PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 5, 2021
Management from biologists and volunteers is what keeps Maine’s seabird islands viable for rare species, but other species also benefit from the protections. In short, we must protect biodiversity. Species depend on each other in uncountable and unknowable ways, as parts of chains and webs and other relationship structures beyond our understanding. Ecosystems in Maine had millions of years to harmonize before humans began upsetting things. Modern conservation is fragmented. One idea gaining traction is for a National Biodiversity Strategy, an overarching directive to guide the work of federal, state and local conservation toward protecting biodiversity by working together to maximize the utility of existing laws. Maine Sens. Collins and King would do well to support that strategy in the Senate. ~ Susan Schubel, National Audubon Seabird Institute