new warden camp

[kevinmaine3]

that's a load of crap... as a younger man i am wondering what ill be paying for a hunting/fishing lic when I'm 50??? what the out of state'rs are paying now? Now we understand where our money is going... you dint hire a plumber to fix your car... why are they building anything other than an ego and a dink like attitude??? I agree they need a place that is suitable to stay in... why couldn't they have brought a bunch of ready mix cement up... formed up and poured a pad.. buy a pre fab log camp from a local biz... help the community a little.. and saved 100,000$$ now i know where my money is going and why fee's are going up. been waiting for this one.. Really considering being one of those people who stop hunting,, i put more meat on the table fishing than i do hunting... your lucky to shoot a deer every decade.... id rather go to P.A. and fill the back of my truck up with does in a weekend....
             Wait until they make us register our canoes... not far from it..... then ice shacks.... then snowshoes....

[EmeraldShiner]

 Whole entire project should have been put out to private contractor competitive bid from the very start, it was because of a few ignorant and self important individuals within the department took it upon themselves to decide what was best in thier interest's first and in the public's interest second, same mentality ruled in the big game registration fee increase. Can you seriously doubt whether a large number of highly qualified contractors who have been out of work for extended periods of time would not have absolutely jumped all over this project now matter how remote, we would pull campers up there with men and equipment and do whatever it takes! Job would have been done at far less than half the cost with quality far in excess of what you ended up with. Here we go again BOYS, state of Maine politicians and beaurocrats do everything they can to crush small business and the working class in our state. Pretty ludricous, our own state motto is "Don't tread on ME". You go ahead and justify this debacle, personally I think it sucks!

[Jofisher]

Great reply Emrald, anyone else for the great state of Maine!

[northwoodstraveler]

Not saying they don't need a place to stay when working in an area as remote as Baker Lake. They preform a much need service and even on their best days the job is difficult...but it's their chosen profession. Most "homes" in Northern Maine with plumbing, heating, drilled wells don't cost $130,000.00 and it's not finished yet. Check out Hill View Mini Barns in Sabattus Maine. They have a 14X42 camp package ready for delivery for $31,734.00 http://www.hillviewminibarns.com/stock_detail.php?est_num=5403 The state ( tax payers ) would have saved money and supported a Maine business... just a thought

[wardens worry]

to run the train

It wouldnt surprise me if they had a train.

[Phoenix]

I don't begrudge the wardens a decent place to stay while working the area. The thing that upsets me is that they were working on this when they should have been in the field doing what they were trained and hired to do, protect our fish and wildlife. And, as others have pointed out, I'm sure it could have been done less expensively.

[Luis T]

Why not a top of the line wall tent from Cabelas with a wood stove and all the creature comforts? After some quick math, I see only spending $6,000.00 if you really deck it out, then at the end of each "high traffic" season, you take it all down. Now you have just eliminated any rodent problems and extra maint. I say sell the cabins, but a 10 or 12 of these things, and  use them on a need basis. The cost of a dozen tricked out wall tents would be around $72,000. Now you have 12 buildings for less then cost of one new building.

And if our state reps. do not like they can all pool their money and buy these cabins together at cost. Just my opinion.


 

[blacktrap]

Wardens cant live in a tent.  If you really wanted to get excited you should check out some of the other "camps" they have on some nice lakes.  They get a dedicated amout of money every year to spend on camps and houses, how they spend it shouldnt really matter.  We (sportsmen) have more important things to be concerned over, like deer or why we continue to pay for finding lost hikers and little old ladies.

[Phoenix]

Okay, I've got a question. I know that other folks use these camps when the warden service isn't, like sens and reps. Do those folks pay a fee and if so is it commensurate with what a comparative sporting lodge would charge? If they don't pay anything, why not?

[northwoodstraveler]

Blacktrap is right they can't live in a tent, they need something that can be used in any weather 365 days a year. It's just the price of this thing and how it was built that has everyone wired. The other thing blacktrap was right on target with is the money DIF&W spends each year on search & rescue. Many of these rescue missions are for people who watch a TV show and think... "wow that looks like fun I think I"ll try it". They have no experience or training in the activity but head out and do it anyway and get into trouble. In situations like this DIF&W needs to charge the negligent, reckless and unprepared person the full cost of their rescue. I would like to say this might make them think twice before they head into the outdoors, but these people obviously don't think... so make them pay.

