Good things happening with new fisheries plan

Lots of interesting and important initiatives are being discussed by DIFW’s Heritage Brook Trout and Charr Work Group, led by Francis Brautigam, Fisheries Division Director.

This effort was launched in response to legislative support for my bill to protect tributaries to our Heritage Waters where native brook trout and charr are protected. I was initially skeptical that much was going to be achieved by this group, but lately I’ve been impressed with the initiatives being discussed.

Francis has to report back to the legislature’s IFW Committee in October. I’m not going to share the details of their initiatives because they are a work in progress, but I am impressed with the direction this discussion is going – focused on protecting our native brook trout and charr.

If progress continues to be made, it is most likely that the initiative will be launched next spring, including the rule-making process. So, of course, it will be important that Maine’s new governor and DIFW commissioner support the initiative.

I am actually planning to talk with all 4 candidates for governor about this, along with other fish and wildlife issues.

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.