Undersized and degraded culverts negatively impact fish passage for Atlantic salmon and other diadromous and resident fish in Maine. Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund has provided matching funds to initiate a comprehensive survey of fish passage barriers throughout the Kennebec and Penobscot River watersheds. Photographer: USFWS Date: 2006 Location: Downeast Maine

The Machias River watershed, which includes one of Maine's federally listed rivers for Atlantic salmon, now enjoys permanent protection thoughout most of its riparian corridor. Funding from the Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund has contributed to this success story. Photo credit: USFWS Date: June, 2004 Location: Machias River

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Gulf of Maine Coastal Program, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, is pleased to announce that the Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund (MASCF) has selected 18 projects for funding this year.  Federal grant funds totaling nearly one million dollars, matched by more than $1.6 million in partner funds, have been awarded to

·         permanently protect 27,368 acres and 42 miles of river corridor

·         restore riverine and riparian habitat at 58 sites on federally listed salmon rivers

·         support education and outreach activities that increase landowner and public support for watershed stewardship activities

·         conduct inventories and assessments to help identify highest priority on-the-ground conservation projects

·         enhance organizational capacity of locally-based watershed councils and land trusts

·         design effective fish passage at an existing dam on Sedgeunkedunk Stream, a Penobscot River tributary

·         conduct water quality monitoring and improve water quality

·         fund the fifth and final year of the conservation agreement with Greenland that has suspended the commercial fishery for wild Atlantic salmon

·         implement a captive-reared Atlantic salmon broodstock program in the Aroostook River.

"This wide variety of projects, all coordinated through non-regulatory voluntary partnerships, will directly benefit Atlantic salmon recovery in Maine," commented Tom Kelsch, Director of Conservation Programs, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Grants range in size from $5,000 to $100,000 and range in scope from a landscape-scale habitat protection project on the Machias River to an ambitious fish barrier inventory in the Kennebec and Penobscot watersheds.

The Machias River Project Phase III will permanently protect 27,164 acres of critical headwater habitat in the uppermost portions of the Machias watershed, building upon the already-completed Phase I and II projects. Phase III assures the protection of more than 42 miles of tributaries to the five Machias Lakes and the mainstem of the Machias River, a federally listed river for endangered Atlantic salmon. Together, Phases I, II and III, owned in fee or easement by Maine Dept. of Conservation, protect more than 60,000 acres of riparian lands, 252 miles of river or shore frontage, and include 83% of the upper Machias River watershed. Phase I and II were also supported by earlier Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund grants totaling $1.15 million.  The Machias River Project supports the forest industry, ensures public access to popular recreational lands and benefits Atlantic salmon habitat.  The Nature Conservancy is playing a pivotal role in fundraising, negotiating the acquisition, and in establishing an endowment to ensure effective long-term monitoring and management of the property. At least a dozen other partners - including several U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs, multiple state agencies, and non-government conservation groups, have been involved in the permanent protection of the Machias River corridor.

"Funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has been an important part of all three phases of the Machias River Project, " said Mike Tetreault, Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy in Maine,  "but I can't overstate the importance of the technical support and guidance by the Gulf of Maine Coastal Program that has allowed us to identify the needs of wildlife species and plan these projects around them. That sort of public/private partnership means we are all using our resources most effectively."

A fish barrier inventory, also supported in part through the Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund and coordinated through the Dept. of Conservation -- Maine Forest Service, will identify and prioritize thousands of barriers that block diadromous fish passage in the Kennebec and Penobscot River watersheds. Barriers include undersized and degraded culverts at road crossings, and other impassable structures. "Once complete, the fish barrier inventory will help effectively target sites to restore connectivity in our rivers and streams," commented Chris Martin, a Senior Planner with Maine Forest Service. Project coordinators will share survey results and provide training and technical support for private landowners, conservation groups, municipalities, state and federal agencies, as well as the engineering departments and road crews responsible for maintenance. Equipped with new tools, landowners and communities will be able to repair and maintain their road networks while minimizing negative impacts to Atlantic salmon, other fish and aquatic resources.

"By funding habitat protection and restoration projects, supporting resource surveys and assessments, and providing practical tools to help communities and landowners tackle difficult resource issues, the Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund is making a visible difference," reflected Jed Wright, Senior Fish and Wildlife Biologist and Field Coordinator for the Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund. "This has all been possible because of the dedication and skill that conservation partners bring to the work, and the funding provided by Maine's congressional delegation."  

--  The Maine Atlantic Salmon Conservation Fund was established through a special appropriation sponsored by Maine's Congressional delegation in October 2000. From its inception until now, the fund has provided $9 million and leveraged an additional $14.6 million to support more than 130 projects to promote recovery of Atlantic salmon. More than 81,368 acres of land adjacent to salmon spawning and rearing habitat has been permanently protected. Grants have promoted collaboration among federal and state agencies, industry, local watershed councils, and conservation groups, encouraging people to work together to maintain healthy watersheds needed for the survival of Atlantic salmon and other migratory fish.  The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Gulf of Maine Coastal Program jointly administer the program in partnership with advisory board members, including Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission, Atlantic Salmon Federation, Maine State Planning Office (Land for Maine's Future Program), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, University of Maine-Machias, Wild Blueberry Commission, and local conservation groups.  --