Beginning with Habitat (BwH) helps Maine municipalities, landowners, and land trusts build habitat conservation into their long-term plans.
The program was created in 2000 to collect, connect, and consolidate the wealth of habitat information being produced by separate federal, state, and local agencies as well as non-governmental organizations.
From our office within the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, we create comprehensive packages for each Maine municipality which include multi-layer maps, information about native habitats, and localized conservation strategies. We also provide technical assistance to help planners, land trusts, and private developers put the data to use.
Ultimately, this empowers decision-makers to guide growth in such a way that 50 years from now Maine’s quality of place, including fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, and outdoor recreation – and all the economic activity it brings to our state – will endure.