MAINE LEGACY FALL/WINTER 2017 IN THIS ISSUE: 3 By the Numbers 5 Supporting Community 6 Fresh Water Win 7 Putting Success to Work 7 March for Science CONNECT WITH NATURE: NATURE.ORG/MAINE
DIRECTOR S MESSAGE BY THE NUMBERS The Power of People Maine is an amazing place. Here, there is a unique combination of extensive forests, clean waters, and globally-important marine ecosystems. Interconnected, they form a remarkable and complex natural system. 2017 by the numbers Your support made a big difference in Maine this year. Here s just a sample of the impact you made possible. BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair, Bo Norris Treasurer, Don Oakes Chip Ahrens Chuck Akre, Jr. Juliet Browne Joyce Coleman Tony Grassi Ed Kfoury Roxanne Leighton Mitchell Lench Dr. Heather Leslie Nancy McBrady John Rosenblum Evelyn Sawyer John Sowles Anna Marie Thron Ben Willauer Maine s people are members of the natural community as well, though with an outsized ability to influence change. We know people can do damage to natural systems and even change the climate. But we also have the power to reconnect rivers, restore degraded forests and push back on climate change. With your generous support, The Nature Conservancy is exploring new ways to work so that people and nature may thrive to the benefit of both. As you ll read in these pages, we are investing in a new forest economy, partnering with agencies, municipalities and landowners to improve habitat for fish and wildlife, and engaging with communities to find natural solutions to challenges that effect their very livelihoods. Thank you for making it possible. Together we care for Maine s natural system and focus the power of people to make positive changes for nature. Yours in Conservation, Kate Dempsey Maine State Director Together we care for Maine s natural system and focus the power of people to make positive changes for nature. 300 bushels of frozen alewives tested as lobster bait in Tenants Harbor and Port Clyde. 8,316 acres of forest and wetlands we helped protect together. 2,076 culverts surveyed to find out if they act as barriers to fish passage that s 23,517 since the program began 10 years ago. 102 miles of trails maintained for hiking and skiing and 5.7 miles of new trail built at Bradley-Sunkhaze Preserve. 775 new followers who joined us on Facebook (The Nature Conservancy in Maine) and our new Instagram account (conserve_maine). Check it out if you haven t already! The Nature Conservancy is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) international membership organization. Its mission is to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. The Nature Conservancy meets all of the Standards for Charity Accountability established by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. The BBB Wise Giving Alliance is a national charity watchdog affiliated with the Better Business Bureau. Our mission: Conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends Stay connected with us to learn more about these projects and many more: 120,000 spruce, pine and cedar trees planted on 267 acres at our Upper St. John River Preserve. This trial project will restore a diverse and healthy forest that can respond better to changing climate conditions. 102 maps created to help plan and illustrate conservation work. 30 bills we provided testimony for at the state house that impact the environment. 511 scientific plots studied on the Conservancy s land. Information gathered from these plots are currently being analyzed by researchers at the University of Maine to better understand how Maine s forests are changing over time. The Nature Conservancy in Maine conserve_maine COVER Young alewives schooling in Long Pond on Mount Desert Island Mark Berry/The Nature Conservancy; THIS PAGE at left Horserace Brook in the Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area Tim Paul/The Nature Conservancy; at right, top to bottom Kate Dempsey Designlab; Crowd gathers in Portland for the March For Science in April Rob Wood/The Nature Conservancy THIS PAGE left to right, top to bottom Lobstermen bait their traps Robert Bukaty; Planting trees in the Upper St. John River Preserve The Nature Conservancy; The 2017 road-stream crossing survey team takes a break during training Joshua Royte/The Nature Conservancy; Hikers enjoy the new Rainbow Loop Trail in the Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area Designlab; Conservancy staff collect information at a scientific study plot Bridget Edmonds/The Nature Conservancy NATURE.ORG/MAINE 3
