<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style type="text/css" style="display:none;"> P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} </style>
</head>
<body dir="ltr">
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service</span><o:p style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </o:p><br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
Like many of the bridges you will find crossing small rivers and streams across America, the old bridge across
<i>Jellison Meadow Brook</i> was built with only the movement of people in mind. The culverts beneath the bridge were meant to carry water and wildlife beneath the crossing. But they were undersized and raised, preventing fish and other aquatic species from
being able to travel upstream.<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
<br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
Manmade barriers to the movement of flora and fauna can have negative impacts across an entire ecosystem. Jellison Brook is one piece of an intricate network of waterways in central Hancock County, ME. This particular crossing was a pinch point for the 7000-acre
watershed just upstream. Frenchman Bay Conservancy knew the crossing needed to be replaced and found the resources they needed through the RCPP Program.<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
<br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
The <a href="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/me/programs/farmbill/rcpp/?cid=nrcseprd1344036" title="https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/me/programs/farmbill/rcpp/?cid=nrcseprd1344036">
Maine Aquatic Connective Restoration Project</a> is a partnership between the<a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/maine/" title="https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/maine/"> Maine Nature Conservancy</a>
and NRCS who provided $7M and $6M in financial support respectively. The project aims to restore some of the areas highest-value aquatic networks from habitat fragmentation and degradation caused by road-stream crossings. The Jellison Brook crossing was a
perfect fit for this project.<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:16.8pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-top:6.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:24.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">*Link to article: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/programs/financial/rcpp/?cid=nrcseprd1786424</span><o:p style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>