Many of us might have a hard time believing that an animal that "breeds like a rabbit" could become endangered.  The fact that a species, with a high reproductive rate like the New England Cottontail, is endangered begs the question -- if New England's only native cottontail is endangered, what does it say about the status of other wildlife that live in brushy/early successional habitats or the health of the ecosystem in which they live? 

This is the reason on Tuesday September 27 from 6-8 the public is invited to the Scarborough Municipal Building where a meeting will be held with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife biologists. The IFW says that this will be an informational meeting and site visit to discuss creating more habitat for the New England cottontail rabbit, a State Endangered species, as well as other species in the Scarborough Marsh Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The site visit will be on Friday, September 30 that begins at 9 a.m. at the Scarborough Marsh Wildlife Management parking area on the Manson Libby Road across from Black Point Auto.

Re-invigorating cottontail habitats in other part of New England have been very successful (see video below) so why not Maine. According to the MDIFW site, today, New England Cottontails only occupy about 20% of their former range and exist in three populations in Maine:  1) Cape Elizabeth / Scarborough, 2) Wells, and 3) Kittery/York/Elliot.  These populations are not only separated by distance but by a landscape fragmented with roads and unsuitable habitat.  Landscape fragmentation and the physical distance between NEC populations prevent NEC from moving between populations.  Consequently, Maine's NEC populations are losing their genetic diversity and have a high risk of becoming extirpated (locally extinct), unless management actions are taken.

Although New England Cottontails were once a common sight from Kittery to Belfast, as old fields turned to forest, and farmland became developed, habitat for this distinctively New England species diminished and their numbers plummeted. New England cottontails need shrublands and young forests to thrive.

In upland portions of the Scarborough WMA, IFW has been managing for species that benefit from a young, regenerating forest since 2011 when 21 acres of the WMA was cut, and portions of the meadows and fields were left to regenerate to shrublands. Scarborough Marsh is the only IFW management area with documented New England cottontail use.

Within the upland area of the Scarborough Marsh Wildlife Management Area along Manson Libby Road and the Eastern Trail, IFW plans to improve habitat for New England cottontails through the removal of trees in certain portions of the WMA, planting shrubs, and minimizing the spread of invasive plants. The timber removal will occur in January and/or February 2017. The result of the project will be producing young forest habitat that will benefit a number of other species such as cottontails, yellow warblers, eastern towhees, and American woodcock.

My question is why only southern Maine. I can think of many areas close by that might fit the criteria for these precious creatures. If you want to partner with them or have questions they can be contacted with phone number (207) 287-8000 or they can be mailed at: 41 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0041

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