Augusta, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills announced today that she will nominate Judy Camuso, the Director of the Wildlife Division at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), to serve as the agency’s next commissioner. Camuso has worked at MDIFW for more than a decade and brings a wealth of experience to the position.
“Maine’s heritage, its culture, and its future are all inextricably linked to our outdoors – and no one better understands that or appreciates it more than Judy,” said Governor-elect Mills. “Her more than ten years of experience at MDIFW, along with her deep understanding of its importance and the issues it confronts, position her well to lead it in the years to come. I look forward to working with Judy to continue to prioritize the protection, enhancement, and enjoyment of our outdoors.”
“It is an honor to be selected to lead the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, an agency that I care deeply about,” said Camuso. “I have dedicated my career to the preservation and enhancement of our outdoors, the wildlife that inhabit it, and the people who enjoy it. I am excited by the opportunity to continue that work alongside MDIFW’s extraordinary employees and to ensuring that our outdoor resources and traditions can be enjoyed for generations to come.”
As the Director of the Wildlife Division within MDIFW – a position she has held since June 2013 – Camuso oversees all wildlife program activities, including all research and monitoring programs, hunting and trapping seasons, endangered species management, and all habitat management activities. She is responsible for the division’s $12 million annual budget and directs a staff of 45 wildlife professionals including field staff, species specialists, and group and section leaders. Under her leadership, the division protects and enhances wildlife habitats, oversees more than 60 wildlife management areas totaling over 106,000 acres, and acquires land to protect wildlife resources while allowing access for hunting, trapping and wildlife watching.
Camuso’s previous experience with MDIFW includes serving as an Assistant Regional Wildlife Biologist (2007-2012), a position in which she spearheaded the planning, implementing, and directing of regional management and species specific projects for the conservation, protection, and restoration of wildlife resources of Maine; and as Special Projects Coordinator (2012-2013), where she oversaw a number of large projects, including the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) and the update of the State Wildlife Action Plan. She was also responsible for tracking all aspects of the SWG budget; allotments, match, program spending, and contract approvals. Prior to joining MDIFW, Camuso also served as the Gilsland Farm Center Director at the Maine Audubon (1996-2007) where she was responsible for the management of Maine Audubon's headquarters facility, oversaw operations of the nature center and sanctuary property, and coordinated educational programming for families, adults and children.
In 2018, Camuso was named one of Maine Magazine’s 50 Mainer’s of Maine and, in 2015, she received MDIFW’s Employee of the Year, Governor’s Award. She is a licensed bird bander and an avid birder, as well as a hunter, who likes to hike, canoe, and bike. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and lives in Freeport.
If confirmed, Camuso, 48, will be the first woman ever to lead MDIFW and will be responsible for preserving, protecting, and enhancing the inland fisheries and wildlife resources of the state. More specifically, MDIFW is charged with the protection and management of fish, non-game wildlife, and habitats, as well as restoration of endangered species like the bald eagle. In addition to its conservation duties, MDIFW is responsible for enabling and promoting the safe enjoyment of Maine's outdoors — from whitewater rafting to boating, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, and wildlife observation. The agency's constituents include the fish, wildlife, and people who call Maine home, as well as visiting outdoor enthusiasts and ecotourists who call visit Maine and contribute hundreds of millions of dollars each year to the state's economy.