The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released a 15 year management plan for the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge, formerly named the Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge Complex, according to Refuge Manager Charlie Blair.
The Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement will guide the refuges efforts to protect nationally significant habitats by acquiring lands and managing its biological and public use programs, said Blair.
Public comments will be accepted on the plan through August 15, at which time it will be made final. Numerous national, state, and local agencies and conservation organizations, landowners, aquaculture industry representatives, researchers, and interested citizens have provided input in the development of the plan.
The plan calls for acquiring lands from willing sellers beyond the refuges existing boundary including an additional 2,306 acres on 87 islands that provide nesting habitat for seabirds, wading birds, and bald eagles, and 153 acres on the mainland, said Blair.
The Service has also recommended designating 13 refuge islands ranging in size from six to 1,654 acres as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. According to Blair, the islands represent the uniqueness of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem and warrant inclusion in the System.
According to Blair, the refuges biological program will focus more intensely on birds of conservation concern in the Gulf of Maine. As part of this effort, six additional seabird restoration projects will occur on the refuge.
Visitors to the refuge will enjoy expanded wildlife-related recreational opportunities including new environmental education and interpretive programs and trails on the Gouldsboro Bay, Sawyers Marsh, and Corea Heath divisions. In addition, the refuge will open portions of the Petit Manan Point Division for deer hunting.
The Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge includes Petit Manan, Cross Island, Franklin Island, Seal Island, and Pond national wildlife refuges. The refuges protect islands, estuaries, freshwater wetlands, forests, and other important habitats for migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, and other native wildlife along the length of Maines coast.
For further information about the plan and the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge, contact Charlie Blair, refuge manager, at 207/546-2124 or visit the refuge office at 14 Water Street in Milbridge, Maine.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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