AUGUSTA – The 1999 Maine Moose Permit Auction raised nearly $40,000 for youth conservation education scholarships, which will benefit more than 250 children this summer.

Five sportsmen bid a total $39,900 in a sealed auction for the privilege to hunt moose in Maine during the 1999 season.

The money will be used to send more than 250 Mainers, ages 10-12, to the Maine Summer Conservation School in Princeton. At the camp, the children will participate in outdoor and classroom activities, including wildlife identification, introduction to fishing, boating safety, firearms handling, hunter saftety and map and compass work.