Stories from - MAINE
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Bald Eagle Recovery in Maine
Forty years ago, our nation's symbol was in dire straits. The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) population had dwindled to such a low number that the iconic species was in danger of extinction—primarily the result... Read More
Stories from - MAINE
View All StoriesCreating Homes for Wildlife at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
Saws whined and trees thumped the ground as loggers harvested oaks and pines. Using shovels, digging bars, and plenty of elbow grease, volunteers planted native shrubs in old fields of the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge... Read More
Stories from - MAINE
View All StoriesWe are the Penobscot River
"This river is the backbone of who we are as a Nation," said Jerry Pardilla, former Penobscot Indian National Tribal Governor. "Our name is derived from the description of... Read More
Stories from - MAINE
View All StoriesCraig Brook National Fish Hatchery Continues Long Mission
The mission of Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery in Maine is the same as it was when it was founded over a century ago—to restore Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to the rivers... Read More
Featured Species in Maine
Canada lynx
While their name suggests otherwise, the historic range of Canada lynx extended across the border into northern parts of the contiguous United States from Washington to Maine and down into the Rocky Mountains.
Canada lynx.
Photo credit: Michael Zahra
Atlantic Coast piping plover
The piping plover is a dainty, sand-colored shorebird, distinguished from other small North American plovers by its pale plumage and bright orange legs. Human activities can disturb piping plovers on both their breeding and wintering grounds. More »
Atlantic Coast piping plover.
Photo credit: USFWS
New England cottontail
The New England cottontail population has plummeted over the last several decades, disappearing from 86 percent of its historical range.
New England cottontail.
Photo credit: Pam Wells
Partnership Stories in Maine
Small-whorled Pogonia: Endangered Orchid on the Edge
Although widely distributed, the small-whorled pogonia is rare. It is found in 17 eastern states and Ontario, Canada. Populations are typically small with less than 20 plants. It has been extirpated from Missouri, New York, Vermont, and Maryland, earning it the title "rarest orchid east of the Mississippi." More »
Found in Maine
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Furbish lousewort (Pedicularis furbishiae), a federally endangered herb of the snapdragon family, is found only on the shores of the upper St. John River in Maine and New Brunswick. Although not very tolerant to prolonged flooding this rare plant relies on periodic flooding to scour away other plants that compete for the same habitat.
Photo credit: Mark McCullough, USFWS -
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are anadromous fish, splitting their life between freshwater streams as a juvenile and the ocean as an adult, returning to the stream where it was born to spawn and die. While at one time hundreds of thousands of salmon made this epic migration from the oceans of Greenland to their natal rivers in Maine, now only remnant populations remain. The construction of dams, overfishing, habitat loss, and water pollution have collectively caused their decline.
Photo credit: E. Peter Steenstra, USFWS