Why It Matters: In the Pine Tree State, priorities relative to sportsmen’s issues are brought before the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. On the Committee are several members and Co-Chairs of the Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus – a bipartisan and bicameral collective comprised of and representing sportsmen and women across the state. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) works alongside the Caucus and Maine Sportsmen’s Advisory Council – a group of in-state sportsmen’s industry partners who provide guidance and assistance to the Caucus – towards the protection and advancement of hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and trapping in the Maine. CSF looks forward to working closely with the Committee on many sportsmen’s policies in the year ahead.
Highlights:
- On Monday, January 30, the Maine Sportsmen’s Advisory Council hosted a welcome luncheon alongside the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife prior to the Committee’s scheduled introductions and orientation.
- Joe Bachar, New England States Coordinator for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, attended the luncheon and addressed the Committee, which consists of several members and Co-Chairs of the Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus.
- During his remarks, Joe highlighted the strength and effectiveness of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses network, of which the Maine Caucus plays an important part, while Advisory Council member Dan Riley (Norman Hanson DeTroy) briefly remarked on the importance of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
On Monday, January 30, the Maine Sportsmen’s Advisory Council hosted a luncheon for the members of the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife preceding the stakeholder’s introductory hearing being held that day. CSF’s Joe Bachar traveled to Augusta and was joined by several members of the Maine Sportsmen’s Advisory Council in addressing the Joint Committee members. Joe Bachar and Advisory Council member Dan Riley later took part in the stakeholders introductory hearing to provide the Committee with an overview of CSF, the Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, and the Advisory Council.
During the testimony, Committee members were also educated on the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses network, which as of December 2022, is represented in all 50 states. Additionally, brief remarks were made about the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, in which wildlife are managed as public trust resources for the benefit of all citizens.
Representative Scott Landry, Co-Chair of both the Joint Committee and the Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, was in attendance along with fellow Committee member Representative Steve Wood, who was recently elected to serve a third term on the Executive Council of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses. Representative Wood has a tenure leading both the Caucus and serving as an Executive Council member. The Committee is already preparing for upcoming hearings on several sportsmen-related policies, including bear hunting seasons, age requirements for hunting, and deer harvest regulations.
