By Jane Eberle
Representative, House District 123 (South Portland/Cape Elizabeth)
    Rowing my shell on Great Pond in Belgrade at sunset, a dragonfly lands on my shoulder—that means good luck...! A bald eagle sitting on a branch high in a tree, scornfully disdainful of a few pestering crows, spreads his great wings and lifts off the branch to soar off into the sky.... Watching piping plovers and least terns nesting on our beaches in the summer, and delighting at the sight of Atlantic puffins and razorbills out on our islands...
    This is the legacy of Maine’s Endangered Species Act: creatures that were at risk of extinction from Maine but now are recognizing a strengthening of their numbers and protection of their habitat, from the smallest insect to the largest mammals.
    In 1975, due to concerns that various species of fish and wildlife were in danger of disappearing from our state, Maine passed the Endangered Species Act. It establishes clear state policy to conserve all species of animal and the ecosystems they need to survive. The Maine Legislature will vote this session on whether to approve additions to Maine’s list of threatened and endangered species.
    Wildlife biologist and author Dr. Mark McCollough wrote, “Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s mandate, therefore, is to protect all the state’s wildlife–charismatic and unpopular, predators and pollinators, invertebrates and vertebrates, species at the edge of their range, or species naturally dispersing into the state. All have inherent ecological and evolutionary value. Each species has its own unique genetic legacy. Each species functions as a cog in the wheel of working ecosystems. Wildlife also has cultural and esthetic value and has in important role in our state’s history and economy. Simply put, wildlife is essential to the quality of life we enjoy in the Pine Tree State. Each time we lose a species, we are a poorer society, and the integrity of our ecological systems is diminished.”
    His words also answer the question some ask: Why bother? Why is it so important to save an insect from extinction?
    The criteria for listing are explained on the IF&W website: Determination of a species’ status as endangered or threatened is based on the species’ probability of extinction from Maine. To insure an objective biological basis for listing, regulations adopted in 1994 (after public hearings and discussions) specify that to evaluate a species’ risk of extinction, biologists must measure the population’s viability, size, trend, distribution, and fragmentation, as well as endemism (whether the species occurs only in Maine).
    Currently Maine’s endangered and threatened species lists 33 animals, including the golden eagle, bald eagle, harlequin duck, peregrine falcon, roseate tern, black racer snake, Blandings turtle, swamp darter fish, twilight moth, as well as dragonflies, mayflies, mussels, and more.  Proposed species currently being considered by the Legislature for listing include the least bittern, redfin pickerel, New England cottontail, Barrow’s goldeneye, and the short eared owl.
    You can find out more about Maine’s endangered and threatened species from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website (www.maine.gov/ifw) and Maine Audubon (www.maineaudubon.org).
    Maine has a rich wildlife and natural resources heritage. We strive continually to balance the needs of our human and animal populations and protect our precious common ecosystems. Why bother? The answer is soaring on wings over our head and swimming in a forest pond.
    Rep. Eberle is in her second term in the Maine House of Representatives. She serves on the Natural Resources Committee and the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.