Conserving Vernal Pools through Collaborative Local Initiatives
Abstract l Updates & Additional Materials
Principal Investigator
Partners
- Dr. Sally Stockwell, Maine Audubon Society
- Raquel Goodrich, Maine Natural Areas Program
- Evan Richert, Town Planner, Orono
Stakeholders
- Dr. Phillip deMaynadier, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
- Andrew Fisk, Maine Department of Environmental Protection
- Orono Land Trust
Abstract
Significant Vernal Pools (pools meeting specific biological criteria for pool-breeding biota) will be regulated by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in collaboration with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIFW) in September, 2007. The DEP does not have the personnel to handle the demand for vernal pool assessments or to monitor permits once they have been granted. The most efficient and cost-effective way to ensure the long-term viability of our vernal pool resources is through local planning initiatives that move management from a reactive crisis mode to a proactive planning mode. The Investigator and a Master’s student will work with officials and citizens in Orono, Maine, to inventory and assess its vernal pool resources (using trained citizen scientists) and will help the Town to build a natural resources database, including vernal pools, using NatureServe software Vista. At the termination of the project, the Orono will have a GIS database of its vernal pool resources and the option to incorporate other planning layers into the Vista software in order to aid in conservation and development planning. The vernal pool data layer will also be shared with the DIFW for the Beginning with Habitat database for towns. Beginning with Habitat (BwH) is a state-federal-NGO partnership program that brings current data and information about high value plant and animal habitat to towns across the State so they can better plan for both growth and habitat protection. The PI and student will work with the town planner and manager to develop conservation initiatives through ordinances or other tools in the comprehensive planning process.
Project Updates & Additional Materials
Project Background and Summary (8/2008):
Vernal pools are small seasonal wetlands that fill with spring rains and generally dry down by the summer’s end. They are critical breeding habitat for species adapted to life in temporary waters, including fairy shrimp, spotted and blue spotted salamanders, and wood frogs, and provide food to upland wildlife as well. Because of their small size and ephemeral nature, vernal pools are often overlooked by regulatory agencies and are rapidly being filled for development. As a result, vernal pools are among the most threatened wetland type in the northeastern US. While a number of northeastern states have been proactive in their attempt to maintain the functional value of vernal pools, the Maine legislature was the first to recognize a subset of vernal pools (Significant Vernal Pools) as Significant Wildlife Habitat, a status that allows both the pool to be protected and a portion of the adjacent upland habitat as well. As of September 2007, pools that meet certain biological criteria (based on egg mass abundance of key species and presence of listed species) are deemed to provide Significant Wildlife Habitat and as such are regulated under the Maine Natural Resource Protection Act. The state is unable to pre-map these resources, so it is incumbent upon private landowners to determine if they harbor Significant Vernal Pools prior to developing their land.
The most efficient and cost-effective way to ensure the long-term viability of vernal pool resources is through local planning initiatives that move management from a reactive crisis mode to a proactive planning mode. The intention of this project is to work with citizenry and town officials in Orono, Maine, to inventory and assess vernal pool resources using trained citizen scientists, and to encourage the Town to incorporate vernal pools into a natural resource database for conservation planning purposes. Since we started this project, six additional towns, influenced by the State legislation, have contacted us for help in proactively mapping their vernal pools. Given our limited resources, it became clear that our project should expand its purpose to include development of a Maine Municipal Guide to Vernal Pool Conservation designed to provide pertinent information on vernal pool ecology and the process of using citizen scientists to map and assess pools. This Guide will also outline options for using a vernal pool data layer in conjunction with other spatial data layers to initiate conversations about natural resource planning. Feedback from the towns (Scarborough, Orono, Brunswick, Wayne) that are currently working with us will provide guidance in developing this document.
Publications:
Vernal pool information sheet for towns (pdf format)
Reference Materials:
Oscason, Damon B. and Aram J.K. Calhoun. Developing Vernal Pool Conservation Plans at the Local Level Using Citizen Scientists. Wetlands, Vol. 27, No. 1, March 2007, pp. 80-95. © 2007, The Society of Wetland Scientists.
News Articles
Bangor Daily News Article 4/2/2008)
Orono, Veazie Eager to Map Vernal Pools
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