B.12. MAINE ACTION PLAN FOR MANAGING INVASIVE AQUATIC SPECIES 
B.12.1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF MAINE’S PLAN 
Maine’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Management Plan was written by Dominie 
Consulting and the technical subcommittee of the Interagency Task Force on Invasive Aquatic 
Plans and Nuisance Species and published in October 2002 (available at 
http://www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/topic/invasives/invplan02.pdf) . The Management Plan 
emphasizes prevention, followed by control and mitigation for AIS that cannot be prevented. 
The Management Plan also includes education measures to improve AIS prevention and 
management, as well as an Advisory List of AIS that identifies pathways and threats. Maine’s 
Plan places identified AIS in management categories that prioritize actions for species, 
including: prevention and eradication, selective control and/or impact management, no action, 
and dispute resolution. Specific management tasks and implementation timetables are included 
in the Management Plan. 
B.12.2. CLIMATE CHANGE AND AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES IN MAINE 
Increases in annual air temperatures in the Northeastern region of the United States are 
projected to average 9.5°F (5.3°C) by 2070. Nearly all model simulations of future precipitation 
show increases in winter precipitation (11 to 14% by 2100) and no change to a decrease in 
summer rainfall. Regional sea surface temperatures are anticipated to increase with regional air 
temperatures; increasing temperatures have the potential to expand the range of warm water 
species northward and permit AIS expansion into previously colder waters (Hayhoe et al., 2007). 
Maine’s freshwater systems are relatively remote and currently face less of a threat from 
AIS than do its marine ecosystems, which are linked to the Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence 
Seaway and experience Gulf Stream currents. As waters warm and ocean currents change with 
climate change, Maine’s fresh and marine waters could become more vulnerable to AIS. For 
example, species that cannot overwinter may become able to survive with warmer waters. In 
addition, species that previously never entered Maine’s waters could now arrive in the state as 
conditions change. Recreational boating also may increase with warmer temperatures thereby 
introducing additional species not found in the state at this time, such as the water chestnut. 
B.12.3. THE MAINE PLAN’S CURRENT INTEGRATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE 
Table B-l 1 summarizes how the Maine Action Plan for Managing Invasive Aquatic 
Species incorporates the projected effects of climate change. Maine’s Plan acknowledges that 
the spread of AIS can be accelerated by climate change; however, the Plan’s prevention, control, 
and monitoring strategies do not reflect this consideration. 
B-44 
