Guest blog by David Miller

The definition of hydrology is “A science dealing with the properties, distribution, and circulation of water on the surface of the land, in the soil and underlying rocks, and in the atmosphere.”

So in essence, the hydrology of our land is in reality a life form of it own such as is our own bodily blood system. The disruption of the waters distribution naturally occurring within its environment must surely result in consequences of various levels.

Therefore, one must consider the impact of the currently planned blasting of the deep bed rock on mountain tops across hundreds of miles in Maine for the installation of the thousands of huge commercial wind turbines. It can very well impact and alter the high mountain seeps and springs. Damage to these sources of clean cold water could possibly cumulatively impact even our major aquifers that we depend on for potable water. Consideration must also be given to the possibility of increased levels of naturally occurring hazardous substances being released into the waters by the disruption of the bedrock during blasting. This could result in the possible release of excessive amounts of naturally occurring minerals in the form of sulfides or sulfates, and in some locals where present, substances such as arsenic.

Another concern to be considered is the impact to our wildlife. The cold mountain seeps join each other resulting ever enlarging streams feeding into our brooks and eventually into our rivers and larger bodies of water. The disruption of these sources may result in lesser amounts of runoff and or increased silting, in turn causing increased water temperatures and maybe even result in the very loss of some of our cold water fisheries. At the least, one can envision the loss of some of these waters that are the spawning areas for our world class brook trout and other cold water fish. Hundreds of these small mountain streams are the source of naturally occurring trout which move down into the larger brooks, streams, rivers, ponds and lakes that we fish in. No matter how you look at the possible effects, the results are a loss of a natural resource that Maine currently is a champion of – Brook Trout. Most all other traditional areas of native brook trout within the Continental United States already have been loss as the result of pollutants and destruction of the water source.

The value of clean water to mankind is currently critical in many areas of the world. It must be remembered that Maine is currently one of a few places in the eastern states where one can still kneel down, cup ones hand, and drink pure clean water in thousands of locations. All one has to do is ensure that there are no beaver or dead animals in the upstream side of one’s source of this water. Most any seep or spring on a hill or mountain side is a sure place to acquire a drink of ice cold clean water. The bottled water industry in Maine is here because of our many unpolluted aquifers. As the world sources of potable waters shrink, the value of our resource will escalate.

We have in Maine a very precious resource. If you can’t visualize the true value of our clean waters, you need only to talk to those who have traveled around the world. Just ask some of our military personnel, they are most aware of the value of clean water worldwide. In many locations around the world people are killing each other and even whole communities have perished fighting over potable water sources. In the near future the value of drinkable water will be astronomical compared to other things we value. Just consider the current cost of plain bottled water at your local store when compared to an equal amount of gasoline.

The major issues and controversy about the development of large scale commercial wind power is currently centered on health issues related to low frequency sound and shadow flicker, decreased property values, loss of habitat, death of large numbers of birds and bats, and impact to threatened or endangered species. Just maybe, the largest long term detrimental impact of large scale mountain top wind development is out of sight right under our feet – CLEAN WATER.

Dave Miller
Lexington TWP, ME

Dave Miller is a Maine resident, an outdoor writer and a member of the Carrabassett Valley Trappers Association.

Guest blog by David Miller

Does industrial wind and wildlife really mix well? I would suggest no. There has been much research into the affects of industrial wind turbines and its deadly affect on bats and birds, but little to none on mammals.

The effects on both livestock and wildlife are starting to be realized by land owners, and by hunters and trappers. The effects of wind turbines on domestic animals are thankfully starting to be recorded, such as 100 goats dying in Taiwan because they could not feed. The turbines noise kept them “instinctively on alert” for predators to the point they could not eat. The livestock of an Ontario cattle rancher having many still born and what few calves were born were attacked by their mothers who kicked and bit them, others refused to nurse their young as a result of the affects of newly installed industrial size wind turbines. These are but two recorded and reported examples. Domesticated animals cannot escape the noise and shadow flicker of wind turbines because of their restricted (fenced in) range resulting in these types of incidents.

The higher forms of wildlife such as deer, bear, moose, and many furbearers take the option of leaving the immediate area of industrial wind complexes. But by this action, they are forced into habitat that is already occupied resulting in conflicts such as over browsing and an increased rate of predation. These activities have been recorded in various locations where industrial turbine complexes have become operational. The loss of habitat due to road, transmission line, and turbine site construction also results in the loss of thousands of acres of habitat. The affects of the turbines on the lower forms of wildlife such as rodents, snakes, and even insects is an unknown to date. They all have their place in the chain of life and any single loss will affect other wildlife and also the overall environment.

The hydrology of the mountains may also be impacted by the deep bed rock blasting that is required to make the foundations for the 400+ foot tall wind turbines. This may affect our drinking water supplies and the surface waters that hold various species of life including our beloved cold water brook trout and landlocked salmon fisheries.

