How should increased revenue at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife be spent?

Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s funds from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, ATV registrations and the moose lottery increased this year by nearly three-quarters of a million dollars ($700,250).

Hunting and fishing combination license revenue was up 6% over last year, an increase of $222,443.  Fishing license revenue is up by 7% over last year, generating $5,591,188 in revenue. And ATV registrations continue to increase, generating a 6% increase in revenue. Overall, the department generated $22,169,289 in revenue from the sale of licenses, registrations and permits, up 3% from last years $21,469,039. DIF&W’s fiscal year ended on June 31.

A while back I asked readers of this outdoor news blog to answer this question: How do you think DIF&W should spend new revenue? Some readers answered in posts following the column, others went to my Sportsman Say Survey, accessed on my website, www.georgesmithmaine.com, to answer the question.

The Sportsmen Say Survey is sponsored by Moody’s Collision Centers and named for Gene Letourneau, whose Sportsmen Say column appeared in southern Maine’s daily newspapers every day for 50 years.

If you want to weigh in on this question, I have reposted it in the Sportsman Say Survey today.

Sportsmen Say Survey Responses

Here are some of the interesting responses I received in the online survey.

Protect deer wintering area so that it is not cut by loggers.

Moose Research

Wildlife Management

To educate nonhunters of the need to manage wildlife through sound harvest practices

Habitat restoration and enhancement

Raises for employees (NOTE: It’s nice that DIF&W’s employees are reading my outdoor news and responding to my survey questions!)

All revenue should be spent at the Commissioner’s discretion, with the Commissioner’s accountability to both the Governor and the people of Maine (perhaps this came from Commissioner Chandler Woodcock?!)

Hire more field staff/ stock more fish/ boat landings/STOP THE TIMBER CUTTING SO THE DEER CAN SURVIVE

Habitat management

Any way the department deems appropriate

Hire more people

More protection of fish and wildlife and less time chasing speeding vehicles

Early successional habitat creation/management – not acquisition

Improve deer wintering areas in central Maine

Managing wildlife and habitat resources in regard to the health and welfare of the flora and fauna and not managing resources in an effort to generate departmental revenue

Moose research

Deer Management

Blog Responses

These are some of the ideas posted at the end of the Outdoor News column that solicited suggestions. Because they were posted online, I am able to give you the names of the posters.

Dam removal – Robert Doyle

Would love to see the state actually study the northern deer issue and based on sound QDM start planting food plots on state lands to bolster deer populations – as well as look into transplanting the surplus does of southern Maine to the northeast farm country to bolster deer herds there! – Brent Reese

Habitat! Habitat, rabbittat!! – Darryl Wood

Habitat first – Earl Smith

No habitat, no wildlife, no brainer!! – Troy Wallace

Habitat, habitat, habitat….now there is a chorus! – Michael Fiori

A portion should go to the hatcheries to install some treatment to reduce the phosphorus and BOD loads they add to the streams. – Michael Demarest

Marketing and land owner relationships should at the top of this important list.  Communication can resolve a great deal of the issues surrounding land use and the health of our heritage.  The issues too often become fodder for political leveraging and end up being divisive.  If we view our outdoors as a national treasure to be enjoyed and respected, tourist dollars would increase, our wildlife populations would grow healthier, and IF&W would see increased communication and cooperation from fellow stakeholders in one of the last working forests in the Northeast. – Michael Douglas

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.