Outdoor writers’ conference is trophy catch for Maine

By now you must know that the University of Maine has been selected as the site for the Outdoor Writers Association of America’s 1994 national conference. That selection, you might imagine, wasn’t caught on the first cast, so to speak. Fact of the matter is, it took a lot of hard fishing by the “Maine ’94 Committee” to hook and land the OWAA’s board of directors, whose members also were eyeballing lures cast by committees from the states of Tennessee and West Virginia.

Make no mistake about it, after making its presentation at this year’s OWAA conference recently held at the Radisson Hotel in Niagara Falls, N.Y., Maine’s committee came home with a trophy catch. Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Bill Vail is chairman of the committee that includes representatives of businesses, civic groups, sportsmen’s clubs, conservation organizations, outdoor writers, and other members of the DIFW.

Adding to the luster of the accomplishment is the fact that because of the state’s economic crisis, the presentation was funded with money raised by means of a raffle and the donations of clubs, businesses, and individuals. Aside from its formal presentation, the committee offered a lobby display, hospitality suite, luncheon featuring Maine lobster, and a video featuring Maine outdoor recreations that ended with a message from Gov. McKernan.

“We approached them at a grassroots level,” said committee member Les Stevens, director of the Bangor Conventions and Visitors Bureau. “We mixed and mingled and lobbied and made it abundantly clear just how much Maine wanted this conference. In the end, we think that was the deciding factor – we simply outperformed the other states’ committees.”

In addition to Vail and Stevens, committee members present at Niagara Falls were: Martin Kunas, vice president of DeLorme Map Co., Freeport, who was in charge of the formal presentation to the OWAA board; outdoor writers Doug Jowett of Brunswick, Wilmot “Wiggy” Robinson of Millinocket, Patti Forbes and wildlife artist Ralph Marden, both of Harrington; Nat Bowditch, Maine Division of Tourism; Anita Fournier and Paul Fournier, media coordinator for the DIFW; Bruce Stinson, director of Conferences and Institutes at the University of Maine; Roland Hiscock of the Maine Guides Association; and Charles Conley of DeLorme Map Co.

The 1994 OWAA conference, which will be held in June, could be the state’s largest and perhaps the most prestigious. It will bring more than 1,000 outdoor writers, editors, artists, photographers, and exhibitors into the Greater Bangor area. Without question, it will generate millions of dollars worth of promotion and publicity that is sure to result in long-term econpromotion and publicity that is sure to result in long-term economic benefits for the state. The last OWAA conference held in Maine camped in a lodge on the shore of Moosehead Lake in 1953. Obviously, the organization’s membership has increased.

Understand, however, that the conference is not restricted to recreations involving hunting and fishing. It will include exhibits and seminars promoting canoeing, hiking, kayaking, camping, outdoor cooking, photography, environmental and conservation organizations, and other non-consumptive uses of our natural resources.

Undoubtedly, one of the highlights for OWAA members participating in the 1994 conference will be the Penobscot River’s Atlantic salmon restoration program. You can rest assured that many of the writers will take advantage of the opportunity to cast a fly into this country’s premier Atlantic salmon pool. And what better publicity could the river’s restoration program possibly receive – especially during times when sportsmen and environmentalists are opposing proposals to build hydroelectric dams that decimate runs of anadromous fish?

Clearly, the Maine ’94 Committee members studied the water carefully before they began casting to the OWAA’s board of directors. Simply put, their accomplishments were prodigious. On the other hand, though, what would you expect from people who are fiercely proud of the outdoor customs and traditions synonymous with this state?

Ed Baum, program coordinator for Maine’s Atlantic Sea-Run Salmon Commission, has announced a meeting that will be of interest to Atlantic salmon anglers and anyone else interested in the Penobscot River’s restoration program. The meeting will be held at the Eddington Salmon Club, located at the intersection of Routes 9 and 178, on June 26, beginning at 7 p.m.

At that time, Alan Peterson, president of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization, will inform those present of the activities and negotiations that took place at the June 10-14 NASCO meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland.

The meeting at the Eddington club will be an excellent opportunity for anglers as well as interested non-anglers to familiarize themselves with the complex problems of Atlantic salmon restoration and management in Maine. The informal public meeting also will include discussion of the international Atlantic salmon scenario. A question-and-answer period will follow. Mr. Peterson is an avid salmon angler and a member of many salmon clubs, including the Eddington club.

If you’re tired of trolling or have developed a kink in your casting arm, you can find a pleasant change of pace in South Paris on June 22-23. There, the Maine Retriever Trial Club will hold hunting tests for retrievers and Irish water spaniels. Goodwin’s Motel on Route 26 (phone 743-5121) is headquarters for the two-day event sanctioned by the American Kennel Club.

Master, Senior, and Junior hunting tests will begin at 8 a.m., June 22. June 23 is reserved as a rain date or to accommodate an unexpected amount of entries. Dogs will be worked on mallard ducks in all levels – and I’ll guarantee that the desire and dedication displayed by the classy canines will make your hair stand on end as quickly as the rise of a trout or salmon. A tailgate party will be held at the conclusion of the awards ceremonies.