A Billion Dollar Industry
by Regis Trembly
In previous columns I have been highlighting the value
of fish, wildlife, and our natural resources to the State’s economy.
I have pointed out that birding is increasingly Maine’s number
one “non-consumptive” wildlife pursuit and leads Maine’s $1.3
billion annual Watchable Wildlife economy.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service released the report:
Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic
Analysis that identifies Maine as being the number 2 state in the
nation in terms of participation in this pastime. But, where would
Maine be without its current bird diversity, intact bird habitats,
and public access to key birding locales?
Aside from our Wildlife Management Areas making up
many of the key stops along the Maine Birding Trail, did you
know that bird species make up nearly ½ (103) of Maine’s list
of 213 Species of Greatest Conservation Need as identified in
the Maine State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP)? These include
21 species currently listed as threatened or endangered and 52
designated as special concern. The tracking and conservation of
this number of species is a formidable task that largely rests in the
hands of our 6-member bird group.
Funding for this non-game species work has been a
perpetual challenge and relies on federal State Wildlife Grant
monies made available through the SWAP process. These however
are only available if matched by state sources including loon
license plate revenue, Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund grants, and
the new Maine Birder Band.
Haven’t heard of the Maine Birder Band? Bird banding of
course has been an invaluable tool in American ornithology since
the 1800’s. Birder Bands, however, are the brainchild of a couple
MDIF&W biologists, both birders, who wanted to provide a
mechanism for birders to contribute directly to the Department’s
efforts in bird habitat conservation. Everyone knows that hunters
and anglers pay license fees and taxes on gear which directly pay
for Department game management efforts, but birders?
The idea brought to me by our biologists goes something
like this: birders (or any other willing wildlife conservation
enthusiast) contributing to our non-game and endangered species
fund through the Maine Birder Band program would be issued
an actual goose-sized bird band stamped with the Department
logo and a registration number that they could then attach to
binoculars or other field gear of their choosing.
The Public Information and Education Division of
MDIFW funded an initial trial program this spring with the hope
that birders and others would embrace the idea and maybe even
a trend would start with birders proudly displaying on their neck
strap their commitment to the Department’s bird conservation
efforts.
The Maine Birder Band has been a surprising success
after just 6 months. Certainly this program was never intended as
a moneymaker, but more of a way to demonstrate the willingness
of non-game enthusiasts to contribute to Department efforts and
as a way to build a constituency among resource users with whom
we have traditionally not interacted.
Of course, the money the program has raised will help
us to leverage even more funding for the Bird Groups efforts to
inventory heron colonies, update grasshopper sparrow recovery
plans, investigate rusty blackbird declines, support piping plover
protection efforts, etc.
To date, donations of $20 from all Maine counties
and 19 states have raised more than $6,000 for the Endangered
Species fund. All this without any active promotion or advertising
beyond our own web page and word-of-mouth. Someday birders
may be wearing bands from all the states they have visited and
contributed to. Remember where it all started and if you haven’t
yet received your Maine Birder Band please visit: http://www.
maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/species/endangered_species/birder_
band.htm.
Regis Tremblay is the Director of Public Information and
Education at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.
He can be reached at: [email protected].
WINTER 2010
65