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One of the most contentious issues of the 125^th legislature was resolved yesterday in an amazing display of good legislating.

When Governor Paul LePage proposed to abolish Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission, and give counties the planning and regulatory authority for the 10 million acres of unorganized territory, it unleashed what promised to be an ugly bitter battle.

And at times, that’s just what this appeared to be. Sometime soon I’ll be writing the inside story of how a unanimous ought-to-pass vote was achieved by the Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee.

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Impressed with the renovated Holiday Inn By The Bay, pleased to discover a new favorite at the Good Theater, and ecstatic to finally find the hot chilies we’ve been looking for, a recent weekend in Portland was, as always, a lot of fun.

It’s tough not to be drawn to Maine’s big city when you’re looking for the best in lodging, entertainment, food, and shopping. Our February visit hit all those notes and more.

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We knew the Red Barn was special. Friends and family members have raved about the food for years. But we had no idea that the real story here is one of generosity, community spirit, and family.

Red Barn has great food at low prices. Let’s get that right out there. But the real story is not what they have, it’s what they give.

Every month the staff directs all of their tips to charities. All the sales of whoopie pies go to charity too. And every other Monday night, Red Barn hosts a fundraiser for a worthy cause – with the staff donating their time and the restaurant donating all the food.

Go here for the food. Keep going here to encourage this generous and caring team of wonderful people.

Read More.

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The controversial option allowing Maine counties to opt out of the jurisdiction of the Land Use Regulation Commission will be removed from a bill to reform that agency, thanks to 10 House Republicans and 1 Senate Republican. Here’s the story.

For background, read my blog post of March 8. That’s when Rep. Russell Black emerged as a hero, insisting on making the opt out option so difficult that it would never be possible. The Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry Committee endorsed the amended bill, with Black’s amendment, last week on a party line vote.

Democratic committee members endorsed an amended version of the bill that eliminated the opt out and restricted the number of County Commissioners that could serve on LURC.

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Maine lost another 1000 turkey hunters last year. I’m astonished, because spring turkey hunting is an exciting experience. I’ve been hooked since my first day, when Harry Vanderweide accompanied me to a field near my house and called in a large gobbler. I shot the bird at about 5 yards.

“It’ll never be that easy again,” said Harry. And he was right! Turkey hunting is challenging, that’s for sure. It requires lots of skill and a bit of luck – plus persistence. 

I’ve found it to be a great way to introduce new hunters to our hunting heritage, because you are interacting with – and seeing – turkeys almost all the time you’re hunting. There’s never a dull moment!

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Representative Steve Wood got the conversation started at a work session of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, asking Commissioner Chandler Woodcock if he’d consider starting the 2012 turkey season earlier.

 The department adopted a new rule governing the turkey season, calling for the spring season to always start the Monday closes to May 1. That means this year’s hunt won’t open until April 30 (April 28 is Youth Day). The last day of the hunt is June 2.

With the early spring we’re experiencing, turkey hunters are anxious to start hunting.

Chandler didn’t give Steve a definitive answer, so after the committee’s work was done, Steve pressed his case with the Commissioner. I took part in that conversation, arguing for an earlier start, something I’ve been advocating for years in discussions with DIF&W’s top bird biologist, Brad Allen.

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Early this afternoon I received a new Monthly Financial Update on the financial activities of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, prepared by Gilbert Bilodeau, Deputy Director of the Natural Resources Service Center. This report covers the year-to-date fiscal year from July 1,2011 to February 29, 2012.

The gap between the amount of revenue DIF&W projected and the amount it received continues to widen. Last month the department was $900,000 short of its projected revenue. This month they are a stunning $1,162,210 short.

Not long ago, the agency downgraded its revenue projections for the year.

Snowmobile registration revenue for the same period in the previous fiscal year was $190,063 more. Likewise for ATVs, with this year’s revenue $60,000 less than last year’s at this point.