I have spoken to Senator Martin about his reasoning and his suggestion that Rep. Clark withdraw our impoundment waters access bill. Senator Martin instructed the OPLA person to contact the AG’s office for advice on legislative procedural matters. It was the AG’s view that because our bill was directed specifically towards access to the impoundment waters (even though the language in the bill was not specific) that are within the lands involved in our lawsuit, proceeding with our bill would not be in the best interests of Maine citizens. In addition, you must also understand that Sen. Martin in his powerful and persuasive ways has some control of Rep. Clark but I don’t say this to demean Rep. Clark or Senator Martin in any way. It’s simply the reality of human nature and the pecking order aspects of the homo sapien in his societal ways. I have also chatted briefly with the OPLA analyst who was reluctant and felt it was inappropriate to express his personal views on the matter. Suffice it say, I was a bit frustrated by the end results and final disposition of the bill. I respectfully disagree with the AG’s office and Senator Martin’s opinion if I understood their analysis correctly. But not wanting to make an issue over something that I believe will ultimately fail, I ceded to what I felt was probably in our best interest considering all aspects of the road ahead. If we do not yield to the wishes of Sen. Martin, he has the power to kill any public access type bill in the Senate.

Now an update on our bill, LD 825, which required free access to waters stocked by the state. This is the bill that I testified on with vigorous and unprepared testimony after listening to Abbey Holman tell the "corporate lie" that we did in fact have access to all ponds behind the gates. After the work session discussion, this bill had a favorable OTP majority report of 6-5. This was the first time this has even happened on this perennial bill. Even George and I were elated and in awe that my vigorous lobbying efforts made such an impact. By my elation was short-lived for Rep. Ron Usher resurrected the bill in his efforts to kill it. I actually begged him not to do it and said "please" to him several times. Monica got wind of Usher’s plan and so she wrote an amendment that replaced the word "free" with the word "reasonable" fees and we proceeded on that basis just to once again try to get the bill out of committee with a favorable majority report. Al Cowperthwaite made an appearance and I suspect there was some lobbying efforts by him and others to kill the bill altogether. Sadly, I must say we failed to get the amended bill out of committee with a majority report and we ended up with a minority report of only 4 votes supporting it. I’ll give it a fight upstairs but I also don’t believe in miracles.

Now an update on LD 514, a concept bill by Rep. Morrison to provide for vehicular public access to our great ponds. The impetus behind this bill was the concerns generated by the Spencer Lake land purchase. In an effort to gain what we are seeking, I submitted an amendment to the bill that essentially rewrote the great ponds act which I had forwarded to you earlier for perusal. Because of the ongoing efforts by the ACF subcommittee to study public access, Rep. Morrison yielded to the wisdom of the IF&W committee to defer the bill to the ACF committee. This formality has actually not taken place as I write and I spoke to Rep. McGlocklin about resurrecting my bill with a statutory language change that might make my proposed great ponds act more palatable to the IF&W committee in it’s reconsideration. I asked the OPLA analyst yesterday to rewrite and clarify what it was I was seeking and with Rep. McGlocklin’s approval, that is what is being done as I write. We will have another work session on it with Rep. Clark and McGlocklin giving their best argument for its passage. Again, I don’t expect to get a favorable majority report out of committee but I do want it to get upstairs so that I can lobby for its passage.

As you can see, I could spend the rest of the day writing details about these and many other bills but I simply don’t have the time.

I will close however by saying that I did attend the SAM board meeting last night. I was a gentleman and I did not feel the setting was the proper time to express my views of disgust with the SAM board and it’s president. I came home from the meeting even more frustrated after learning that 2 more corporate sponsors are donating and signing on with SAM. I believe Fraser and Georgia Pacific are donating $2,500 to the organization and you can well imagine what they expect for their money. I also found out to my disgust that SAM is about to enter into a partnership arrangement with a private sportsman’s travel company. The person that is involved is the person that was one of the partners in Points North that just went through bankruptcy because of poor management. His name is Les Priest who has destroyed the last 3 businesses he has been involved with. He is a con artist extraordinairre but I am presuming that George Smith likes him and enjoys his company. The SAM treasurer, who I talked to privately with last night, is aware of Les Priest’s incompetence and other attributes. I wish the SAM organization the best of luck in their venture. The board approved an investment of up to 35 thousand dollars into the project and Cronk is well aware of my disapproval since I expressed my feelings to her friend, Herb Morse.

On the public access issue, I can assure you that because of what I heard and more because of what I didn’t hear, SAM will never and does not support our efforts to gain free public access to our great ponds. George Smith couldn’t hardly remember that I had even proposed a new great ponds act.

I also politely let the SAM board know that I was unhappy with their decision to not support the Grand Lake Stream Guide’s Association in their efforts to prevent the destruction of the waters and economy by allowing the passage of alewives into the upper St. Croix watershed.

I also had a loud and vociferous confrontation with Commissioner Perry yesterday about his failure to answer my questions and to furnish me a certain email that caused the Machias biologist to not speak their true feelings on the alewife issue. At the same time, I chastised the Commissioner for his failure to recognize the legislative intent to prevent the wardens from stopping snowmobilers absent a suspicion of a violation of law. Even though we left the building together, I can assure you, we did not leave the building on friendly terms. I immediate went to the State House and talked to Rep. Laverdiere and Senator Davis about the department’s failure to follow the law. Senator Davis, a retired police officer, in exhibiting his disgust, labeled the wardens as power hungry. IF&W has not heard the last of me yet on this issue.

Respectfully,

Bill