Open Land Tradition Research

Brunswick ME

Description

Hello - My name is Rob, and I’m a graduate student at the University of Maine. I’m also an avid hunter and angler in the state and fascinated with property boundaries and fair use. The Food Studies department is conducting an anonymous survey of recreational land users (hunters, anglers) and property owners about attitudes around Maine’s unique Open Land Tradition. The survey is a mixture of short and long questions and takes about ten minutes to complete. You can take both surveys if you are both a hunter or angler AND own property in Maine, or just take one. The survey(s) are completely anonymous and are a preliminary data-gathering effort on what I hope will be a much deeper dive into the topic of hunting on private property. There is a lot of room for your opinions, and your opinion is what I’m looking for! If you feel like I’m not asking the right questions or am missing key information - I’d love to hear from you so that subsequent research on the topic can be more accurate. The survey results will be published in a paper, which you can request a copy of upon completing the survey. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated as there is very little research and data on the OLT. As Maine’s demographics are shifting, it’s important to check in with people around the state to see how the Open Land Tradition is being kept alive. I would like this survey to reach as many eyes as possible, so anyone you can share this with would be very helpful. I want to emphasize that the survey is anonymous and is being done on behalf of the University for academic study, not by Fish and Wildlife for official purposes. Thank you all for your advocacy and wisdom about hunting and fishing; your unique body of knowledge and opinions makes Maine traditions so special and valuable to know and study. Please reach out to me at with any comments or questions. Survey Links: For Private Land USERS - https://forms.gle/wrEXtedmYBR1hnNc8 For Private Land OWNERS - https://forms.gle/29ZzMmyLdVeLiwYU7