Camuso is great choice for DIFW

Judy Camuso is a great choice for Commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and we must thank Governor-elect Janet Mills for choosing Judy.

Judy is well respected both inside and outside the department, where she is currently the director of the wildlife division. Many of us recommended Judy to Janet.

I’ve spent some time lately talking to both Janet and Judy about my suggestions for changes and improvements at DIFW. I’ve written outdoor news columns about some of those ideas, including reorganization of the fisheries division so it mirrors the wildlife division.

And I can tell you, Judy knows the department very well and has some great ideas of her own. I anticipate, as she begins to advocate for her improvements, you will be pleased. And some will require your active help.

I’m also very pleased that Janet has a personal interest in DIFW. She is an avid fly fishing angler. And it tells you something that DIFW Commissioner is one of the first positions she filled in her cabinet.

Good luck Judy!

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.