SPORTSMAN'S ALLIANCE of MAINE

205 Church Hill Road, Suite 1, Augusta,

Maine 04330-8210
Telephone: (207)623-4589
e-mail: david.trahan@sportsmansallianceofmaine.org
www.sportsmansallianceofmaine.org
Elements for 2014 Legislative Questionnaire
*All Candidate Endorsements are at the SAM Boards Discretion
Surveys are due by July 25, 2014
Name: Eliot Cutler District #: Governor

Address: P.O Box: 17766 Town: Portland Zip: 04112

Telephone:__(207) 358 7000_______Email:_________info@cutlerformaine.com_______

Grade Scoring Point Range
100 A+
90-99 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
50-59 F

*Candidates must answer each question to receive credit toward the overall grade. There will be
an automatic 5 point reduction for each unanswered question. If a candidate does not understand
the question, needs more information, please contact the Executive Director, David Trahan at:
691-0367 or david.trahan@sportsmansallianceofmaine.org. If there is some question as to the
answers or a need for follow-up, the SAM Board may request an interview with the candidates.
SAM supports trapping as an important tradition and conservation tool. States like
Massachusetts and Colorado who have banned trapping now confront significant furbearer
populations, like beaver, fox, coyote, and other predator populations that have reached nuisance
levels.
Do you support trapping? If no, please explain:
Yes_XX__ No_____ Other______
SAM has been leading efforts across northern Maine in partnership with the Maine Department
of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and other organizations to restore our deer population and to
protect those sensitive populations from predation.
Do you support efforts to maximize the deer population's potential and to also make use of
hunting and trapping opportunities to control predators like the Eastern coyote? If no, please
explain:
Yes__XX__ No_____ Other______
The devastating losses to Maines deer herd mean that we need to strengthen
protection of deer wintering areas and do everything we can to help the deer herd
recover as quickly as possible. I am also mindful of the major changes of landownership
in Maine in recent years. The paper companies, which used to own the majority of
forestland in Maine, generally adhered to voluntary agreements for protecting feeding
areas. Newer owners of vast tracts of Maine land may not always feel the same
obligation to abide by those traditional agreements, so we need to find other ways to
protect feeding and wintering areas. Whether that responsibility falls to LURC or some
other agency, it needs to be a priority.
Currently, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is receives $100,000 per year to
control coyote predation in and around deer yards in areas where the deer population is far below
desired levels, (mostly in remote northern, eastern and western Maine. The predation control
program is designed to minimize coyote predation problems late in the fall, just prior to winter;
thus reducing predation on deer. Will you vote to continue this important coyote predation
control program?
Yes__XX__ No_____ Other______
I recognize that a strong, healthy and sustainable deer herd is important to Maine, and I
would support the recommendations of experts in this area.

Maine enjoys one of the strongest moose populations in the country, and provides incredible
opportunity for people to watch, photograph, and hunt this majestic animal. Some have proposed
taking advantage of Maine's strong moose population in a different way-to introduce wolves
back into Maine. Not only to protect our moose population, but also fragile populations of deer
and other vulnerable species. SAM opposes the introduction of wolves to Maine and this concept
in general.
Do you support introduction of wolves into Maine? If so, please explain:
Yes______ No_XX_ Other______
SAM has led the effort for years to enhance Maine's legendary cold water fisheries by fighting
to modernize our antiquated hatchery system.Would you support a conservation bond issue that
would be presented to the voters of Maine to bring our hatchery system into the 21st Century and
greatly enhance the economy of rural Maine? If no, please explain:
Yes__XX__ No_____ Other______
Maines hatcheries turn out an exceptional product, but we have never made the
investments necessary to compete with other states that spend tens of millions of
dollars growing and stocking fish. I plan to bring together a group of anglers, guides,
DIF&W fisheries staff, and others, to create and implement a plan for a vigorous
hatchery program, to stock the fish in the best and most appropriate areas, and to
expand our research and management of native fisheries and fish that thrive without
stocking. Further, and critically, I will identify this program as a priority, long-term capital
investment in one of Maines important competitive advantages, and I will give serious
consideration to bonded indebtedness to support that investment.
SAM supports opportunities for sportsmen to access public lands. Do you support efforts to
enhance sporting opportunities on public lands? If no, please explain:
Yes XX No _ Other --
The real challenge is defending and assuring the access and recreational use that
sportsmen currently enjoy on public lands and in our state parks. I will do that. I believe
in shared use and will work to make sure that all recreationists are able to fully enjoy
their favorite activities on public lands and in our state parks. I am aware that we have
failed to provide robust management of our public lands and parks, and I will work to
assure that lands managed by BPL and DIF&W are among the best managed lands in
the state.

