Primary Map 2:
High Value Plant and Animal Habitats
Background Information:
Many of our wildlife laws, and most of the wildlife research and science conducted by state and federal agencies, are a direct response to human threats that jeopardize our outdoor heritage. Deer wintering areas need to be protected because over-harvesting of forest resources in these areas can destroy protective winter habitat. Fishing, trapping, and hunting regulations are designed to ensure that populations are not over-harvested. Researching and mapping of habitat for endangered and threatened species provides us with the information needed to secure a future for rare plants and animals. Mapping natural plant communities may allow us to direct growth and development away from our rare habitat types such as pine barrens and salt marshes.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's (MDIFW) legal charge is "to preserve, protect and enhance the inland fisheries and wildlife resources of the State." MDIFW supervises an outdoor legacy on 17.9 million forested acres, 32,000 miles of rivers and streams, 6,000 lakes and ponds, and approximately 2,000 coastal islands.
The Maine Natural Areas Program's (MNAP) mission is to ensure the maintenance of Maine's natural heritage for the benefit of present and future generations. MNAP facilitates informed decision-making in development planning, conservation, and natural resources management through the collection, interpretation, and dissemination of information on rare and exemplary natural communities and rare, threatened, and endangered plant species. The MNAP is a division of the Maine Department of Conservation.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) oversees the conservation of Federal "trust species," which includes the protection of fish and wildlife that cross state or national borders (migratory species) and the protection of nationally listed endangered and threatened plant and animal species. The USFWS also establishes and manages national wildlife refuges, including six refuges in Maine.
MDIFW, MNAP and the USFWS each participate in various federal, state, and local partnerships to protect and restore habitat, and they are often asked to review permit applications where human activity may affect important habitat. Data on this map are from all three agencies and can be used to help conserve and direct development away from the most important and sensitive habitats.
Data Components:
Please note: Please examine the legend of this map carefully. It contains data from MDIFW, MNAP, and USFWS and requires careful study to understand and use properly. The data presented in this map represent the best available information. The habitat features illustrated are based on limited field surveys, aerial photo interpretation, and satellite imagery. Comprehensive field surveys, however, have not been conducted for all areas in Maine. The agencies providing these data are continually gathering new information and are available to provide technical assistance. Map users should consult with BwH to verify that data illustrated on this map is still current and we recommend consultation with a MDIFW Regional Biologist if activities are proposed that may affect the habitat features depicted.
- Rare or Exemplary Natural Communities mapped by MNAP. A natural community is a system of interacting plants and their common environment, recurring across the landscape, where the effects of human intervention are minimal. MNAP has classified and distinguished 98 natural community types in Maine. These include floodplain forests, coastal bogs and alpine summits, for example. There are two broad classes of natural communities recognized as important for conservation: those that are rare and those that are common but in exemplary condition. Rare and exemplary natural communities represent the natural legacy of habitat types for Maine. The long-term conservation of our natural heritage depends on protecting these areas.
- Rare Plant Locations tracked by MNAP. These include specific points where populations of rare, threatened, and endangered plants have been documented and, for some species, habitat for the respective plants. The habitat in which these plants occur is important for their survival. Rare plant locations may occur either outside of or in documented MNAP Rare and Exemplary Natural Communities. Rare plants are often components of documented natural communities and can be conserved in the context of these larger systems. Populations of rare plants outside of documented natural communities require separate conservation actions.
- Essential Wildlife Habitats, identified by MDIFW, are a product of Maine's Endangered Species Act (MESA), which requires that both endangered and threatened animals, and their necessary habitats, be protected. Essential Habitats are areas determined to be essential to the conservation of a species and they must be identified and mapped by MDIFW to be formally protected. Currently, MDIFW has established Essential Habitat for only four species: piping plovers, least terns, roseate terns, and bald eagles. Any project within an Essential Habitat that requires a state or municipal permit, or that is funded or conducted by the state or a municipality, requires MDIFW review. This action rarely stops development. In fact, in the past, most development has proceeded, but MDIFW biologists work to modify the project so threatened and endangered animals and their habitat are protected.
