Wildlife & Habitat

What’s At Stake

Healthy wildlife populations are deeply connected to Maine’s past, present, and future. Providing intact habitats for plants and animals promotes long-term ecological health and supports hunting, fishing, hiking, canoeing, camping, tourism, and outdoor recreation industries.

Despite their abundance, Maine’s wildlife populations face several threats:

• Habitat loss and fragmentation 
• Climate change
• Disease and invasive species

Each species plays an important ecological role in the web of life. Diverse ecosystems are more resilient to change, and collectively, the planet’s array of plants and animals provides valuable services, helping clean our air and water, cycle nutrients, prevent erosion, provide food and fiber, offer recreational opportunities and places of solace, and can be studied to create medicines or lead to discoveries that improve lives. Yet globally, one million species are at risk of extinction due to climate change, pollution, habitat loss, invasive species, and exploitation.

Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act (ESA), passed in 1973, is one of the most effective legal tools we have to protect threatened and endangered species across the United States. In Maine, the ESA is especially important for several species, such as the Atlantic salmon, Canada lynx, Furbish Lousewort, and Piping Plover. 

If we value these plant and animal species, we need to defend the ESA against attempts to weaken these protections and push for opportunities to strengthen this bedrock environmental law for future generations.  

Protecting Maine’s Rich Natural Resources

Maine’s natural ecosystems are intricate and interdependent, with individual species playing specific roles in maintaining the balance of our environment. The loss of even one species can set off a chain reaction that disrupts entire ecosystems. 

For example, the Canada lynx, listed as threatened under the ESA, helps control small mammal populations. Without predators like the lynx, prey populations could rise uncontrollably, leading to overgrazing and degradation of vegetation, which in turn affects other wildlife and plant species. 

In Maine, critical habitat designations for endangered species help preserve the forests, wetlands, clean water, and coastal areas that support the rich array of plant and animal species that live here. Protecting these environments ensures that native plants, animals, and insects thrive, maintaining the state’s ecological health.  

Responding to the Impacts of Climate Change

As climate change accelerates, Maine’s species and habitats face new challenges, including shifting temperatures, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events. Conserving land and protecting wildlife habitat is a powerful tool in supporting local solutions that help our environment and communities become more resilient to the impacts of climate change. 

Coastal species like the Piping Plover, for example, are vulnerable to habitat loss from rising sea levels and increased storm activity. By protecting their habitats, Maine is better equipped to preserve coastal ecosystems that also act as natural barriers against erosion and flooding. Similarly, efforts to protect forested areas and wetlands, which are critical habitats for species like the Canada lynx, also help sequester carbon and mitigate climate change. 

Species that are restored to healthy population levels can help stabilize ecosystems, making them more resilient to climate shocks. For example, a healthy fish population in Maine’s rivers can enhance the ecological function of these water systems, helping them better withstand the impacts of climate change.