USFWS grant is the go-ahead for Maine wildlife management area

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will finally be able to establish its planned wildlife management area thanks to a $962,000 Coastal Wetlands grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Once established, the planned Pleasant Bay Wildlife Management Area will cover 2.6 miles of Maine’s coast, acting as a buffer for the Pleasant River estuary and creating intertidal wetlands. This will include 280 acres of tidal salt marshes and 300 acres of freshwater wetlands. The management area will also include maritime forests and high bluffs and cliffs. The area is rich in natural wildlife, boasting three breeding pairs of bald eagles, peregrine falcons, black bears, otters, beavers, migratory shorebirds and clams. The area will have public access where visitors can partake in a variety of seasonal activities like harvesting clams, snow-shoeing, skiing, kayaking and hiking.

Image credit: Pleasant River Wildlife Foundation