This year marks the 50-year anniversary of Maine’s black bear research program, which began in 1975.

"Over the past five decades, MDIFW biologists have worked diligently to better understand and conserve Maine’s black bear population, now among the largest in the eastern United States," said Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in a news release.

That long-term work has been made possible through sustained investment in wildlife conservation, including Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson) funding and the Bear Research Fund, which is supported by bear hunting permit fees.

Fifty Seasons is a new documentary honoring this milestone.

"The film showcases decades of dedicated fieldwork, evolving research strategies, and the people who have shaped one of the longest consecutively running and most respected black bear studies in North America," said DACF.

Learn more about Maine’s Black Bear Management
mefishwildlife.com/blackbear