Operational Plan for the Restoration of Diadromous Fishes to the ...

River Restoration Trust (PRRT or Trust) has worked tirelessly on the Penobscot
River Restoration Project (PRRP).
29.4. Monitor and evaluate socio-cultural and economic interactions that
contribute to and that occur as a result of ecosystem based fisheries
management
The socio-economic processes of restoration have not traditionally been researched
or addressed fully although a recent effort was attempted to assess these processes
in regard to Atlantic salmon. A top priority is to attempt to re-engage the public in
the recovery efforts in the basin, because apathy is a threat to recovery. The
awareness, cooperation and participation of stakeholders, landowners, NGOs, public
agencies, municipalities, and the general public are essential for restoration.
Programs targeted at re-connecting people to the fish through a better
understanding of the life history, habitat needs, economics, and importance to the
people of Maine as well as the goals and objectives of recovery are crucial.
29.5 and 29.6 Improve communication among government groups and
improve regulatory and management policies
The Interagency Technical Committee (task 26.1) is one mechanism to improve
communication amongst the fisheries agencies. There is a need to increase
communication with the other natural resources agencies such as the Departments
of Transportation, Conservation, Environmental Protection and the State Planning
Office. Task 20.1.5 is a mechanism to increase communication about connectivity
and passage issues.
29.7. Develop a strategy to document land use changes in the Penobscot
River
Connecting land use changes to potential changes in habitat quality within the river
system and understanding how those changes affect aquatic resources is important.
30.1. Participate in the Diadromous Species Restoration Research Network
DSRRN, a collaborative effort to catalyze science, resource management, and
outreach, in 2008 kick off a five year, NSF-funded networking effort focused on the
study of questions fundamental to diadromous fish ecology and restoration. The
strength of this project is its integration with the Penobscot River Restoration Project
(Maine), the most ambitious restoration effort ever proposed for a watershed of this
size. The Penobscot River Restoration Project has the potential to restore a diverse
community of fishes with important commercial and recreational value. A project of
this size has numerous stakeholders, including local towns and cities, non-profit
organizations, an Indian tribe, state and federal agencies and academics. A critical
objective of the Network is to facilitate and encourage constructive interactions
between local, regional and international diadromous fish scientists and the local
stakeholders with the ultimate goal of promoting state-of-the-art scientific
approaches to multiple species restoration on a watershed scale. The DSRRN will
conduct a series of science meetings, workshops and local networking to
accomplish these goals, and invite the participation of any member of the ecological
PRFP Page 113