SUN JOURNAL • March 2, 2021
This year, the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee is considering a bill that would allow the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to consider the impact on wildlife when asked to issue a permit for high-speed boat races on Maine lakes. Doing so, supporters said, would allow the department to ensure “reasonable precautions” are taken to safeguard wildlife and water quality. Maine Audubon’s annual loon count last year found 2,974 adult birds, 154 fewer than in 2019 and 295 fewer than in 2018, a decline it called noteworthy. “We believe all boating must take place in a manner that also protects the health and well-being of water quality, wildlife and wildlife habitat,” Susan Gallo, executive director of Maine Lakes told lawmakers this week. “And we know we can have both. But we can’t necessarily have both on every lake.”