AUGUSTA – Ned Porter, who has served as natural resources and agriculture aide to U.S. Rep. John Baldacci for the past six years, has been appointed to serve as the deputy commissioner of agriculture in Maine.

Porter, a former Bangor Daily News reporter, will begin his new job on Jan. 4, according to Commissioner Robert Spear. He will replace Lynda Dyer, who resigned in August for health reasons.

“Ned brings a wealth of knowledge in the agricultural field with him to this position,” Spear said Wednesday. “He will be real important in this office.”

From Baldacci’s office in Washington, Porter said Wednesday, “This is an opportunity to work on many of the same issues I have worked on here. I will tackle them, however, from a new perspective. It will be fun and challenging.”

Porter said, “It has been no secret that I have been in Washington for six years and my wife and son have been asking me for five years when we were going home.” He said he plans to relocate with his family in the Greater Augusta area.

“I have always had an easy, friendly relationship with [Commissioner Spear],” said Porter. “He’ll be a great boss.”

Spear said, “In his six years at Baldacci’s Washington, D.C., office, Ned continually worked with a lot of issues, such as potatoes, dairy and apples, acting as a liaison between Washington and Maine. He is used to the legislative process, although he has been working with the congressional process, and will be a good thinker on policy development.”

Spear said that Porter will be used in a variety of areas within the department, taking a key role and not focusing solely on one area of agriculture.