The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife was in the public crosshairs this week when criticism from former employees got traction on social media.
Commissioner Judy Camuso on Thursday defended the department after former employees accused her of giving favoritism to women for promotions, using inappropriate publicity stunts to get people into events and straying from the missions of the department.
“Being the only woman in a male-dominated field can be intimidating. We make sure everyone feels welcomed and valued and respected,” Camuso, the DIF&W department’s first female commissioner, said.
The public criticism comes on the heels of the Trump administration threatening to cut off federal funding to the department because of its policy requiring hiring committees to have a 50-50 breakdown between men and women. Camuso rescinded the policy to save the funding.
This week’s public discussion came in part from V. Paul Reynolds, editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal whose weekly column is published by Bangor Daily News and several other publications around the state. He wrote that it seems Camuso wants to establish a matriarchy, and is using inappropriate gimmicks to entice people to take part in outdoor events.
He was referring to an event in mid-February meant to introduce people to the basic skills they would need to take part in Maine’s various outdoor activities. The presence of drag queens, which were not funded with state money, drew criticism from former employees and others who thought it was not appropriate for an event that would attract families, possibly with young children.
Adding to the discourse was criticism of this year’s event and the department’s hiring practices on a video posted on social media by former Game Warden Josh Polland that was widely circulated by a conservative media outlet.
Camuso said Thursday that the department needs to adapt if the state’s hunting and fishing traditions are to survive.
“I believe that the outdoors is for anyone. We need to get people off their phones and into the outside I love,” she said. “I believe we are doing everything we can to protect fish and wildlife for the public and making sure the public understands what we’re doing.”