Jack Gibson of Norridgewock was honored Sept. 9 in Augusta with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Lifetime Outdoor Achievement Award.

The award was presented to Gibson by MDIFW Commissioner Judy Camuso at the annual Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine banquet. The annual award honors individuals who are dedicated to the stewardship and wise use of Maine’s natural resources, and who have been or are active in Maine’s rich outdoor traditions.

“It is an honor to present the award to Jack Gibson,” said Camuso in a news release from the department. “Along with being an avid angler and hunter who passed on his passion to family and friends, Jack worked tirelessly in the community to protect and conserve the outdoors so that these outdoor opportunities would be available to all for generations to come.

Gibson grew up on a farm in Union, where in his spare time between farm chores and school he would find time to go fishing and hunting. He and wife Gail ran a veterinarian practice in Skowhegan, and along with sharing his passion for the Maine outdoors with his family, he worked to protect natural areas in the central Maine area for all to enjoy.

Gibson became one of the founding members of the Lake George Regional Park, where he served as president from 1994-2003. Under his leadership the park grew with trails, public access and community programs such as camps, where he taught kids how to fly fish, as well as a variety of other outdoor skills.

Gibson serves on the board of the Kennebec Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, is a board member of the Natural Resources council of Maine, the native fish coalition, and the Pierce Pond Watershed Trust. He has been a member of the Somerset Woods Trustees since 1994 and is its president. During his time there the group has conserved over a million acres, providing access to the public for a variety of outdoor recreation opportunities, as well as ensuring that these woods, waters and wildlife will always be protected.

Beginning next year, the award will be renamed the Fly Rod Crosby Outdoor Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring not only the annual recipient, but also recognizing Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby, and her work in promoting and showcasing Maine’s outdoors.

Nominations for the Fly Rod Crosby Outdoor Lifetime Achievement Award can be submitted between Jan. 1 and July 1 annually.

For more information and the nomination form, visit maine.gov.

 

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