PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 17, 2021
For 18 years as the head of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, George Smith was a fierce advocate for everyone who loves hunting and fishing. On issues of policy, he was a feared opponent. He was so knowledgeable that legislators often sought answers from him; in fact, he had often written the legislation. But he was no ideologue. In the decade after he left SAM, George became an ally to the environmentalists he once fought so hard in the Legislature. He could see how the climate crisis was affecting his beloved Maine outdoors. More than anything, though, George Smith loved Maine, and he woke up every morning trying to make it a better place.