SAM helped lead efforts to change the Land for Maine's Future Program to target and elevate
deer wintering areas for purchase or easement in an effort to restore the white tailed deer
populations in areas like Northern, Eastern and Western Maine where populations are far below
desired levels. This successful change in priorities has led to companies like Plum Creek and
Trust for Public Lands to enter into negotiations to protect some of the most important deer and
trout habitat in the state. Several other projects are also being considered to protect deer yards
deemed priorities by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Will you support funding the Land for Maine's Future Program and vote to maintain this
important habitat protection and investment provision?
Yes__XX__ No_____ Other______
Maine has a special quality of place and a unique civic culture. Maintaining these
important characteristics is one of the most important investments we can make. This
means protecting our natural environment and our wild and scenic places; preserving
farmland, forest, harbors and downtowns; and ensuring that people in historic mill towns
and villages can both live here and earn a living. The Land for Maines Future Program
continues to be an important mechanism for accomplishing those goals.
SAM supports efforts to encourage private landowners to keep their lands open to
outdoor recreation opportunities for the public. Maine is unique in the provisions of law that
support permissive trespass while protecting landowner rights. In many states, land is deemed
off-limits unless posted as open-the so-called "reverse-posting" action designed to keep
sportsmen at bay. SAM opposes reverse posting.
Do you oppose reverse posting? If no, please explain:
Yes__ XX _ No____ Other______
Reverse posting has been handily defeated at the legislative level in the past with the
strong opposition of SAM and is not currently a threat. Nonetheless, maintaining our
traditional privilege of access to and recreational use of private land is definitely a
continuing challenge. I will work aggressively with small and large landowners to assure
that the privilege of public access is maintained. To help do that, we will create and I
will support a vigorous landowner relations program as a partnership among state
agencies and the groups that represent outdoor recreationists, environmentalists, and
sportsmen.

