AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in conjunction with a broad spectrum of partner organizations, has created a draft state wildlife action plan that is now posted on the department’s website and open for public comment.

Maine’s 2015 Wildlife Action Plan identifies practical and voluntary opportunities to conserve Maine’s most vulnerable fish and wildlife, while emphasizing that landowner and public participation is essential for wildlife conservation.

The draft is available online until Aug. 12 and can be viewed at www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/reports/MWAP2015.html.

The draft is a collaboration of IFW and 102 conservation partners — representatives from federal, state, local, tribal and public organizations — who over the past 18 months have identified species and habitats in the greatest need of conservation, the factors negatively impacting these species and their habitats, and potential conservation opportunities that citizens, partner organizations and agencies could undertake to address these issues.

The partners completed their review in June, and based upon their feedback, IFW, with state agency partners prepared the first draft of the action plan, which will help guide the conservation of rare and vulnerable fish and wildlife for 10 years.

States must have an approved Wildlife Action Plan to be eligible to participate in the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) program, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

The USFWS approved Maine’s initial Wildlife Action Plan in the summer of 2005. Since then, Maine has accomplished over 50 research, management and conservation projects, benefiting brook trout, rare freshwater mussels, dragonflies, migrant birds such as Bicknell’s Thrush and Black-throated blue Warbler, and globally rare species, such as the Tomah mayfly. Puffins, wood turtles, Atlantic sturgeon, little brown bats and bumble bees are also recognizable species that have benefited from Maine’s Wildlife Action Plan.

IFW must submit the updated action plan to the USFWS by October 2015 for Maine to remain eligible for SWG funds.

For more information, contact Mark Latti, IFW Outreach and Communications, at 287-5216 or 592-1339 (cell). Latti can also be reached by sending an email to [email protected].