George Smith, executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, posted a review of the gubernatorial forum sponsored by the Natural Resources Network at Downeast.com. The forum focused on natural resources-related issues facing Maine today.

George covered a number of Eliot’s answers from the forum, which we have listed below:

1. On Energy Independence

Cutler sees natural gas as an important ingredient in lowering costs and supports an LNG plant in Maine. He would shift home heating from oil to electricity. His most innovative idea – and it’s really an old one – is to create a public power authority.

2. The Future of the North Woods

Cutler called for changes in the way we do easements, citing landowners’ concerns about liability and value. He said resolving these concerns is “centrally important to continuing uses in the north woods.”

3. The Sunday Hunting Debate

Cutler said he “is not opposed to [Sunday Hunting].”

4. Consolidation of Maine’s Natural Resource Agencies

Cutler elaborated on his opposition to consolidation, saying, “I’ve done government reorganizations at the federal level — some worked, some didn’t. Moving boxes around is not smart business. When you have agencies that relate directly to what centrally defines our state and manage our resources, mergers don’t make sense. What does make sense is changing the way we do business to reduce costs and tear down the wall of no.”

You can read the complete article here with Eliot’s answers highlighted in yellow.