Fragile and rare high alpine vegetation will be destroyed by mountain top wind development. In places such as Maine, moose will be driven off the high mountains sides where many go to have the cold temperatures of winter freeze off their tick infestations that can if bad enough weaken them to the point that they may parish. The pine martin, one of the most valuable of our fur bearers thrives on mountains with heavy spruce growth. Our depleted northern deer herds will be further stressed and damaged due to the fact that the low frequency noise and construction will force them from current habitat. The use of herbicides to prevent re-vegetation may cause long term harm to wildlife, aqueduct species, and maybe our own drinking water. The possibility of forest fires will be greatly increased due to lighting strikes to the turbines and overheated gearbox lubricants igniting. This is in areas mostly far removed from any firefighting equipment and men.

The affects of industrial wind on wildlife (other than bats and birds) is not being actively researched by various federal and state fish and game departments due to several reasons, such as a lack of funding and most commonly due to political pressure where state administrations do not want anything negative being brought to light. This is because they support wind power development along with its tax incentives, stimulus monies, political gains, and of course their own long term pocket wealth over that of the welfare of wildlife. The loss of revenues generated by wildlife such as licensing fees and employment related to hunting, fishing and trapping industries which generates millions annually for the states affected by industrial wind is not in their greedy equations.

It must be noted that the scientific and medical communities are realizing the effects of low frequency noise and the strobe affect of the blades in sun light that cause mental and medical problems in humans. Even this is being contested and down played by the big wind companies with their multitude of lawyers and our greedy politicians who gain to lose face and wealth by opposing big wind. They are doing all they can to discredit those who oppose big wind. Along with that, they come into communities where they want to place commercial wind turbine complexes and buy off the local governments and tax payers with bribes of reduced electrical fees, offers to pay for lawyers to represent the local communities during negotiations, and cash settlements with private individuals who have to sign agreements not to publicly oppose them for the duration. Here in Maine we are staged to lose over 350 miles of mountain tops along with many thousands of acres of habitat. Most of the land is privately owned and the land owners cannot be blamed because of upfront monies, reduced tax burdens, and long term leases. This is all done with stimulus funding which are our federal tax monies or that borrowed by our current federal administration from foreign countries which will hurt generations of Americans for many decades. The sad part is that wind power generation is not even cost effective, nor does it reduce carbon emissions because more coal and oil fired generation plants must be built to back up wind power generation which is a variable dependent on wind. These are the basic reasons I feel that commercial wind generation is not beneficial to wild life, along with consideration of its impact to the human race.

I ask that you form your own opinion on this matter, but please educate yourself on the pro’s and con’s of this subject before forming that opinion. There are many websites that will educate one. All you need to do is search or Google industrial wind or wind turbines.

Dave Miller, Lexington TWP, ME

Dave Miller is a Maine resident, an outdoor writer and a member of the Carrabassett Valley Trappers Association.

The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in order to obtain around 100,000 email addresses of those who bought hunting and fishing licenses online. As a result, it has set off a firestorm across certain channels of the hunting and fishing outdoor world in Maine. At issue is privacy and unwanted SPAM from SAM as well as the ability of any other individual or group to obtain the same list. Potentially, this could open a can of worms.

According to WMTW-TV website, SAM obtained the emails to send out information about coyotes. SAM has become very active of late in working to get all hunters involved in doing what they can to stop the further decline of the whitetail deer herd in Maine, which is suffering greatly due to many factors; poor management, severe winters, loss of habitat, overblown populations of predators, among other things. One aspect is to encourage and promote the hunting of coyotes.

One would have to recognize and appreciate SAM being all agog to fire up the licensed hunters and get them involved but I have to seriously question the decision to mount an email campaign using emails obtained, 1). through FOIA request, and; 2). using emails from fellow hunters without their approval. These are the guys you want help from. It’s an odd way to go about it.

We all hate SPAM and some are obsessed with it. It think it safe to say that most hunters are not very thrilled with the prospects of what can come from this move by SAM. First, it immediately creates bad public relations. Second, it forms distrust. Many hunters are asking whether SAM will resell the list to other agencies. This all comes at a time when hunters need to unite in an effort. I think SAM is attempting to do this but they failed to grasp what would happen. Third, if SAM, which had to go through the Maine Attorney Generals Office, can obtain this list, anyone else can. That fact in and of itself, has angered a lot of people.

In my opinion, here is what SAM needs to do. Immediately issue a public apology. Promise the list will not be used and that they will work with the Attorney General and MDIFW in order to get the law changed to protect those emails. I don’t believe this was the intent of FOIA. This only makes sense. MDIFW has promoted their MOSES online license purchasing program for quite some time. It is time and money saving for MDIFW. If perspective license buyers can’t be confident their email information and perhaps other personal information, cannot be safeguarded, it will seriously detract from the program. This has to be done immediately.

Once SAM has done what it can to minimize the damage they have caused, then they can choose other routes to get their message out. SAM has a website that needs updating to become more user friendly and interactive. They can wage an opt in/opt out email campaign for sending out newsletters, etc. and seeking new members. They can provide needed updates on their website along with providing RSS feeds so other websites, including blogs and forums, can post SAM’s feed so their readers have easy access.

Press releases can also be generated from the website and sent to all media outlets across the state. If SAM is wondering how well this might work, then just take a lot at how quickly and widespread the news traveled about them confiscating emails. I rest my case.