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS Despite the challenges people face in the region each day, you can feel positive momentum building. I d say really good things are happening in the heart of Maine. Bill Patterson, Northern Maine Program Manager Your Support Connects Conservation WITH COMMUNITY WORKING WITH PARTNERS IN THE KATAHDIN REGION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE There is no place in our country quite like Maine s great North Woods. This is where millions of acres of forest still dominate the landscape, where great rivers begin their life-blood flow to the ocean, where sparkling lakes abound, and where people have depended upon the land s bounty for millennia. Changing Times In recent decades, with evolutions in technology and global trade, the region, once populated with bustling communities thriving on a robust timber industry, has seen a shift in economic fortunes. Paper mills have shut down and the forests no longer provide for the communities in the way they once did. Today, communities in the Katahdin region, from Millinocket to Patten, are exploring new ways to value their resources and diversify the local economy. As a significant landowner in the region, The Nature Conservancy is a strong supporter of the process. The people living here are acting to ensure a better future for themselves, their children and grandchildren, says Tamara Lee Pinard, the Conservancy s community initiatives manager. Our role is to support the hard work it takes and provide a voice for long-term sustainability of this remarkable intact forest. Engaging with Communities Tamara and Northern Maine Program Manager Bill Patterson are spearheading the Conservancy s effort by supporting civic leaders, business owners, partner organizations, and caring citizens in a collaborative process to develop a unified vision for the region s future. The goal of the visioning process is to give voice to community members and provide the region with tools to keep what is important or effect change where needed. This is an innovative, grassroots approach that will capture what people in the Katahdin region value and translate these values into local action. Bill is also exploring recreational enhancement options in the Conservancy s Debsconeag Lakes Wilderness Area, a 46,000- acre natural gem located just south of Baxter State Park. We see a strong commitment to traditional outdoor recreation in the area and opportunities to promote expanded use by locals and visitors alike. Meanwhile, exciting new opportunities for sustainable forest products are beginning to emerge, says Bill. Despite the challenges people face in the region each day, you can feel positive momentum building. I d say really good things are happening in the heart of Maine. Making a Difference Because of supporters like you, The Nature Conservancy can help realize a world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature, not just for its own sake, but for nature s ability to sustain and enrich our lives. The people living and working in the North Woods have always been sustained by nature and we are working to make sure that they will be again, in a new and lasting way. LEARN MORE about The Nature Conservancy s work at nature.org/maine 4 MAINE NEWSLETTER 2017 FALL/WINTER THIS PAGE The Conservancy s Bill Patterson addresses the crowd at the Rainbow Loop Trail opening celebration in Millinocket Tim Paul/The Nature Conservancy THIS PAGE left to right Conservancy staff take in the view from Ash Hill in Patten Tim Paul/ The Nature Conservancy; Runners begin the inaugural Millinocket Marathon and a Half Designlab NATURE.ORG/MAINE 5
FRESH WATER SCIENCE IN ACTION Determination Pays Off Big FOR SALMON PATIENCE AND PRESSURE LEAD TO AN IMPROVED APPROACH TO HABITAT RESTORATION Jeremy Bell was working on a project to replace a typical culvert that was inadequately sized and placed, acting as a barrier to endangered Atlantic salmon trying to gain access to critical spawning habitat. Particularly when a stream has known habitat for salmon, projects like this require special permits from multiple state and federal agencies. Identifying Opportunities Jeremy, who is the Conservancy s river and coastal restoration director, knows a thing or two about salmon habitat. He identified this permitting process as a hurdle to installing culvert replacements that provide better fish passage. It takes so much time and involves so many requirements that town managers and municipal leaders have very little incentive to spend the time and expense to repair road-stream crossings in a way that helps salmon and other sea-run fish while minimizing future flooding issues. Quite often old undersized culvert pipes are replaced with new culvert pipes that still don t do enough to meet the needs of migrating fish. Pushing for Solutions Over the past two years, Jeremy, with support from State Director Kate Dempsey, External Affairs Director Tom Abello, and Ben Matthews, our watershed restoration specialist, has been working with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers to streamline the permit process so that improvements to fish passage on salmon waters are easier and more consistent. This past September, USFWS announced a new process that includes pre-approved structure designs and environmental conditions so these projects can be done faster, cheaper and more effectively. It s good to have this opportunity to work together to