Jerry Bullock: Don’t sell wildlife to highest bidder

Are you aware of the attack on the Idaho Fish and Game Commission? Oh, you say you don’t hunt or fish so this doesn’t impact you. If you care at all about Idaho’s wildlife in any way, you are on the losing end of this deal.

The Fish and Game Department, administered by the Fish and Game Commission, is funded predominantly by sportsmen, not the Legislature or Idaho taxpayers. It is Idaho’s most important wildlife agency.

Projects and wildlife conservation lands are managed by Fish and Game for songbirds, reptiles, small mammals and all other Idaho creatures, great and small. All of your wild creatures depend on the Fish and Game Department for protection, habitat maintenance and expansion of populations.

What the politicians want is expansion of big game auction tags, as well as ramping up the number of tags sold by landowners, as is done in Utah. This wildlife is sold to rich fat cats. In fact, Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, tells us he thinks the Utah model is a good one, and that we should follow it here in Idaho.

Utah’s is a corrupt system, and Idahoans want nothing of it.

Idaho’s Fish and Game Commission consulted the citizens in hearings and found they didn’t want their wildlife sold to the highest bidder. Regardless, it was made clear that the commission had better give in to the governor and his wolf pack of legislators, led by Sen. Bair and Rep. Mike Moyle, R-Star.

The commission refused to knuckle under to these politicians, and Gov. Butch Otter took revenge, firing two commissioners. They were removed and required to reapply. That happens when you are designated for removal.

The governor tells us these appointees serve “at the pleasure of the governor,” so he can do what he wants. I remind the governor and his legislative cronies that they all serve at the “pleasure” of the citizens. This issue is not about his “pleasure” but his responsibility to serve the greatest interest of the people.

When politicians interfere with the operation of the Fish and Game Department, the role of wildlife science and biological standards are replaced by the whims of ignorant politicians looking out for their buddies and donors.

More than 75 years ago, a citizen initiative removed the management of Fish and Game from the clutches of crooked politicians and put the operation under the guidance of a citizen commission. Politicians have been crawling back steadily since, and here we are.

No matter if you are a birder or someone who likes to share the sight of wildlife when hiking or camping with your family, you need to understand this is theft of your wildlife.

Our North American Wildlife Management Model, begun by Theodore Roosevelt, was anchored on the premise of every citizen having appropriate and equal access to wildlife regardless of wealth, standing or power. It was not to be Sherwood Forest and the king’s deer. The fat cats getting these tags want to be able to butt in line ahead of Idaho citizens: kids, old people, or just standard Idaho sportsmen.

All Idahoans who love wildlife must speak up or Rep. Moyle and Sen. Bair will be writing bills to sell our wildlife to the highest bidder in the next session. The governor will be appointing his “yes” men to the Fish and Game Commission, so the commission will be in his pocket.

Wild creatures and wild places are two of the most important reasons Idaho is Idaho. It’s a major reason so many of us love this state, and it’s why we choose to live here. Idaho sportsmen have been paying the tens of millions of dollars a year it takes to run the Fish and Game Department for more than 90 years and we will continue to do so as needed. We don’t need fat cats’ blood money in this.

Tell Gov. Otter to stand up for one of the best Idaho Fish and Game Commissions we have had in years. They sure have more backbone than he does. Tell the governor to reappoint the two threatened commissioners: Magic Valley Commissioner Mark Doerr and Salmon Commissioner Will Naillon. Tell him to stand up to the legislators and party bosses behind this theft of the people’s resource.

Jerry Bullock, of Blackfoot, is a lifelong sportsman and a co-founder of the Idaho Sportsmen’s Alliance.