We live in an electronic age. With the rapid growth of the Internet, lack of knowledge can set businesses and organizations back in their progress as was the case for SAM. On the same token, knowledge can advance their cause. They now need to mend some fences and get with the times. The days of “stealing” email addresses to send unsolicited information is not only outdated but is extremely bad business. SAM needs to become cutting edge in this regard.

Tom Remington

Anglers from Team Patagonia/Wild River Angler Take Top Spots In Upper Andro 2-Fly Contest

Bethel, Me…..Tyler Cote of Monmouth was the first place winner in the Third Annual Upper Andro Two Fly Contest held Saturday, September 19th on the Upper Androscoggin River between New Hampshire and Rumford, Maine. Tyler tied for first place in the biggest fish category with Brad Jerome of Newry. Both anglers caught a 14” rainbow trout. There was a tie for second place between Kevin McKay of Brewer, Maine and Charlie Lowe of Twin Mountain, NH, with 13 ½” rainbows. Chad Hughes of Camden, Scott Overbey of Brunswick and Mitch Cummings of Bethel each caught a 13” rainbow for third place honors.

The largest catch was also won by Cote with 12 fish, ten rainbows, a brown and brook trout. Second place went to Overbey with a catch of 9 rainbows and third place to Lowe with 4 rainbows, a brook and brown trout.

The Rocky Freda Turtle Water Team Trophy was presented to the Patagonia/Wild River Angler team who caught 21 fish.

Thirteen teams entered the competition. Each team made up of two anglers and a drift boat oarsman, fished with the use of only two flies from 6 am to 2 pm. All fish were caught, recorded and released. Along with the trophies, merchandise prizes from Orvis, L.L. Bean, Kittery Trading Post and Patagonia were presented to the winners. Three anglers who were unable to catch any fish received a new set of flies from Selene Dumaine of Merrymeeting Fly Shop in Brunswick.

The annual event is a fundraiser for the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance. The non-profit group, based in Bethel, Maine, is dedicated to conserving, protecting, restoring and promoting the natural resources relating to the Upper Androscoggin River, its tributaries, watershed and environs.

The Alan Jackson song, “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning” (available below for you to listen to) asks that very question. I was getting a hair cut. When I left and got into my car, I turned on the radio, something I don’t often do, and there was a lot of chatter. Nothing made sense for quite awhile, as nothing made sense to anybody for quite awhile.

After a few minutes, I realized what was going on but I didn’t know what caused it. I rushed home and turned on the television. Beginning that day, my life was changed forever.

[AUDIO:http://www.mainehuntingtoday.com/bbb/audio/wherewereyou.mp3]

Don’t ever forget!

Tom Remington

It all makes little sense to me. Maine, like just about every other state in the Union is looking at ways to cut the budget and Maine’s Gov. John Baldacci insists on targeting the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. At least 90% of the budget is paid for through license fees and reimbursed taxes paid through Pittman-Robertson. Only recently did the Maine legislature cough up any money to assist MDIFW. Budget constraints on the Department have come mostly due to the demands placed on it for services outside fish and game (oh, sorry! Fish and Wildlife. That changed a few years back), yet those taking advantage of those services pay little or nothing.

Now Gov. Baldacci is seeking a license fee increase and he seems determined to either get the increase or merge the fish and wildlife into one huge natural resources entity, of which nobody wants to see. An article by Kevin Miller of the Bangor Daily News says that Baldacci is threatening sportsmen to either accept the fee increase or he’ll merge the departments.

Baldacci spokesman David Farmer stressed that the consolidation proposal is being put forward as an alternative to higher user fees. If the sporting community can live with the fee increases, then the consolidation proposal goes nowhere,

Sure sounds like a threat to me.

Generally speaking sportsmen are content to pay reasonable fee increases when they can see value for their dollar. What’s getting really old is paying extra for the license in order to pay for things that have nothing to do with hunting, fishing and trapping. Maine has to find a way to make up the shortfall by collecting fees from those who use and don’t pay, admittedly a difficult task.

I can assure you though that consolidating departments and morphing Inland Fisheries and Wildlife into a huge natural resources kind of department would be the biggest mistake Maine could make. Just look around at the states who have. First and foremost, it saves no money but more importantly two things happen.

One, fish and game doesn’t get the attention it needs. Monies are moved around and license fees continue to escalate in order to pay for more non-game activities and services. This results in the second problem. Time and again when talking with other sportsmen in other states and even looking at surveys taken, one of the biggest complaints by sportsmen who have stopped buying a license is that they feel they have no say anymore with fish and game.

Where once sportsmen organized into clubs in order to have input into the management of game no longer exists to the same degree. Ask any sportsman and they’ll not give a real positive impression of their own fish and game departments. On top of that bury the fish and wildlife into a huge, bureaucratic nightmare of a “superagency” and what little confidence left gets further eroded to efforts of futility, devaluing the experience and rendering a license purchase a waste of time and money.

Maine Senator David Trahan, (R) Waldoboro, who sits on the Fish and Wildlife Committee says he wants people to know “Over my dead body”.

