William R. “Bill” Miles

Advocate, Hunters of Maryland

Bill Miles began his professional career in Annapolis working for the Maryland General Assembly’s staff agency when he turned 25. A Master’s Degree in a related field is a prerequisite for employment with the Department of Legislative Services; hence, his BA in Political Science/Economics (University of Maryland) and a Master’s Degree in Finance (University of Oklahoma) met the Department’s requirements.

For a period spanning 17 consecutive years – 1977 through 1994 – Bill served as (1) Chief-of-Staff to the Senate Finance Committee, Senate Budget & Taxation Committee, House Appropriations Committee; (2) Supervisor of the General Assembly’s Fiscal Note System – all proposed legislation requires, by law, an analysis of the impact on State revenues/expenditures; and (3) top advisor to the House Leadership/Speaker of the House of Delegates during year 16 and 17.

In 1995, Bill shifted his career to lobbying, thus banking on his 17 years of experience with the Maryland General Assembly. Over the past 25 years, he has represented clients ranging from the travel and hospitality industry, horse breeding industry, forest products industry, renewable energy companies to the sportsmen/’women of Maryland; to name a few. From 2014 through the Spring of 2019, Bill served as the advocate/lobbyist for the Maryland Hunting Coalition, now transitioned into the Hunters of Maryland.

Most notably to those interested in his hunter policy-related achievements as a lobbyist for the now defunct Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Foundation – a group that once served as the ‘eyes and ears’ of the bi-partisan Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus from 2002 through 2013 – here is a brief sampling of the laws he penned and advocated: Sunday hunting; Maryland Hunting Heritage Protection Act; Conservation Law Enforcement Act; Wildlife Poaching Prevention Act; riparian landowner protection for off-shore waterfowl hunting; black bear hunting in Western Maryland; continued used of leg-hold traps; and public funding of Maryland’s Farmers & Hunters Feeding the Hungry Program (FHFH).

Legislative achievements under the banner of the Maryland Hunting Coalition included, among other things, the repeal of the Strict Liability Doctrine, Poaching Restitution Act; continued funding for the Natural Resources Police’s surveillance helicopter (“Natural1”) and continued funding for FHFH. In the inaugural year of the Hunters of Maryland – 2020 abbreviated Session of the Maryland General Assembly – he led achievement, again among other things, of helping secure a $100,000 general fund appropriation to DNR’s Wildlife & Heritage Service (an historic “First”) and retention of 2 positions within WHS recommended for deletion by the General Assembly’s staff agency.

NOTE: In the summer of 2019, Bill was hired by the Chesapeake Forest Alliance – representative group of the estimated 250 hunt clubs leasing 30,000 plus acres of State-owned Chesapeake Forest Lands – to help persuade the State not to terminate long-held hunt club leases in favor of recycling them to the public via annual lotteries. His efforts were successful as shown below in bold.

Recognition of not only the above referenced hunter-related policy achievements in Annapolis, but also those related to fisheries – not set forth herein – led to his being honored by the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) as the “First” recipient of the prestigious Brad Rowse Leadership Award in 2005. NASC does not make this national Award annually because only a purported few ever meet the rigid standard of this Award “For Outstanding Achievement in Promoting the Sportsmen’s Agenda in the Halls of Annapolis”. Further, Bill is a Life Member of Ducks Unlimited whose passion for waterfowl hunting finds him afield each year in Maryland, Oklahoma, Kansas and Saskatchewan.

Bill has been married to Lisa since 1981 and has raised two daughters, Kelly and Beth, in Huntingtown, Maryland where he has resided with his family since 1984. He has also been blessed with four grandchildren – Reagan, Blake, Logan and Ruby. Bill scuba dives winter-round in the Chesapeake Bay (Calvert Cliffs) in search of prehistoric shark teeth.

January 15, 2020

RE: New Hunting Lease Policy

Dear Hunt Club;

I am pleased to inform you that the Board of Public Works (BPW) approved our proposal (see enclosed) on January 8, 2020 for the new hunt club lease policy. I want to thank you for your participation in the two public meetings, the two round table discussions with the Secretary, the written comments you submitted, and the many phone conversations. Your participation, along with partners such as Bill Miles, Chesapeake Forest Alliance (billmilesmd@comcast.net) in the review process was instrumental in our ability to construct a draft policy to put forth to the BPW. This policy has resulted in a ten year lease renewal for all clubs in good standing. According to this new policy, ten year renewals will continue as long as your club continues to be in good standing. Good standing means that you honor the lease agreement. This was a huge victory for us all.

I am also pleased to announce that there will be no rate increase for 2020

I will be sending you a letter in March with instructions for scheduling your lease signing. Leases will be issued to either an individual or a legal entity. It is important to understand that if an individual signs the lease, he/she is solely responsible and accepts full liability for any hunting related activities on the property. Additionally, if the individual dies or surrenders the lease, it cannot be assumed by or transferred to anyone else. Subsequently, the property will be placed in the lottery.

I strongly encourage you to explore becoming a legal entity by visiting the SDAT web site. A lease held by a legal entity preserves the interest of each club member and it protects individuals against personal liability claims. If you choose to sign the new lease as an individual, you will be required to sign a document acknowledging you understand the associated risks by not forming a legal entity.

I have enclosed a document entitled How to Create a Business in Maryland to assist you in establishing your club as a legal entity. All of the winners of the 2019 lottery went through this process without difficulty. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact myself or Denise Snyder at (410)632-3732.

Sincerely,

Michael G. Schofield, Forest Manager

Copy: Kenneth Jolly, Acting Director Forest Service

Jennifer Wazenski, Director OAG