As a wildlife biologist, I’ve spent my career working to protect vulnerable species, including migratory birds. Now retired, I’ve found Maine the perfect place to enjoy a variety of species that I care so much about personally and professionally. Common loons, rusty blackbirds and bald eagles frequent our property on Moosehead Lake, which my wife and I have owned for 30 years, and a diversity of songbirds make regular appearances on walks near our home in Brunswick. Sadly, bird numbers and species diversity have declined region-wide, some precipitously.

In recent years, critical funding for fish and wildlife protection has lagged, including for the federal Endangered Species Act. I encourage Rep. Chellie Pingree, chair of the House Appropriations Environment Subcommittee, to support more robust funding for the Endangered Species Act in the fiscal 2023 appropriations bill so the species we appreciate today thrive for generations to come.

The Endangered Species Act is credited with preventing dozens of species from being completely lost. Biodiversity and good-quality habitat, made possible in part by the Endangered Species Act, are environmental necessities and important for Mainers, including natural resource-based businesses.

While I and many others in Maine take pleasure in observing the variety of species, their presence is no accident. The Endangered Species Act has been an effective and important tool in preventing species loss, and it must be adequately funded to achieve its full potential. I urge Rep. Pingree to increase funding for the Endangered Species Act in the fiscal 2023 budget. Investing in the Endangered Species Act is an investment in our future.

Albert Manville
Brunswick