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Management Plan - National Estuarine Research Reserve System

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on approximately 48,000 acres that encompassesvaried and diverse habitats in Maine’s six southern-mostcoastal zone communities. Over the nextseveral years the MTA2C will continue its effortsto conserve this coastal landscape.Figure XI.7. Braveboat Harbor in Kittery andYork is in the Mount Agamenticus to the Sea acquisitionfocus area.The Wells <strong>Reserve</strong> Stewardship Program providesGeographic Information <strong>System</strong> (GIS), GlobalPositioning <strong>System</strong> (GPS), and other spatialproducts and services to organizations in southernMaine, and in some instances to organizationsin other Gulf of Maine states. The program alsoprovides technical assistance in areas such as policy,natural resource information, and conservation plandevelopment. With this information, organizationsand individuals make better decisions about theconservation of the coastal landscape, prioritizingwhich lands to conserve.The Stewardship Program helped create, and isan ongoing partner in, the Mt. Agamenticus tothe Sea Conservation Initiative (MTA2C), a 10-member coalition of non-profit organizations andgovernmental agencies working together on landscape-scaleconservation. The Coalition focusesThe creation of NOAA’s Coastal and <strong>Estuarine</strong>Land Conservation Program (CELCP) providesWells <strong>Reserve</strong> and its partners with additionalopportunities to protect other high value naturalresources in Maine’s coastal zone communities.The priority lands include those in the MTA2Cfocus area, as well as in the lands in the followingcoastal watersheds and the towns in which theyare located: Spruce Creek and Salmon Falls River(Kittery and Elliot); Josiah River (Ogunquit); theOgunquit River (Ogunquit and Wells); WebhannetRiver and Merriland River (Wells); and BranchBrook (Wells and Kennebunk), the Mousam River(Kennebunk); and Kennebunk River (Kennebunkand Kennebunkport).Habitat RestorationThe Wells <strong>Reserve</strong> is committed to promoting,supporting and evaluating salt marsh restorationin the coastal zone communities throughout theGulf of Maine. Stewardship, research, and educationefforts are integrated in the pursuit of the<strong>Reserve</strong>’s habitat restoration mission. The <strong>Reserve</strong>supports citizen groups to identify restoration sitesand to implement projects. The Wells <strong>Reserve</strong>fulfills a public need for scientific information thatsupports coastal habitat restoration efforts. The<strong>Reserve</strong> works to develop, implement and assessstandardized monitoring and evaluation protocolsfor marsh restoration projects. As the restorationscience database grows, the <strong>Reserve</strong> collaborateswith restoration stakeholders throughout the Gulfof Maine to adaptively manage restored sites, documentsuccess and advance the practice of salt marshrestoration.96 Wells <strong>National</strong> <strong>Estuarine</strong> <strong>Research</strong> <strong>Reserve</strong>

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