit was to protect endangered species. The Animal Protection Institute (API) filed suit in Federal District Court in November 2006 claiming that the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife continues to violate the Endangered Species Act by allowing trapping, which alleges that lynx, bald eagles, and gray wolves are being taken unacceptably during the regulated trapping season.
special management considerations or protections. Earlier, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service had proposed that nearly 10,000 square miles of Maine be listed as critical habitat. When the US Fish and Wildlife Service made the decision to drop the critical habitat designation for lynx in Maine, it wasn't dropping all protections for lynx; what it was saying was that the current management practices for the forest in that area were allowing the lynx to thrive, and the designation of critical habitat would not improve lynx habitat or lynx management in the area, it would only add a level of bureaucracy to landowners who were already working with state fish and wildlife agencies to protect lynx habitat.
In December 2006, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced that they had revised their proposed Critical Habitat designation for lynx, removing all lands in Maine from the designation. Please do not think Lynx are not protected by the removal of this designation. They still receive the same amount of protection that they did prior to the removal of the designation.
Through the removal of the critical habitat designation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is saying that the current management of these lands has created habitat that supports lynx, and that special management is not needed. Lynx currently are thriving in Maine. Maine 's current landscape is highly beneficial to lynx, and forestry practices have created lynx habitat.
Lynx are still listed as threatened under the Endangered Species act, but they were listed recently, and currently, there is no federal management plan listing lynx population goals and objectives. Instead, the wildlife management of lynx is being handled by the courts, and what is being decided does not always coincide with what is best for lynx in Maine. Sometimes it is based upon science that is used for lynx populations out west, which does not necessarily translate to our situation in Maine or even worse, by the decision of a judge with no wildlife management background at all.
Our Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has shown through their lynx research project that lynx are thriving in Maine under the current forest management practices. The US Fish and Wildlife Service used the science presented to them by IF &W in removing Maine from the critical habitat designation. This decision is beneficial for property owners in the area who otherwise may have been affected by the designation, and also for lynx as well since it will allow forest landowners to work in continued cooperation on lynx conservation.
Critical Habitat is a term defined in the Endangered Species Act as geographic areas that contain features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species, and it may require
The decision was based upon cooperative research conducted by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the University of Maine and oth-
Page 4 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
ers. IF&W began their current lynx research project in 1999. IF&W trapped and collared lynx in the Clayton Lake area, and monitored habitat use, reproduction rates, mortality rates, lynx health and other factors through a radio telemetry study. Data garnered through the study was presented to the U.S . Fish and Wildlife Service during the public comment period for the Critical Habitat designation. IF&W 's research project showed that lynx are thriving in habitat created through current forest management practices. Timber harvesting on private lands is the greatest single influence on lynx habitat in the Northeast. Studies showed that lynx preferred taller regenerating clearcuts that had been cut in the past 1121 years. Maine's lynx population is doing well. They are doing well because they are being managed locally by biologists who have studied the Maine lynx population. They are doing well because the state is working with forest landowners to manage habitat that is beneficial to lynx. It is our hope that the courts will continue to allow us to do what is best for lynx in Maine, and that is to use research and management methods that work for Maine 's lynx population.
Winter 2007
By Lee Kantar Deer Biologist
Photos by Marc Michaud It's snowing outside. The wind is picking up, two inches , three inches , four; the force of the storm is sending the snow sideways , piling it up higher and higher. Two weeks back the snow was about ten inches deep, triggering deer to move from their fall haunts to traditional wintering areas called yards. With the snow now over 18 inches deep , deer are piling into core wintering areas where tall spruce, balsam fir and northern white cedar block some of the snow from reaching the ground and the growing depths that are now out in the open. These conifer trees also break up the wind and create milder conditions; better
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than being caught out in the open or in a young stand of hardwood trees. Over the course of a few weeks , the snow remains deep, over two feet in places and the deer can only travel efficiently in their deer yards by following in the trails of other deer. In another corner of the state, a group of deer is heading to their traditional deer yard, yet when they arrive they only find stumps. Having yarded in this area for generations and learning the route to the yard from adult deer, they are now relegated to an area that provides little in the way of shelter that softens the effects of winter snow and temperatures. It is unlikely that these deer will survive the winter in such an exposed environment.
Survival Strategy It's a tough life for deer in winter.
All the succulent plants , green leaves , fruits , nuts , or mushrooms have either withered away with the onset of fall, or been covered over by the snow. The food that is left to eat, woody browse, provides little in the way of energy to maintain the hard-earned body weight from the summer. Hardwood browse like maples , hazelnut, and hobblebush are able to slow down the decline of body condition, but this type of diet cannot be maintained indefinitely. The cold temperatures and seemingly ever present wind chill rob energy from the body and chip away at the stores of fat that provide the best advantage for surviving a long , tough winter. Northern deer have evolved a strategy that requires them to load up on food during the good times, spring green-up to fall (before plants die back) , to maximize their body condition ahead of winter. In
Winter 2007 Page 5
winter they voluntarily reduce the amount of food they eat (up to 50%) and rely on their physical surroundings in the form of winter yards to help them slow down the physical loss of fitness. During winter, deer are also able to slow down their metabolic rate. In other words, when deer are at rest in winter, fewer calories are required to maintain their normal body functions. Their new winter coats are highly insulating - trapping dead air to maintain their body heat even in cold conditions. However, the longer that snow depths remain deep, the longer deer are confined to these yards and the closer the deer get to depleting their fat resources . In parts of northern Maine, the 'yarding' period, or number of days that deer are restricted to these wintering areas can last over 120 days - or four months! Even in southern Maine, deer can be confined to yards for over two months. At this point deer have lost 20 to 30% of their body weight, and by the end of the winter they are hanging on to life by a fine thread.
Bedded Down Bedded down in the snow, a doe and her twin fawns listen attentively to the sounds of the woods. Normally at this time of day they would be foraging for a wide variety of pla~ts, but in winter reducing their energy budgets by spending more time bedded down results in a conservation of energy and important reserves. Disturbances that cause deer to move around uncharacteristically in their yards increases physical stress and burns
JHaving' good food sources nearby makes a wintering area highly valua for deer survival. fat that will be needed as winter drags on. Decreased activity over the long course of winter is a critical survival strategy in combination with wintering areas. Deer wintering areas can range in size from under 100 acres to tens of thousands of acres. The quality of the wintering area , determined by the composition and size of trees , availability of browse, and ability to lessen the effects of cold temperatures and wind is vital to overwintering deer. In Maine , deer wintering areas are critical to overwinter survival and directly linked to the increase or decrease of the deer population. In fact , the idea of 'carrying capacity', a commonly used term in wildlife management,
means the number of animals a habitat can sustain. It is taken a step further in Maine because of the critical role winter plays in limiting deer populations. "Maximum supportable population" refers to the maximum number of deer that can survive based on the amount of deer wintering area when winters are of normal severity. Maine's deer populations then are driven by the amount of deer wintering habitat, and in order to reach targeted population levels in western mountain, northern and eastern Maine , a larger amount of deer wintering area must be maintained.
Dwindling Yards In the 1950s and 60s it was estimated that Maine's deer wintering areas covered about 14% of the state. Considering our present 29 wildlife management districts, this translated to about 10% of the north, 15% of the central Maine, and 20% of the rest of the state. This would enable the statewide deer population to reach a potential of over 500,000 deer. Today the estimated amount of deer wintering areas statewide is 4.4% and less than 3% of northern Maine; that is a statewide decrease of 69%.
Dense overhead cover softwood$ is what make wintering area. Page 6 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
The availability of large tracts of wintering area where larger numbers of deer can winter has multiple benefits. Larger, good quality deer yards that can Winter 2007
provide adequate forage to get deer through the winter; that can sustain higher numbers of deer and also enable them to follow each other along well-worn deer trails. These trails increase deer mobility through the yard to foraging areas, reduce energy demands on individual deer, and give deer a better chance of escaping predators. Small deer yards with only a few deer that are not connected to other yarding areas may increase the vulnerability of those deer if they cannot establish a good trail network or escape to adjacent areas of softwood cover. Many deer yards exist as islands, with very little hiding or protective cover nearby. As deer move through the landscape to meet their daily needs forested corridors that provide shelter and cover then become very important to deer Every year the Department assesses winter conditions around the state, from York to the Little Black River north of Dickey. Winter severity stations are maintained from the beginning of December through mid-April. At each station weekly temperatures, snow depth and the depth to which deer sink while walking are measured. At the end of the season in April all of the information from these stations is compiled and the combination of temperature, snow depth, and deer sinking depth is calculated to create a measurement of winter severity.
MAINE Fish and Wild life
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er spend a lot of time lying in ds inside yard areas t save nergy.
