NFC Executive Director Bob Mallard Challenges Maine's Handling of Endangered Species (Bangor Daily News)
Membership in this club is by invite only, unfortunately no one is being invited.
“Since the removal of the mandatory listing clause, requests to list species under Maine Endangered Species Act (MESA) and Maine Marine Endangered Species Act (MMESA) are now at the discretion of the DIFW and DMR commissioners.”
In what can only be seen as an act of turf protection, and a lack of concern for at-risk species, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (DIFW) and Department of Marine Resources (DMR) opposed a bill that would have made the state-level listing of federally listed species mandatory. The legislative committee for Fish and Wildlife rubber-stamped their opposition, and killed the bill in session.
The bill was supported by Friends of Merrymeeting Bay, Maine Audubon, Native Fish Coalition (National), Native Fish Coalition (Maine Chapter), Trout Unlimited (National), Project Coyote, Mainers Guarding Right Whales, Atlantic Salmon Federation, Trout Unlimited (Maine Council), Trout Unlimited (Downeast Chapter), Trout Unlimited (Kennebec Valley Chapter), The Nature Conservancy (Maine), Blue Planet Strategies, as well as retired Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission biologist Ed Baum, author and Atlantic salmon advocate Topher Browne, UMaine professor Dr. Michael Kinnison, former director of Land for Maine's Future Mark DesMeules, and retired USFWS biologist Paul Nickerson.
The only opposition to the bill came from DIFW, DMR, Maine Forest Products Council, Maine Professional Guides Association, and one private citizen.
“Rather than side with the resource, DIFW and DMR sided with the timber and sporting guide industries in opposing a bill that was intended to protect at-risk species. Led by Commissioner Judy Camuso, a scientist, IFW put administration before science and the health of the resource, while defying the will of the unconflicted masses who simply want to protect at-risk species.”
Below is what DIFW says about threatened and endangered species on their website. Unfortunately, this is not what they did. Rather than put the resource first, they put turf, administration, and special interests first.
“Separating these two steps [listing and management] allows the Department to recommend species for listing based solely on biological facts, thus purely reflecting the species’ likelihood of extinction within Maine. The Department makes the decision without being constrained by political pressures; limits on agency funding, staffing, or management capabilities; the ease or difficulty of managing a species; or by a species’ potential responsiveness or lack of responsiveness to management.”