ensure habitat restoration and regulations work handin hand, says Jeremy. This clears the way to getting more of this important work done, and done right. Thanks to Jeremy s determination, the support of our members, and a tremendous effort by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the table is set for more habitat restoration than ever before! It s good to have this opportunity to work together to ensure habitat restoration and regulations work hand-in hand. Jeremy Bell, River and Coastal Restoration Director Putting Success to Work for People There is probably no other creature that says Maine like the lobster. And none that has the same level of economic impact for the state. But fluctuations in the availability and price of Atlantic herring (the primary bait source for lobstermen) are making it increasingly difficult for lobstermen to find affordable and reliable sources of bait. So we started to think about ways to connect ecological success with economic opportunity. Over the past 12 years, The Nature Conservancy has been working to remove barriers for Maine s migratory fish species and, thanks to you, we are seeing big results for alewives! This year alone, some nine million fish returned to Maine. As alewife populations continue to rebound, a sustainably harvested fishery presents an opportunity to take some pressure off the herring fishery and could provide a local source of bait throughout the season for lobstermen. This native river herring species has been harvested for lobster bait during their brief spring runs for a long time, however their seasonal nature and relatively low numbers in recent decades have not been enough to make them a viable long-term bait source. The resurgent numbers of returning fish creates an opportunity to change that. Geoff Smith, the Conservancy s Gulf of Maine program director, and Tom Abello, director of external affairs, have been partnering with lobstermen in Tenants Harbor and Port Clyde to harvest and freeze alewives during the spring run so they can be used as bait throughout the summer season. Early results of this pilot project have shown that the frozen alewives fish about the same as fresh Atlantic herring. With the return of millions of river herring coming back to spawn, there is a great opportunity for coastal communities to realize an economic lift from river restoration, says Geoff. We think it s a win-win situation for everyone. It s too early to tell if this approach will provide a long-term answer, and other factors, such as warming ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Maine, may impact the lobster industry. But, based on what we ve learned, we intend to continue this project next year and possibly expand to more communities. It is another example of how your support leads to innovative solutions to the challenges faced by people and nature. March for Science For more than 65 years, The Nature Conservancy has been guided by and relied on science to protect the lands and waters on which all life depends. We have 600 scientists working around the world to identify the greatest challenges we face today from climate change to ocean fisheries. In April 2017, The Nature Conservancy was a sponsoring partner of the Earth Day Network/March for Science march and rally in Washington, D.C., because science matters, especially at this critical turning point for nature. A group of Maine Conservancy staff and supporters also marched in Portland s event because we know that science holds the key to solving the biggest environmental challenges we face. Science gives us hope for a better future by providing solutions, says Nicole LaBarge, our GIS assistant and one of the marchers. Science shows us there is a path toward a world where both nature and people can thrive together. And science provides us with the knowledge we need in order to work together to keep our lands and waters strong, healthy, and productive for future generations. The Science March was not defined by any one politician or party. Science affects people everywhere, and we participated in a movement that can advance science s ability to serve communities for a very long time, no matter who holds political office. Thank you to all those who walked for science! 6 MAINE NEWSLETTER 2017 FALL/WINTER THIS PAGE Jeremy Bell inspects a recently-installed open-bottomed culvert Tim Paul/The Nature Conservancy THIS PAGE Lobstermen load frozen alewives they ll use to bait their traps Merritt Carey, Tenants Harbor Fisherman s Co-op NATURE.ORG/MAINE 7
The Nature Conservancy Maine Chapter 14 Maine Street, Suite 401 Brunswick, ME 04011 nature.org/maine NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID CITY, ST PERMIT #XXXXXX maine update FALL/WINTER 2017 The Nature Conservancy in Maine conserve_maine Volunteers join Conservancy staff to tackle a stream restoration project Nancy Sferra/The Nature Conservancy IN THIS ISSUE The Power of People Thank you for the difference you re making for people and nature in Maine.