The Maine Fisheries Program Complex and its partners were honored to host a briefing for Maine's congressional delegation August 22 in East Orland, Maine. Attendees included Reps. Tom Allen (District 1) and Michael Michaud (District 2). Also in attendance were Andrew Varisco and Jon Ford, regional staff members from the Bangor offices of Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, respectively.

The purpose of this event was to provide a guided tour of Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery (the refugium for Atlantic salmon, listed under the federal Endangered Species Act) and to brief Maine's congressional delegation on "the big picture" in salmon restoration and recovery being carried out in Maine through a host of federal, state, tribal and nongovernmental partnerships. The day's guests were invited to participate in this event through a joint invitation from the Maine Fisheries Complex and from Project SHARE, a consortium of agencies and businesses in Maine that sponsor habitat restoration projects for Atlantic salmon.

The event began with a warm welcome and refreshments by the Friends of Craig Brook. Maine Fisheries Program Complex Manager Carl Burger provided an overview of the accomplishments of the complex and its satellite facilities, Craig Brook and Green Lake national fish hatcheries and Maine Fishery Resources Office. His overview included a discussion of the education and outreach services the complex provides to the people of Maine. Other partners in attendance briefed the audience (about 50 people) on their respective roles in Atlantic salmon conservation. They included:

Gordon Russell, Maine Field Office, and Jed Wright, Gulf of Maine Project Office, who provided overviews on the work of the Service's Ecological Services program in Maine;

Maureen Hoffman, Sheepscot Valley Conservation Association;

Donna Gilbert, Cove Brook Watershed Council

Melissa Halstead, Eight Rivers Roundtable;

Joan Trial, Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission;

John Kocik, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Fisheries;

Steve Koenig, Project SHARE;

David Bell, Maine Wild Blueberry Commission;

John Burrows, Atlantic Salmon Federation

Gary Arsenault, Maine Council, Atlantic Salmon Federation; and

Lou Horvath, Penobscot and Eddington Salmon Clubs.

Following the briefings, Reps. Tom Allen and Michael Michaud addressed those in attendance and provided their perspectives on the importance of conserving Maine's fisheries resources and their work in legislative settings. Representatives from the offices of Sens. Snowe and Collins also provided brief remarks on the importance of Atlantic salmon and other fisheries to the people of Maine. Friends of Craig Brook hosted a lunch, after which Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery Manager Tom King and Maine Fisheries Resource Office Manager Jerry Marancik led a tour of the hatchery (Click for picture).

This successful event was an important milestone in Atlantic salmon restoration and recovery. It was a unique opportunity to show Maine's congressional delegation the restoration and recovery work of the Northeast Region and its Fisheries and Ecological Services field stations in Maine. Most important, this event demonstrated the breadth and leverage of partnership involvement in Atlantic salmon conservation in Maine and highlighted the accomplishments and links with the Service's new Vision and Strategic Plan that depend upon successful resource partnerships.

NORTHEAST REGION, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE -- Conserving the Nature of the Northeast