A panel comprised of five people has started its work to assist the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in conducting an assessment of Maine’s inland fisheries management program. The panel will evaluate prospective contractors to assess and evaluate all aspects of the inland fisheries management program.

The panel is comprised of five people representing various interests in the management of fisheries resources and aquatic habitats. The committee includes:

. Susan Hitchcox of the Maine Audubon Society, representing conservation interests of aquatic ecosystems throughout the state.

. Skip Trask of the Maine Professional Guides Association, representing an outdoor economic industry that depends on the health of the state’s inland fisheries.

. Jeff Reardon, New England Conservation Director for Trout Unlimited, representing an organization whose mission is to preserve, protect, and restore trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds.

. Dennis Smith, a citizen fisheries activist from Northeast Harbor who has been actively involved in fisheries management decisions as a member of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine fisheries committee.

. Vaughn Anthony, a retired fisheries scientist and administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Among the topics the committee will review will include planning and budgeting; staffing; leadership and technical skills; laws, rules, and policies governing the program; decision-making processes; and resource management and public involvement practices.

A grant from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund and funds from other sporting organizations within the state fund the review. The panel met for the first time on March 7, and will continue to meet through the year. The DIF&W commissioner will submit a report to the next Legislature presenting the findings and recommendations of the panel next January.

Boaters must display sticker

Under a new law passed by the Legislature, motorized boaters on Maine’s inland waterways will have to sport a new sticker next to their registration numbers this year in order to halt the spread of invasive aquatic plants.

The Lake and River Protection Sticker is available at town offices and wherever fishing licenses are sold. The cost for the two stickers is $10 for residents and $20 for nonresidents. Each sticker must be displayed next to their registration sticker on both sides of the hull of the boat.

The stickers are mandatory for anyone using a motorized boat on the inland waters of Maine.

Maine Game Wardens have been charged by the Legislature with enforcing this new law.

Game wardens on patrol will look to see if motorized boats on Maine’s inland waters are displaying the sticker.

Proceeds from the sale of the sticker will go toward education, enforcement and eradication efforts, all aimed at stopping the spread of invasive aquatic plants.

Projects that are funded by the sale of the sticker include boat and trailer inspections, educating boater and lake users, managing infested sites, and reducing the spread of invasive plants from other states.

Maine Audubon seeks volunteers

The Maine Audubon is looking for volunteers to lead nature walks for elementary-aged children from the end of April through the end of May at Hamilton Sanctuary in West Bath.

Training is provided for all volunteers and experience working with children and a love of nature are beneficial.

Hamilton Sanctuary lies on a peninsula in the New Meadows River and offers striking views to the undeveloped shoreline of Back Cove.

The sanctuary’s open meadows, a forest of pine, spruce, and fir, and salt marshes and mudflats enable lots of exploration and investigation of the natural signs of spring.

Those seeking more information may contact Julie Ilkovich, environmental education, 207-781-2330, ext. 211.