PORTLAND — The lawmaker who introduced a bill designed to restrict wild foraging for food in Maine says he will call for the bill to not pass.
Republican Sen. Thomas Saviello made a proposal to prohibit foraging food without getting permission from a property owner. The proposal’s up for a potential committee vote on Tuesday.
Saviello says he’ll call for the Committee On Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to vote against passage of the bill. He says Maine state law already covers the subject of getting permission before using someone else’s land.
Saviello initially said he was concerned about wild pickers gathering large amounts of food for commercial operations without permission. But the bill was unpopular with hunters, outdoors enthusiasts and hunters, who said Maine’s foraging traditions are best left intact.

Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.
-
Things to Do
Find a state park that suits your camping style
-
175th anniversary
Looking Back on May 29
-
Dear Abby
Daughter gets an eyeful when she drops in on mom
-
Dr. Roach
How certain diet styles work to lower heart disease risk
-
Horoscope
Sagittarius: