Land conservation deals have been struck, millions of dollars spent and new regulations adopted, but still the number of wild Atlantic salmon returning to Maine’s rivers remains abysmally low. Federal and state biologists have long scratched their heads over the lack of fish despite efforts to improve their habitat and lure them back to Maine. Now, the National Academy of Sciences, asked to study the problem by Maine’s congressional delegation, has come up with an action plan for restoring the fish.

Many of the recommended steps are already being taken. An ambitious plan to remove two dams and modify five others on the Penobscot River was recently unveiled, for example. All of the steps, however, come with hefty prices. A good argument could, and should, be made that the federal government decided these fish were worth saving and now must put up the necessary money to do that. On the West Coast, the federal government spent nearly $180 million in 2000 on four endangered salmon species. It spent a fraction of that on Atlantic salmon last year.

The NAS report is helpful because, for the first time, it went beyond simply listing the threats to prioritizing them. The top priority, according to the panel of scientists who studied the issue for more than two years, is removing dams. This is especially important on the Penobscot River, which while not included in the endangered species listing, has the most potential Atlantic salmon habitat. The NAS report, released Tuesday, should give a boost to a plan by state and federal agencies, the Penobscot Nation and several conservation groups to remove and upgrade dams on the river. The plan, which includes compensation to the dam owner for the decrease in power generation, received high praise from Interior Department head Gale Norton last year. It is time for the federal government to commit funds to this project, which is estimated to cost at least $40 million.

The state is already working on priority item two, liming rivers to negate the impacts of acid deposition. The Baldacci administration has submitted a bill to revise Department of Environmental Protection rules to allow lime to be added to salmon rivers, on an experimental basis, to reduce the acid level, which interferes with a salmon’s ability to adjust from fresh to salt water. One reason the rivers have high levels of acid is because of pollution that is blown here from power plants and manufacturing facilities in other states. It would make sense for the federal government to help solve a problem that is not of Maine’s making by providing funds for this work as well.

The academy report shows that Maine is on the right track with its salmon restoration efforts but could use a lot more financial help from the federal government.