SAM opposes the proposals by RESTORE: The North Woods and Roxanne Quimby to
establish a National Park in northern Maine. A national park would mean the end to not only
sporting access for hunting, trapping, but would also severely limit snowmobiling and
recreational vehicle opportunities as well.
Do you support or oppose the establishment of a new National Park? If you support, please
explain:
Support______ No_____ Other___XX__
I oppose the RESTORE proposal. It is excessive and not at all in Maines best interest.
On the other hand, I believe that the designation(s) of approximately 75,000 acres as a
National Park and/or National Recreation Area has merit as part of a strategy to
reinvigorate the economy of the Katahdin Region.
Northern Maine has important assets that are real competitive advantages: farms,
forests, lakes, rivers, streams, communities, and hard working, industrious people.
Maines North Woods are a remarkably valuable source of wood fiber and related jobs;
the North Woods also are an important destination for hunters, fisherman, and tourists.
We need to look at economic development strategies that leverage these advantages in
the broadest possible ways, and I believe that there exists considerable potential in
identifying and branding areas of Maine like the North Woods in ways that will
attract people and jobs to the area.
I commend Lucas St. Clair for examining some of the important questions concerning
the creation of a National Park, including: (i) what is the best balance of protection and
use for current and future generations of Maine people, and (ii) what is the best
mechanism to achieve that balance. Earlier in my career, during the late 1970s, I led
the federal governments effort to classify the Alaska public lands under the provisions
of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, and my team reviewed the prospects for
conservation and use under a long list of native, state and federal classifications. I
learned from that experience that questions that are framed narrowly like should the
Quimby-St. Clair lands become a National Park? lead to examinations of alternatives
that are also too narrowly framed. We should be identifying with the owners, the
affected communities, National Park advocates and all Maine stakeholders the
optimum balance of preservation and use and the best mechanism(s) to achieve it. Any
designation of these Maine lands must benefit the regional economy in areas of
traditional employment and attract outdoor enthusiasts to Maine from all over the world
with opportunities in appropriate places to fish, hunt, hike, camp, paddle, wildlife watch,
bicycle, snowmobile, cross country ski and snowshoe.
I already have promised the citizens and stakeholders in the Katahdin Region that as
governor I personally will work closely with them to craft a plan that will maximize the
economic potential of the region (i) using the hydroelectric resources of the Penobscot
River and distributed generation of electricity from indigenous renewable resources to
power industries that will draw upon the areas wood fiber resources and (ii) leveraging
the regions extraordinary tourism and recreational resources to bring visitors to the
area from around the world.
Maine's forests have long been economic drivers of the state's economy, and we must
find ways to responsibly maintain these important resources as a stable source of wood
fiber, for outdoor recreation, and to preserve and enhance the ecosystem benefits that
healthy forests provide.
SAM has long supported the right of law-abiding citizens to keep, bear, and use
firearms. Do you support the right to keep and bear arms under the 2nd Amendment of the
United States Constitution and Article I, Section 16 of the Maine Constitution? If not, please
explain:
Support___XX_ No_____ Other______
SAM was instrumental in amending the states constitution in 1987 to ensure that our
second amendment rights are enshrined in the Maine constitution. Every citizen has
the right to keep and bear arms and that right shall never be questioned. I dont know
how to improve on that.
Last year the legislature passed and the governor vetoed a bill to expand criminal and
mental health background checks to all private firearm sales. Among the several reasons 2nd
Amendment supporters oppose such a provision is over concerns that a data base of all firearms
owners would have to be established to confirm all background checks had been conducted, one
step away from a gun registration program.
Would you vote to expand background checks to private firearm sales?
Yes__XX_ No_____ Other______
I respect and honor all constitutional rights, including the right to bear arms under the
Second Amendment. Maine has a long history of responsible gun ownership and one of
the lowest rates of gun-related crime in America. We can all be proud of that, but I think
that we also can agree that we need to focus more attention on the problem of access
to firearms by people who simply shouldnt own guns, like convicted criminals and
people suffering from mental illness who are a danger to themselves or others. Thats
why I actively and strongly support universal background checks upon the sale and
transfer of firearms.
I believe it is especially important to require background checks of nonresidents who
purchase guns in Maine and return to Boston and other places and use the guns to
commit crimes.
I recognize that this requirement will pose problems for gun owners who do not live near
a licensed gun dealer who can do the background checks. I will work with SAM, law
enforcement, dealers and others to create a one-call system that solves that problem
and that would be in place before any change in existing law becomes effective.
Outdoor conservation in Maine is the primary mission of the Maine Department
of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, which is a General Fund agency whose revenue is largely
restricted to the amount of money generated by the sale of licenses, registrations, and permits
that passes through the General Fund. This amount of revenue is enhanced by matching funds
from various Federal accounts that are very activity- specific. Nonetheless, all funds together
only fund about 80% of IF&W's activities-the remainder is not funded, and the cost of those
activities is absorbed by scarce dollars provided by sportsmen. IF&W's revenues have, when
adjusted for inflation, declined nearly 30%, and the department has shrunk-some 30 fewer game
wardens protect our outdoor heritage now as opposed to 1973-and yet in the same time, IF&W
has taken on endangered species management, the moose hunt, the turkey hunt, the any-deer
permit system, snowmobiling, whitewater rafting management, and a host of other policy areas.
SAM has supported a number of initiatives over the years that would provide additional funds,
including one that would have allocated additional dollars from the General Fund to close that
gap and a constitutional resolution that narrowly failed in the Legislature that would have
provided for a dedication of a portion of the sales tax to fund outdoor conservation.
Will you support such a constitutional provision? If not, how do you propose providing more
funding to the Department?
Yes______ No__XX___ Other______
_____Constitutional Provision dedicating a small percentage of the sales tax to IF&W.
__XX_Straight General Fund Appropriation
_____Other, please explain:
As I said in 2010, I do not believe the Constitution is the right place to appropriate funds.
I refused in 2010 to make promises to anyone about any particular budget item or
appropriation matter, and I wont do so now. Governor LePage broke his 2010
promises to SAM to fund 20 percent of DIF&Ws budget with public tax money and to
veto any budget that failed to do that.
I do agree that it is unfair and unwise to fund public services like many of those
performed by the staff at DIF&W with revenues collected from only a portion of those
who receive the benefits of those services. I will commit to work with legislative leaders
and members of the Appropriations Committee to create a budget for DIF&W that
includes significant support from all Mainers for the important work of the agency.
Across America, our sporting traditions face tremendous pressure. Many well-meaning
people have been misled by animal-rights pressure groups like People for the Ethical Tre,atment
of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in order to establish
policies that harm agriculture, silviculture, and the sporting heritage of the outdoors. In 2004,
Maine voters supported sportsmen, the rural economy, and our outdoor heritage in voting to
reject a statewide referendum pushed by front groups for these organizations that would, if
passed, have banned the three most effective methods used for hunting bears in Maine, baiting,
hounding and trapping. Maine's bear population is the largest in the lower 48 states and is
regarded as the most scientifically managed in the nation. Now, the Humane Society of the
United States has once again placed a citizen initiative question on the November 2014 ballot.
Do you support or oppose the referendum to ban baiting, hounding and trapping?
Support______ No__XX_ Other______
I oppose the bear initiative on the fall ballot. Maine is recognized throughout North
America for the quality of our state biologists' research on bears and for our Department
of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's informed management of our bear population. The
bear population in Maine is increasing. We already have seen a declining number of
bear hunters seeking permits. Together with a slow recovery in northern Maine's deer
population, these circumstances suggest that there is a very real risk of Maine Guides
losing their jobs and livelihoods. If I am elected, I will rely on skilled professionals
throughout state government to help shape my administrations policies. The
Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has talented biologists and wardens, and I
will look to them to help us appropriately manage the Maine bear population.
During the recent campaign to collect signatures to place the bear baiting, hounding and
trapping question on the ballot, the Humane Society of the United States employed paid, non-
resident professional signature gatherers teamed up with Maine resident "witnesses" to solicit
petition signatures. This exploitation of Mainers right to petition violates the intent of the Maine
Constitution, Article 4, Part Third, and Section 20, which defines "circulators" of petitions as:
"means a person who solicits signatures for written petitions, and who must be a resident of
this State and whose name must appear on the voting list of the city, town or plantation of the
circulator's residence as qualified to vote for Governor;"
Legislation has already been introduced for the upcoming session to clarify this important
provision and to exclude the use of paid non- residents to solicit citizen initiated petition
signatures and clarify that using Maine resident as "witnesses" does not meet the qualifications
of Article 4, Part Third, Section 20.
Would you support legislation that clarifies it is unlawful to use paid non- residents to solicit
citizen initiated petition signatures?
Yes_XX_ No_____ Other___ _
This is an interesting and compelling issue. I will take an active role in addressing the
issue if I am elected Governor. I strongly believe that the citizens right to petition and
place initiatives on the ballot is an important one, so we must be careful to make sure
citizens continue to have this right. I also believe that limiting the process to Mainers
makes sense.
Will you commit to name professional management to lead our State Conservation Agencies?
Yes___XX__ No_____ Other_____

