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Andy Beahm is executive director of Maine Audubon. Kate Dempsey is state director of The Nature Conservancy in Maine.
As leaders of two statewide conservation organizations, we’ve been dismayed recently to see some pointed criticism of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s (DIFW) outreach initiatives. From our perspective, breaking down barriers that have traditionally limited who partakes in Maine’s outdoor heritage is an unequivocally good thing, both ecologically and economically.
Our organizations are dedicated to helping Mainers care for the natural world. This means increasing the shared understanding of our connection to the environment, and working to ensure that every Mainer has a chance to experience nature. The more connected we feel to the natural world, the more inspired we’ll be to conserve and restore Maine’s iconic lands, waters, and wildlife.
On the other hand, the less connected people are to the natural world, the less likely we are to care for it in our daily lives. Around the nation and the world, studies show that people are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature. This growing gap creates challenging headwinds for sustaining a natural resource-based economy, healthy air to breathe, and clean water to drink.
Engaging people in outdoor activities is a powerful antidote to that growing disconnect. In Maine, hunting, fishing, and other types of outdoor recreation have long been central to our conservation ethic. From our forests, lakes, and wetlands to our rivers, marshes, and ocean, getting Mainers outside is essential to broadening awareness of the vitality and fragility of our ecosystems.
Nature is also a prime economic driver for the state. Maine’s outdoor recreation economy generates over $1 billion annually. This includes more than 229,000 licensed hunters, 365,000 licensed anglers, and hundreds of thousands of hikers, boaters, birdwatchers, ATVers, snowmobilers, paddlers, and others who enjoy the Maine outdoors. Notably, a growing proportion of these participants are women: Maine boasts one of the nation’s highest participation rates of women in hunting and fishing.
Building and sustaining an economy like this doesn’t happen by accident. It takes work. Here in Maine, much of that work is led by DIFW, which has prioritized introducing more Mainers from all backgrounds to outdoor pursuits. Under the leadership of Commissioner Judy Camuso and her team, we have seen the effects of these efforts in many ways, in all corners of the state. We applaud their work, which is besting national trends.
For instance, while hunting license sales have declined by nearly 10 percent nationally since 2018, they have jumped 7 percent in Maine over the same period. And while fishing license sales are stagnant nationally, they have increased over 6 percent in Maine in that same time. Mainers are enrolling in more of the state’s outdoor skill and safety courses, too, which have reported 93 percent growth during Commissioner Camuso’s tenure.
Maine has a rich legacy of bold, thoughtful conservation, but much work remains — especially in the face of a changing climate. Strengthening Maine’s conservation ethic by connecting more Mainers to nature is a big and worthy project, and it needs everyone. If we work together, act with respect and care, and welcome all, we can build a healthy, sustainable future in Maine for generations to come.
