Maine Endangered Species Program
Welcome to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Endangered Species Program. Here you can find lists of the endangered and threatened fish and wildlife of Maine, information on each of the listed species, the Maine Endangered Species Act and how species become listed, Essential Habitat protection, and current Essential Habitat regulatory maps.
Recommended Changes to Maine's Endangered and Threatened Species List PDF
To view PDF documents, you will need the free Adobe Reader. If you need assistance, view our PDF Help page, e-mail us or call us at (207) 287-8000.
Introduction
The Maine Endangered Species Act was passed by the Maine Legislature in 1975 due to concern that various species of fish and wildlife were in danger of disappearing from the State. This act provides the foundation for Maine's Endangered Species Program. Authority to oversee implementation of the Act resides with the Commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The history of the Act includes legislative creation of the Endangered and Nongame Wildlife Fund, which provides core funding for the Program through voluntary donations via an income tax check-off (the "chickadee check-off") and the "loon license plate", as well as direct contributions. Additional funding support comes from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and competitive grants.
As of 1997, 49 species of fish and wildlife are listed as endangered or threatened in Maine, either under Maine's Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Endangered Species Act, or both. While the federal Endangered Species Act looks at species status from a national or range-wide perspective, Maine's act is concerned only about species disappearing from within Maine. The purpose of Maine's Endangered Species Act is to insure that our native species continue to survive in Maine. (The Maine Endangered Species Act applies only to animals - plants are not included in the legislation. The Maine Natural Areas Program maintains an "official" list of rare and endangered plants in Maine.)
Managing and keeping track of Maine's rare and endangered species of wildlife is a challenging task and involves the cooperation of many private groups, government agencies, colleges and universities, landowners and individuals. Our efforts in Maine are also tied into national and regional networks of similar programs in other states. Two of the primary programs are the Natural Heritage Network and the Northeast Endangered Species and Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee. We have included a list of other agencies and groups working to conserve rare Maine fauna and flora. Progress of Maine's Endangered Species Program is reported annually in the Department's annual Wildlife Division Research and Management Report. Because the report is updated annually, the Research and Management Report may have more up-to-date information than is reported here. The report also contains a great deal more information about other Wildlife Division research and management.
Please note: All photos and artwork on this site are the property of the photographers and should not be copied or used elsewhere without their permission.
