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If you are summer dreaming, it’s time to make plans! Here are some of our favorite get-aways and adventures – enough to keep you very busy this summer, right here in Maine.
Wildfire debates future of north woods recreational economy
Submitted by George Smith on Fri, 06/07/2013 - 12:44
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Does hunting and fishing have a future in Maine’s north woods? Or will it be all birding, biking, and hiking?
Could be it’s all of those things, thanks to the Appalachian Mountain Club and others who are delivering these outdoor experiences on lands where they protect and enhance the resources and provide the lodging and amenities that today’s travelers demand.
The current episode of Wildlife, the TV talk show cohosted by Harry Vanderweide and me and produced by Maine Audubon, presents a fast-paced discussion on these and other outdoor recreation topics with the AMC’s Shannon LeRoy, a former sporting camp owner and now the programs and office manager for AMC.
Maine Gardeners - Get This Book!
Submitted by George Smith on Fri, 06/07/2013 - 10:31
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The Maine Garden Journal
If you’re as obsessed with gardening as my wife Linda, you ought to have a copy of The Maine Garden Journal published by the Fern Leaf Publishing Company in 2012. It’s a true treasury of information that shares the secrets of more than 100 of our state’s most avid gardeners.
Author Lisa Colburn calls them “Maine people who love to put their hands in the dirt.” That’s the very definition of my wife. Minutes after she gets home from a day of teaching first graders, she’s out in the garden, digging, planting, and harvesting.
Proposal to ban citizen wildlife initiatives gains traction
Submitted by George Smith on Tue, 06/04/2013 - 20:28
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The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine is leading an effort at the legislature for a Constitutional amendment that would ban citizen ballot initiatives on hunting and fishing issues. The measure, sponsored by Representative Ken Fredette, the House Republican leader, gained a lot of traction after the Humane Society of the United States announced a few weeks ago that it would try again, in 2014, to ban bear hunting with bait and dogs and bear trapping. HSUS lost its initiative on this same issue in 2004 by a vote of 53 percent to 47 percent.
If Fredette’s amendment wins the support of the legislature and is enacted by the people in a referendum, HSUS will be unable to pursue its bear referendum. But there are a number of hurdles before this amendment is enacted.
Does a logging truck ruin your north woods experience?
Submitted by George Smith on Mon, 06/03/2013 - 19:48
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A new brochure, titled "Welcome to the Maine Woods" and subtitled, “Tips to enjoy your visit” may hold the answer to this question.
The brochure was created by Keeping Maine’s Forests, described in the brochure as “a proactive partnership representing large forest landowners, forest product industries, recreation, conservation, environmental, and economic development interests.”
A diverse group of groups participate in the project, from Maine Audubon to the Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine and the Maine Forest Products Council. This is a collaborative process in which KMF members share information and resources, promote sustainable forest management and conservation, and look for ways to work together. The brochure is one example of this work.
Finding Perfection at Wabi Sabi Cottage in Alna
Submitted by George Smith on Thu, 05/30/2013 - 16:21
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Alna
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Wabi Sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection. But at Wabi Sabi Cottage in Alna, all we found was perfection!
New Sportsmen's Group Tackles Critical Outdoor Issues
Submitted by George Smith on Thu, 05/30/2013 - 15:53
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There’s a new sportsmen’s group in Maine. Let’s see if you can guess what it is, as I describe recent activities and interests of the group.
At this year’s State of Maine Sportsman’s Show, this group was showing episodes of Wildfire, the TV talk show on hunting, fishing, and other outdoor issues cohosted by Harry Vanderweide and me. The group was recruiting anglers for its ongoing research of remote native brook trout waters, and handing out alternatives to lead sinkers and small jigs.
The booth was busy throughout the weekend, discussing a wide range of issues with sportsmen, from moose habitat and health to funding for Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. I know this because I spent some time in the booth, talking with sportsmen who seemed very pleased with this group’s interest in their issues.