“I’m not interested in having this discussion about consolidating these agencies into one,” said Sen. Dave Trahan, R-Waldoboro, a member of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee. “I just want people to know that. My position is ‘Over my dead body.’”

George Smith, Executive Director for the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, says he opposes both of the governor’s proposals.

SAM’s executive director, George Smith, has promised to fight both proposals to increase fees or merge the agencies. Smith and other several other speakers said the state needs to find a way to get kayakers, hikers and other outdoor recreation enthusiasts to help pay for the services that game wardens and DIF&W biologists provide.

The chairman of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, Bruce Bryant (D) Oxford, also thinks Maine has to find ways to get those utilizing services to pay to play.

Sportsmen complain about the fee increases. Others don’t because they enjoy the benefits bought and paid for by the sportsmen and yet these same free loaders are making much of the demand for bigger and better services.

There is one thing that is certain. We can get mad at the governor. We can berate the fish and game department but if we don’t stop placing demands for more and bigger, how can we expect to keep fees down? Granted our departments have to hold the line on spending but at the same time we need to stop demanding.

Tom Remington

We are a mere 26 days away from Election Day, a day that is shaping up to be one of the most important in U.S. history. I am hoping and encouraging all anglers and outdoor enthusiasts to get out to the polls and vote but before you go, please consider the support we fishermen will be getting from the team of John McCain and Sarah Palin.

Sportsmen for McCain describe the Arizona Senator as knowing the right end of a fishing rod.

“John McCain is the only choice for Sportsmen. John McCain is an angler; he knows the difference between spinning gear and a fly rod.”

Doesn’t it make sense to support someone who is a fisherman when it comes to protecting our fishing heritage and conserving our wildlife?

We are presently facing numerous issues that will have an effect on how and where we can fish in this country in the near future. Our fishing access to water is threatened and radical groups want to stop us from enjoying an afternoon on the lake, wading our favorite trout stream or spending time with our family on a fishing expedition. This makes no sense.

John McCain has been there. He calls himself a fisherman and doesn’t need to pose for photo opts in hopes of convincing some of us that he is. He fully understands the importance of every aspect of fishing for sport and industry.

As we all know by now, John McCain has teamed up with Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. He’s asked her to be his running mate and fill the position of the Vice Presidency. In all seriousness, could we have asked for a better person to be on McCain’s ticket?

Sarah Palin has a rich background and a diverse one in fishing. Not only has she made a living as a commercial fisherman but has enjoyed countless times the thrill of wetting a line in some of Alaska’s great fishing rivers and streams. She is a true conservationist and with that understands the very importance of proper wildlife management that will protect our fisheries and take us into the future.

Sarah Palin has been scorned and scoffed because she is different than the usual Washington insider. While it is disturbing that our self-proclaimed progressive society shows itself as judgmental and intolerant, the team of John McCain and Sarah Palin sees beyond such nonsense and looks to protect our future.

Please help support the McCain/Palin ticket because I believe they understand my heritage as a free American and are the best people to keep that heritage alive.

More information on Sportsmen for McCain can be found on their website.

Tom Remington

Consider this if you will. Fred owns a small farm. In the middle of his property he discovered he had a good source of water, water that he could use for his home and to water and care for what few animals he had on his farm.

A city dweller bought a lot of land next door to Fred and decided to build a home. The city dweller considered digging his own well but didn’t think it would look good and might be detrimental to the environment, so he worked out an agreement to buy his water from Fred.

On the other side of Fred, another buyer purchased a lot of land and built a house. This new buyer, being an acquaintance of the city dweller, also opted not to dig or drill his own well. Instead, he too bought his water from Fred.

Fred is not an idiot and soon he realized that he could sell quite a few people water and right now he still had all the water he needed for his own use. Fred continued to sell water. More people moved to the area and bought Fred’s water until one day he realized he had to stop selling water to more people because he was running out.

People demanded his water for their needs. They had lawns to water and cars to wash, as well as swimming pools to fill. As demand rose, Fred decided he had to charge more for his water. He brought in water experts who told him that he really couldn’t get anymore water by digging more wells. Fred continued to raise the price of water all the while more people moved into the area, all refusing to dig their own wells but seemingly unaffected by the rising cost of his water.

Eventually, Fred was now making $5.00 for every gallon of water he sold and his buyers were getting mad. The neighbors got together and appointed a spokesperson to go talk to Fred and demand that he dig more wells and lower his price of water. Fred said he couldn’t do that and suggested that they needed to start digging wells on their own land so that they would have water at a cheaper price and not have to be dependent on Fred for his water.

They refused claiming that they would not spoil the pristine beauty of their land and refused to have to be subjected to looking out their back window and seeing a well. Certainly this would decrease their property values and cause environmental damage that could destroy our planet.

Fred suggested that if they were not willing to dig for their own water, they would have to reduce the amount of water they used but the neighbors would have nothing to do with that. Altering their lifestyles was not an option. Most people could well afford Fred’s water. They just didn’t think it was right that Fred was making money by selling a commodity that people depended on.

