I found it difficult to read the
notice of a Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife public hearing
scheduled for April 22, 2015 which was suggesting
removing the entire town of Phippsburg Maine
Seems like a couple of
Phippsburg residents decided to petition the department for the change,
automatically triggering the notice and scheduled a meeting. The petition read
as follows: “The Department of Inland
Fisheries and Wildlife has been petitioned to amend the Expanded Archery Deer
Hunting Season from the areas by
updating road names and routes within a portion of Wildlife Management District
24 to remove the Town of Phippsburg
I called
the department to ask what was happening and they said I might find the hearing
very interesting.
So, off I went the to evening
meeting arriving at the Phippsburg Elementary School Gym to see several vehicles
already there, thirty minutes prior to the scheduled meeting time. Upon
entering the building, I noticed about 20 people lingering about, Commissioner
Chandler Woodcock, a wildlife biologist, two department staffers and two
department game wardens. That’s quite a department presence for such a meeting.
People began filtering in,
young, middle aged and seniors; men and women alike. I sat beside a young man
and began chatting with him, not noticing the continued flow of people
entering. I looked up in shock to see, maybe 50 people. I said to the young
man, “looks like a good turn out” His reply, “the more the better”. Prior to
the meeting beginning I estimated at least 100 people had shown up. That’s a
crowd in Phippsburg. This issue had roused out folks.
The petitioner presented his
case. Basically his reason for the change was stated because the town’s deer
herd couldn’t stand much more pressure from the expanded archery season.
Supporters of the change stepped
up. They were few. Opponents to the change began their testimony. With
thoughtful messages, they obviously were passionate about their bow hunting and
the expanded archery season in particular. The opponents just kept coming. It
was obvious that the majority at the meeting didn’t want the town removed from
the special archery season. Opponents mostly believed the deer herd in
Phippsburg is in excellent condition.
To a person, both sides went out
of their way to make certain there were no hard feelings between the two
positions. It was the most civil public hearing I ever attended and it’s been
many over the years.
So, what’s the big deal here?
Why am I writing about this issue? After the meeting I said to myself, “this
potentially contentious meeting made me proud to be a Maine
.JPG)
