FHC Activities and Accomplishments

Nonesuch River Saltmarsh Restoration, Maine The Nonesuch River is a 247-acre sub-watershed of the 3,100-acre Scarborough Marsh Wildlife Management Area, owned and managed by Maine Dept. Of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW). The Nonesuch River saltmarsh has been degraded by man-made ditches that alter the natural hydrology on the marsh. Nonesuch River marsh has also been negatively impacted by abandoned hay roads that act as berms that impede tidal flow onto the marsh. Multiple stands of invasive Phragmites are scattered throughout the native saltmarsh vegetation. The Gulf of Maine Coastal program has provided technical assistance with site assessment (data collection and compilation), designed the restoration project, and coordinated complex permit requirements with multiple agencies and NGO partners, including MDIFW, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., and Friends of Scarborough Marsh. The project includes multiple components: 1) plug ditches; 2) breach the berm at strategic location; 3) Phragmites control. The project cost, including cultural resource review and biological monitoring, is estimated to cost approximately $150,000. In FY06 the Gulf of Maine Coastal Program will play an active role in ongoing planning, project implementation, and monitoring, and will provide a $15,000 USFWS-Fish America Foundation grant to support the restoration work. Project completion is scheduled for FY06.   Contact(s): Robert Pos 703.358.2323 Robert_Pos@fws.gov   Links: Gulf of Maine Coastal Program http://www.fws.gov/northeast/gulfofmaine/index.html Top of Page