Welcome to the Maine Field Office Website. Our goal here is to provide you with information about what your U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Maine Ecological Services Office is doing for you and for the fish and wildlife in our area of responsibility, the State of Maine.

Latest News

logo that shows a silhouette of a bighorn sheet and bird going up the side of a mountain with the text "Endangered Species Athletics"
Wildlife Wonders
Endangered Species Athletics
The premier summer sporting event of 2024 is here – the Endangered Species Athletics competition! From July 20-July 27, 2024, 16 listed species from across the United States went feather-to-fin and leaf-to-paw in four virtual events: swimming, climbing, track and strength.
Desert Tortoise walking in the desert
Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Athletics 2024 Track
We know “fast” can be achieved on land, in water and by air, so the Endangered Species Athletics Track event accommodates species with feathers, fins, hooves, paws and toes. These athletes have learned to maintain a steady speed while avoiding obstacles, persisting through challenging conditions...
Lynx Walking
Endangered Species Act
Canada lynx draft recovery plan available for public review & comment
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public input on a draft recovery plan for the lower 48 distinct population segment of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), informed by an updated species status assessment.
A plant with small tube-like yellow flowers on a long stem
Endangered Species Act
Furbish’s Lousewort, One of the First Federally Protected Plants, Now Faces a Lower Risk of Extinction
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is announcing the final decision to downlist the Furbish’s lousewort from endangered to threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. The status change is a milestone for the perennial plant, which was one of the first to be protected under the ESA.
A plant with small tube-like yellow flowers on a long stem
Endangered Species Act
Forest products company protects majority of habitat for federally protected plant in Maine
The Maine Natural Areas Program, Environment Canada and members of the forest products industry have taken proactive conservation measures to protect one of the first plant species listed under the Endangered Species Act
Rufa red knot feeding along with other shorebirds
Endangered Species Act
Service finalizes recovery plan for threatened rufa red knot
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has finalized a recovery plan for the rufa red knot, a subspecies listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
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About Us

forest in Maine
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Maine hosts exceptional biodiversity due to a number of factors, including a wide range of latitude, diverse geographic and geologic features, and a variety of natural communities ranging from coastal and southern Appalachian communities to boreal and subarctic communities at the highest latitudes and elevations. Across this diversity of geographies and biological communities, the Maine Ecological Services Field Office is devoted to the conservation and restoration of fish and wildlife and their habitats. As an office within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ecological Services Program, we are responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act, minimizing the impacts of federally licensed, permitted, or funded projects on fish and wildlife resources, identifying and investigating contaminant sources, assisting with conservation project planning, and working with partners to recover and conserve listed species and their habitat throughout Maine. 

What We Do

MEFO biologist on a stream restoration construction site
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The conservation of our nation’s most imperiled species is at the heart of our office’s work. Threatened and endangered species conservation drives what we do, from reviewing federally-funded or authorized projects, to proactively working towards the recovery of listed species. Our work is accomplished through collaboration with partners, including other federal agencies, state wildlife and marine resource agencies, tribes, universities, and non-profit organizations.

Our Organization

Maine Field Office biologists work on a variety of conservation related issues and our work can be classified into a number of different programs within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service including Ecological Services, Endangered Species, Listing and Classification, Partners for Fish and Wildlife, and Conservation Planning Assistance. See the additional pages below for specific information regarding each of these programs.

A rocky shoreline of a river. The water is calm. Mist and green branches line the river.
The Ecological Services Program works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, we work with federal, state, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to...
Program
Baileys Crossroads,VA
Close up of a California condor. Its pink featherless head contrasts with its black feathers.
We provide national leadership in the recovery and conservation of our nation's imperiled plant and animal species, working with experts in the scientific community to identify species on the verge of extinction and to build the road to recovery to bring them back. We work with a range of public...
Program
Baileys Crossroads,VA
A duck flies over a tundra pond.
We use the best scientific information available to determine whether to add a species to (list) or remove from (delist) the federal lists of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. We also determine whether already listed species should be reclassified from threatened to endangered (uplist...
Program
Baileys Crossroads,VA
Partners for Fish and Wildlife: Nevada Coordinator Susan Abele Meets with Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Member to Conduct a Site Visit at Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation
The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program provides free technical and financial assistance to landowners, managers, tribes, corporations, schools and nonprofits interested in improving wildlife habitat on their land. Since 1987, we have helped more than 30,000 landowners to complete more than 50,...
Program
Pronghorn running through sagebrush with natural gas field facility in background.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works collaboratively with other federal agencies, industries, and other stakeholders to achieve infrastructure development goals in ways that are sustainable and compatible with the conservation of fish, wildlife, and their habitats.
Program
Baileys Crossroads,VA

Our Species

The conservation work of our office is primarily focused on the federally listed species that are found throughout the state. Our staff are regional and national experts on a number of federally listed species, including Atlantic salmon, Canada lynx, and Furbish’s lousewort. In addition, our conservation and restoration work often benefits critical habitat of listed species, along with candidate species, and state-listed species.

Projects and Research

Excavator on stream bed creating pool
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Our office is involved in a number of projects working towards recovery of listed species and the conservation of at-risk species. The MEFO Partners for Fish and Wildlife biologist collaborates with private landowners and other partners on projects that restore fish and wildlife habitat. Visit our Projects and Research page to find additional information regarding the current projects biologists at the Maine Field Office are involved in.

Get Involved

pollinator garden with habitat restoration sign
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As a small field office serving the state of Maine, collaboration with partners is a fundamental tenant of our work and allows for more successful conservation. Through project funding and grants, shared research and data, project coordination, and discussion, there are various opportunities to get involved with our office, or one of our many partners.

Location and Contact Information