Contact: Joe Mullin, New England States Coordinator
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is pleased to announce the formation of the Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Advisory Council. In this role, members of the Advisory Council will provide guidance and assistance to the Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chairs.
Members of the Caucus Advisory Council include: Matt Dunlap, Maine Secretary of State; Mike Gawtry, L.L. Bean; Matt Jacobs, American Forest Management; Don Kleiner, Maine Professional Guides Association; Ed Pineau, Pineau Policy Associates; Dan Riley, Norman Hanson DeTroy, LLC; John Royce, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine; David Trahan, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine; and former State Representative Steve Wood, professional guide and a founding Co-Chair of the Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus.
In addition to being a former Caucus Co-Chair, Wood previously served as a member of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses Executive Council. In regards to the Advisory Council’s formation, he stated, “We, as an Advisory Council, help the legislators hear from the general public and the sporting industry. We also offer insight into how they can educate their fellow legislators and support them towards voting for pro-sportsmen issues. The Advisory Council also serves to answer any questions that the legislators may have.”
“As a former Chairman of the Coastal Conservation Council Maine Chapter, I have been active in public policy issues important to sportsman for over 20 years. The CSF’s state legislative initiative is an important tool to help protect Maine’s hunting and fishing traditions,”” said Riley.
Riley has played an instrumental role with not only forming the Advisory Council, but also with assisting the Caucus on key policy issues and events since it was first formed.
The Advisory Council’s composition includes key individuals from various organizations and businesses. Having an Advisory Council offers countless benefits for both the Caucus members and the state’s sportsmen and women. Throughout this year’s sessions, the Advisory Council members helped facilitate three Caucus luncheons, attended by staffers from the Maine General Assembly, the Governor’s office, and the US Congress. Advisory Council members can also arrange for appropriate assistance and support from industry, conservation groups, sportsmen’s clubs, individual sportsmen and women, media, and others. for issues and initiatives identified by the caucus, further educating all parties involved on what’s at stake with each sportsmen-related issue.
CSF looks forward to working with the Advisory Council towards protecting and advancing Maine’s hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping opportunities.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