Fred once again raised the price of his water. When neighbors complained again, he told them he had other neighborhoods who had discovered that they needed more water and were willing to pay a higher price. This angered Fred’s neighbors who now claimed they were entitled to Fred’s water, once again demanding he lower his price and increase production. Fred refused.

The neighborhood coalition met the following week, hired an attorney and decided they were going to sue Fred because he refused to dig more wells.

Tom Remington

I might be a rarity when it comes to the hunting and fishing industry, at least from the perspective of the “consumer”. Hey, I’ll cut right to the chase and come out and say that some? many? most? anglers and hunters aren’t that interested in sharing their fishing holes and highly productive hunting grounds with “outsiders”. Just pretend for the duration of this article that you actually did care and see if you can get beyond your personal feelings long enough to understand some odd reasoning. At least my form of reasoning is having trouble with this.

I would suppose that because I have a background in the tourist industry and that happens to be in Maine, it is difficult for me to get rid of that networking and marketing mindset that so much is a part of making it in the tourist business. With my background and this odd drive I have, I still find value in marketing Maine’s (or fill in your state) natural resources – in this case hunting and fishing.

I have a very good friend who lives in Maine. Her name is Wende Gray. I have a lot of respect for her expertise in the tourism/marketing industry in Maine because, 1) I think she understands it and, 2) she’s been at it for a long time. Wende wears many hats and one of those hats of late has been her involvement with the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance. The UAAA is a group of local businesses scattered throughout and along the watershed areas of the Upper Androscoggin. In this case from about the Maine and New Hampshire boarder south and westerly to the Rumford, Maine area.

The purpose of the Alliance is to promote the river as a destination fishery. Anyone who has been in and understands the tourism business knows that you are always scrambling for business and the competition can get fierce.

As Wende has done in the past, she invites prominent outdoor writers into the area and wines and dines them in hopes they will in turn publish some kind thoughts on their experiences. This all in hopes of luring others, often times “from away”, to the area obviously to spend some money and keep people employed and able to pay bills.

Wende recently contacted the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to inquire about obtaining some complimentary fishing licenses for visiting outdoor writers to the region. Here’s part of that email.

On behalf of the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance I am requesting a dozen complimentary fishing licenses for travel and outdoor writers visiting our region this summer. UAAA has joined the New England Outdoor Writers Association and attended the Media Marketplace in New York City. There is great interest in our emerging destination fishery and we expect up to a dozen writers visiting this year-in particular for the Two Fly Contest and Drift Boat Competition in June. Our pr efforts in the past have generated articles in Cabella’s Sporting Journal, Gray’s Sporting Journal, New England Fish & Game, Outdoor Life, the Boston Globe, and New York Sun to name a few. It is our understanding that due to budget cuts at IF&W, complimentary licenses are no longer available. With the emphasis on Maine’s fishing product in promoting Maine tourism this summer, we are in hopes that the Office of Tourism would be able to assist us with our request.

Regis Tremblay, the new Director of IF&W’s Public Information and Education Division, responded to Wende’s request saying that she could forward her request on to the MDIFW Commissioner, Roland “Dan” Martin and then he took some time to explain to Wende about the new policy concerning complimentary licenses in addition to having to be approved by the Commissioner.

…..we’d like to have some certainty that the writers are aware of a lose quid pro quo…i.e. IF&W and our mission as stewards of Maine’s Wildlife and Fisheries does not go unmentioned. We would also expect to receive copies of the magazines in which mention of us might appear. Also, just for your information, these licenses are not free, but are paid for out of my budget. We are happy to do this, but are hopeful of some return on our investment.

I have no idea what Commissioner Martin’s expectations are regarding who he will consider worthy of a Maine complimentary fishing license. The other expectations laid out by Trembley I really have no issue with and actually think it is a great idea to have some kind of guarantee that this small investment sees some kind of return other than willy-nilly handing out free licenses to anybody.

*Note* – For clarification purposes and to be as transparent as possible, I have no stake in this as a writer. There’s no sour grapes because I want a free license to go fishing in Maine and can’t get one. I do fish in Maine when I am there in the summer but I gladly hop on over to the local agent and purchase a non-resident fishing license.

Getting back to the guidelines about comp licenses, I was struck by the comment made by Tremblay that the cost of these licenses comes out of his budget. So, I emailed him for an explanation. I wanted to know what the actual cost of administering a comp license was and how many, on average, did MDIFW issue in a given season.

Tremblay was kind enough to take the time to answer my email but I can’t say I actually got the answer I was looking for, only raising more questions. He told me the retail price of a resident and a non-resident fishing license in Maine.

* Resident fishing licenses costs $21.00
* Non-Resident fishing licenses costs $52

Does this mean that if MDIFW issues a complimentary license to a writer who lives in Maine, Tremblay gets hit for $21.00 and $52 if the writer lives out of state? How does the cost of issuing a comp license to a writer change depending on where the writer lives? Before you jump all over me, I understand about having resident and non-resident licenses but if the idea for a complimentary license is for the purpose of advertising and promotion, does it matter?

What I was hoping to find out was what the actual real costs were in issuing a complimentary license – $1.00, $2.00, $3.00 or $21.00?

