Maine IFW will be contacting residents for wildlife survey

AUGUSTA — The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is working with Responsive Management, an independent research firm specializing in natural resource and outdoor recreation issues, to conduct a survey on wildlife management issues in Maine.
Responsive Management researchers will distrute the survey by mail and email with a link to an online questionnaire, and interviewers will also be calling Maine residents to complete the survey by phone.
Residents do not have to participate in outdoor recreation or be knowledgeable about any specific issues to qualify for the survey — the researchers are looking for input from all Maine residents. Also note that this is a scientific probability-based survey, which means that participants will be randomly selected, which is why participation in the survey is important: as a survey respondent those contacted are representing many other Maine residents.
The state DIFW encourages those contacted to participate in the survey. The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete and the results will help the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife better understand residents’ opinions and perceptions of important management issues.
In addition to the survey, all Maine residents have the option of providing input on furbearer management via an online public input forum and regional public meetings. The forum is accessible at www.mainefurbearerforum.org and includes three separate discussion portals devoted to specific aspects of furbearer management, including general furbearer management issues, hunting and trapping issues, and nuisance wildlife issues. Residents are encouraged to visit the forum and comment on the topics of interest to them. All public comments will be reviewed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.