Support Fish and Wildlife Connectivity –
Support Maine’s PGP

The U.S. Army Corps is revising Maine’s programmatic permit to ensure that stream crossings (most commonly culverts) are properly sized and designed in order to allow fish and wildlife to move in and along the stream.

Culverts that are too small or poorly installed keep fish and other water dependent animals from moving, which they must do to find food, mates and shelter. Fragmentation of habitat due to improperly sized culverts is a significant problem.

• The State of Maine is currently developing its own set of rules addressing fish and aquatic organism passage at stream crossings.
• Adoption of the Army Corps permit will strengthen our position at the state level for passing consistent rules and will add an extra level of protection.
• The proposed permit has been developed to ensure that culverts and bridges span the entire width of a stream plus a little extra to account for higher flow events, to allow water dependent wildlife to move along the shore, and to retain the natural ecology and morphology of the stream.
• Culverts are typically installed when a road crosses a stream. Culverts that are too small or poorly installed keep fish and other water dependent animals from moving, which they must do to find food, mates and shelter. Large numbers of culverts prevent fish from moving. In the lower Penobscot River a recent survey found 91% of the 533 crossings hampered fish movement. The same pattern has been found in other watersheds.
• Installing properly sized culverts will prevent costly road washouts. Investing in properly sized crossings now will save taxpayer dollars in the long run.
• Maine’s wildlife resources are critical for Maine’s economy and quality of life. The value of our natural environment is Maine’s brand and draw to the rest of the world.

Your Advocacy Makes a Difference

Please send comments in support of the Maine General Permit (NAE-2010-00322) by August 5 to:

Greg Penta
Regulatory Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
696 Virginia Rd.
Concord, MA 01742-2751

or gregory.r.penta@usace.army.mil

For more information, contact Jenn Burns Gray at 207-781-6180 ext. 224 or jgray@maineaudubon.org