I will absolutely commit to this not only for Conservation Agencies, but for all
departments. As an Independent and the only candidate who is not taking PAC money,
I will bring the best qualified people into state government, period, without regard to
party or special interest affiliations. I am the only candidate who can make this pledge
with any credibility.
Furthermore, I will reach out to SAM and other conservation organizations for input on
the qualifications that people should possess for key positions and recommendations for
potential candidates.
Will you commit to re-invigorate the Information & Education Division of Inland Fisheries
& Wildlife?
To promote agency policy?
To communicate agency success?
To lead and organize the marketing of Maines outdoor resources to the national
market?

Yes___XX__ No_____ Other_____
Yes, these are all valid and important functions. My property tax reform proposal and
the means to pay for it includes an additional $10 million for promoting Maine, a
doubling of our current budget for marketing our state, and my branding initiative speaks
to better promoting of Maines outdoor heritage and resources
(http://www.cutlerformaine.com/taxes). I would expect DIF&W to playing a major role in
this greatly expanded effort to promote our state nationally and internationally.
Please return completed questionnaire to:
SAM
205 Church Hill Road, Suite 1
Augusta, ME 04330
Additional Comments:
I also would like to share with you this excerpt from my Branding initiative
(http://www.cutlerformaine.com/branding):
Maine is a safe, genuine, friendly, uncrowded place an unspoiled outdoor paradise
dominated by conservation lands.
But Maines traditional outdoor economic driver hunting and fishing has been in
decline for decades. We have lost our deer herd in the north, a vital driver of the
economy in that region, seen substantially reduced moose and deer hunting permits,
and now face the challenge of a second ballot initiative in ten years by a national anti-
hunting group that would end bear hunting and eliminate that segment of our economy.
Even recreational fishing is in decline both inland and on the coast. Sportsmen
remember when guides on the Kennebec River gave up and canceled their trips
because the Striped Bass were gone. Maines Department of Inland Fisheries and
Wildlife is starved for the funds needed to do a good job of research and management
of the animals that define the Maine experience and that drive our outdoor economy.
Nearly a decade ago the Department abolished its marketing position. Pick up any
national outdoor magazine featuring the best places to . . . , and Maine is not there.
Our hunting and fishing heritage is important to all of us, and it will be something always
on the top of my mind. Our outdoor leaders especially those in critical businesses like
guiding and sporting camps will be called on to work with me to put Maine on the
national map, once again, for all outdoor activities, whether its hunting Maine, fishing
Maine, birding Maine, hiking Maine or biking Maine.
We also need to do more to develop future leaders for Maines hospitality industry. The
University of Southern Maines new Tourism and Hospitality program is a great start and
should be supported, but it took too long to create this program in a state where tourism
has been the states leading industry for so long, and it shouldnt be the only one.
Finally, we need to pay as much attention to the preservation of Maines special
community resources as we have paid to preserving our mountains, lakes and coastal
views. One of the important objectives in a plan for Maines future needs to be the
preservation of rural Maine farming, the North Woods, our rivers, lakes, and streams,
and coastal communities that give Maines tourism assets depth and character that are
unmatched anywhere in the world.