It’s hard to believe that it has been five years since George Smith passed away.  The determined lobbyist, advocate and writer had a larger-than-life persona that pulled people in.  His smile and his chuckle reminded you of the type of friend he was.  It could also give you the false sense of security, right before he testified about why your side was completely wrong. He was a smart, savvy, lover of the outdoors.  Five years after his death, the hole that he left has yet to be filled.  I don’t think it ever will.  

Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund 

This month, I was reappointed to a seat on the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund board. It made me start thinking of George and the impact he had on Maine and on me. The fund was created in 1996 through LD 717 “An Act to Establish the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund” and was the brainchild of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (which was led by George at the time) and the Maine Audubon. The Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund’s purpose is “maintaining, improving and expanding state and local natural resource conservation programs and associated compatible public uses.” 

Nominated by Gov. Janet Mills, and representing sportsmen and women, I join two other citizen board members as we work with the full board to help fund as many conservation projects in the state of Maine as possible. Thirty years ago, George worked to sustain this fund with money coming in from a dedicated lottery scratch ticket to be spent on these conservation projects. Three decades later, the board has given away millions to improve the Maine outdoors. 

Appreciating People

I can’t remember if it was during the bear referendum in 2014 or shortly thereafter, but I was at the State House and joining George for lunch in the cafe. We sat in a booth and started talking.  He knew everyone and soon he waved somebody over from behind me.  It was Katie Hansberry, who led the effort to end bear hunting on behalf of the Humane Society of the United States. Before Katie could see my face, George quickly told me to get over myself and that she was a good person. A person that may have a very different ideology than me, but at her core a good person. 

That lunch was on my mind months later when Katie joined the Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife committee to help review and modify the black bear management plan for the state. I thought of George’s comments as Katie offered some of the best feedback on the plan and asked some of the most thoughtful questions.  At the crux of it, we all wanted to create a plan that would ensure a healthy, thriving bear population. 

There was also the time George gave a presentation about fundraising to a board I was on. The group talked about what makes people so nervous to ask for a donation and how it really is a skill. Once you learn it, you can become great at it.  Trying to prove my point about how simple it really is, I solicited George for a donation to that organization. In front of the entire board, he said no.  It surprised me and I’m sure my face turned red, but he explained that he and Linda (his wife) had certain organizations that they donated to and that was it.  While my ego was a little shunned, I appreciated his dedication to his priorities.

George was political. However, he cared more about the cause than which side of the aisle you were on. He believed that if you could agree that the Maine outdoors was worth protecting and worth investing in, then it didn’t matter if you were a Democrat or a Republican, conservative or liberal. There was common ground to build from. We could all use a little more of that mindset.  

Writing

I remember sitting in a window booth with George at Hot Suppa! in Portland, eating fried pickles (or maybe friend green beans) and talking about hunting, writing and politics.  I attended his first book launch party in Augusta. It was a who’s who of hunting, conservation, politics and writers.  

George would send me random emails and connect me to editors, almost telling me after the fact that I would be writing a story for this publication or that. George asked me to write a chapter in his book about sporting camps so I could say I was a published author. It is because of George that I wrote an article in Downeast Magazine’s “Why We Hunt” fall issue. He was a constant advocate of me and my work. It got to the point that he would ask me for a status update of my book before anything else. 

I miss my friend but I always think of him when I have to write something that may ruffle a few feathers.  I’m sure if you are reading this, you have read some of those articles. When the writing is done, I take a deep breath and ask myself, “What George would do?”  Inevitably, I smile and send it off to the publisher. 

Erin Merrill, an award-winning writer based in central Maine, writes “Hunt & Harvest” monthly. She welcomes emails at: [email protected].