This gauge of winter conditions is referred to as the winter severity index or WSI. Based on research in Maine on winter conditions and its effects on deer mortality, a winter mortality rate (WMR) is calculated for each Wildlife Management District (WMD). The winter mortality rate is the estimated percentage of deer that die during the winter from exposure to the elements , malnutrition and/or starvation; this mortality rate is elevated in more severe winters and is greater in the western mountains and northern Maine. When winters are severe , they have the greatest impact on deer with little or no fat reserves. Fawns of the year are most susceptible because their body size and physiological demands of growth allow little room to gain extra fat to survive a hard winter. Bucks that have participated in the rut during the breeding season may lose 25 % of their body weight and enter winter with little fat to sustain them. Older deer with poor body condition and worn teeth who are less efficient at foraging browse , cannot take an adequate supply of food and become susceptible to winte! and the lean times that follow. Adult does tend to be better off as winter closes in, yet the stresses of a long winter pick away at their body condition, and the sooner spring green up arrives the better chances they will have. Adult does who enter winter fatter will have fawns who arrive at a higher body weight. This is critical to the first weeks
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of survival and sets the course for the fawn's first year until it gets its legs under it and is able to forage on its own. Back in the stand of spruce and fir, the doe and her fawns are curled up in their day beds. A round depression has formed around each deer compacting the snow where its body heat has melted it away. The trees are dripping with the heat of the March day, and there are patches of bare ground forming on the edges of nearby fields. Soon the doe and her fawns will be moving back to familiar haunts; nibbling off the green shoots pushing up through the bare ground. Another winter is fading away with the promise of spring and re-emergence of plants with all their variety and sustenance. Back in the other corner of the state , a few ravens are picking at a scattered pile of deer bones, a cracked femur exposes the inner marrow, red and gelatinous. This deer had starved over the winter and the scraps of its former body feed the coyote , the raven and the ground. It is the realization of winter 's toll, part of a cycle that is directed by how we treat the land, by how much room we have for providing or taking away from the deer's ability to forge an existence in a landscape shaped by people. Wildlife habitat is the hinge that opens or closes the door to survival among all animals. The availability of wintering habitat for deer is the key to whether that door remains open or closed.
Winter 2007 Page 7
A Tribute To Jim Dorso By Sandy Ritchie Wildlife Biologist The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the conservation community lost a great ambassador with the death of Jim Dorso, 82, on November 4, 2006. For those who never had the honor of knowing him, Jim was the "father" of Maine's nest box program and worked as a wildlife technician in the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's Region B office for 25 years. Jimmy's passion for nest boxes actual! y began more than 15 years before his employment with IF& W when he installed 40 nest boxes made of
old wooden nail kegs in wetland areas near his home in Gardiner. He kept records regarding their use as he routinely maintained the boxes and added new ones. Word of his efforts quickly spread throughout the fish and wildlife community, and Jim's "hobby" turned into a career with IF&W beginning in 1969. Jimmy was passionate about Maine's nest box program and worked tirelessly to install and maintain nest boxes in wetland areas throughout central and mid-coast Maine. When he retired from IF& W in 1989, he was maintaining more than 1,600 boxes in Region B. Jimmy has been credited with the resurgence of the wood duck in regions where its population had been absent for decades, and for his efforts he received numerous awards and tributes. Most recently (April 2006), IF&W dedicated and named the Ruffingham Meadow Wildlife Management Area in Searsmont the James Dorso Wildlife Management Area in Jim's honor. In the November 8, 2006 edition of the Kennebec Journal, Dave Sherwood and Naomi Schalit wrote tributes to Jim and the wonderful legacy that he left
behind. Both articles, reprinted with permission, are shared here. Dedicated to the ducks:
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Jim Dorso's Beautiful Legacy By Naomi Schalit Opinion Page Editor, Kennebec Journal That Mainers have the pleasure of seeing wood ducks in the state's streams and swamps is in large part due to the efforts of one man, Jim Dorso. Dorso , a Gardiner resident who died this past weekend at age 82 , was known as the "Duck Box King" because he helped construct and install more than 1,600 waterfowl nesting boxes throughout Central Maine . Dorso single handedly maintained those boxes, a large proportion of which were used by wood ducks . The wood duck is considered one of
Page 8 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
the most beautiful ducks in North America. With a head capped by a helmet of green and purple, red eyes, a red bill edged with a thin yellow line and a brilliant stripe of white around its throat , the magnificent wood duck once populated this region's marshes and small waterways in huge numbers. But populations declined precipitously, almost to the point of extinction, by the early 20th century. Enter Jim Dorso. In the early 1950's, the Gardiner mill worker read and article containing instructions for building wooden duck boxes . By 1965, he'd made 150 of the boxes, traipsing through marsh and bog to set them up . The ducks responded almost immediately, laying eggs in the boxes and rebuilding their numbers. By 1965, the state hired him to put up and maintain even more boxes, because his success with them was far greater that any the state was having. Jim Dorso is
acknowledged - with national and state awards to his credit - to be the man behind the wood duck's repopulation of central Maine. Se we mourn the loss of Jim Dorso, while at the same time celebrating the I 1 glorious legacy that he left behind . When each of us is lucky to happen upon a wood duck in the wild, we need only say one thing: "Thqnks, Jim ' , . ' dl/i 1{\'.
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Winter 2007
Dedicated to the Ducks: Remembering Jim Dorso Central Maine conservationist and guide founded the wood duck nesting box program
By Dave Sherwood Outdoor Writer, Kennebec Journal When Jim Dorso passed away Saturday, so did one of the last of a generation of hunters and fishermen in Maine with a deeply-rooted appreciation and understanding, of the natural world. Though Dorso, a longtime Gardiner resident, was a passionate sportsman, and once a well known guide on
MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Merrymeeting Bay in the days when ducks still blackened the sky there, he devoted much more of his life to helping improve the resource for others. Take a drive down any back road in central Maine, and you'll see the results of Dorso's life of service. Dorso, a technician for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for nearly 30 years, founded, then single-handedly maintained central Maine's wood duck nesting box program. Many of the 1,600 or so boxes he built and maintained still remain in beaver bogs and cattail marshes throughout the greater Augusta and Waterville region - now testimony to his dedication, hard work and the longevity of his legacy. It started out of simple curiosity. Dorso had seen a small article in a Popular Mechanics magazine on building the boxes, and decided to give it a try. He placed his first few along Cobbossee Stream, and Pleasant and Loon ponds in Litchfield. That spring, the wood ducks arrived, and, to Dorso's surprise, nested in his boxes. In two years, he'd built 150, and by 1965, he was getting paid by Inland Fisheries to do the work he loved. "He turned his enthusiasm into a career, really. We're just following in his footsteps. He was the duck box king" said Rusty Dyke, a local regional biologist who worked with Dorso. Others tried to repeat Dorso's success, but most failed. By 1980, wood duck populations, which had declined from pollution and unregulated hunting in the early 20th century, exploded in central Maine. His good work didn't go unnoticed. Over the years, Dorso was recognized by national conservation groups, Ducks Unlimited, Downeast Magazine, Fish and Wildlife departments and some of the nation's premier waterfowl researchers. He won five conservation awards, and his work was highlighted in countless newspaper and magazine articles. In a fitting ceremony last spring, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife renamed Dorso's favorite marsh - Ruffingham Meadow, in Searsmont, in
his honor. Last February, I interviewed Dorso at his home. Even in sickness, Dorso spun tale after countles tale of his adventures in the Maine woods. He described his adventures in such detail - the many evenings he spent in the marshes, watching wood ducks dance about beneath an azure sky - that it was hard to believe they'd taken place decades ago. Every now and again, he would break from talking, catch his breath, and say out loud how lucky he'd been to enjoy such an incredible life in the outdoors. When I left his home, I thought about his accomplishments: The awards, the thousands of duck boxes he built and maintained, the magazine articles and the fame he'd garnered. Impressive? Absolutely. But what impressed me most, on the cold winter day that I met him, was how thankful he was to have had the opportunity to spend a life out of doors, doing what he loved. So next spring, when the wood ducks return to central Maine marshes, give thanks to Dorso for the work he did so that all of us - hunters and nonhunters alike - could enjoy the squealing calls and playful acrobatics of these exquisitely beautiful, and wild, ducks. But most of all, enjoy the show.
