The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a Mt. Agamenticus to the Sea Conservation Initiative (MtA2C) partner, has secured $1 million in funding through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to help protect lands designated as nationally significant wildlife habitat.

Locally, the grant award will provide critical matching dollars to further Kittery Land Trust’s fundraising for the high priority, Brave Boat Harbor Headwaters project and efforts under way by York Land Trust to conserve York River uplands.

“We are thrilled,” said Christine Bennett, executive director for KLT. “The timing could not have been better. We recently applied for Land for Maine’s Future funding for the Headwaters Project. We’re hoping that this federal support will help to leverage a state investment in protecting this ecologically important area in Kittery.”

“This award will further previous NAWCA investments in our efforts to protect significant habitat along the York River for scores of native fish, songbirds, wading birds and other wildlife,” said Doreen MacGillis, executive director of York Land Trust.

According to Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge manager Ward Feurt, “We are fortunate to have representatives and senators who are so effective in supporting valuable natural resources in the State by supporting NAWCA.”

The grant also provides funds for MtA2C partner Maine Coast Heritage Trust to purchase Mahoney Island in Hancock County for donation to Maine Coastal National Wildlife Refuge.

The NAWCA funding was awarded under the “Maine Coastal Refuges” project umbrella, a regional proposal to protect nearly 600 acres within the approved acquisition boundaries of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge and Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge complex. The project preserves several key habitats for high priority species, such as the saltmarsh sparrow: the only land bird in the eastern U.S. with a range restricted to salt marsh habitat. Along with the high quality habitat for these birds and hundreds of other species, the also provides for upland migration of salt marshes as sea levels continue to rise.

Other Maine Coastal Refuge project partners include the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, Biddeford Pool Land Trust, Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, private landowners, Friends of Maine’s Seabird Islands, Ducks Unlimited, and Trust for Public Land.