HALLOWELL — In Maine, more than in many other states, the environment is the economy.

According to the Outdoor Industry Association, active outdoor recreation supports 48,000 jobs across Maine, generates $210 million in annual state tax revenue and produces nearly $3 billion annually in retail sales and services, accounting for more than 7 percent of gross state product. Furthermore, the U.S. Census reports that each year over a million people enjoy wildlife-watching, hunting or fishing in Maine, contributing over $1.5 billion in wildlife recreation spending to the state economy.

The impact on land conservation and outdoor recreation in Maine with Donald Trump in the White House and Republicans controlling Congress is likely to be dramatic.

Our state has benefited from hundreds of millions of federal dollars for land conservation, wildlife management and local recreation projects.

Maine has received more than $65 million during the past five decades from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund to protect important areas at Acadia National Park, Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, White Mountain National Forest and six national wildlife refuges: Rachel Carson, Moosehorn, Petit Manan, Sunkhaze Meadows, Coastal Islands and Aroostook.

Maine also got over $41 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s stateside program for hiking and biking trails, parks, ball fields and other community projects.

Through the federal Forest Legacy Program, Maine has pulled in another $75 million for “working forest” projects.

Millions of dollars more have been funneled to Maine for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, habitat conservation, endangered species and wildlife management through a variety of federal programs, including the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, Wildlife Restoration Program, North American Wetlands Conservation Act and Endangered Species Conservation Fund.

All of these federal investments have leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars in matching state and private funds. All of these kinds of federal investments are now at risk.

Conservation used to be nonpartisan. Some times Republicans led, at other times Democrats or independents. Elected officials of all stripes understood the environmental, economic and recreational benefits.

However, in the past several years, Republicans have proposed slashing or eliminating the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Forest Legacy Program, the Endangered Species Act and other programs that have benefited Maine tremendously. Some of the most egregious proposals have been thwarted or tempered by President Obama, but now that Republicans have the reins of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, watch for an orgy of anti-conservation activity.

The Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, which has opposed many conservation projects, endorsed Republicans Bruce Poliquin and Mark Holbrook for Congress. Not surprisingly, Holbrook lost in Maine’s 1st Congressional District (southern Maine), while Poliquin won in the 2nd District (the rest of the state).

Poliquin has been a reliable supporter of the tea party branch of the Republican Party in Congress and he is expected to continue to try to undermine federal conservation programs.

The Maine Snowmobile Association has also collaborated closely with Poliquin. For example, the association wrote and Poliquin introduced language to block any federal funds from being channeled to the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine. Polls show overwhelming public support for the monument, but SAM and the MSA care about their special interests, not the broad public interest.

Meanwhile, anti-environmental Gov. LePage has promised to push President-elect Donald Trump to de-authorize the new national monument. Last month, while stumping in Maine, Trump said President Obama overstepped by declaring the national monument, implying he would rescind the proclamation.

As a state with a large land base, a small population, and a shrinking resource extraction economy, Maine has long been dependent on federal subsidies from taxpayers in the rest of the country. Now that voters have put in charge a cadre of officials who have promised to work against our interests, we will have to live with the ramifications. One of the impacts could be a catastrophic loss of federal funds for land and wildlife conservation initiatives in Maine.

Maine citizens cherish our lands, waters and wildlife. I believe that President-elect Trump, Gov. LePage, narrow interest groups and anyone else who tries to drag us backward will find that people from across Maine will come together to defend and expand our conservation gains.