Winter 2007 Page 9
2006 'Eagle Cam' a Resounding Success! By Wing Goodale Photos by Biodiversity Research Institute Thousands of people worldwide were able to get up close and personal to a pair of Maine bald eagles during the 2006 nesting season , through the high tech Internet Eagle Cam. The project goal of the Eagle Cam is to increase environmental awareness by personally connecting mainstream viewers to an eagle pair at their nest. By using the eagles as a gateway, this project promotes wildlife education by showing , in real time, the natural history of the birds' daily lives and how difficult it is for young eaglets to survive their first months in the nest. This project was made possible by Bill Hanson (Florida Power & Light Energy/Maine Hydro), Mark McCollough, wildlife biologist (USFWS), Charlie Todd, eagle biologist (MDIF&W) , MBNA Foundation , Maine Community Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, and the anonymous landowners where the eagle nest is located. During the six months the camera was running, it received 144 million Web site hits, indicating that just under a million people were watching, learning about, and connecting to the eagle 's daily dramas. Not only has the live eagle camera connected to people directly, it has also inspired over 50 in-depth media stories about eagles and the threats facing them; including pieces in the LA. Times, Chicago Tribune, U.S.A Today, and The Boston Globe; and on CNN, Fox News, and ABC. Within Maine, local papers and television stations followed the birds closely, with four cover stories in the Portland Press Herald and one in the Bangor Daily News. These media stories , along with the camera, impassioned people about eagles and generated a tremendous number of questions , which were answered through the online 'Biologist Journal' (http://baldeaglecam.blogspot.com), a blog written by Charlie Todd, Mark McCollough, and former MDIFW Commissioner Ray Owen, Professor
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1. Adults return to the nest in the snow, 2/06.
4. Hatching occurs 4/12/06 and the fi rst chick gets a meal
2. Nest building , late February.
5. A third chick hatches 4/23/06.
3. Both adults share egg incubation , 3/06.
6. Everyone eats in late April , although the third chick is noticeably smaller. Winter 2007
Emeritus at University of Maine. (Visit the archived blog for details about and photos of the full 2006 nesting season.) Not only did the 2500+ contributors to the blog ask questions, but they also shared their detailed behavioral observations with the online community developed around the eagles. The observations spurred many camera viewers to visit libraries or use online resources to learn more about eagle behavior and natural history. Most importantly, the camera gave people a personal connection to the birds. The Eaglecam profoundly moved and inspired people to action: ministers referenced the birds in sermons, viewers went bird watching for the first time , bloggers discussed environmental contaminants, school children gave presentations about the eagle pair, teachers developed curriculums based on the eagle's life cycle, grandchildren checked eagle books out of the library, viewers from New York City to New Zealand changed their attitudes towards wildlife , fathers watched with their children, viewers wrote poetry about the birds, and nurses shared the birds with patients. Some comments from the blog include: "It is amazing how we can learn from observing eagles how living creatures behave on this earth." Aline Paquet, Quebec City "We have watched the eagles before they were born. We marveled at how the parent Eagles tended to the eggs and the nest in good and some horrific weather. We were thrilled to watch them as they were born and then raised. The dedication of the parents is a lesson to all man kind!" Bob & Cheryl Ingalls "I never get to see such things as these beautiful creatures." Tracy Allgrove, United Kingdom "It has been such a wonderful experience getting to watch them up close through your site. It has helped make me more aware in my own surroundings." Donna, Iowa "My 2 year old granddaughter goes to my computer when she comes in and says " Gammy, momma, eagle!!"" Lauria "Thank you for a wonderful lesson
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in nature." Liz, Victor Harbor, South Australia "GOOSEBUMPS up and down your spine watching nature so close and LIVE!!" Bev, Augusta, Maine
running - and we thank all of those that contributed to the project to keep the website available. Please consider contributing to BRI to keep the system FREE and open to all viewers for the 2007 eagle nesting season.
Looking forward to the 2007 eagle nesting season - that started in fate January - Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) and its partners are excited to enhance the eagle viewing experience by improving the infrared light, which will allow for night viewing. Last year the Eaglecam cost $2,500 a month to keep
For more information, contact Wing Goodale, Eaglecam Program Director, BioDiversity Research Institute, 19 Flaggy Meadow Rd, Gorham, ME 04038, 207-839-7600 ext. 109. wing.qoodale@briloon.org. http ://www.briloon.org/ed/eag le
7. Only two chicks survive in early May.
10. By late June, chicks are adultsized and testing their flight muscles.
8. An adult keeps the chicks warm and dry during a rainy May.
11. The chicks 'fledged' or left the nest on their first flights July 4th.
9. Chicks are growing fast through the end of May.
12. In late August, 2006, the chicks are relatively independent and a lone adult might be experiencing 'empty nest syndrome'? Winter 2007 Page 11
You'd be surprised at how much time the Department's regional biologists must spend reviewing hundreds of statewide permit applications for subdivisions, coastal piers, aquaculture, timber harvests, hydro and wind power projects, and more .. .lots more. Virtually any application where a land use alteration, recreational or commercial development is proposed, IF&W biologists must provide recommendations for the prevention or mitigation of damages to fish and wildlife habitats, and encourage appropriate measures to maintain adequate habitat conditions for wildlife. This type of environmental review is a major crux of protecting wildlife habitat in Maine ... as important as buying wildlife habitats outright, managing habitats on wildlife management areas, public and private lands, or implementing and facilitating conservation easements. Habitat is essential food, water, shelter and space for wildlife, and must be maintained for wildlife to be able to survive, reproduce, maintain or increase their populations. Without appropriate
habitat, wildlife cannot live.
Regulatory Maze A maze of regulations are administered by the state Departments of Environmental Protection (DEP), Marine Resources (DMR), Conservation (DOC), Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IF&W), Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC); and other natural resource agencies and organizations to protect
Existing dock proposed for upgrade for commercial fishing access, Boothbay.
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important habitats to ensure there is place for wildlife to live. Any activities under NRPA or the Site Location and Development Act 'Site Law' - or those requiring permits from DEP, DOC, DMR, or LURC, are reviewed by regional IF& W wildlife and/or fisheries biologists. In addition, many towns are now requiring that any application for building, construction or habitat disturbance be reviewed by a regional biologist and a 'sign-off' letter obtained before a town planning board considers an application. When DEP receives an application for a subdivision, to fill a wetland more than 4300 sq ft, or for docks or piers in coastal areas, IF&W regional biologists are required to submit written comments on these proposals. Often, it means attending pre-application meetings on site with landowners, their consultants, DEP and other natural resource state employees. Every effort is made to assist landowners in succeeding with their proposals. IF&W staff may suggest recon (Cont. on page 14)
Winter 2007
Essential Habitats Essential habitats are defined as areas currently or historically providing physical or biological features essential to the conservation of an endangered or threatened species in Maine, and which may require special management considerations. Examples of areas that could qualify for designation are nest sites or important feeding areas. For some species, protection of these kinds of habitats is vital to preventing further decline or achieving recovery goals. Essential Habitats include Bald Eagle, Least Tern, Piping Plover and Roseate Tern nesting areas. Once an area becomes designated as Essential Habitat, the Maine Endangered Species Act requires that no state agency or municipal government shall permit, license, fund or carry out projects that would significantly alter the habitat or violate protection guidelines adopted for the habitat. If a project occurs partly or wholly within an Essential Habitat, it must be evaluated by MDIFW before state and/or municipal permits can be approved or project activities can take place. Designation of Essential Habitat simply establishes a standardized review process within existing state and municipal permitting processes. Activities of private landowners are not affected by an Essential Habitat designation, unless they require a state or municipal permit, or are funded or carried out by a state agency or municipality.
THE NATURAL RESOURCES PROTECTION ACT (NRPA) NAPA became effective on August 4, 1988. The Act applies to the following protected natural resources: coastal wetlands and sand dunes; freshwater wetlands; great ponds; rivers, streams and brooks; fragile mountain areas, and significant wildlife habitat. NAPA recognizes the State significance of these natural resources in terms of their recreational, historical, and environmental value to present and future generations. The Act's intent is to prevent any unreasonable impact to, degradation of or destruction of the resources and to encourage their protection or enhancement. To see the current version of NAPA, go to: http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/docstand/nrpapage.htm.
Significant wildlife habitat Seabird nesting islands, high and moderate value waterfowl and wading bird habitats, and shorebird feeding and staging areas are significant wildlife habitats.
Vernal pools I
Vernal pools or "spring pools" are shallow depressions that usually contain water for only part of the year. "Significant vernal pools" are a subset of vernal pools with particularly valuable habitat. Starting September 1, 2007, significant vernal pool habitat is protected by law under the Natural Resources Protection Act (NAPA).
