WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today announced that the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will receive $564,939 to support conservation and stewardship for vulnerable and at-risk Maine species. The funding was awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State Wildlife Grant (SWG) Program and will go towards Maine’s Wildlife Action Plan that works to evaluate the health of wildlife populations and identify opportunities to conserve species and vital habitats.

“Maine’s wildlife carries immense cultural and economic significance to our state, and it is crucial that we do everything we can to protect our threatened and endangered species before it is too late,” said Senators Collins and King. “From bumblebees to Blanding’s turtles, this funding will accelerate the recovery of vulnerable species and help conserve the habitats on which they depend. We look forward to seeing the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife use this federal funding to protect our state for current and future generations.”

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will use the federal funding to evaluate, study, and conserve Maine’s vulnerable species. It will build on current Department projects, like those to conserve butterfly, flower fly, and bumblebee populations, and improve the availability of nesting habitats for endangered freshwater turtles.

This year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will distribute $56.5 million to state fish and wildlife agencies throughout the country through the SWG Program. The SWG Program aims to recover endangered species and help prevent others from listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This funding comes nearly 50 years after the passage of the ESA, which has been critical in protecting Maine’s imperiled wildlife and fish.

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