Letter to Governor LePage of Maine thanking him for his (overridden) Veto of LD1671

[placertogo]

(Copy of e-mail sent to Governor Paul LePage on 4/17/2014 with copies to various member of 126[SUP]th[/SUP] Maine Legislature) Dear Governor LePage, First of all, I want to thank and commend you for your recent veto of L.D. 1671. Unfortunately, the 126th Maine Legislature voted to ignore the real issue and override your veto, allowing the bill to become law. L.D. 1671 was just the latest example of an out of state based special interest group, Trout Unlimited, deciding what is best for Maine and its environment and manipulating an activist Legislature into getting its own way. Those of us who have done motorized gold prospecting have been very conscious of fish habitat and the cleanliness of streams. I could go on and on about how much toxic lead in the form of sinkers, lead shot and bullet fragments, toxic mercury, and other trash detrimental to aquatic life that we have removed from Maine waters while motorized prospecting. I would note that much of the lead in the streams ended up there from legitimate State-licensed activities such and fishing and hunting. There is research, mostly from the western and southern states as well as Canada, that suggests motorized gold dredging in streams actually improves fish habitat. I could show you many examples of good environmental stewardship that recreational prospectors have practiced here in Maine. However, I know a thoughtful man such as yourself is already aware of this so I won't take more of your time with a "dog and pony show" in this letter. There is little that an individual can do today to show his dissatisfaction with a political process controlled by powerful special interest groups. In my case, I own an 80 acre parcel of land adjacent to my home in Pittston. For the 39 years I have lived here I have not only been a good steward of the land and operated a Certified Tree Farm but I have also made my property available to licensed hunters, anglers, trappers, snowmobile enthusiasts, ATV'ers, and others. After considering L.D. 1671 and the political fiasco surrounding this bill, I have decided to no longer allow any of the above activities or any form of trespassing on my property. I am attaching a photo of one of the signs I have begun posting on the perimeter of my property pursuant to Title 17-A M.R.S.A. Section 402. Activities such as hunting, fishing, trapping, snowmobiling, and ATVing generate significant revenue for State agencies and sales tax on associated outdoor equipment and supplies generate significant revenue for the General Fund. However, these activities, more often than not, are done on private land by the good graces of the landowner. The Maine Legislature, in recent years, has put more and more restrictions on the landowner, while assuming that Maine landowners will simply continue to allow the use (and often, abuse) of their land for various State sanctioned and licensed activities. I will be encouraging other landowners to follow my lead in posting their land in protest of various actions of the Maine Legislature. I know I will be contacted by many of the former recreational users of my property who will be upset and disappointed by the posting of my land. My response will be that they should contact the Legislature and determine which members of the 126th Maine Legislature voted in favor of L.D. 1671 and also which members voted to override your veto of this bill. I will suggest that they keep this information in mind when going to the polling places at the time of the General Election in November. Thank you for your service to the people of Maine. Sincerely, Roy C. Gutfinski 22 Patterson Road Pittston, ME 04345

 

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[Hefty1]

"I could show you many examples of good environmental stewardship that recreational prospectors have practiced here in Maine."

There is that ugly "R" word that will kill it for ya everytime!

 

[Goldwasher]

? yes they can that is the point of his post

 

[Timberdoodle]

Absolutely great letter and post. Thanks for taking the time to share this with us. I tried to bring landowner rights to the forefront on this because they have essentially taken a landowners right to prospect on their own property away for the sake of using the property for wildlife habitat. The majority of the Environmental and Natural resources committee appeared to not care if they violate someone's rights as long as they feel they are doing some good in another way. A couple committee members and some legislators saw this bill for what it was, but too few unfortunately. As other property users pushing for these type of restrictions find that they are going to loose access to what they consider "their" rivers and streams, maybe they will think twice before simply jumping on the bandwagon of the far green and doing some more research before giving support.

 

[dieselram94]

GREAT letter!!!!! This is exactly why Maine is dead industry wise, and just another example of out of control govt. I have for a log time been moving toward moving out of state and selling my home in midcoast Maine. I will be taking my assets, income and all the taxes Maine has been stealing from me for years and moving to another state that has NO INCOME tax. I am very disappointed this has happened to recreational dredging in Maine. The really stupid part is hardly any dredging even took place in this sorry excuse for a state. Anyone want to buy a 2500 square foot colonial, detached two car garage with workshop (heated) with a full bathroom on 5.17 acres in Maine? I bet no one is dumb enough to buy it!
Up yours liberal legislature. I will be out of here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[timberjack]

That was a very written letter! After being a littel involved in this fight my eyes were opened to how the process really works. Logic and reality are not part of the process, solid evadance and proof just arnt needed, might could, and may rule the day,,,. Educating the masses to gain wide spread public suppourt is whats needed,,,organize and work togwther,,,heck trout unlimited and jeff reardon have it down,,,it cant be that hard,,,just takes some beacking, a solid game plan,and time...t.u worked on this for a while and made us look foolish.