Wetlands Maine's wetlands are resources of great value to Maine communities, the state and the nation. Congress established federal regulatory power concerning wetlands under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. In Maine, the 1988 Natural Resources Protection Act (NAPA) established state regulatory authority over wetlands. Maine communities regulate wetlands under the home rule provisions of the Maine Constitution and under Maine's Municipal Shoreland Zoning statute, which gives authority to local government to regulate non-forested wetlands greater than ten acres in size. State and federal governments have developed cooperative arrangements that streamline the permitting process for activities affecting wetlands. For activities affecting coastal wetlands, the state and federal government retain full permitting over all wetlands of any size. For activities involving freshwater wetlands, state and federal governments have developed a reduced permitting process, based on the size of the alteration in the wetland, rather than the size of the wetland itself. Summarized from the Department of Environmental Protection website: http://www.maine.gov/dep/ MAINE Fish and Wildlife
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(Cont.from page 12) figuring a subdivision, enlarging buffers or providing a designated open space to facilitate approvals, while maintaining the Department's statutory mandates to preserve and protect wildlife and its habitats. IF&W staff make recommendations to modify or lessen impacts, while preserving and protecting the resource and making every reasonable allowance for the landowner's proposal. When LURC receives applications for unorganized townships; they again require review by IF&W biologists. Applications are often for new camps or lodges; additions to existing camps; bridges and road crossings, or shoreline rip rap; and all must meet LURC guidelines.
Essential Habitat Any disturbances near eagle nesting areas must be reviewed under the Essential Habitat rules. Timber harvests in or adjacent to deer wintering areas are closely regulated, and biologists spend a lot of time with landowners in unorganized townships to work out agreeable solutions for the use of their lands while maintaining important deer habitats and protecting vernal pools. DMR requin~s IF&W comments on aquaculture operations along the coast of Maine, including mussels, oysters and finfish. In addition, the numbers of applications for coastal piers and docks on both the mainland and islands are rapidly increasing, with potential impacts on shorebird nesting and roosting areas, valuable waterfowl and wading bird habitats; or Essential Habitats for the species listed.
Project Variety IF&W biologists are involved with commenting on projects like the Wiscasset bypass, a 70-foot pier off Vinalhaven, the new Augusta mall, wind energy proposals, new marinas, the Plum Creek development application, or timber harvests ranging in size from 10 acres to 1000s. Individual landowners with properties that may host an eagle's nest, include a large wetland, are on tidal mudflats or a remote lake are all subject to review from IF&W biologists when submitting a development proposal, Page 14 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Site for a proposed dock in a shorebird roosting area
whether it is for a small camp or a multi-use facility.
State agencies are here to serve the people of Maine and to reasonably balance resource protection with human needs. IF&W biologists are annually making hundreds of professional recommendations on behalf of the wildlife they are mandated to protect - for the ultimate benefit of all Mainers. Winter 2007
Chesterville WMA In Photos Mark Latti by
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WHALE WATCH Whales are not fish! Like all mammals, whales breathe air into their lungs, have hair (although they have a lot less than land mammals) are warm-blooded (they maintain a high body temperature), have mammary glands to produce milk for their young, and a four-chambered heart. Several whale species are found off the coast of Maine during different times of year. The northern right, humpback, finback, sperm and sei whales are all listed as federally endangered species. The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) has primary responsibility for managing and listing marine mammals. All marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The MMPA prohibits, with certain exceptions, the take of marine mammals in U.S. waters and by U.S. citizens on the high seas, and the importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products into the U.S. Sei and sperm whales are rarely observed in the Gulf of Maine. Killer whales are uncommon to rare; while pilot whales are seen with some regularity. The four large whales most likely to be spotted here, either from a whale watching boat, private vessel, or even from shore in some areas, are the humpback, finback, minke, and northern right whales. Protection efforts for whales include restrictions on fishing gear and/or fishing practices that increase risks of entanglement; requiring modifications of fishing gear to reduce chances of whales becoming entangled; implementing measures to reduce ship strikes on whales; and overseeing guidelines for whale watching businesses to avoid potential disruption of whales' normal daily behaviors.
North Atlantic Right Whale Length : up to 60 feet Weight: 45-55 tons Food: small zooplankton Range: Bay of Fundy; shallow inshore waters Features: no dorsal fin , rough white patches on head, stocky, mostly black; lifts black triangular tail high when diving.
Minke Whale Length: up to 30 feet Weight: 6-9 tons Food: small schooling fish Range: Gulf of Maine and closer to shore Features: sickle-shaped dorsal fin, white bands on flippers, rarely lifts tail. Page 16 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Winter 2007
Humpback Whale: Length: up to 45-50 feet Weight: 25-40 tons Food: small schooling fish Range: Gulf of Maine, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador Features: mostly black above w/long, narrow, white flippers, variably sized dorsal fin; distinctive black and white pattern underneath; lifts tail when diving.
Finback Whale: Length: up to 80 feet Weight: 50-70 tons Food: small schooling fish Range: Gulf of Maine in 300-600 feet of water, April-October Features: 2nd largest whale on earth; grayish and sleek with a tall, curved dorsal fin; lower jaw has whitish coloring on right and mottled black on left.
Parts of a Whale 3
Can you fill in the parts of a whale from this list? Blowhole Mouth Dorsal fin Fluke Eye Flippers Tail Answers on page 29
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Winter 2007 Page 17
.... A landscape approach to habitat conservation in Maine ... By Sandy Ritchie Maine's diverse assemblage of wildlife, plants, and natural communities is threatened. Over two-thirds of the state's rare and endangered species are endangered because of habitat loss. Three collaborative programs administered by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife are working to tern the tide of habitat loss and conserve at-risk species and their habitats. The Problem: Today, development in Maine is spreading out, sprawling across our landscape, contributing to the loss of habitat and outdoor experiences. The Maine State Planning Office reports, in its 1997 report, The Cost of Sprawl that " ... the fastest growing towns in Maine have been 'new suburbs' 10 to 25 miles distant from metropolitan areas." Sprawl, the conversion of rural lands for urban or suburban purposes, has ecological consequences. Two to ten-acre house lots in fields and forests are common. Increasing development pressures are creating a checkerboard of non-contiguous habitat for wildlife. In its final report dated January 1996, the Maine Environmental Priorities Project concluded, "patterns of development throughout southern and coastal Maine and in riparian
Reviewing Biginning with Habitat maps at a presentation in St. George. zones statewide seriously threaten some species and some rare and critical habitats as well as the overall productivity of Maine's terrestrial ecosystems." In a 2001 report, The Brookings Institute found that sprawl in the greater Portland area is occurring at one of the fastest rates in the country. From 1982-1997 the greater Portland, Maine metropolitan region grew 17.4% in population with a shocking 108.4% increase in urbanized land. It ranked as the 9th fastest growing metropolitan area in the country. Much is at risk. Maine is a large state by eastern standards -- as large as the remaining New England states combined. The state has enormous natural variety and owes its biological wealth to its 17 .5 mil-
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lion acres of vast forests, rugged mountains , more than 5 ,600 lakes and ponds, 5,000,000 acres of wetlands, 31,800 miles of rivers and streams, 4,100 miles of bold coastline, and 4,613 coastal islands and ledges. Maine is the most heavily forested state in the nation, but also contains some of the most significant grassland and agricultural lands in the Northeast. This mosaic of diverse physical settings supports a wide diversity of wildlife that can be equaled in few other states. Maine has the largest population of bald eagles in the Northeast. The state's islands support one of the most diverse nesting seabird populations on the East Coast, including habitat for rare species such as the Roseate and Arctic Tern, Atlantic Puffin, and Razorbill Auk. Maine's relatively clean, free-flowing rivers sustain some of the best remaining populations of rare freshwater mussels and dragonflies in the East, host globally rare endemics, such as the Tomah mayfly, Roaring Brook mayfly, and Furbish 's lousewort, and support the recently listed Atlantic salmon DPS (Distinct Population Segment) found in eight mid-coast and downeast rivers. Maine's mountains and forested habitats contribute significantly to the global breeding habitat of neotropical migrants such as Bicknell 's Thrush and Blackthroated-blue Warbler. The state has some of the best examples of pitch pine-scrub oak forest remaining in New England, hosting a suite of globally rare plants and invertebrates. Maine's private landowners own over 95 % of these lands. Corporate forest landowners own nearly half the state; small woodlot owners, farmers, and residential landowners own much of the remainder. Thus, private landowners are integral to the conservation of our wildlife heritage and natural resources.