[Doug D]

Blacktrap is right they can't live in a tent, they need something that can be used in any weather 365 days a year. It's just the price of this thing and how it was built that has everyone wired. The other thing blacktrap was right on target with is the money DIF&W spends each year on search & rescue. Many of these rescue missions are for people who watch a TV show and think... "wow that looks like fun I think I"ll try it". They have no experience or training in the activity but head out and do it anyway and get into trouble. In situations like this DIF&W needs to charge the negligent, reckless and unprepared person the full cost of their rescue. I would like to say this might make them think twice before they head into the outdoors, but these people obviously don't think... so make them pay.

I agree 100% about them needing to charge for negligent people they need to search for.  I don't agree with the tent statement. For the amount of time they actually need to stay out in the feild away from home they sure can sleep in a tent 365. This cabin sounds more like a place to vacation not work out of. Its just bad timing on there part.

[billditrite]

they could have built a structure that would more than suffice for half what they spent. Getting the materials to the site is a big expense, so ill give them a little there...a deck around 3 sides sounds like a bit of overkill but I havent seen it so I won't jump to conclusions just yet . as far as homeland security throwing in a generator to use the place sounds a little odd to me...i think maybe the feds could some up with a little more than that unless they are only using it once a year. from what Ive read the only ones who can use it otherwise are Maine IF&W employees . I build homes for a living...i would have liked a shot at bidding this project . I dont think the IF&W employess should have a hand in that at all...it is a dangerous job if you dont know what you are doing and im wondering who foots the bill when one of them gets hurt? lots of unanswered questions which I'm sure are unanswered for a reason    dissapointing to say the least

[Phoenix]

they could have built a structure that would more than suffice for half what they spent. Getting the materials to the site is a big expense, so ill give them a little there...a deck around 3 sides sounds like a bit of overkill but I haven't seen it so I won't jump to conclusions just yet . as far as homeland security throwing in a generator to use the place sounds a little odd to me...i think maybe the feds could some up with a little more than that unless they are only using it once a year. from what Ive read the only ones who can use it otherwise are Maine IF&W employees . I build homes for a living...i would have liked a shot at bidding this project . I don't think the IF&W employees should have a hand in that at all...it is a dangerous job if you don't know what you are doing and I'm wondering who foots the bill when one of them gets hurt? lots of unanswered questions which I'm sure are unanswered for a reason   disappointing to say the least

Oh contraire Wise One. From what I've read our esteemed senators and representatives are qualified to use the facilities as well as other "friends of the service" if you will. I want to know if they are paying for the privilege, if not, why not, and if they are, where is that money going?

[billditrite]

is there somewhere i can read this for myself?  as i posted..."from what i've read"  i dont mind reading more i just cant find more  


if the senators can use it for free then i want to also!

[Phoenix]

Unless I'm delusional from planning the upcoming Superbowl gathering it was right in the Bangor paper series they did on the debacle.

[Mainehazmt]

it was a self help project   goverment  (state feds and esp Military) do it all the time  I know alot of the stuff I got if we didnt do it we were not gonna get squat

[gamefisher]

Setting the cost of the camp aside for a minute, I think RTD makes the best point.  How in the heck with 30 something field wardens for the entire State can there be "down time" for swinging a hammer?  

And "available if needed" from Baker Lake  Ya, O.K., I'll be right there.

I built my 24 X 32 camp for $10K.

[billditrite]

Jan 29, 2010 (Bangor Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- TOWNSHIP 7 RANGE 17, Maine

"When the camps are not in use for enforcement details, DIF&W policy allows employees free use of them for rest and relaxation, according to Wilkinson. Those who use the camps are asked to sign in on logbooks provided at each camp. If the camp visit is for relaxation, users are asked to do some general maintenance, such as mowing the lawn, he said."

this is all i can find on who is allowed to use it

as far as a self help project i agree they really helped themselves since the IF&W legislative comittee knew nothing about it...