 

[placertogo]

Here is a pic of my sign. I am also using the new OSHA Safety Purple blazes on trees as specified by Maine law in combination with the signs. Purple is a great color for the idiots who run this state. I have already been contacted by a few people who have seen my land posted. One guy even told me I can't post my land because I have allowed people to use it for so many years. The Maine Warden Service has confirmed that I, in fact, CAN post my land. In fact, the Wardens are empowered and required to enforce posted land trespass laws. Wait until I let the Trout Unlimited high and mighty "upper class" Orvis-equipped fly fishermen know that their fishing license fees are going toward paying the Wardens to help enforce my posted land and keep them and their friends out. I fully expect that next year the Communist State of Maine will pass legislation prohibiting landowners from posting their land if it is in protest to the Legislature's actions. Yes, they can stop us from prospecting. I learned in high school physics that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Many prospectors here in Maine have woodlots and access along streams. I brought this concept up at our Central Maine Gold Prospectors meeting and I think we are going to see a lot more posted land. The Legislators can explain to angry hunters, anglers, trappers, snowmobilers, ATV'er and others why they voted as they did on LD1671.

 

[placertogo]

By the way, here is a response I got from my local State Representative. "All set..." "Fine with it..." "Decent compromise..." Sounds like bull---- from Washington rather than Augusta, Maine. All they had to do was tell Trout Unlimited, "Show us some data to prove that dredging and highbanking harm fish habitat." Instead, they just rolled over to a special interest group and figured there would be no repercussions and everyone would go home happy. Not.

From:	Marks, RepTim <[email protected]>
To:	[email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject:	RE: Copy of e-mail sent to Governor LePage concerning L.D. 1671, “An Act To Prohibit Motorized Recreational Gold Prospecting in Certain Atlantic Salmon and Brook Trout Spawning Habitats”
Date:	Fri, Apr 18, 2014 1:08 pm

---

Dear Roy,

Thanks for the e-mail, I had no idea you were a gold panner. I did however hear from two other Pittston residents who were involved and called me before the vote and said that they went to the hearings and were all set with me voting for the bill. I also heard from another resident who is an environmentalist who also was fine with it. They all thought it was a decent compromise. So did the super majority of the bi-partisan legislature.

Respectfully Rep Tim Marks

 

[gold nuggets]

placertogo....I was thinking after reading your letter, that many of the states that have gold to mine (that are being attacked by the envirowackos) could remove Maine from your letter and insert their home states name into the context and you would have it apply to that state as well. We are all feeling the sting of our legislators being BOUGHT AND PAID FOR by the radical environmental concerns that just want to line their coffers with money and ruin an industry.....it isn't right, but it is true. It is strange, but the reply letters from the representatives that voted to pass the law in the first place, read the same...just different names. That is sad as well! Vote them suckers out of office.

 

[dieselram94]

placertogo....I was thinking after reading your letter, that many of the states that have gold to mine (that are being attacked by the envirowackos) could remove Maine from your letter and insert their home states name into the context and you would have it apply to that state as well. We are all feeling the sting of our legislators being BOUGHT AND PAID FOR by the radical environmental concerns that just want to line their coffers with money and ruin an industry.....it isn't right, but it is true. It is strange, but the reply letters from the representatives that voted to pass the law in the first place, read the same...just different names. That is sad as well! Vote them suckers out of office.

Problem is you can't vote them out as these guys are the same ones who keep the gravy train going for the recipient class. As long as that is the case we are out voted before the election even begins...

 

[placertogo]

They say "Follow the money." and I think that is what it all boils down to. LL Bean here in Maine is a big supporter of Trout Unlimited and other enviro-wacko groups. Bean also gets a lot of its business from hunters, anglers, etc. If the landowners get together and start asserting their property rights and enough of them do this, it will start affecting Bean and the others who basically profit from the sportsman's ability to freely use private property. Landowners here in Maine are up against it. The State now tells you how close to your property line you can use fertilizer, how you are allowed to harvest your timber, that the pond you built for your cattle is now a controlled "wetland," and on and on and on. We all understand that in the USA, fish and game are not the landowner's property but are actually a State-owned resource. But that wildlife uses habitat which largely is the property of the landowners and not State-owned land. The landowner gets no credit for providing habitat for the State's wildlife, only high taxes and increasing harassment. What the powers that be are moving to is basically Communism. They want us all to give what we have and work for, The State.

