Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) announces a federal grant to help preserve over 90 acres at Woodward Point in Brunswick. The funding for this project comes U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coast Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.
“I’m thrilled to announce that Maine will be receiving $570,000 to preserve over 90 acres of the pristine Woodward Point in Brunswick to boost coastal resilience. Thanks to the Coastal Wetland Conservation Program, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other state and local partnerships, this area of northern Casco Bay will be capable of supporting hiking, paddling, picnicking, hunting, and shellfish harvesting for generations to come”.
More information regarding the project from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
Woodward Point Wetlands Conservation -
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in partnership with the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, will acquire 96 acres of important wetlands and buffering uplands at Woodward Point in Brunswick, Maine. The area located in northern Casco Bay is a designated estuary of national significance and cradles all or part of two commercially important shellfish beds. It provides high-quality habitat for migratory birds, fish and other wildlife and will protect important areas for fish and shellfish. The site contains 42.8 acres of nationally decreasing or stable coastal wetlands, including 3.82 acres of fringing salt marsh, 38.12 acres of mud flats and 53.4 upland acres of fields, woods and a pond. There is also 1,600 feet of tributary streams that drain into Woodward Cove and intertidal habitats. The mudflats in the project area consistently produce some of the highest shellfish landings in the Casco Bay region. The conservation of the Woodward Point parcel will protect the long-term viability of the mud flats both from an ecological and economic standpoint. Federal and state listed species that can benefit include the Northern long-eared bat, rusty patched bumble bee, black-crowned night heron, peregrine falcon and Barrow’s goldeneye. The project will also create opportunities for recreational uses, such as exploring and learning about coastal wetlands habitats.
