The newly-merged state Departments of Conservation and Agriculture held the first of several listening sessions today at the University of Maine campus to hear concerns and suggestions from the public. About a dozen people stepped up to the microphone to share their suggestions on how the merger process should progress. Most were supportive of the plan, but some cautioned agency administrators against what they referred to as "mission drift."

Most farmers in Maine are also foresters. And while not all foresters are farmers, the two sides affected by the merger of the state Departments of Agriculture and Conservation were largely supportive of the plan during the first of several listening sessions at the University of Maine. David Bell of the Wild Blueberry Commission says he knows change is inevitable.

"Regarding the merger, the commission has supported the concept of the merger, change an dinnovation to these departments," Bell said. "We believe there's strong synergies to be gained between agriculture, conservation and forestry functions."

Mostly what Bell and others in Maine agriculture worry about is that their concerns will be lost in the new merged agency, a blending that is expected to take a few years to fully institute. While there are expected to be some savings, the real goal of the merger is make the best use of the expertise in both departments while developing an even closer relationship with the University of Maine's agriculture and forestry programs.

Bell says his industry relies heavily on that state expertise.

"My point is the world changes faster and faster," Bell said. "If your natural resource business, or your business sector is not changing and innovating, you're dead. We all know that, so we're changing and innovating and growing as fast as we can. However, we need the support of state government to realize our potential. We also need state government to change and innovate with us."

Mary Ellen Camire teaches at the University of Maine's Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and she says her department may be able to step up and help the new agency by providing specialized expertise on a number of issues related to nutrition and food safety.

"We work closely with entrepreneurs and companies who want to develop new food products," says Mary Ellen Camire, who teaches at the University of Maine's Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. "They can consult our faculty members, our extension specialists and staff who have expertise in food safety, food chemistry, food processing and consumer research as well as nutrition. And this is an opportunity for state governments to work with universities to develop better testing inspection programs, so our department is here to help and we look forward to seeing what develops in the future."

But some of those attending the session had some reservations about the merger plan even as they professed their support for it. Bob Linkletter of Maine's Professional Logging Contractors group warned departments administrators agains what he referred to as a kind of mission drift that can grow as leadership and politics evolve.

"For misallocation of financial resources from one area to another based on future commissions comfort level, knowledge or interest in a particular area at the expense of other areas in the jurisdiction, to go and chase federal dollars could be a threat to Maine's natural resource businesses," Linckletter said. "We can't afford mission drift. We're concerned that the Legislature reverses course before real analysis can be made or while consolidation is still underway."

Walter Whitcomb, the former commissioner of Agriculture who know will oversee the newly merged departments says he and former Conservation Department Commissioner Bill Beardsley felt the remarks from those in agriculture and forestry were constructive. And he says he wants to hear more.

"In addition, we're hoping they'll give us even more guidance about where they think their needs are going to be 10 years from now," Whitcomb says. "And I realize the chrystal ball's real fuzzy for everybody, but this is a big state with big resources."

The newly-merged agency will hold another listening session next week in Augusta.