 

[dieselram94]

They say "Follow the money." and I think that is what it all boils down to. LL Bean here in Maine is a big supporter of Trout Unlimited and other enviro-wacko groups. Bean also gets a lot of its business from hunters, anglers, etc. If the landowners get together and start asserting their property rights and enough of them do this, it will start affecting Bean and the others who basically profit from the sportsman's ability to freely use private property. Landowners here in Maine are up against it. The State now tells you how close to your property line you can use fertilizer, how you are allowed to harvest your timber, that the pond you built for your cattle is now a controlled "wetland," and on and on and on. We all understand that in the USA, fish and game are not the landowner's property but are actually a State-owned resource. But that wildlife uses habitat which largely is the property of the landowners and not State-owned land. The landowner gets no credit for providing habitat for the State's wildlife, only high taxes and increasing harassment. What the powers that be are moving to is basically Communism. They want us all to give what we have and work for, The State.

I didn't know llbean was a supporter of trout unlimited. From now on they will not get a penny from me...

 

[placertogo]

Check the following link to organizations supported by LLBean. Please note under "T" the Trout Unlimited page. L.L.Bean Conservation Partners

 

[Timberdoodle]

I think that in general Trout Unlimited is a great organization of folks and well over 90% of it's members do not fall into the category of wacko environmentalist's. BUT they are being led by those with an agenda, and thus being fed a one sided story to use the organizations supporters to get what they want done. During this bill they often referred to the Rapid, Magalloway, and other world class trout fisheries as if they were threatened by lawful gold prospecting efforts so they could get their members support while not mentioning the other 90% of closure area they were inserting into the bill. This was a well planned effort to essentially close most of the western mountain region in Maine to motorized prospecting while they used terms like "only 19 streams" or the "best of the best". In reality they were submitting a list containing many rivers and their tributaries which closed entire watersheds and in several cases contained more than 19 streams in a single listing. Were they telling the legislature or their own members the entire story? absolutely not!!!(with Legislature support I must add) We learned a hard lesson and we will need to keep a vigilant eye on this and educate both ourselves and the public going forward to keep the folks with the agenda's from gaining ground. The Atlantic Salmon part of this issue is almost a whole other story on it's own in a way and is where many on the extreme green side lie. They have no problem suing the Government and the State of Maine to get ESA implemented, then using it to destroy industry and stepping on anybody else's rights and doing whatever they feel necessary so that someday "they" can have the "right" to stand in a river and catch a Salmon. These are the folks I worry more about because I can educate a concerned fisherman on what I do and it's effect, but talking with some in the Salmon side of this issue I realize that nothing makes it past their one sided thought process. They have and will continue to use the ESA and any other means at their disposal to expand their reach including the supporters of organizations like Trout Unlimited. Hell, if I never got into prospecting I probably would have swallowed the BS myself and I always keep this in the forefront of my mind when trying to educate another concerned fisherman.

 

[placertogo]

Great comments, Timberdoodle. I don't know any prospectors who would be suction dredging if they sincerely believed they were harming Atlantic Salmon or Brook Trout. If those species are indeed as threatened in the streams noted as TU claims, then the Legislature should ban ALL HUMAN ACTIVITY in and adjacent to those waters, not just motorized prospecting. By the time these people are through, there will be no public access to the streams remaining except from the ocean. Private landowners, and I am one of them, have had it up to HERE!

 

[Timberdoodle]

I agree that the vast majority of prospectors are good stewards of the land and do not do any harm. The Cupsuptic issue with a couple prospectors working far outside the laws really hurt us all and we will need to promote that the good practices of motorized prospecting outlined in the laws do protect the fisheries. Trout Unlimited's position that banning legal forms of motorized prospecting will protect the rivers and streams to prevent another Cupsuptic is the equivalent of banning all Bass fishing in Maine to prevent the unlawful introduction of Bass into cold water fisheries by a couple of Bass fisherman, which is probably the greatest threat to cold water fisheries than any other issue. I would love to see how well that thought would have gone over in the Legislature. Unfortunately we are such a small group and so little is known about our activities that Trout Unlimited had a fairly easy time making us all sound like we are a bunch of hacks raping the land. We know we are not, but coming up with ways to prove this going forward is certainly going to be needed if we are to keep from losing ground.