And why is Tremblay getting nailed out of his budget the full retail price of each license? And the money gets extracted from his budget and then goes where? Inquiring minds want to know. Is this Martin’s way of reeling in (sorry) the public relations people at MDIFW because he thinks they are issuing licenses irresponsibly? If so, why can’t he just simply approve or not any complimentary licenses issued?

Tremblay also told me that MDIFW typically issues “a few dozen” licenses annually. For clarification purposes, I don’t know if that “few dozen” is all complimentary licenses or just those issued for outdoor writers and those only to fishermen outdoor writers.

So what is a few dozen? And how much does this really cost the state of Maine?

Not to get mired in the questionable administrative methods of MDIFW but one has to at least question the expense and return. Remember, I asked you to pretend you don’t mind if people “from away” come to Maine (insert your state) to fish. If Tremblay says a few dozen licenses are issued, let’s see if we can guess what a few is.

I asked Wende Gray again if she had any idea about how many in the past MDIFW has given out. Her interpretation of a few dozen most closely resembled between one and two dozen.

As a country boy growing up in rural Maine, I seem to recall my grandfather telling me that a few meant twelve. Let’s say Wende says two dozen and Grandpa’s definition is twelve dozen and split the difference to seven dozen or 84 licenses. You do the math. Is it not worth it? Should the Maine Office of Tourism pick up the tab for the 84 complimentary licenses? Is this all tit for tat while losing focus on the big picture? I don’t get it.

Either there is legitimate value in the process of utilizing outdoor writers for advertising and marketing, or there isn’t. I concur that somebody should “approve” complimentary licenses and if MDIFW can’t afford to issue those licenses because of budget shortfalls and somebody needs to pay, should they be paying full retail price for each license?

Recently MDIFW teamed up with the Maine Office of Tourism to promote fishing on the MOT website. Who paid for that? Did MOT charge MDIFW the full retail value of creating web pages for that purpose? Regardless, MDIFW must be showing an interest in luring in out of state anglers by undertaking this action. Another indication is they still are willing to sell non-resident licenses, so there must be some value in their eyes, to bringing in outsiders to fish the waters of Maine.

It all seems quite silly if you ask me. The reality is that it cost the state of Maine virtually nothing to issue a complimentary license. Is this a viable advertising and marketing scheme for Maine or isn’t it? If it is, let’s get on with it. If not, it’s time to end the charade.

Tom Remington

Maine, like a lot of states, is having trouble funding its Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Maine, not necessarily like a lot of states, loves to tax its citizens. Maine is one of the most heavily taxed states in the Union. Maine is coming off one of the most severe winters in history and in parts of the state, the deer herd has been hit very hard. Needless to say, the state has its troubles financially and is faced with decisions on how it is going to fund programs.

The MDIFW is facing a shortage this year in its budget and they are scrambling to find funding. Sen. Bruce Bryant, Committee Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is proposing an increase in hunting, trapping and fishing license fees by $2.00 per year for residents and $4.00 per year for nonresidents.

Coming as no big surprise, Maine sportsmen are divided on whether they should be asked once again to pick up the slack.

Rep. Tom Saviello of Wilton and member of the JSCIFW, is also proposing a bill that would levy a fee on hikers and kayakers of $20.00 annually. That money, as I understand it, would go into a pool used to offset the costs of the Maine Warden Service to respond to search and rescue calls for non-license holders in the state. This bill may be facing more resistance than the license fee increase.

I’m not going to get into discussions about whether or not I think any of the fees are fair, necessary or justified. What I will do is raise some questions that I think need to be answered before anyone in Augusta or the users and sportsmen can make qualified decisions on what should be done.

Sportsmen are notorious for complaining about fee increases and we can’t really blame them. It does seem that all too often they are called upon to pick up the slack when it comes to financial shortcomings. But also true to sportsmen is that they don’t mind coughing up their fair share and a lot more, when they are able to see the worth of their investment.

There is also a trust factor. Sportsmen have to have a belief that the MDIFW is looking out for them. Here’s one example. Last year in Michigan, the Department of Natural Resources, said it had to raise license fees because it was looking at a $10.8 million shortfall. Sportsmen there were also divided but after raising fees, when the end of the year came around, DNR had a surplus of nearly $20 million. Trust me when I say there is no more trust between Michigan sportsmen and the MDNR and it could be years before MDNR will get a license fee increase again.

As I see it, those complaining the most about paying the extra fee are doing it for two basic reasons. 1). They see their services being cut along with a reduction in fish and game and opportunities. 2). They believe that non payers that rely on Fish and Game services, which includes the Maine Warden Service, need to start anteing up their fair share. In honesty, I think these two reasons are legitimate, although I probably won’t get a majority approval on that from readers.

How MDIFW will find the funding remains to be seen. What isn’t being answered, and I have sent out emails that have not been answered, is how is funding of MDIFW going to be affected if Gov. Baldacci gets his way and merges MDIFW with other “natural resources” departments in order to save money?

As most of you know, I am dead set against such a move for a number of reasons, one of them being the problems that arise from how revenue is generated to this new department and how it gets spent. Sportsmen need guarantees that the money they lay out in license fees is actually going to be spent on managing fish and game and not going to fund the local nature walk project that once open will be closed to all hunting and fishing.

