WHO: Conservation commissioners, planning board members, other municipal board members, municipal staff, community volunteers
WHAT: An introductory webinar about the importance of properly sized and placed culverts for habitat and other conservation values, and an introduction to the Maine Stream Habitat Viewer
WHEN: Tuesday, April 28, 2020, 3:30 - 5 p.m. (Note: This webinar will be recorded, for those who can't join us at this time)
COST: Free of charge, but you must register.
Many culverts (and bridges) allow streams and the wildlife that they support to pass freely under them, but incorrectly sized, poorly placed, or damaged culverts can impact aquatic habitat, connectivity, and community safety. Fortunately, efforts are underway to improve road-stream crossings. The goal of the Stream Smart program is to connect fish and wildlife habitat while protecting roads and public safety and to prepare for the large and frequent storm events that have been washing out roads around the state. Coastal roads, which serve as critical infrastructure in many coastal communities, usually have negative impacts for adjacent salt marshes. Replacement of tidal culverts is complex, and guidelines for doing so are in an earlier stage of development. Learn more about these programs, and also get an introduction to the Maine Stream Habitat Viewer in this free webinar.
Presenters:
- Matt Craig, Habitat Program Manager, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership
- Sarah Haggerty, Conservation Biologist/GIS Manager, Maine Audubon
- Heather Huntt, Project Manager, Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District
Webinar participants will be introduced to tidal culverts, their impact on tidal marshes, complexities and considerations when replacing tidal culverts, and examples of successful tidal culvert replacements around Casco Bay.
You will also learn about the importance of the right culverts for aquatic connectivity, habitat, and community resilience, as well why and how to implement a Stream Smart road crossing in your community.
You will get a chance to try out a great digital map resource, called the Maine Stream Habitat Viewer, which allows you to find out about important fish habitats and barriers to stream connectivity in your community.
Finally, you will learn about and gain access to guidance documents, resources, videos and contact information on technical assistance and funding.
AICP credits pending.
FREE! Register above via Eventbrite. We will send out a link to the webinar to registrants later in the month.
If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Victoria Boundy (victoria.boundy@maine.edu).
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