March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Shoener retiring at end of August after 30 years with DIFW

Come the end of this month, Tom Shoener, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s director of public information and education, will pack his gear and take the retirement trail after 30 years with DIFW. The Pennsylvania native joined the department in 1964 after earning his degree in wildlife management at the University of Maine. Starting as a biology aide, a position that no longer exists, he worked his way into the Public Information Division where, in 1980, he became director under Commissioner Glenn Manuel.

A lifelong outdoorsman, Tom credits trapping with guiding him into an outdoors-related occupation. “I trapped muskrats as a kid,” he said, “and the law was that you had to check your traps once every 24 hours. But I liked being outdoors so much that I checked my lines twice a day and in that way developed a consuming interest in nature and wildlife. So much so that I decided on the outdoors as my profession.”

When asked if he thought anti-hunting sentiment had increased significantly in Maine during his tenure with the DIFW, Tom answered, “Not to the extent most people think it has.” He said he always felt that the 1983 moose referendum was a sounding board for anti-hunting activity in Maine. “I believe the moose-hunt referendum – if it had passed – would have been a stepping stone for anti-hunters to initiate more activity. But when it was defeated, they realized that Maine sportsmen weren’t going to be bagged easily. We never had any more opposition to the moose hunt.”

Tom also said he thought the collective strength of Maine sportsmen was well-displayed in the 1992 state Legislature when hunters turned out en masse to oppose a bill ostensibly titled: “An Act To Ensure Safe Hunting.” You may recall the bill proposing reverse posting and increasing the distance in which firearms may be discharged around residential dwellings actually was an anti-hunting initiative.

As for retirement, Tom allowed, “Eventually, I intend to be involved in some kind of gainful employment; but not until I get caught up on my hunting and fishing. You know, first things first.”

With that, I wish him great gunning, fast fishing, and good luck in getting caught up.

According to a recent National Rifle Association report, the organization’s division of Conservation, Wildlife and Natural Resources was instrumental in bagging U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director Mollie Beattie’s efforts to place compatible wildlife-oriented recreation at the bottom of the National Wildlife Refuge System’s list of priorities. Sen. Don Nickles, R-Oklahoma, led the attempt to insert language into the Department of the Interior Appropriations Bill report that emphasizes the importance of hunting and fishing in maintaining public support for the refuge system.

If you haven’t had your ear to the ground, some refuge managers have recommended termination of hunting and fishing activities in response to Beattie’s new policies. But the CWNR joined with sportsmen’s groups and members of the Senate Appropriations Committee in setting their sights on the issue.

The USFWS appropriations bill report directs that hunting and fishing activities “be continued unless it can be clearly determined and demonstrated that such activities threaten other refuge purposes.” It further states that “eliminating programs because they might be inconvenient to manage is not an option.” The report also directs USFWS to consult with local user groups when evaluating such activities.

In accordance with that, the NRA is urging sportsmen and women to contact the managers of their local refuges and inquire about the continuation of hunting and fishing activities. Tom Comish, USFWS refuge compatibility coordinator, says it’s likely that most existing refuge activities will continue because refuge managers have considered the compatibility of refuge uses for many years.

The public uses most likely to be modified or eliminated are non-wildlife oriented activities such as military exercises, cattle grazing, oil drilling, logging, and mining. Hunting, fishing, bird watching, hiking, photography and the like won’t be affected unless those activities interfere with refuge purposes.

A question many people ask is: Why is hunting allowed on wildlife refuges? The answer is that controlled hunting is one of the most efficient tools in the science of wildlife management. One of the quickest and surest ways to eradicate wildlife is to allow overpopulation. The attendant degradation of habitat – particularly food supplies – results in death by disease and starvation.


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