In previous discussions I have had on this subject, people remind me that Maine is required by law to spend fish and game money on fish and game programs. I realize that but nobody will answer my question when I ask if those laws become null and void if legally the MDIFW is dissolved and a new entity of natural resources is created?

Maine doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to spending the money generated by license fees on fish and game items. If Baldacci gets his way, will the formation of a different department guarantee that Maine sportsmen’s money will be spent as promised?

Baldacci opposes a license fee increase, which I find interesting as I never knew a tax he didn’t like. Maine sportsmen need to decide if any money they have to spend more than they do now will be spent as promised and whether it is worthwhile. I don’t completely buy into the argument that Skip Trask, spokesman for the Maine Trappers Association and Maine Guides, used as was reported in the Banger News.

Skip Trask with the Maine Trappers Association and Maine Professional Guides Association pointed out that a daily lift ticket at a ski resort can cost $70 while some golfers pay $60 for a day of green’s fees.

Paying $40 for a year’s worth of hunting and fishing, as the bill proposes, is a deal by comparison as long as it helps keep wardens patrolling the backcountry to protect the resources, Trask said.

Trask is right in his representation of the costs of skiing and golf. I’ll also concur that the cost of a license to hunt, trap and fish in Maine is a bargain but making such a comparison isn’t in and of itself justification to raise fees. We shouldn’t raise fees simply because we can and get away with it – and I don’t think Trask is suggesting such a thing.

My point still comes back to perception of the license holder. It’s what you get for your money and whether you feel the money is spent with the best interest of the sportsman in mind.

This proposal for a rate hike comes at a troubling time in my mind. If this was coming at a time when Baldacci wasn’t suggesting a hocus-pocus, mix up and blend departments together, closely resembling a shell game, then maybe the decision could be easier.

It seems the majority of Maine sportsmen want non-paying users to contribute. How to make that happen is argumentative for certain. Making government bigger in hopes of accomplishing that task will never work. We need to fight Baldacci’s idea of creating a bigger department of natural resources and return the fish and game department back to more what it used to be – fish and game management.

Tom Remington

On Saturday of last week the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife issued a press release announcing plans to team up with the Maine Office of Tourism to promote fishing. The press release says that with the brand new fishing section of the Maine Office of Tourism website, visitors to that site will be able to find places to fish all over the state.

The Fishing Feature brings one of the state’s most popular pastimes to the front of a Web site that draws more than a million people annually to plan their Maine vacation. Its extensive information makes it easier for tourists to join Mainers on our lakes and rivers, according to Commissioner Roland “Dan” Martin of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

I have known since at least last summer that the MOT was in the midst of a remake of their website as I was contacted about supplying some information that the web designers could use to help build the site. When I received a copy of the press release from the MDIFW, I assumed the new website must be completed, so I went to the site to have a look. What I found was actually shocking!

I have been involved enough in web design and running Internet businesses complete with marketing and promotion and so I want to give MOT the benefit of the doubt that the web site is not yet complete, however, there seems to be some obvious omissions that will leave visitors lacking in good valuable information in order to “plan their vacations” as the site directs. If the site is incomplete, then perhaps it is a bit premature to announce plans and begin a marketing campaign designed to drive traffic to the site.

My questions have to be, who at MOT has approved the content, or lack thereof, of the fishing section of the MOT website? Who is in charge of deciding what information gets highlighted and which rivers, lakes and streams get omitted from the list? Which fish species get promoted the hardest and why and which ones never get a mention?

I don’t think I can blame the designers of the website. Their job basically is to put together a site that is user friendly and easy to navigate. Even though they may have been given the task of collecting some or even most of the information they wanted to put on the site, someone at MOT has to make the final decisions as to what makes the cut that the million or so visitors to the web site will see.

What left me in shock was the fact that for all intent and purposes the Androscoggin River, namely the upper reaches affectionately called the Upper Andro, barely gets a mention. It’s not listed anywhere in “River Country” where much is said about the Kennebec. A look over to “Fishing Regions” following links to the eight geographical regions of the state, I also came up empty. The Upper Androscoggin is geographically located in the “Lakes and Mountains” regions but not a mention.

I had to actually go to the “Family Fishing” section and way down at the bottom of the page under, “What Else Can You Catch in Maine”, there is a hyperlinked “Androscoggin” listed there. Near the top of the page you can find where to fish for brook trout, landlocked salmon and lake trout, yet not a mention of the river.

The Upper Andro has brook trout, it also has brown trout, rainbow trout and smallmouth bass. It’s one of the three major rivers in the state of Maine – Penobscot, Kennebec and Androscoggin. It’s a river, it’s located in the Lakes and Mountains region of Maine and all it gets is a tiny little link buried deep into the “Family Fishing” section?

This isn’t sour grapes people. The Upper Andro is considered by many to possess some of the finest fishing in the state of Maine today. Efforts by many over the years has brought the river to a point today where the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has discussed designating some or all of the Upper Andro trophy fishing, catch and release and they have considered seriously marketing this river as a premier destination fishing location. All this and no mention on the MOT website.

