New WDFW Director Named

[pianoman9701]

This thread should be tagged by all serious outdoorsman as well as stickied by the mods. This is one of the biggest decisions to happen in this state in quite awhile. I wish the best for our new director and hope he can lead the department in a direction that will put us on a level playing field with the other western states. There are many issues he will have to face and no doubt he will need our support.

Well put, Elk.

[bearpaw]

This thread should be tagged by all serious outdoorsman as well as stickied by the mods. This is one of the biggest decisions to happen in this state in quite awhile. I wish the best for our new director and hope he can lead the department in a direction that will put us on a level playing field with the other western states. There are many issues he will have to face and no doubt he will need our support.

Well put, Elk.

 

[MtnMuley]

You knew who the other 7 were? I searched a bunch and had no luck. Please share.......

[idahohuntr]

Maybe he can steal some of his colleagues to join his staff...maybe an enforcement chief??

Fish and Wildlife Enforcement in the rocky mountain/Midwest states is run a lot differently then the coastal stated. In most of the rocky mtn/MW states the LEOs also double as biologists. One day they're arresting the poacher, the next day their in a helicopter counting deer. A lot of it is because these states don't have the wide variety of fishing seasons/species that coastal states do. Many of these states' officers also aren't full authority LEOs.

Idaho's Fish and Wildlife Officers are full authority officers, they can pull you over for speeding just like a WDFW Officer can. However they do a ton of biologist work. There was an Idaho Officer who jumped ship and got hired on with WDFW around 2008, got a big increase in pay with the move. He didn't even last a full year, he didn't like the difference in the jobs between WA and ID and went back to ID.

Thats partially true, but the IDFG officers I'm thinking of are at the upper end of their careers and don't do field work.  I would faint if Unsworth could snag Mark Hill to come be chief of enforcement in WA...talk about a dream come true. No way it will happen I'm sure, but that guy is who every game warden in this country should emulate.   

[wolfbait]

I found out over the weekend that Unsworth is a former student of James Peek, rabid pro-wolfer and watchable wildlife advocate who feels that what he calls "natural predators" are favorable to man to control wildlife populations. Apparently, he likes what Unsworth has been doing in ID. In 2006, Unworth indicated that aerial gunning of wolves "is the last tool in the box" in an article from High Country News. The general reaction from ID hunters to Unworth's appointment here is apparently"good riddance".

'State biologists agree that habitat is the key concern. But Jim Unsworth, the department’s wildlife chief, says the Forest Service can’t restore it fast enough. "When you have great habitat," he says, "predators aren’t an issue."'

http://www.hcn.org/issues/320/16239

This worries me a little and if the stirrings are true and accurate may be the reason the commission chose him - pick a wildlife guy to shut the hunters up but pick a wolfer to placate the greenies. I hope these are exaggerations.

Jim Peek is not a rabid pro wolfer.  He is a wildlife professor and a hunter.  I've spent more than one afternoon hiking in the frank church with Jim...he is a tremendous source of mule deer hunting knowledge.  It is absurd to suggest Unsworth is less qualified because Peek was his major prof. 

Idaho hunters are not thinking good riddance when it comes to Unsworth.  Most wouldn't know who he is.  One small extremist Facebook group does not reflect sentiments of most idaho sportsmen...sorry, but that also is absurd.  Both Jims have done a whole lot of good for idaho wildlife.

3-13-2008 Dr. Proffessor Jim Peek writes article in the Lewiston Tribune, “Nothing goes to waste in nature”. This gem suggests how scavengers benefit from eating surplus killed elk. No doubt to the timing of this article as it coincides with IDFG’s propaganda machine to marginalize the devastation occurring in the Lolo. Dr. Peek was very instrumental in wolf introduction and was IDFG deputy director Jim Unsworth’s college professor. Dr. Peek worked with and advised IDFG and the environmental group called the  wilderness Society simultaneously all through wolf re-introduction. No conflict of interest here!  Professor Peek was recently used as the expert witness and authority in the law suit against the IDFG by Western Watersheds, Wilderness Society and a host of other environmental groups to keep IDFG from using helicopters to radio collar wolves in the Frank Church Wilderness!  Professor Peek is responsible for brainwashing many of IDFG’s  brilliant biologists on the innocence of wolves! Dr. Peek also recenlty has been working with IDFG on their Wildlife Diversity team in search of alternative funding.
Read More @
http://www.idahoforwildlife.com/component/content/article/2-content/36-idfg-elk-managment-plan

