The sportsmen and sportswomen of Maine have been represented since 1975 by the Sportsmen’s Alliance of Maine, an organization founded to preserve and protect the Maine sporting heritage. SAM is an incorporated, non-profit public-service organization whose founder and first president was Alonzo “Doc” Garcelon.

The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine is governed by 20 directors, who are elected by SAM’s 9,000 members for terms of three years. The newly elected president, Gerry Barnes, is a Bangor native who became active in SAM after returning to Maine from an Army career.

With its headquarters in Augusta, SAM is well-positioned to represent the interests of sportsmen with the Legislature. The executive director, Tom Nannery, and his staff maintain a frenetic pace of legislative lobbying, which included formal testimony on 120 bills considered by the Legislature during the past session and participation in hundreds of work sessions.

Besides its political activities, SAM maintains an active schedule of informational, educational, and communication activities throughout Maine. The staff and directors attend meetings of local conservation and sporting clubs, participate in sportsmen’s shows and state fairs, and speak before numerous groups. The State of Maine Sportsman’s Show in March and the state gun show in September are co-sponsored by SAM, which also publishes a monthly newsletter for its members.

SAM is funded exclusively by annual membership dues of $15, donations, support from a small number of businesses, and public support of fund-raising activities. There are no endowments or affiliations with large national organizations.

According to Barnes, “the future of the traditional Maine sporting heritage is under attack and at great risk. The individual sportsman must get involved. The deep commitment felt by hundreds of thousands of sportsmen must find a voice and be heard while there is still someone listening.”

This article was submitted by the Sportman’s Alliance of Maine.