Forested areas along lakes, ponds, and streams, known as riparian habitats, are crucial to protecting habitat for fish and aquatic wildlife. Up to 85% of Maine vertebrate species use riparian areas at some during the year. These areas include lands adjacent to pond and lake shores, streams (including rivers), and wetlands. Riparian areas help protect water quality, provide valuable habitat for many plant and wildlife species, and serve as a buffer that minimizes disturbance of wildlife in nearby waters.
For anyone interested in managing riparian areas to enhance their value for fish and wildlife as part of a broader landscape approach to forest management, we have some suggestions for concrete steps you can take to do just that, based on the best scientific information available at this time.
Forests for Maine Fish: A Guidebook for Foresters and Land Managers
Read this guidebook to learn more about why riparian habitat is important for fish, wildlife, and people, and specific steps you can take to enhance habitat quality for fish as well as wildlife species that live in or frequently use shoreland and streamside riparian habitats. There are numerous suggestions to choose from that can be tailored to a particular parcel or woodlot, and all are voluntary.
Read it here >
Forests for Maine Fish: A Homeowner’s Guidebook
Learn more about why riparian habitat is important for fish and other wildlife. This guidebook offers specific steps you can take to enhance habitat features important for a range of species and numerous suggestions that can be tailored to a particular home or woodlot. All are voluntary. Whether you live on a large lake or have a small brook on your property, this guide describes how you can steward the land around your home to enhance habitat for fish and other wildlife.
Read it here >