http://www.nrcm.org/rss.asp?f=3 NRCM Woods, Wildlife, and Wilderness bdimond@nrcm.orgTue, 09 Feb 2010 09:58:52 EDTFuzzyRSS 1.0.1 http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3465A legislative committee has endorsed a proposal to create Maine's first license for saltwater sport fishing.The Marine Resources Committee was deadlocked on the idea last week, but reconsidered the issue Monday. Eight of the committee's 13 members voted for the new plan, and a ninth is expected to add her support before the committee formally sends its recommendation to the House of Representative...bdimond@nrcm.orgWed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3451At the age of 82, I have fished in saltwater for more than 75 years. As a boy hand lining from the rocks and docks, I caught flounder, sculpin, cunners, mackerel and harbor pollock, using as bait clams or sea-worms I had dug myself.Later, I graduated to striped bass, bluefish, red drum, jacks, spotted sea trout, bonefish, albacore, bonito, and bluefin tuna, fishing in a dozen Atlantic and Gulf Coa...bdimond@nrcm.orgFri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3447AUGUSTA — A legislative committee deadlocked Wednesday on a proposal to create a state license for saltwater sport fishing.The Marine Resources Committee ended five hours of debate with a 5 to 5 vote on whether to require the new license at a cost of $5 for residents and $15 for nonresidents.Some committee members said they still intend to push for alternatives, including one that would proh...bdimond@nrcm.orgThu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3448The Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry committee considered two bills Wednesday that would ban the import of firewood and track the source of the blight on crops.Blight is a type of fungus long familiar to potato farmers in Aroostook County, who have a system in place to spray chemicals at the earliest sign of the problem. Left untreated, blight can destroy crops.Tomato seedlings imported to ...bdimond@nrcm.orgThu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3449AUGUSTA, Maine — A legislative committee sought common ground Wednesday on a divisive proposal to require saltwater licenses for recreational fishermen in Maine, one of two Northeastern states yet to comply with a federal mandate to do so.But at the end of the day, the lawmakers remained undecided and were split three ways on the issue.Supporters say Maine is under the gun to act now on the ...bdimond@nrcm.orgThu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3443A proposal in the Legislature to create a recreational saltwater fishing license is bound to make those who like to cast a line for mackerel or stripers from the town pier feel like the government has hooked their wallet. But setting aside the tradition of free access to the resource that is the saltwater fishery, requiring a license — which LD 1331 would mandate — is a reasonable step...bdimond@nrcm.orgWed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3445Good afternoon Sen. Nutting, Rep. Pieh and members of the Committee.  My name is Cathy Johnson. I am the North Woods Project Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine.  I am here today on behalf of the 12,000 members and supporters of the Natural Resources Council of Maine in support of L.D. 1607.Emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorned beetle are both serious threats to Main...bdimond@nrcm.orgWed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3439BRUNSWICK — Maine has the opportunity not only to bolster funding for the state agency that manages the health of our marine resources but to improve our knowledge of recreational saltwater fishing in state waters as well. To do this, Maine must enact LD 1331, which establishes a saltwater fishing registry.Here's why that makes all the sense in the world.For openers, if Maine government does...bdimond@nrcm.orgSun, 17 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3438Last year, the Maine Legislature considered two competing bills that would head off a looming federal mandate for a registry of all saltwater anglers fishing in U.S. waters. One bill was the governor’s saltwater fishing license proposal; the other bill, submitted by Sen. David Trahan, R-Waldoboro, was for a “free” angler registry.During deliberations, the Maine Association of Cha...bdimond@nrcm.orgSat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nrcm.org/news_detail.asp?news=3434AUGUSTA, Maine — Three years after Katahdin Lake was added to Baxter State Park, state officials are looking into whether a logging firm violated an agreement to protect critical deer habitat on timberland it acquired from the state as part of the deal.George Smith with the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine and Sen. David Trahan, D-Waldoboro, are raising questions about whether Gardner Lan...bdimond@nrcm.orgThu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT