A few months ago in this column, I wrote: “In Maine, land access is the key to preserving our hunting legacy. So whatever it takes — whether it is more funding or staffing for IFW’s landowner relations program, or more aggressive outreach to the public and the hunting community — more needs to be done in this regard. As it now stands, we are losing ground.”
Well, it looks like the Maine State Legislature, with the involvement of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is tuned in to the wave of ever-increasing posted private land in Maine — especially in southern, central and midcoast regions — and is seeking solutions.
This month, MDIFW will submit a mandated report to the Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. If it adheres to the legislative request, the report will outline critical access issues and advance potential legislative remedies.
Here is an excerpt from the report: “To support landowners who voluntarily provide safe, dependable access for the public, Maine must develop funding mechanisms that more equitably share responsibility and provide predictable support for key infrastructure to willing landowners.”
It then lays out the proposed approach:
“The recommendations that follow focus on establishing dedicated funding for high-use road systems, creating voluntary cost-sharing opportunities for private landowners and implementing a statewide program to maintain recreational infrastructure across land ownerships. Together, these measures will help secure long-term access and strengthen the overall resilience of Maine’s outdoor recreation network.”
Typical of manifestos generated by the Augusta bureaucracy, the mission outlined by MDIFW is high-sounding and, in some cases, difficult to decipher. For example, what exactly does this mean: “… create voluntary cost-sharing opportunities for private landowners and implement a statewide program to maintain recreational infrastructure across land ownerships?”
From a hunter’s point of view, the problem of access can be stated plainly: Too much prime hunting land is being posted. What can be done to turn this disturbing trend around?
We know from experience that tax policy can be an effective mechanism to influence behavior — landowners included.
Rewarding landowners who do not post their land with a reduction in their property tax bill might well be an incentive that could make a difference.
Other states are doing just this. Wisconsin, for example, pays financial incentives to landowners who keep their land open to public hunting. Montana has several landowner incentive programs tied to hunting access. These include direct monetary compensation as well as tax credits in some cases. Michigan offers direct payment incentives for private landowners through its Hunting Access Program.
If these models work elsewhere, they deserve serious consideration in Maine.
You get the idea.
When it comes to the North Maine Woods, Mainers and out-of-state visitors are fortunate to have unfettered access to thousands of acres of wild lands for outdoor recreation. The access problems for hunters are more focused in central, southern and coastal Maine, where development and liability concerns continue to change the landscape.
Cross your fingers. The Maine State Legislature has an opportunity to address a growing problem before it becomes permanent. Meaningful incentives could truly make a difference when it comes to public access for hunting and other outdoor traditions that define Maine.
