SAM Wins High Ratings

by George Smith

            The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine won high ratings from its members and from the subscribers to The Maine Sportsman magazine in recent surveys.

            In its April 2005 issue, The Maine Sportsman reported the results of its annual 2005 reader opinion poll.  One question asked readers, “Do you believe the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine represents sportsman’s interests.”

            Eighty seven percent reported that SAM does represent sportsmen’s interests, while just eight percent disagreed, an exceptional response in this 51 question survey.  SAM got the highest rating of all the sportsmen’s organizations in the survey.

            The TMS survey reported that 69 percent believe the “NRA represents the interests of Maine hunters,” while 24 percent disagreed.

            And only 47 percent said they thought “Trout Unlimited has helped improve the quality of trout and salmon fishing in Maine.”  Thirty three percent said they had not.

            SAM’s own 2005 membership survey brought even more favorable results for SAM.  An amazing 67 percent rated SAM’s work on their behalf as “great,” and an additional 29 percent rated SAM’s work as “good.”  Three percent gave SAM’s work only a “fair” rating while 1 percent said SAM’s work for them was “poor.”

            Forty four percent said the SAM News was “great” and another 49 percent rated the News as “good.”

            Governor John Baldacci also got high marks from SAM’s members, with 65 percent rating his work for sportsmen as great or good.  Thirty percent rated the Governor’s work as only fair and 5 percent said he was doing a poor job for sportsmen.  A 65 percent approval rating is considered outstanding by any politician.

            When asked to rate the work of DIF&W’s wildlife biologists, 34 percent said it was great, 50 percent said it was good, 15 percent called it fair, and 1 percent called it poor.

            Fisheries biologists got a rating of great from 19 percent, a good rating from 56 percent, a fair rating from 21 percent, and a poor rating from 4 percent.

            DIF&W Commissioner Dan Martin’s work for sportsmen was called great by 17 percent, good by 70 percent, fair by 12 percent, and poor by 1 percent.

            The Fish and Wildlife Advisory Council’s work was rated as great by 24 percent, good by 57 percent, fair by 18 percent and poor by 1 percent.

            The 2005 SAM Membership Survey found strong support for the proposals on SAM’s 2005 Legislative Agenda.

            Ninety nine percent favored providing General Fund tax money to DIF&W to fund 18 percent of the department’s budget, as the law requires.

            Ninety percent thought inland fishing should be included in the governor’s initiative to expand natural resource based industries, by designating Pine Tree Zones on key Maine waters with tax benefits provided to those who invest in the fishery, habitat, access or fishing infrastructure on those waters.

            Eighty eight percent supported simplification of fishing rules by repealing the complex fishing rules currently governing brook trout and enacting into law a simple list of four rules that can be used on all brook trout waters.  The four categories of rules would include bag and length limits and tackle restrictions.

            Seventy eight percent favored opening for fall fishing all moving water (rivers, streams, and brooks) that are stocked.

            Seventy eight percent agreed that native brook trout should be protected by requiring legislative approval before stocking trout or a competing species in the state’s brook trout waters that have never been stocked.

            Eighty nine percent thought the legislature should submit to Maine voters a Constitutional amendment to eliminate wildlife management issues from the citizen initiative referendum ballot process.

            Eighty five percent supported enactment of a new Land for Maine’s Future Bond issue with 10 percent set aside for water access sites.

            Seventy four percent wanted DIF&W to schedule a dove hunting season, as federal law allows in Maine.

            Eighty two percent wanted the spring turkey hunt opened to all hunters without a lottery.

            Seventy three percent favored a system that allows all who have hunting permits (turkeys, moose, any-deer) to swap the permits with other hunters (to change seasons, zones, etc.).

            Eighty eight percent favored SAM’s legislation to require DIF&W to prepare a response, plan and timetable to implement the recommendations of the outside professional assessment of the department performed in 2004, and report annually on their progress.

            Two other issues found the organization’s members divided.  Fifty five percent thought nonresidents should be allowed to hunt on the first day of the firearms season on deer, while 45 percent did not.  This is the first time this proposal has won the support of a majority of SAM’s members.  And a strong 77 percent thought nonresidents who own Maine property that is open to other hunters should be allowed to hunt on the first day of the firearms season on deer.

            Fifty three percent favored hunting on Sunday for all game, while 47 percent did not.  And a proposal to allow Sunday hunting for small game only actually found 54 percent opposed and only 46 percent in favor.

            Regarding a move to reenact higher ATV registration fees, 75 percent supported the move only if the money goes to ATV programs and enforcement.

            When asked to rate fishing in Maine at the present time, 1 percent called it excellent, 33 percent good, and 66 percent fair.

            Many SAM members submitted written answers to the question, “What is the most important issue or project you want SAM to work on for you?”  This month in SAM News we will begin printing those interesting answers.

            SAM’s Board and staff appreciate the good ratings, the many kind words of praise, and even the constructive criticism that accompanied the 2005 member surveys that were returned to the SAM office. 

We are also grateful for the generous donations that accompanied those surveys.  SAM’s annual President’s appeal that accompanied the annual membership survey raised $34,000, a new record.

            “SAM’s members are an amazing group of sportsmen,” concluded President Edye Cronk.  “They are generous with their funds and they support SAM with more than their money.  That’s what makes us strong.  We’re proud of our members and I know they’re proud of SAM.”

            Cronk noted that she especially enjoyed the many personal letters that came from SAM members with their surveys.