RUMFORD – Gov. John Baldacci’s proposed merger of the state’s Inland Fisheries & Wildlife department with three other other natural resources departments isn’t going save the state much, says George Smith, executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine.

“The bottom line is that these agencies represent a tiny part of the budget,” Smith said by phone Tuesday in Augusta. “They get very little money, so there’s nothing to be saved. They’re not able to fulfill their mission, they’ve been neglected and underfunded, so forcing them to get smaller is going in the wrong direction.”

SAM, along with other groups opposing the proposed merger, is scheduled to testify before the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee hearing on the issue sometime after 3 p.m. today in Room 228 of the Maine Capitol Building in Augusta.

In his State of the State speech last week, Baldacci announced his intent to merge Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Marine Resources, Conservation, and Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources into two departments.

With a looming $95 million state budget shortfall, “The revenue picture is not good,” Baldacci spokesman David Farmer said by phone late Tuesday afternoon. “If we can save money on efficiency and bureaucracy before we have to cut programs, we need to do that. Our interest is not in hurting people or taking (services) away. It’s in protecting them. We can’t ignore the economy right now.” He said he believes the merger would lead to administrative job cuts.

Regarding Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Baldacci’s proposed general fund reduction in his supplemental budget is $126,838 for fiscal 2008; $297,384 for fiscal ’09, according to Deborah Turcotte, IF&W’s acting director of public information and education.

“Currently there are quite a few different funding and reduction initiatives under way from the Legislature, and we are answering questions or providing data when asked of us,” Turcotte stated in an e-mail Tuesday afternoon.

Besides not filling vacant positions, IF&W is reducing its law books budget. The Legislature requires IF&W to include advertising in the books to offset costs.

Turcotte said IF&W and the other three departments have a year to create a plan regarding the merger and submit it to Baldacci by Jan. 1, 2009.

Smith said that year could be better spent by reducing duplicate services in all four departments rather than gutting IF&W by merging it.

“It’s time to recognize the critical role this department plays in Maine’s economy and heritage and give it the funding and modern tools it needs to serve what is now widely recognized as our state’s principal asset – our quality of place,” Smith said.

Farmer said Baldacci realizes the importance of farmers, hunters, and fishermen. “We’re just trying to find a way to do a better job of providing services to our communities in a time when revenues are not growing fast enough to keep up with all these needs,” Farmer said.