May 28 update from Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife:
We invite you to provide input on identifying significant Threats and what conservation actions are needed to address those Threats.
Step 1: Review the list of Threats and Conservation Actions
Step 2: Share your input! Based on your personal understanding of and familiarity with Maine wildlife and habitats, please list the top 4 significant Threats and top 4 Conservation Actions needed to address significant Threats in each of these three habitat groups:
• Maine’s Coastal and Marine Habitats
• Maine’s Freshwater Aquatic Habitats
• Maine’s Terrestrial and Freshwater Wetland Habitat
Please provide feedback using our online form by Saturday, June 7, 2025.
Maine, along with every other state in the nation, is embarking on an effort to update its State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), last updated in 2015. The purpose of the SWAP is to keep as many species as possible off the threatened and endangered list by identifying those species and habitats that are declining or otherwise compromised, and developing conservation actions to enhance habitats and boost populations. The plan is revised every ten years to evaluate the health of wildlife populations and identify opportunities to conserve species and vital habitats before they become rarer and more costly to protect. The State is now actively working on a 2025 update and is looking for public input.
The plan includes a list of hundreds of Species of Greatest Conservation Need, key habitats associated with them, identified threats for both species and habitats, and recommends actions to keep common species common and prevent at-risk species from becoming Endangered—from New England Cottontails to Wood Turtles, from Rainbow Smelt to Golden Eagles and many more. It also includes a plan for how to engage partners and the public in both the development of and the implementation of the plan.
Maine Audubon is playing a key role in facilitating the update to the plan, due October 2025. We want to hear from you about what you care about, if you have any additional information about any of the species or habitats, if you have suggestions for actions we can take, and what you think the top priorities for action should be.
If you are interested in learning more and providing feedback, please review the materials on the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife webpage and complete the survey here >
The survey will close on Sunday, April 20, 2025 so don’t wait.
Thank you for your help conserving Maine wildlife!
