George Smith has been synonymous with the Maine outdoors for three decades. Smith served as executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine for 18 years, retiring at the end of 2010 to write full-time. His passion for the outdoors dates back to his childhood, when he hunted with his father, and now comes through in his weekly newspaper columns, blog posts, and other writing. “I was born a Maine sportsman, spent much of my youth in the woods and on the waters of our beautiful state, and have worked my entire life to protect and enhance the Maine I love,” Smith says. As head of the sportsmen’s group, Smith sponsored legislation that established protected waters for native trout and created the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, which has given over $20 million to conservation and outdoor recreation projects. Maine Conservation Voters presented him with the 2017 Harrison Richardson Environmental Leadership Award. At the beginning of the year in his weekly Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel column, Smith announced his recent diagnosis of ALS, which has limited the longtime sportsman’s mobility. He’s continued to write using voice-typing software, advocating for conservation and environmental causes. “I was very lucky to have the jobs and opportunities to devote time to do this work, which never seemed like work to me,” Smith says. “I have traveled our nation, learning how very special Maine is, and how important it is to protect our state.”