The Solution is Beginning with Habitat: Beginning with Habitat (BwH) embodies a fundamental change in the way that state and federal agencies approach wildlife habitat conservation. It is a habitat-based model that provides the information to cooperatively create a landscape with local decision-makers that will support all
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breeding species of wildlife occun-ing in Maine into the future. Too often , the ability of the landscape to support wildlife is eroded by the impacts of unplanned, sprawling development. If continued development of Maine is done thoughtfully, it will be located in appropriate areas, and open space will be maintained for fish, wildlife, and plant habitat; farming and forestry opportunities; as well as outdoor recreation. Collaboration: The most important first step to protecting habitat is knowledge. This program brings together the expertise and resources of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Department of Conservation's Natural Areas Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy,
Maine State Planning Office , Maine Audubon , Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and 13 Regional Planning Commissions. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) and the Maine Natural Areas Program (MNAP) also provide Beginning with Habitat data to various land conservation partners: local and regional land trusts, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, The Nature Conservancy, and Maine Audubon.
The Beginning with Habitat Model: Beginning with Habitat was initially developed by the University of Maine's Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (CFWRU) under the direction of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Data on plants and wildlife habitats of federal interest were later added by the Maine Natural
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states that would like to develop a simiwildlife species with large spatial Areas Program and the U.S. Fish and lar landscape approach to habitat conserrequirements or that are sensitive to Wildlife Service. vation. human disturbance. By overlaying maps of the habitat needs of all of Maine's vertebrate Recognition: The New England Accomplishments: Since its species with Maine's primary land cover Office of the U.S. Environmental inception in 2000 , the Beginning with types (forests , fields , wetlands) in a geoProtection Agency recognized Beginning Habitat program has met with and prographic information system , the with Habitat with an Environmental vided information to more than 140 CFWR U was able to determine that 80Merit Award at a special Earth Day cerecities and towns in Maine and 35 land 95 % of all of Maine 's vertebrate species mony held at Faneuil Hall in Boston in trusts and regional planning com.miswould likely be 2004. The EPA's present if riparian Environmental Beginning with Habitat seeks to conserve and maintain habitats , high value Merit Award is an animal habitats , and sufficient habitat to support all native plant and wildlife annual award that species currently breeding in Maine. It does this by taking recognizes outlarge habitat blocks are protected. habitat data from multiple sources, integrating it into one standing environThe Beginning mental advocates package, and providing each Maine town with a series of with Habitat prowho have made maps and accompanying information depicting and gram provides significant contridescribing various habitats of statewide and national sigmunicipalities , land butions toward prenificance, including rare and endangered species, found trusts , and other serving and proorganizations in the town. These maps provide information to communi- tecting our natural engaged in habitat resources. ties that can help guide conservation of valuable habitats conservation with as well as recommendations that can be used to build a maps of habitat data Landowner system of interconnected and conserved lands. It is and conservation Incentive recommendations in hoped that the data, maps, written material, and suggesthree primary areas tions for local conservation strategies will help inform and Program Habitat conthat are used to guide each town's growth in such a way that 100 years servation for build a functional from now Maine will retain its rich and diverse outdoor Maine's rare, wildlife landscape heritage. threatened, and based on a system endangered of interconnecteq wildlife, plants , and natural communities and conserved lands to promote habitat sions. Many towns have incorporated the is largely provided by the voluntary conservation for Maine's diverse asseminformation they have received from of the private landowner, stewardship blage of wildlife and plants, including BwH into their comprehensive plans. is compensated for protecting who rarely rare and endangered species. Improved scientific understanding by his or her land as habitat for these rare Riparian Habitat provides habitat for local planners is reflected in better planspecies. many species that use the transition zone ning for habitat conservation and land Landowners choose conservation for between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. use decisions. By educating local decia variety of reasons. Some want to share It includes all areas adjacent to streams , sion-makers about the link between the beautiful places they have enjoyed. rivers , wetlands , lakes and ponds , and wildlife habitat and other resource funcSome fear that estate taxes may prevent can function also as travel corridors link- tions such as water and air quality, flood them from keeping land in the family. ing areas together on the landscape. flow control , and aesthetics and recreOthers seek relief from rising property High Value Plant and Animal ational opportunities provided by open taxes. All of them share an abiding conHabitats that are special habitats space , communities are better prepared cern and love for the land. required by wildlife , such as nesting to plan. In 2003 , an interactive website Private landowners are integral to sites , special vegetation communities , was developed - www.beginningwiththe conservation of our wildlife heritage deer wintering areas , locations of endanhabitat.org - to provide quick, efficient and natural resources and are often comgered , threatened , or rare species - any access to all of the BwH information. mitted in principle to stewardship of location or habitat that may require speReplication: Beginning with endangered or threatened species, but the cial consideration. Habitat is a model for the way governof financial and technical incentives lack Large Habitat Blocks are relatively ment agencies can cooperate with nonhas limited the scale of long-term conunbroken areas of habitat including forprofit conservation organizations and servation. est, grasslands, and agricultural lands local communities across the country Not so any more. In 2004, the State that are crossed by few roads and have and is fast becoming a national model. of Maine was awarded a $1.3 million relatively little development and human Maine has been approached by several grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife habitation. These areas are essential for Page 20
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Beginning with Habitat is not a regulatory, land-use zoning mechanism. The success of Beginning with Habitat depends largely on voluntary land conservation efforts by landowners, particularly private landowners. Habitat conservation efforts will involve conservation easements, cooperative management agreements, and other tools. The availability of meaningful incentives is critical to long-term stewardship by the private landowner.
(six endangered and 14 threatened species) are found growing along the same stretches of the St. John River as Furbish's lousewort.
Service to implement a Landowner Incentive Program (LIP). The Landowner Incentive Program is a competitive grant program that supports collaborative efforts to partner with private landowners to cultivate and fund conservation opportunities for critical habitats in the state. The State was awarded an additional $655,000 in LIP funds in 2005, and a proposal for a 2006 award is currently pending. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife provides administrative oversight of Maine's LIP program, and the Maine Natural Areas Program provides LIP outreach. A Steering Committee, comprised of state and federal agencies and conservation partners, is responsible for generating competitive criteria for distributing LIP funds fairly and equitably, delivery of technical and financial assistance to landowners, administrative and coordination functions, and establishing goals and measurable objectives for the conservation of Maine's at-risk species and their habitats. LIP provides financial incentives to private landowners in return for longterm habitat protection for rare and endangered species. In Maine, the program has five objectives:
nest on 17 privately-owned beaches in the state. Many of these beaches are highly developed, and management of these endangered birds requires careful negotiations with landowners. LIP funds are being used to increase the capacity to better manage piping plover and least tern habitat on privately owned land, provide support for sand dune restoration, and supply landowners with wooden walkways.
Stratton and Bluff Islands have the greatest diversity of nesting seabirds in Maine. These islands support the largest population of endangered roseate terns in Maine. More than 1,000 pairs of common and arctic terns (state listed special concern and threatened respectively) also nest here. A diverse assemblage of wading birds including a colony of black-crowned night herons occur on the islands, as does Maine's only nesting colonies of glossy ibis, great egret, little blue heron, tri-colored herons, and American oystercatcher. LIP funds are being used to help support National Audubon's seabird and wading bird research and management, provide for a meaningful education experience for the public (wildlife viewing areas, observation blinds, and guided programs for island visitors), conduct annual bird censuses, and complete detailed studies of nesting ecology and productivity of common and roseate terns to better manage these rare species.
Bald Eagle Nesting Habitat Protection
Furbish Lousewort Habitat Protection
Maine is one of the primary strongholds of bald eagles along the Atlantic coast; the state's population accounts for more than 75% of eagle numbers resident in the northeastern U.S. Although statewide numbers are now at recovery levels established for Maine in 1989, bald eagles remain a rarity in all but a few localities. LIP funds are being used to enhance stewardship of privately owned lands strategic to conservation efforts for bald eagle nesting habitat by soliciting management agreements and/or conservation easements for at least 30 nesting areas (more than 4,500 acres) across Maine.
