FREEPORT — Dick Anderson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Coastal Conservation Association of Maine at the organization’s annual meeting Dec. 7.
Anderson was honored for more than 50 years of work on marine conservation.
The 75-year-old outdoorsman said Tuesday the CCA is a “wickedly important” organization.
“The primary objective of the organization is to protect and increase saltwater access,” he said. “Without the CCA, there would be far less people in Maine to support the interests of saltwater fishermen.”
The Maine chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association was founded in 1991 by Anderson and, he said, Falmouth resident Brad Burns.
Anderson graduated from the University of Maine in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife conservation. He was a fisheries biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and was the executive director of the Maine Audubon Society.
He is also a former commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation and is the founder of the International Appalachian Trail and serves as president of the Maine chapter.
Accomplishments Anderson noted included the removal of the Smelt Hill Dam on the Presumpscot River, achieving netting regulations, and creating Walton Park in Falmouth. He said the park allows great opportunities for fishermen and boat access. In addition, Anderson discovered and exposed the negative effects of DDT spraying around salmon habitat on Sebago Lake.
He said the Maine CAA has about 400 to 500 members and allows sport fishermen to work together on issues they find important.
Although he has left the board of directors, Anderson said there are a lot of Maine CAA projects in the works. He said one project is the promotion of a saltwater fishing license. He said the licence fees will benefit fishermen by raising money to conduct research, regulate conditions, promote more saltwater access sites and opportunities for shore fishermen.
“I’ve had the great fortune of working with a lot of great people,” he said.
Amy Anderson can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 110 or aanderson@theforecaster.net
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.