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Many Mainers are proud of what they consider our hunting heritage. However, that heritage sometimes comes at the expense of private landowners. LD 1951, “An Act Related to Hunting Dogs and Civil Trespass” allows Mainers the opportunity to submit verbal or written testimony to protect their property from hunting dog trespass and honor the private property rights of Maine landowners, which includes civil penalties for violations of those property rights.
While this bill is a step in the right direction, and deserves support, Mainers can also request improvements to the language in the bill as I believe the current language places too much enforcement responsibility on landowners rather than on the hunters to control their dogs. Landowners who post their property to protect themselves and animals (whether companion, farm, or wildlife) should not have those rights compromised by a minority of our population, particularly when that compromise can pose a danger to themselves and their animals. If hunters cannot control their dogs, that responsibility should not fall on the shoulders of landowners.
People should please contact their legislators, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and/or the Legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee to lend their voice to protecting landowners’ property rights and consider submitting their testimony on or before Feb. 28, at https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/.
Tammy Cloutier
Kennebunk