Furbish's lousewort, Maine's only federally listed endangered plant, is a perennial wildflower endemic to the St. John River in northern Maine with a few small populations in adjacent New Brunswick. Its limited range allows us to focus our conservation efforts with a higher likelihood of success. Its natural rarity has been exacerbated by human impacts. Funds from the Landowner Incentive Program are being used to evaluate opportunities for obtaining cooperative management agreements on parcels that support populations of Furbish's lousewort. By protecting river shore that supports Furbish 's lousewort we will also be protecting some of the most diverse and unique habitat found in the state. Over 30 other rare plant species including some of Maine's rarest
Species-at-Risk Focus Areas in Southern and Coastal Maine
Piping Plover and Least Tern Nesting Habitat Protection Approximately 75 % of the 60 - 70 pairs of piping plovers nesting in Maine MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Restoring Seabird Nesting Habitat on Stratton Island
Southern and coastal Maine have the highest level of plant and wildlife species diversity in the state including the highest numbers of populations of rare plant and animal species. Unfortunately, this area is one of the most desirable for development, and increasing development is leading to habitat fragmentation and loss. Within this area, the State of Maine has been working hard to identify at risk plant and animal populations and the habitats they need to remain viable. The result of this effort is a mapped suite of species-atrisk focus areas. These areas include assemblages of the best examples of rare species populations and high quality natural habitats in Maine. Landowner Incentive Program funds are being used to acquire easements and/or cooperative management agreements to preserve
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viable populations of rare plant and animal populations within species-at-risk focus areas. A subset of focus areas across Maine was selected as pilot sites for conservation efforts. In the last two years the state has awarded $1,006,425 for the purchase of conservation easements within 9 focus areas that will protect more than 4,200 acres of critical habitat for rare, threatened and endangered species in southern, western, central, and mid-coast Maine. Landowner Incentive Program funds will contribute to the conservation of the following areas:
Beaver Dam Heath, Berwick Part of a 1,000-acre wetland interspersed with upland forests and 125 acres of wetland, including a state rare Atlantic white cedar swamp, will be conserved with LIP funds. This tract is especially important habitat for Blanding's and spotted turtles (state listed endangered and threatened respectively).
Chopps Creek, Woolwich This project will permanently protect high value tidal freshwater marshes, riparian habitat, and associated upland buffer on Chopp~ Creek , a subsite of Merrymeeting Bay and the Lower Kennebec River Estuary. Merrymeeting Bay has long been recognized for its exceptional productivity. Broad fertile mudflats, formed by the deposition of sediments at the mouths of the six rivers entering the bay, support a dense and diverse vegetative complex that provides breeding , feeding , and roosting cover for a variety of waterfowl and other wetland-dependent species.
Corea Heath/Grand Marsh, Gouldsboro LIP funds will conserve a 590-acre mosaic of community types in the Northern Corea Heath, including a large wetland complex comprised of bogs, fens, forested wetland, and non peatland shrubby wetlands and several hundred acres of upland forests. The property hosts several rare plants and is adjacent to 400 acres recently acquired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of
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the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
Gerrish Island, Kittery Located in the southern tip of Maine, this 350-acre project comprises a major portion of the largest undeveloped block on Gerrish Island in Kittery. Funds will be used to protect over a mile of ocean frontage, upland forests, freshwater wetlands and vernal pools, and management of invasive plant species.
Mt. Agamenticus, Berwick Three properties in the Mt. Agamenticus Focus Area will be conserved. All parcels are rich with vernal pools and when combined, will create a corridor between two large areas of conserved lands known to be important habitat to both Blanding's and spotted turtles.
Sheepscot River, Alna and Newcastle Centrally located within a 2,450acre roadless area in mid-coast Maine, two properties totaling nearly 350 acres and covering 2.5 miles of frontage on the Sheepscot River will be conserved with LIP funds. Home to federally listed Atlantic salmon and bald eagles, the Sheepscot River also provides habitat for several other globally and state rare species.
St. George River, Warren A 72-acre parcel of a diverse mix of mature forests, fertile agricultural lands, and an extensive salt marsh ecosystem on the western shore of the St. George River will be conserved. In addition, as the only remaining land grant parcel in Warren and the oldest family estate in the community, the property is steeped in historic and cultural values.
Unity Wetlands, Unity Complementing a Land for Maine's Future award, LIP funds will contribute to conservation of 280 acres within 3 parcels in an ongoing land conservation initiative. The Unity Wetlands complex includes a large expanse of wetlands and uplands and hosts an array of unique natural features that collectively contribute to an area identified as one of
statewide conservation significance. Notably, several rare wetland and riparian species and habitats, from wood turtles to wild garlic, occur in the complex.
Upper Saco River, Fryeburg The Upper Saco River Watershed is recognized as one of the largest unfragmented, natural tracts of low floodplain forest in New England. It is characterized by an abundance of unique natural communities and habitat supporting the globally rare Long's bulrush, endemic Hudsonia beach community, the state endangered Blanding's turtle, and three globally rare dragonflies. LIP funds will contribute to conservation of 12 tracts of land, creating a largely unfragmented 558-acre of forest floodplain habitat while keeping the land in responsible forest management.
State Wildlife Grants Program In 2001, Congress created the State Wildlife Grant Program (SWG) to help state and tribal fish and wildlife agencies address conservation of fish and wildlife species of greatest conservation need. This funding was a direct result of "Teaming with Wildlife" efforts sustained for more than a decade by fish and wildlife conservation interests across the country. Funds appropriated under the State Wildlife Grant program are allocated to states according to a formula that takes into account each state's size and population. To date, Maine has received nearly $3 .7 million in SWG funds to support work on many of Maine's rare, threatened, endangered, and nongame fish and wildlife. Projects are diverse, covering many species groups, all geographic areas of the state, and ranging in scale from ecosystems to subspecies. Projects vary in length from one to five years, and include baseline surveys, research, and habitat conservation. Here are several examples of projects in Maine supported, in part, by State Wildlife Grant funds. Beginning with Habitat - a cooperative effort of agencies and organizations working together to secure Maine's outdoor legacy by providing communities with mapped information to incorporate into their comprehensive planning
Winter 2007
of owls in Maine and to develop a voldata related to water quality, fish species efforts to help guide conservation of unteer-based monitoring system. composition and relative abundance, valuable habitats. Ecoregional Surveys - working with bathymetry, aquatic habitat types, and Seabird Outreach - informing Maine the Maine Natural Areas Program on a macroinvertebrate species composition students and the general public about from hundreds of Maine's lakes. systematic, statewide, 10-year survey of seabird biology and marine conservation rare and endangered wildlife, plants, and Estimating Moose Density - develby providing insight into the lives of natural communities in Maine to better oping an accurate and cost-effective Maine seabirds (puffins and terns) assess their status and distribution and to model that can be used to estimate the through a web-based school curriculum design conservation strategies to prodensity of Maine's moose population. and Internet access that features liveLake Whitefish Studies - identifying mote their recovery. streaming video from Eastern Egg Rock, the factors involved in the decline of a state-owned 7-acre sanctuary managed these fisheries, developing and/ or refinMaine's Wildlife Action Plan by National Audubon. ing management strategies intended to addresses the full array of fish and Di tribution & Ecology of Purple wildlife and their habiSandpipers Wintering in tats in the state, includMaine - enables MDIFW to ing vertebrates and estimate abundance and disTo be eligible for SWG funds and to satisfy invertebrates, and targets tribution of purple sandspecies in greatest need pipers in Maine, assess requirements for participating in the State of conservation while movements and site fidelity Wildlife Grant program, Congress required each keeping "common of individuals at particular state to develop a Wildlife Action Plan, known species common." The sites, and develop a protocol technically as a Comprehensive Wildlife plan covers the entire for monitoring purple sandConservation Strategy. MDIFW was the agency state, from the dramatic piper populations in the state. coastline to the heights responsible for developing Maine's plan with Safeguards to Bald of Mt. Katahdin. It is input from the Atlantic Salmon Commission, Eagle Recovery: Habitat intended to supplement, Maine Department of Marine Resources, U.S. Conservation - devising not duplicate, existing Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine statewide strategies and fish and wildlife proFisheries Service, National Oceanic and identifying optimal sites for grams, because it builds long-term conservation of on a species planning Atmospheric Administration, Maine's Native bald eagle nesting habitat as American tribes, and more than 50 conservation effort ongoing for nearly the fundamental safeguard 40 years; a landscape partners. These proactive plans examine the for a lasting recovery of the approach to habitat conhealth of wildlife and prescribe actions to conspecies in Maine. servation, Beginning serve wildlife and vital habitat before they Enhanced Management with Habitat, initiated in of Piping Plovers and Least 2000; and a long history become too rare and costly to protect. Terns - working with Maine of public involvement Audubon to enhance the and collaboration among management of piping plovers and least prevent further declines, and beginning conservation partners. terns, including the development of the process of restoring lake whitefish To view a copy of Maine's plan, go cooperative beach management agreesport fisheries. to ments with Maine municipalities. Wildlife Park Di 'play - construchttp://www.state.me.us/ifw/wildlife/comCanada Lynx Ecology - supporting tion of a new fisheries display and edupwi Idlifestrategy/index .htm. an ongoing study of Canada lynx in cational exhibits for moose, deer, coyote, It all begins with habitat - Maine's Maine to determine lynx persistence, turkeys, and turtles at the Maine Wildlife diverse assemblage of wildlife, plants, habitat use, recruitment, and dispersal in Park. and natural communities, and the outresponse to changing prey densities Investigation of Blanding's Turtle door experiences we cherish, depends on Road Mortality - helping the Maine and/or habitat conditions, and to identify the availability of suitable habitat. Much Departments of Inland Fisheries and techniques for monitoring lynx populais at stake, and much is being accomtions statewide. Wildlife and Transportation identify the plished. Stream Survey Databasing/ location and extent of road impacts on Utilization of Restored Aquatic Habitat endangered turtles in Maine as a precurAdapted from Beginning with Habitat: - enhancing MDIFW's efforts towards sor towards designing strategic mitigaAn Approach to Conserving Maine's managing and conserving flowing water tion measures. Natural Landscape for Plants, Animals, habitats and their respective animal comStatu and Monitoring of Maine and People. Maine Dept. of Inland munities. Owl - working with Maine Audubon to Fisheries & Wildlife / Maine Natural Lake Habitat Inventories - gathering evaluate the abundance and distribution Areas Program, January 2003, 52 pp.
