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

Comment: Several people commented that the money needed to carry out this plan
could be better spent.
Response: The missions of DMR, to conserve, manage and restore diadromous fish
populations to Maine’s rivers, and of IFW to conserve, protect and enhance the inland
fisheries and wildlife resources, are the reasons why we developed this plan. No
money has been earmarked for this plan.
Comment: Several people commented that the plan protects most of the resources and
is a balance between protection and restoration and is ambitious, extensive, complete,
ecosystem-based, and holistic.
Response: Thank you
Comment: Many comments were about the PRRP and not the fisheries plan.
Response: There are other avenues to express concerns or support for the PRRP as
the project goes through permitting. All notices regarding this project are placed in
Bangor Daily News.
Recommended Changes to POP
1. More information on the shad model will be added as an appendix
2. The shad and alewife sections will be clarified – particularly that Sebec, Seboeis
and Schoodic are all Phase 3 lakes and to clarify that in basin stocks will be used
first if the funding is available.
3. Staff will have a discussion about the substitution of “safe, timely, and effective”
for efficiency standards in the passage section.
4. The four MOUs will be finalized and added as Appendices
5. Additional references will be added to the habitat section
6. A task will be added to Objective 27 that reads: Develop an outreach strategy
that incorporates the tasks that follow and identifies additional ways to educate
the general public on the benefits and importance of alewife restoration.
7. The pike group will meet and review the habitat model results and use best
professional judgment to re-classify risk to lakes and this will be added to the
plan.
8. We will replace the term “sustainable” with the term “self-sustaining” throughout
the document for clarity and consistency. We will insert this definition for selfsustaining:
“A population that exists in sufficient numbers to replace itself through
time without supplementation with hatchery fish.
9. Work plan tables will be consistent with costs and staff needs
10. Lead authors for each section and appendices
11. Add Atlantic salmon strategic objectives as an Appendix
12. Fix spelling and formatting errors
13. Remove Section 6 as it is internal to DMR
14. Clarify that we will update but not re-write the plan and budget in 5 years
15. The response to comments will be added to the end of the plan.
PRFP Page 353