Maine Audubon | Natural Resources Council of Maine
March 29, 2024 (Augusta, ME) – As Maine’s iconic wildlife faces increasing threats from climate change, development, and pollution, restored protections for endangered species proposed by the federal government promise to help.
Yesterday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service released three Endangered Species Act (ESA) rules that reinstate several key components of the bedrock environmental law that were overturned during the previous administration.
The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) and Maine Audubon expressed support for the newly released regulations and also highlighted the need to continue strengthening the ESA.
“Maine’s rich array of wildlife is part of our identity and way of life. Without action to strengthen the ESA and make sure decisions are made based on the best-available science, it will be harder for state and tribal agencies to successfully bring back fish, birds, and other unique species from the brink of extinction,” said NRCM Federal Policy Advocate Anya Fetcher.
“A strong Endangered Species Act is critical to our work to protect Piping Plovers, Northern Long-eared Bats, Red Knots, and other federally listed species in Maine,” said Laura Minch Zitske, Wildlife Ecologist and Coastal Birds Project Director at Maine Audubon. “While there is still more work needed to restore previous protections and address new challenges, we are pleased to see the Act strengthened and will work to defend these updates from Congressional interference.”
The final regulations restore important species protections, including the reinstatement of automatic ESA protections for threatened species managed by the USFWS known as the “blanket 4(d) rule,” the removal of regulations that allowed for economic considerations when determining whether a species should be listed under the ESA, and changes to align the role of federally recognized tribes with state and federal agencies.
Federally listed endangered species in Maine include the Piping Plover, Atlantic salmon, and Canada lynx. One-third of land-based species in the U.S. are threatened with extinction, and one-third of Maine species are highly vulnerable to climate change. According to the National Audubon Society, 52% of Maine’s 230 bird species are vulnerable to climate change across seasons. Worldwide, one million species are jeopardized by extinction.
The ESA, signed into law in 1973, has been incredibly successful at protecting species across the nation from the brink of extinction, like the Bald Eagle in Maine. In the law’s history, dozens of species have been delisted due to successful recovery efforts.
Visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website to learn more about the proposed ESA regulations.