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Outdoor Information All The Time
Fish And Wildlife Outdoors Radio Is On The Air By Mark Latti Radio listeners with a passion for the outdoors now have a station dedicated to their favorite pursuits , Fish and Wildlife Outdoors Radio, 1640 AM on the Maine Turnpike. Motorists will be prompted to tune in by a sign stationed along the turnpike in Kittery. This AM radio station is broadcast along the southern range of the turnpike in the YorkKittery area. Motorists can tune to the station on AM 1640 and get important, timely information that will enhance their outdoor experience when they are in Maine. The radio station has a range of approximately 15 miles on the turnpike. "The Fishing, Hunting , and outdoor recreational opportunities that Maine's residents and our visitors enjoy have no equal in the Eastern United States," said Governor John E. Baldacci. "These pursuits are important, not only for their recreational Page 24 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
value , but because they provide significant positive economic impact for Maine's economy." Maine has long been a destination for those with a passion for outdoor recreation. Fish and Wildlife Outdoors Radio will greet those entering Maine , and broadcast updated seasonal information on hunting , fishing , and wildlife watching, as well as important safety tips concerning hiking , snowmobiling, boating and other outdoor pursuits. "This is a wonderful opportunity for the department to share important and timely outdoor information with folks as they just arrive in Maine to fish, hunt, snowmobile and enjoy the endless outdoors opportunities our state has to offer," said Roland D. Martin, Commissioner, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Fish and Wildlife Outdoors Radio will also share vital contact information and messaging about the Maine Warden Service's important anti-
poaching and illegal fish introduction prevention efforts through the Operation Game Thief Program. Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Marketing Specialist Bill Pierce, who worked in conjunction with the Maine Turnpike Authority and the Department of Transportation, created the radio station. Pierce's idea was to give outdoor recreationalists the information they needed before they go outdoors in Maine. The Outdoor Partners Program, a mobile informational trailer that appears at over 60 outdoor events each year, was designed by Pierce to reach people who already were in state, and Fish and Wildlife Outdoors Radio will reach those entering the state. "This radio station will provide timely and important information on a variety of issues that will give people the knowledge they can use to get the most out of their time spent outdoors in Maine," said Pierce. Winter 2007
Coping With Cold Winter Places Extra Demands on Hatchery Staff Photos and Text By Tom Seymour The day-to-day operations of Maine's fish hatcheries and rearing stations require extreme diligence and presence of mind any time of year. But winter, with snow, ice and freezing temperatures, adds extra demands and considerations. Each hatchery and rearing station has its own special needs when snow flies, and ice covers paths and walkways. Tom McLaughlin, Fish Culture Supervisor at Governor Hill Hatchery in Augusta, says that water for the hatchery comes from two nearby wells. Water is piped in to hatchery tanks from these wells. One pipe, or line, is used exclusively, the other kept as a spare, for emergency use. McLaughlin said that during the first year of operation at Governor Hill, extreme cold weather
The Pipes Must Not Freeze .. froze the spare line. Luckily, this line wasn 't needed, and since then, measures were enacted to prevent a recurrence of that situation. McLaughlin and his staff constantly check and maintain these two critical lines. Also, McLaughlin says that generators ensure that power is not interrupted. He and others are on call at all hours of the night, to keep all systems running. A different set of circumstances faces workers at rearing stations, or fish
culture stations. There,"fish are raised to a specific size, then released into waters throughout the state. Here again, each fish culture station faces a different set of circumstances in winter. Jamie Bray, Fish Culture Supervisor at Palermo Fish Culture Station , says that while the runways at Palermo don't freeze, the earthen pools at New Gloucester Fish Hatchery can freeze over. This means that while the pools remain frozen, fish feeding comes to a standstill and cannot resume until nature cooperates, and the ice melts .
Metabolism Down
Jamie Bray, left, Laird Townsend, at the Palermo hatchery in winter. MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Coldwater game fish do feed in winter, Bray said. However, since cold temperatures slow their metabolisms, trout do not consume as much feed as during warmer weather. In fact, fish self-metabolize body fat in winter. To offer an analogy, whitetailed deer share this trait. The difference is that while deer often lack access to good, nourishing forage, the trout have plenty of feed, on demand. In winter, though, they simply lack the appetite to consume as much. As a consequence, the quantity of feed dispensed each day must be strictly monitored. In winter, trout are put on what Bray terms a "maintenance diet," Winter 2007 Page 25
the goal being not to waste feed. Also , unused feed becomes unwanted waste , and adds to the bulk of effluent that must be removed and hauled away. Laird Townsend , Fish Culturist, pointed out feeding charts used to help determine how much feed to give the trout. These are general indicators, though, and the final determination is based upon current conditions, and the state of the fish themselves. Bray went on to explain that while fish do feed in winter, they don 't gain much weight or girth. However, they continue to grow in length and in spring , the lost weight is quickly replaced.
Careful Monitoring Fish growth and general health is strictly monitored, and in order to do this ' fish must be physically inspected. In summer, that means netting fish from pools or runways, placing them on a special measuring device , and quickly releasing them back into the water. Winter, though , presents a new challenge. As anyone who has ever gone ice-fishing and pulled a fish out into the open air on a sub-freezing day will recall , the fish 's protective slime coating quickly freezes. And on a very cold day, the fish 's eyeballs freeze solid , a situation that would cause permanent blindness if the fish were released. In order to circumvent this, fish to be sampled are first placed in a water-filled bucket and quickly brought inside, where it is warm. A weak solution of clove oil is added to the water in the bucket in order to calm and somewhat anesthetize the fish, in order to prevent injury. Fish sampling takes place every two weeks, regardless of the weather. Each of Maine's hatcheries and fish culture stations is responsible for on-site snow removal. Workers must have access to the facilities at all times. If electricity fails, or a piece of sophisticated electronic equipment malfunctions, a human presence is essential to prevent catastrophe. All of Maine 's fish-raising facilities have their own plow trucks, but not all have sanding equipment. However, those facilities that do have sanders share their equipment with other nearby hatcheries and fish culture stations.
Page 26 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Fish sampling continues despite freezing temperatures. Some fish culture stations, such as Palermo , employ concrete walkways running the length of the runways. Specifically, water is channeled through concrete troughs where fish are held, and narrow walkways run down the middle of these troughs. These allow workers to move about from one end to the other of the runways and stay dry. But when water condenses and forms a thick coating of ice on these walkways , foot travel is perilous and workers are forced to wear ice grippers on their feet , just to stand upright. Salt, which most of us use on our walks and driveways , is not an option at a fish culture station or hatchery. The only recourse, then , is to physically remove any ice or snow manually. This often means chopping the ice away, a little bit at a time. Jamie Bray said at Palermo, his staff takes advantage of warm spells to remove built-up ice. Besides all of this , fish rearing stations have a regular schedule for disposing of fish waste. This is done regularly throughout the year. At Palermo , the waste is pumped into a filtration device , and is then transferred to clarification tanks and sludge storage tanks. The
effluent is then emptied into tank trucks , and hauled away. The pipes , pumps and tanks involved in this process must never freeze. Bray and the others at Palermo Fish Culture Station constantly monitor the wastetreatment system. Diligent monitoring, day and night, year-round, is absolutely essential. Winter's cold makes this task just a little bit more difficult. Yet through it all, each hatchery and fish culture station operates smoothly, like a well-oiled machine. The staff working in these facilities have long since learned to cope with whatever winter throws at them. So the next time you go out for some springtime trout fishing, reflect for a moment on all that it took to get those fish to the point where you can catch them. Sometime, and someplace in winter, someone stepped gingerly along icerimmed walkways in order to feed these fish. And cold-numbed hands and fingers gently lifted a trout from a bucket of ice-cold water, to measure and weigh it. That's the kind of dedication it takes to operate Maine's fish hatcheries and rearing stations in winter.