Let’s not also forget that just last year, Steven Day of Maine, landed a state record rainbow trout out of this part of the river and it doesn’t deserve a highlight? What’s wrong? Who’s in charge? What is somebody thinking? or not?

Presently there are private efforts underway to promote the Upper Androscoggin as a place to come and fish. The Upper Andro Anglers Alliance has worked feverishly over the past couple of years to promote the river. I might add this promotion is all being done with private sector money. The river is promoted by this group at sporting trade shows, on brochures, advertising, mailings and the UAAA hosts an annual Free Family Fishing Festival and a Two Fly Contest bringing people to the area to enjoy and discover the great fishing the river and surrounding area offers. And still, the river gets nary a mention.

Maybe this is the problem. Maybe if those looking to promote the river sucked off the resources of “free” money from the Fish and Game and Office of Tourism, they would have gotten a mention on the website.

We can’t blame it on not being connected and not knowing the right people…..or can we? Robin Zinchuk, Executive Director of the Bethel Chamber of Commerce, a town that is a hub of activity on the river and is promoted by the Chamber, also sits on the commission of the Maine Tourism Association. Obviously her “connections” didn’t get the river a mention, not even a picture.

The people in this region should be upset. Tax dollars and a lot of them, have been spent to build this website that is supposed to be a tool to help promote fishing in the state. Pull out a map of Maine and look at the three big rivers – Penobscot, Kennebec and Androscoggin. Take in their valleys and watersheds and look at the geographical territory this encompasses. A lot of people are affected by these three rivers and yet, MOT has chosen to not even feature the river on their website, a kick in the guts of those living in the area and promoting this natural resource.

I have yet to take the time to go through every part of the fishing section and see what other key rivers, lakes, streams and ponds got omitted. I know not every body of water that provides fishing can be featured but to overlook this magnificent, major river to Maine, that has some of the best fishing anywhere, is easily accessible and boasts providing a state record rainbow trout, is unacceptable.

I contacted Wende Gray of Bethel. Wende owns Gray Marketing, is very much involved in Maine outdoor events and is very well connected. She works tirelessly with the Upper Andro Anglers Alliance, the Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce, along with a host of other entities and promotions. It would be a severe understatement to say that Wende was disappointed with the results on that website. Here are a couple of her comments.

Tom-I can’t tell you how slighted I feel………………….I went on line to vistimaine.com about 10 days ago to see the new segment on fishing. By the time I had checked out everything I was livid.

……..despite the fact that we are the only association promoting Maine fishing from the perspective of tourism versus recreation, who belongs to the Maine Tourism Assoc. hosts events, has a website, brochure, etc. etc etc.

Wende is in the process of voicing her opposition to the lack of content on the website. Let’s hope that it gets changed as it will benefit all of Maine and especially those looking for a great place to get away for a fishing adventure.

Tom Remington

The good news is that five men listed as lost on their snow machines somewhere between Greenville, Maine and Bingham, Maine were located back at the hotel in Bingham where they had been staying. The bad news is much of that search was completely unnecessary.

Lee Mazzola, 51, of Marlborough, N.Y., James Mannese, 50, of Milton, N.Y., Joseph Mannese, James’ son, 28, of Milton, N.Y., Robert Lattimore, 43, of Newburgh, N.Y. and Timothy Roberts, 49, of Marlborough, N.Y., left their hotel in Bingham announcing they were going riding and told nobody where they were going – mistake number one.

The ended up at a bar in Greenville, some 30 miles away as the crow flies, much further by snowmobile trail. The Maine Warden Service reported that one of the men called a family member from the bar in Greenville, using a cell phone, and told them they were drinking – mistake number two. (drinking and riding)

Later that night, one of the lost riders called two acquaintances that were staying at the same hotel in Bingham and told them they were lost and low on fuel.

According to the latest information released by the Maine Warden Service, here’s what they believe happened.

According to Sgt. Simmons, the men left the Moosehead Lake area and headed south on an ITS trail. They missed a turn that leads to Forks and Bingham, but made it to where the trail crosses Route 154 near Harmony around 3 a.m. The men’s snowmobiles were out of gas, and they waited along the road hoping to flag down someone for help. A motorist stopped, but the men noticed a lodge down the road and decided to walk down to it. There were two rooms left, and the men checked in for the night.

Earlier today, the men fueled up their snowmobiles and headed back towards the Bingham hotel. They arrived around 2:30 p.m. Sgt. Simmons was at the hotel and spoke with the men about snowmobile safety.

It simply blows my mind that five grown men between the ages of 28 and 51, after having called people to tell them they were lost, could not make one more phone call to report their location once they made it either to route 154 or at least at the lodge where they found refuge.

From 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Friday, searchers in a snow storm spent valuable time and resources searching for five men who, during much of that time, was hunkered down at a Harmony lodge cutting some ZZZZZs, with nary a consideration to place one more phone call to report they were all right.

I hope Sgt. Simmons did more than “speak” with the men about snowmobile safety and issues them a nice hefty bill to pay for the cost of search and rescue.

Tom Remington