Making Room for Everyone in Conservation

An old deer stand on a beech ridge in the North Woods. Photo by Ben Wyman

I am an avid hunter and angler, and I am also a fierce environmentalist. I believe there is no reason why sportsmen and sportswomen need to be a mutually exclusive group from the environmental movement and alliance. I was lucky enough to be raised by very progressive parents in the 90s and 2000s who taught me the importance of environmentalism, fighting climate change, and promoting clean air and water policies while also encouraging me to hunt and fish for my own dinner.

I suppose it stems from the old New England idea of the self-sufficient person, especially when times get tough, as those of us who have lived in Maine for long enough know can happen far too often. In the spring and summer, I would plant seeds with my parents, tend to the garden, help pick the ripe veggies, can tomatoes in late August, and then, come October, be in the woods with my dad and my shotgun until the fading of the year.

The memories made and the lessons learned have continued to influence me and affect my life to this day. In addition to general survival and outdoors skills, a lifetime of hunting has taught me about the connection to my food and has only served to grow my respect for wildlife and their protection. In fact, without the support of hunters and anglers in the early- to -mid 20th century, most of the wildlife we take for granted today would no longer be here.

I went to high school in Aroostook County, where I was privileged enough to have easy access to the outdoors whenever I wanted it. I developed amazing friendships that still last to this day, and every year a couple of friends from home and I go into the North Maine Woods for our annual bird hunting trip. The overall goal, of course, is to hunt partridge, but the true purpose is to disconnect from the daily grind, lose cell service, laugh, and make memories together.

I can tell you that over the years I have made some of the happiest and most memorable moments of my life off those old logging roads that crisscross the NMW, and I believe everyone should have the ability to access and participate in those experiences as I have.

A Ruffed Grouse “fanned out” in Maine’s North Woods. Photo by Ben Wyman

This past October when I was on an annual hunting trip, I was talking to one of my friends who has different politics and philosophies from my own in many ways; however, one of the things we are in lockstep with is protecting and conserving the natural resources of Maine for our enjoyment, and especially for those who come after us.

At one point we were discussing my new job at the Natural Resources Council of Maine and the organization. My friend was incredibly happy for me as he has known since college that this is my dream job, helping to protect our environment. However, he – like so many in the rural areas of our state — felt as though we forget about people like him. Those who are not near the urban hubs, who are not traditionally as progressive, and who in general want many of the same things for our environment as we do. He is staunchly opposed to the proposed Pickett Mountain mine, as all of us are, but does not feel included, or his voice even wanted, in the work we carry out and the causes we fight for.

The fight for environmental justice, conservation, and protection of our natural resources is a Herculean one. It requires the work of folks from all walks of life and with different interests and investments in Maine’s outdoors. For us to be successful in our current goals as an organization and state, let’s remember to welcome more folks who should be our allies into our tent. The coalitions needed to truly tackle climate change, put Maine on the path to energy independence, and to promote buy-in from more than the urban and coastal parts of the state cannot forget Maine’s sportsmen and women who are proud of our cultural heritage and our identity that includes self-sufficiency and the harvesting of food from the land.

We may connect in different ways to the environment, but that does not negate the fact we care strongly about the health and conservation of the land and the animals that inhabit it, and none of us want to keep those resources to ourselves. Hunters and anglers want to be able to hunt and fish on this land like we have for generations, but we also want to protect these resources for those who gain enjoyment of the outdoors in different ways.

We do not believe these different outdoor activities need to be mutually exclusive, and I encourage all of us to talk to a friend, family member, or neighbor who hunts or fishes. I guarantee if you do, you will find we have a lot more in common than you might think.

—Ben Wyman, NRCM Administrative & Operations Associate