There are eight National Wildlife Refuges in Maine. The Wilderness Society is working to make sure that these important conservation units are managed so as to protect the values they were set aside to protect. Our best opportunity to achieve this goal is through our involvement in the process of developing management plans for each Refuge. Two in Maine, the Rachel Carson and Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuges, are in that process now.
Until 1997, the National Wildlife Refuge System was something of an orphan child among the major land management systems. That changed with enactment of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act (RIA). RIA gave the Refuges for the first time a solid, system-wide set of guidance and standards for management.
The Act requires development of management plans, called Comprehensive Conservation Plans, for each Refuge in the system. The plans determine allowable activities in each refuge, set additional land acquisition goals and make new recommendations for wilderness protection. They set the direction of management for the next 15 years.
The Act also set strong standards for Refuge protection. It establishes that the first purpose of Refuge management is to protect biodiversity, a marked change from before when Refuge management often focused on production of game species for hunting and fishing. The Act also establishes a sort of hierarchy of allowable activities within each refuge. Wildlife conservation heads the list. Next is wildlife-dependent recreation, including hunting, fishing, bird watching, environmental education. All other uses are secondary and are discouraged.
Our Efforts
The Wilderness Society was at the center of the effort for passage of the Refuge Improvement Act and will use that expertise to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which has responsibility for our Wildlife Refuges, to develop the best possible management plans for our Refuges, with the first emphasis on protection of native species for which these places are just that: refuges.
How You Can Help
Your involvement in the management planning process is important. You can attend local meetings and get on the Refuge’s mailing list. The Wilderness Society actively participates in these processes and we urge our members and friends to do so, too. To get involved with the planning process for National Wildlife Refuges in Maine, contact Cynthia Fleming in our Northeast Regional office or call 617-350-8866.
For More Information on the Plan and its Progress
For More Information on Management Plans:
