Finding — and Protecting — Common Ground

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Akey to the health of Maine’s forests is the water that runs through them. Maine’s forest waterways support both saltwater and freshwater species of fish, including Atlantic salmon and brook trout. But structures like dams and culverts can block fish passage and starve forests of the natural processes that healthy rivers and streams provide.

At the same time, strengthening forest roadway infrastructure benefits the forest economy, as improved road-stream crossings reduce long-term road-maintenance costs and withstand increasingly volatile storm flows. The return of healthier rivers and streams and a stronger forest economy in turn benefits local communities.

Now, unconventional partners are finding common ground to protect these waterways. Since 90 percent of Maine’s forests are privately owned, partnerships are critical to the stewardship of nature. That is why Wabanaki Tribes, conservation organizations, the timber industry, and other partners have joined together to restore Maine’s vital forest arteries.

Federal funding helps support this collaboration. Thanks to a pair of unprecedented laws passed in recent years, the possibility of expanding this collaboration has grown. The bipartisan federal infrastructure law passed by Congress in 2021 and the climate-focused Inflation Reduction Act the following year unlocked billions of dollars in tax breaks and other incentives to conserve our natural resources, including here in Maine.

This funding is supporting efforts like the Maine Aquatic Connectivity Restoration Project, which has brought together public and private partners to restore 265 miles of Maine waters while improving the economic activity in the surrounding forests. Projects like these reconnect rivers and streams, allowing native fish species access to cool, rocky-bottom habitat.

Mainers know how to care for the state’s lands and waters, and how to work together to do so. The possibility to expand this work, thanks to vital funding and fruitful partnerships, will mean a healthy, sustainable, and thriving future for Maine’s great outdoors for generations to come.