Lucky Pond in Piscataquis County, Maine, 200th water to get a State Heritage Fish sign.

In just 16 months, the Maine chapter of Native Fish Coalition (NFC) and volunteers have posted State Heritage Fish (SHF) signs on 200 so-designated lakes and ponds. The 200th water, aptly named Lucky Pond in Piscataquis County, was posted on Thursday, September 26th.

Befittingly, the sign was posted by Maine NFC Chair, National Secretary/Treasurer, SHF Sign project lead, and founding member Emily Bastian along with National Vice Chair, founding member, and long-time State Heritage Fish advocate Bob Mallard.

Accompanying Emily and Bob was volunteer Jeff Moore, who along with Bob posted signs on the first seven State Heritage Fish waters to receive such. Jeff also helped post the first two waters on tribal-owned land - see related story.

The SHF Sign project is the ultimate and all too rare win-win. It helps protect Maine’s irreplaceable wild native brook trout lakes and ponds, makes people aware that they are at a special place, assists law enforcement, and showcases something that is uniquely Maine - wild native brook trout in lakes and ponds.

The State Heritage Fish sign project has been embraced by folks from all over the region and all walks of life: Young and old, male and female, fly and bait anglers, C&R anglers and folks who harvest fish, as well as guides, the media, a game warden, former MDIFW commissioner, Audubon, TNC, AMC, and two Native American tribes.

Special thanks to everyone who has helped us with the project to date…

The dozens of volunteers who have posted signs on their time and dime, without your efforts we would not be where we are. And to our 10-Water Club:

Bob Mallard (27 Waters)
Jerry Derosier (24 Waters)
Leslie and Jim Kelly (22 Waters)
Emily Bastian (21 Waters)
Appalachian Mountain Club (19 Waters)
Kerry Hegarty (18 Waters)
The Nature Conservancy (12 Waters)
Greg Fortier (10 Waters)
Jeff Moore (10 Waters)

Our project partners, Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (SAM) and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW). Without your support this would not have been able to happen.

Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund (MOHF), without their financial support this would have been a really tough project for a small donor-funded all-volunteer non-profit to pull off. We can’t thank you enough for believing in what we were doing.

Former SAM Executive Director George Smith and SAM’s Fishing Initiative Committee for working to establish, broaden, and strengthen the critically important State Heritage Fish law.

Former MDIFW Commissioner and State Senator Chandler Woodcock for approving this project, helping to establish the State Heritage Fish law, and assisting us in the MOHF grant process, without his support none of this would have been possible.

Retired guide and long-time native fish advocate Gary Corson for his role in helping to establish the State Heritage Fish law. No one worked harder to make it happen.

SAM Executive Director David Trahan for co-sponsoring this project and agreeing to house the signs and hardware at SAM headquarters so our volunteers have a place to go to pick them up, and Operations Manager Becky Morrell for her help with logistics.

MDIFW Commissioner Judy Camuso and Director of Fisheries and Hatcheries Francis Brautigam for continuing the project and allowing us to house signs and hardware at regional MDIFW offices to make it easier for volunteers to pick them up.

And ME NFC Chair Emily Bastian for her tireless work putting the project coalition together, raising money to purchase signs and hardware, managing the volunteer effort, and hitting the woods herself to post signs.

North Maine Woods, Maine Bureau of Parks & Lands, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, and other land owners for allowing us to post these important informational signs on their land.

With 582 State Heritage Fish waters and more being added each year, while we have made great progress we still have a long way to go. Many waters are still open and volunteers continue to post signs throughout the year, including dead of winter.