The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife and the Maine Natural Areas Program, a division of the Maine Department of Conservation, have been awarded $655,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to continue implementing Maine’s Landowner Incentive Program.

The Landowner Incentive Program provides funds and technical assistance to private landowners for the conservation of habitat supporting the state’s rare, threatened and endangered plants and animals.

The DIF&W and Maine Natural Areas Program have developed a nationally recognized program focusing conservation efforts on privately owned habitat that supports those rare species. The grant will support the implementation of the state’s ongoing habitat-conservation planning effort, Beginning With Habitat.

The objectives under this round of funding are:

. To purchase conservation easements to permanently protect habitat on private lands in 20 focus areas, and to protect and restore habitat for the endangered Furbish lousewort along the St. John River in Aroostook County.

. To provide technical assistance and outreach to landowners statewide on habitat-protection opportunities.

For more information on the Landowner Incentive Program, go to www.mainenaturalareas.org/docs/lip/.

Bangor Gun Show scheduled

Firearms enthusiasts will want to take note of a popular yearly event that’s taking place in September.

The Penobscot County Conservation Association will hold the 28th annual Bangor Gun Show on Sept. 10 and 11 at the Bangor Auditorium.

Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $6, but NRA members, law enforcement and military with ID get in for $5. Children under 12 get in free with an adult.

In addition, attendees who join the NRA at the show get in for free.

For more table information call Charlie Rumsey at 941-8575.

State black powder shoot on tap

The Blue Hill Rifle and Pistol Club will host the first Maine state championship black-powder shoot as part of its cowboy action event to be held September 3 and 4.

The state championship is nonsanctioned this year, but is serving as a trial run for the sanctioned event in 2006.

Saturday’s events will include a traditional seven-stage cowboy-action shoot. On Sunday, in a separate event, competitors will be limited to black powder or approved substitutes.

Action will begin each day at 9 a.m.

To submit an item for publication in the Outdoor Notebook, send e-mail to jholyoke@bangordailynews.net, fax to 990-8092 or mail information to Outdoor Notebook, Bangor Daily News, PO Box 1329, Bangor, Maine, 04402-1329.