..."Davis and Crafts, both members of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, said they should have been told about the new construction at Baker Lake by the department and not have learned about it from others.

Both said hunters who either saw wardens working on the camp or who learned about the new camp had complained to them. "

[Mainehazmt]

my 24x36 garage not counting electrical was more than 10 k   lol

[Mainehazmt]

I know that when Loring was around   we had a "self Help" store

[Doug D]

The bangor daily news website has a few pictures of the new camp and also the old camp. The old one does not look that bad.  It must have taken some of the wardens  days to get up there to help build the cabin since they can only drive 60 miles a day.

[Westerly]

Link to the pictures in the BDN

http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/135760.html

[billditrite]

   i think they should raise the price of the fishing lisences again next year and get a hot tub!  I dont really do post and beam construction and while it is nice i think it may be a little expensive compared to conventional framing. im sure out4trout could give us a little insight there. what i would like to know is why? why in these trying economic times when the dept. is crying for funds, and raising fees on everything they cant put in their vacation home at baker lake, why  do they think it is ok to build something that is so much more than sufficient? I dont know the whole thing just stinks to me at a time when i have a hard time finding work we got wardens building themselves vacation homes at our expense x2    

[TinyTim]

I was amazed at the $43,230 in labor hrs. the wardens put in, over an 8 month period.   

[Litchfield Fisher]

what I wonder is why its ok for the state to give employees shut down days, and increase the cost of their health care (which  I do not agree with) to save the tax payers money, but then turn around and build a "working" camp that sounds more like a vacation home for off duty wardens on the backs of us sportsmen that are already paying for all of IFW

[bogmanjr]

I don't know how many day's this camp is occupied for Law enforcement or research VS "leisure time", As someone who spends 24 hr shifts away from home I agree with Hazzy,The employee should have suitable accommodations. Hopefully it was for that reason and not for some politician to be comfortable.The way it was built is wrong it should have been put out to bid. I have hunted and fished out of camp's a lot worse than the one their tearing down.

[EmeraldShiner]

  Now that I have seen that it is in fact a two story structure from a previous post with pics I stand corrected, second floor framing, subfloor, wall framing, insulation, interior wall sheathing and a finished stairway from first to second floor and including 2nd floor windows with interior and exterior trim would reduce the cost to $350.63 per square foot, just trying to be fair here fellahs! Hmmmm, 100 miles north of Greenville, 3 hours from a paved road, yet there is a certain lumberyard in Greenville that would provide free delivery and an extremely competitive total material package at a cost that even Home Depot could not compete with. Another point to serve as a public service message is the fact that all State of Maine employees mileage and expense vouchers are public information, I do not know about thier hours logged working as a state employee or overtime hours logged as a state employee. With due diligence, all the names and faces can be traced back to this project technically if state guidelines were followed to log hours and expenses but somehow I get the feeling this trail will just disappear.

[northernmaine]

I myself have spent many a night in various hunting cabins that were not five star resorts and I was quite comfy.

For the record, I agree the wardens need a decent camp to stay in when they are up in the woods, absolutely. But how many would really be staying there at one time? I'm thinking usually 1-2 and 3-4 max, a single level camp with the kitchen/ dining area and 4 bunks in the back should have been plenty adequate. The covered porch I'm o.k. with as well, gives you a place to sit outside of it's raining, not to mention a good place to put your firewood under cover. The idea of them living in a wall tent is absurd, You can still have decent and very comfortable living quarters without spending a small fortune, I can't help but think that the design and cost of this camp had more to do with the people that are not wardens using it than the wardens. 

BTW, I'm currently pricing a house for my daughter 28'x40' cape with a full foundation and breezeway, I came in under $92,000 for the labor, materials and thing I would have to subcontract. Granted, I'm not working for much on this one and between her husband and I we will be doing the plumbing and electrical so that saves a lot but it just goes to show..........

[polasauris]

I wish my camp was as nice as the "old camp".

[Doug D]

 I would like to know how they can justify spending this much money in a time when they have no money when there is a camp that should have been suitable at least until the economy gets better. Every single camp I have been in has a rodent problem and needs leveling once in awhile. I agree they shouldn't have to live out of a tent but they don't need something as luxurious as they have built.