Project Description
To compensate for injuries and interim losses sustained by marine birds, the Julie N Oil Spill Natural Resource Trustees transferred $50,000 in settlement funds to the non-profit Maine Coast Heritage Trust (MCHT) to purchase a perpetual conservation easement on Ragged Island. Located about four miles offshore in Casco Bay, the 75-acre Ragged Island was identified as a nationally significant nesting island recommended by state and federal agencies for permanent protection. The island provides important migratory, foraging, and roosting habitat for shorebirds and wading birds, as well as wintering habitat for purple sandpiper, American black duck, common eider, and other waterfowl. Ragged Island also provides important habitat for nesting guillemots, osprey, and Canada geese. It is one of the most important islands in coastal Maine for nesting eiders due to the high number of nesting birds each year and its remote location that minimizes the potential for disturbance by recreational users and limits potential mammalian predators from reaching the island.
Parties Implementing Restoration
Maine Coast Heritage Trust
DOI Project Representatives
Fish and Wildlife Service