Maine Water Conference 2019Amanda Shearin, Habitat Outreach CoordinatorSgt. Tim Spahr, Maine Warden ServiceMaine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Wildlife Conservation Actions for a Changing Climate

We Manage the Full Extent of Inland Species

How Many ‘Inland’ Species Do We Manage?

Invertebrates (15,000)

Amphibians (18)

Birds (423)

Fish (39)

Mammals (61)

Reptiles (17)

Less than 100 of these species are hunted or fished

Maine’s 2015-2025 Wildlife Action Plan

http://www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/reports/MWAP2015.html

2014 Vulnerability Assessment: Key Findings

• Vulnerable habitats– Montane forests, alpine,

peatlands, coastal, coldwater

• Vulnerable species– 1/3 at-risk species highly

vulnerable

• Recommendations– Conserve biodiverse

habitats and connections among them

– Consider climate vulnerability in species status assessments

Whitman, A., A. Cutko, P. deMaynadier, S. Walker, B. Vickery, S. Stockwell, and R. Houston. 2013. Climate Change and Biodiversity in Maine: Vulnerability of Habitats and Priority Species. Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences (in collaboration with Maine Beginning with Habitat Climate Change Working Group) Report SEI-2013-03. 96 pp. Brunswick, Maine.

Priority 1Highest Priority≥ 2 Criteria

Priority 2High Priority≥ 2 Criteria

Priority 3Medium Priority≥ 1 Criteria

Risk of extirpation All other state or federal ESA spp. Global vulnerability

Recent significant declines Global vulnerability State special concern

Regional Endemic State special concern Recent significant declines

High regional conservation priority Regional endemic Regional endemic

High regional conservation priority

High regional conservation priority

High climate change vulnerability

High climate change vulnerability

Historical Understudied rare taxa

Historical

Cultural conservationconcern

Revised Criteria for At-risk Species

Action Plan: 378 At-Risk Species

Images by USFWS, Audubon, NH Fish and Game

One-third affected by climate change

Key Stressors: Climate Change, Invasive Species, Roads, Fragmentation

Images by UConn, DMR

Maine’s Top Species Stressors

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Lack

of kn

owled

ge

Habita

t Shif

ting o

r Alte

ration

Fishin

g & H

arves

t of A

q. Re

sour

ces

Agricu

ltura

l & Fo

restr

y Effl

uent

s

Tempe

ratu

re Ex

tremes

Invas

ive Sp

ecies

& D

iseas

es

Indus

trial

& Milit

ary E

fflue

nts

Housin

g &

Urban

Area

s

Recre

ation

al Acti

vities

Road

s & R

ailro

ads

No.

Spe

cies

Maine’s Top Habitat Stressors

05

10152025303540

Invas

ive Sp

ecies

& D

iseas

es

Habita

t Shif

ting o

r Alte

ration

Road

s & R

ailro

ads

Housin

g &

Urban

Area

s

Commer

cial &

Indu

strial

Are

as

Recre

ation

al Acti

vities

Domes

tic &

Urb

an W

aste

Water

Indus

trial

& Milit

ary E

fflue

nts

Agricu

ltura

l & Fo

restr

y Effl

uent

s

Utility

& Servi

ce Li

nes

No.

Hab

itat

s

Taking Action: Species

Taking Action: Habitats

Wells Reserve

Taking Action: Connectivity

Connectivity in Action

MaineDOT

Planning Assistance Tools

BeginningwithHabitat.org

A Greater Shared Awareness

Images by BDN

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Invertebrates Birds Fish Mammals Reptiles Amphibians

No.

SGC

N

Priority 1: 58 spp.Priority 2: 131 spp.Priority 3: 189 spp.

2005 SGCN: 213

2015 SWAP: 378 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)

<1% 31% 15% 26% 48% 22%