BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 22, 2021
When we protect the piping plover, it’s not just the plovers we protect. Protecting a federally threatened species such as piping plovers means not only protecting the birds themselves, but also safeguarding the habitat they need. Healthy beaches for plovers, in turn, benefit a suite of other species, including human visitors. The Endangered Species Act may seem like a targeted approach for few species, but its implementation has much broader benefits for Maine’s biodiversity and anyone who enjoys Maine’s spectacular beaches. ~ Laura Zitske, Maine Audubon’s Coastal Birds Project