PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 12, 2020
Maine rivers – and the fish swimming in them – have always been at the heart of our state’s identity. Today, whole communities and economies revolve around our rivers and our fisheries, relying on the health of a dozen species that travel back and forth between the river and the sea. There’s good news. Restoring the Penobscot River in 2016 increased access to over 2,000 miles of fish habitat; in the following years, river herring numbers grew from a few hundred to nearly 3 million and continue to climb. Thanks to efforts in local communities, the past few years have also brought valuable river restoration along the Sebasticook, Sheepscot, Damariscotta and other coastal rivers. Support restoration of our vital rivers. After all, their health is our health. ~ Molly Payne Wynne and Joshua Royte, The Nature Conservancy in Maine