- Significant Wildlife Habitats mapped by MDIFW. These include habitat for endangered and threatened species; high and moderate value deer wintering areas and travel corridors; high and moderate value waterfowl and wading bird habitats; shorebird nesting, feeding, and staging areas; seabird nesting islands; and significant vernal pools (not mapped in this program). These habitats are mapped as a product of the Natural Resources Protection Act (NRPA), a law passed in 1988 to prevent degradation of significant state resources. This law provides for the habitat identification and mapping for animals that have very specific habitat requirements.
- Rare, Threatened, or Endangered Wildlife Data, mapped by MDIFW. This data contains known rare, endangered, and threatened species occurrence and/or the associated habitats based on species sightings. Species considered rare include "species of special concern" that may be very rare or vulnerable, for which biologists are gathering more information. Consult with an MDIFW regional biologist to determine the relative importance and conservation needs of the specific location and supporting habitat.
- Atlantic Salmon Habitat mapped by the Atlantic Salmon Commission and the USFWS. Salmon habitat was mapped from field surveys on selected Penobscot and Kennebec River tributaries and the Dennys, Ducktrap, East Machias, Machias, Pleasant, Narraguagus, and Sheepscot Rivers.
- High Value Habitat for USFWS Priority Trust Species (>5 Acres). The USFWS Gulf of Maine Coastal Program has mapped high value habitat that is important for 91 species of fish and wildlife occurring in the Gulf of Maine watershed (all of Maine, and parts of New Hampshire and Massachusetts that empty into the Gulf of Maine). The important habitat was determined through a GIS analysis that incorporated available field-verified fish and wildlife locations and habitat modeling. The 91 species included in the analysis were chosen because they regularly inhabit the Gulf of Maine watershed and meet one or more of the following criteria:
- federally endangered, threatened and candidate species;
- migratory birds, anadromous and estuarine fish that are significantly declining nationwide; or
- migratory birds, anadromous and estuarine fish that have been identified as threatened or endangered by two or more of the three states in the Gulf of Maine watershed.
The important habitat for these 91 species combined is shown on this map in four basic habitat types (forested, grassland, wetland and salt water environments). To reduce the complexity of the map, only the best quality (top 25 percent) of each habitat type is shown and areas less than 5 acres are not shown. For more information, and for a map showing all important habitat identified and mapped from this analysis, see Map 8.
Strategies For Local Action:
- In Comprehensive Plans, recognize essential wildlife habitat and areas around rare and exemplary natural communities, and designate them as part of larger rural areas in which only a small part of the town's future development will be directed.
- Update the town's comprehensive plan so it properly plans for growth, fish, wildlife, and plant habitat conservation, and outdoor recreation opportunities. Remember that providing opportunities for well located housing and other growth needs contributes to protecting and enhancing the natural landscape.
- Following adoption of the updated comprehensive plan, form an implementation committee to make any necessary changes to the land use ordinances and subdivision regulations to incorporate standards for the protection of identified fish, wildlife and plant habitats. See the Tools section of the BwH Toolbox for examples.
- Local ordinances should encourage landowners or applicants to contact MNAP and MDIFW prior to submittal of development applications to determine potential habitat impacts and steer development away from the most sensitive areas.
- During the permitting process for applications, when there are questions about rare plants or valuable natural communities, request a "botanical review" from biologists at MNAP.
- During the permitting process for applications, when there are questions about impacts on wildlife habitat or rare and endangered wildlife species, request a review of the proposed development plan by MDIFW.
- Develop a database of local property owners who host Significant or Essential Habitats. Create local support systems that supply these landowners with information on habitat conservation. Create local reward and incentive programs for these landowners.
- Invite local legislators to tour high-value habitat areas of your town with the respective landowners and talk to them about legislation and policies that would make it easier to conserve the community's wildlife resources and way of life.
- Fact sheets have been developed for many of the rare animals, plants, and natural communities in your town. Refer to these fact sheets to become familiar with your town's high value habitats. The fact sheets are included in the Beginning with Habitat binder provided to the town, available at your town office.
To learn more about specific strategies for local action, visit the Beginning with Habitat (BWH) Toolbox or contact BwH.