Winter 2007
Building the Greenville Pilot's Barn Photo and Text By Ron Taylor The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife owns and maintains, ten hatchery facilities, eight headquarter complexes, two seaplane bases , the Maine Wildlife Park, Swan Island and other infrastructure consisting of approximately 256 buildings. As director of Engineering & Realty, I direct a team consisting of an engineering technician Robert Brann, a master carpenter to be hired; and Craig Whitten , carpenter. These people comprise the Engineering Division, and provide maintenance and assistance on all Department owned facilities. This is a large number of buildings for such a small agency and a small crew. The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has so many buildings that the rate of deterioration exceeds our scheduled maintenance on most buildings. The engineering di vision provides repairs, maintenance , and improvements on all the Department facilities across the entire state. The focus of our attention has been on emergency type repairs or projects the Department would not otherwise be able to complete due to insufficient funding. A Fall 2006 MAINE Fish & Wildlife magazine article detailed the current Department projects that include $935 ,000 worth of capital improvements at four locations. ENFIELD HEADQUARTERS An example of project construction that would otherwise be unfunded is the Enfield Headquarters Facility. The Department purchased the property and has completed the site and foundation work for the 88' x 38' building as of December 2006 . Keeping in mind that the funding for this , and all the capital improvement projects, did not become available until July 1, the task of coordinating the work to be done and processing the contracts has been challenging. To date , more than 37 contracts totaling more than $500 ,000.00 dollars have been executed.
MAINE Fish and Wildlife
Before ... and After ... The Pilot's Barn
The Engineering Division designed and built the floor system for the headquarters facility using its own team of three workers and temporary contracted help. The main structure is still being evaluated , and the design modified while components are being prefabricated. In addition to anticipated loads and stresses , handicap accessibility, building codes , and fire codes need to be evaluated and incorporated into the design as well . STRONG STORAGE BARN The Strong storage barn is also proposed to be similar in construction to the Greenville Storage Barn. The site work and foundation work are complete for this project. Construction for the main frame is ongoing.
BANGOR FISH & WILDLIFE BUILDING Site improvements were made at the Bangor Fish & Wildlife building that included paving the access ways and parking lot. Improvements to this building have been ongoing since 2000. GREENVILLE PILOT ' S BARN The pilot's barn site work and foundation are complete. Work is continuing on the main frame. This is expected to be similar in construction type to the storage barn built on site in 2006. What makes this structure unique is that the post and beam type construction is built without a single nail in the frame of the structure. As a licensed professional engineer, I did the design for this structure, saving the Department the typical
Winter 2007 Page 27
10% of project costs associated with construction design. The structure was prefabricated and then trucked to the site. By pre-fabricating the structure, the Department saved time and expense by minimizing the time the crew spent in Greenville. The structure was erected by setting six bents. A bent is a self-supporting component of the structure. These bents are the skeleton, or frame, upon which the building is built. By using this post and beam technique, it minimized the time a crane was needed. When you consider the time necessary for proper bracing and the setting of conventional trusses, (an equivalent stick built structure would have required 71 floor trusses and 36 roof trusses) this technique resulted in a savings of time and expense. This was a major consideration in the decision to build this type of structure. The wood for the storage barn project was harvested from Department Wildlife Management Areas (WMA's) by selective cutting as directed by the regional biologist. By using the timber from Department WMAs, the Department uses its own resources to construct need-
Page 28 MAINE Fish and Wildlife
ed structures, and in turn is helping to improve and assist in the management of the habitat in these areas. The Department plans to use its own resources to construct the pilot's barn to the greatest extent possible. One of the other projects ongoing in Greenville is the perimeter security system. In addition to being a headquarters, the Greenville facility also operates as an air and seaplane base as well as a refueling station for aircraft. Up to three aircraft and 6,000 gallons of aviation fuel are maintained by the Department on site. The Department continues to take steps to better secure both its facilities that operate government owned aircraft. Traditionally, access to the facility located on Moosehead Lake has been unrestricted. Steps taken to tighten security to date include a fence around the entire property perimeter. MDIFW, an agency that attempts to provide public access for the general public to the states' lands and waters, worked with town officials and risk management personnel to continue to provide access to Moosehead Lake. This was accomplished by setting
the perimeter fence 10' off the property line and constructing a footpath for access to approximately 250' of shore frontage , including a small beach. A gate system is currently being designed for spring 2007 installation. This is a balance of minimal security, as proposed by federal guidelines, and providing access that the public has traditionally enjoyed.
Answers to Whale Quiz on Page 17 1. Tail
2. Fluke 3. Dorsal Fin 4. Eye
5. Blowhole 6 Mouth
7. Flippers
Winter 2007
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Logo Merchandise Green Richardson Wax Cloth Hats (one size fits all)
Hanes Beefy T-shirts 100% pre-shrunk cotton
Quantity
Item
Price Ea
Total
Hanes Beefy T-shirts (*if ordering XXL please add $2.50 per item) Navy Blue Trout
_M _L _XL _
*XXL $15.00 $ _ _
Forest Green Deer
_M _L _XL _
*XXL $15 .00 $ _ _
stonewashed Green Moose
_M _L _XL_*XXL $15 .00 $ _ _
Pebble Turkey w/Cam o Logo _M _L _XL _
Forest Green Deer
Navy Blue Trout
Pebble Turkey w/camo logo
Turkey Hat w/camo logo
$16.00 $ - -
Trout Hat
$16.00 $ - -
Deer Hat
$1'6.00 $
Bass Hat
$16.00 $ - -
Postage Rates If the subtotal of your order is: up to $20.00 = $4 .50 $20 .01 - $35.00 = $5.50 $35 .01 - $50.00 = $6 .50 $50 .01 - $75.00 = $7 .50 $75 .01 - $100 .00 = $8.50 $100 .01 - $125 .00 = $9 .50 over $125 .01 = $10.50
Stonewashed Green Moose
In-stock items are shipped within 5 business days. Items that are out-of-stock may take four to six weeks for delivery. Shipping costs on returned items are nonrefundable.
*XXL $15.00 $ _ _
Name
Subtotal
$
Sales Tax
$
(Maine residents add 5%)
Postage TOTAL DUE
$ _ __ $ __
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Mailing A d d r e s s - - - - - - - - - - ¡ - - - - - - - - - City - - - - - - - - - ¡ - - - - State Z i p - - - - - - - - Phone - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mail order with payment to : Maine Dept of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Information Center 284 State St. 41 SHS Augusta , ME 04333-0041
Method of payment (Please make check payable to: Treasurer, State of Maine)
0 Check/Money Order O Visa O Mastercard O Discover Card# - - - Expiration Date ___/ _ _ _
Ch eek out our on line store
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Signature Winter 2007 Page 29
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Published four times a year,
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_One Year(Fourlssues) $9.95 _ Two Years (Eight Issues) $15 .95 Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City State_ Zip_ __ Bill my _Visa _ Mastercard Card No. F.xp. Date _ _ Make checks to: Maine Fish and Wildlife Magazine Send to: P.O. Box 1457, Yarmouth, ME 04096 1-800-276-0883 (In-State) 1-207-846-9501 (Out-of-State) www.mefishwi1d1ife. com
Weekly Fishing and Hunting Reports From Maine•s Fishery and Wildlife Biologists T
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Fishing Hotspot of the Week Maine•s Best Waters Fish and Wildlife Trophy Gallery Send Us Your Trophy Photos Maine•s Best Outdoor Almanac Winter 2007
Maine Fish & Wildlife
OUTDOOR ROSTER -~~ ·- --i4~ '~ 1....~- ~
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North of Rangeley between Kennebago Lake and Little Kennebago Lake
Your Host•
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Need to know about Maine Outdoors? Check the DIF&W Website: www.mefishwildlife.com
on FISH RIVER LAKE Northern Maine's Last Frontier Portage, Maine 04768
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Phone 207-435-6156
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Winter 2007 Page 31
Birds of .Maine Posters Now Available Three new full-color posters focusing on 60 common birds of Maine wetlands, backyards and forest and field habitats are now available from MDIFW. Each 29" X 32" poster, printed on heavy, glossy paper, features an original habitat painting by popular Maine wildlife and landscape artist Tom Merriam, with 20 photographs of common bird species superimposed. The back of each poster, in black and white, has individual habitat and bird species information specific to Maine. 111 ,L.
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BIRDS OF MAINE WETLANDS
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Price is $3.00 each, or the set of 3 for $8.00. (Maine residents add 5% sales tax.) $3.50 for postage and handling. To purchase directly, stop into MDIFW Headquarters , 284 State Street, Augusta To order, call the MDIFW Information Center at 207-287-8000 or visit the MDIFW Online Store at www.mefishwildlife.com