Landowner Relations Program Provides Kits to Maine Forest Rangers

The Maine Warden Service has been using the Landowner Relations Relief kits for almost two years now. In many landowner based complaints, the district warden has almost everything in their kit to correct, or help in resolving landowner’s problems with misuse and abuse. Each district game warden in Maine has a relief kit issued to them, which includes tools such as signs, locks, chain, spray paint (purple & orange), a staple gun, "do not enter" ribbon, range finders, and even surveillance cameras to help catch the violators of landowners. Maine Forest Rangers responds to a lot of similar landowner related calls, such as litter, land abuse and theft. This past winter, Landowner Relations Specialist Rick Laflamme met with Chief Forest Ranger Bill Hamilton and extended the offer to supply every District Ranger with a Landowner Relations Relief kit to aid them with responses to landowner related complaints.  Last week, Corporal Laflamme delivered 50 kits to the Old Town Forest Service headquarters, which will be distributed to Maine Forest Rangers around the state. The Maine Warden Service has also now partnered with the Maine Forest Service on the sign program for landowners. These new resources will provide a great tool to both game wardens and forest rangers when assisting the landowners of Maine and will help to secure access for responsible users. -Rick Laflamme Landowner Relations Specialist