[stevemiller]

i dont get it,we got what we wanted as far as i can see,we got a director that is more of a wildlife guy than a fish guy but still has an abundance of qualifications with fish and there is still questions of motivation on what he may or may not do for or to us in the future.How about we give the guy a real chance to do whatever it is he will be able to do in this state.In no way does any one person control all aspects of his or her duties.If he does something you dont like or agree with well maybe he doesnt either.Officials are controlled,They either do what the majority of their peirs want or they are unemployed.Employed they can try, unemployed their voice no longer matters.The wolf issue as big as it may be is still not the most important issue for the director to jump on as soon as he takes over.Personell is what i would consider top priority.      Also I would like to ask again,What say you UCWARDEN on the new director?

[idahohuntr]

I found out over the weekend that Unsworth is a former student of James Peek, rabid pro-wolfer and watchable wildlife advocate who feels that what he calls "natural predators" are favorable to man to control wildlife populations. Apparently, he likes what Unsworth has been doing in ID. In 2006, Unworth indicated that aerial gunning of wolves "is the last tool in the box" in an article from High Country News. The general reaction from ID hunters to Unworth's appointment here is apparently"good riddance".

'State biologists agree that habitat is the key concern. But Jim Unsworth, the department’s wildlife chief, says the Forest Service can’t restore it fast enough. "When you have great habitat," he says, "predators aren’t an issue."'

http://www.hcn.org/issues/320/16239

This worries me a little and if the stirrings are true and accurate may be the reason the commission chose him - pick a wildlife guy to shut the hunters up but pick a wolfer to placate the greenies. I hope these are exaggerations.

Jim Peek is not a rabid pro wolfer.  He is a wildlife professor and a hunter.  I've spent more than one afternoon hiking in the frank church with Jim...he is a tremendous source of mule deer hunting knowledge.  It is absurd to suggest Unsworth is less qualified because Peek was his major prof. 

Idaho hunters are not thinking good riddance when it comes to Unsworth.  Most wouldn't know who he is.  One small extremist Facebook group does not reflect sentiments of most idaho sportsmen...sorry, but that also is absurd.  Both Jims have done a whole lot of good for idaho wildlife.

3-13-2008 Dr. Proffessor Jim Peek writes article in the Lewiston Tribune, “Nothing goes to waste in nature”. This gem suggests how scavengers benefit from eating surplus killed elk. No doubt to the timing of this article as it coincides with IDFG’s propaganda machine to marginalize the devastation occurring in the Lolo. Dr. Peek was very instrumental in wolf introduction and was IDFG deputy director Jim Unsworth’s college professor. Dr. Peek worked with and advised IDFG and the environmental group called the  wilderness Society simultaneously all through wolf re-introduction. No conflict of interest here!  Professor Peek was recently used as the expert witness and authority in the law suit against the IDFG by Western Watersheds, Wilderness Society and a host of other environmental groups to keep IDFG from using helicopters to radio collar wolves in the Frank Church Wilderness!  Professor Peek is responsible for brainwashing many of IDFG’s  brilliant biologists on the innocence of wolves! Dr. Peek also recenlty has been working with IDFG on their Wildlife Diversity team in search of alternative funding.
Read More @
http://www.idahoforwildlife.com/component/content/article/2-content/36-idfg-elk-managment-plan

Jim Unsworth was hired as the new director, not Jim Peek. 

[Bob33]

Glad to hear that without serving one day on his new job we've pegged him as a rabid wolf loving tree hugger.

Thanks Hunt WA for the quick assessment. I'm sure he'll feel real welcome here.

[wolfbait]

Glad to hear that without serving one day on his new job we've pegged him as a rabid wolf loving tree hugger.

Thanks Hunt WA for the quick assessment. I'm sure he'll feel real welcome here.

The general public does not get to weigh in on who is hired for the WDFW Directors position. The  Wildlife Commission hired him because of his work history etc.. 

Bob33, do you have a problem with finding out what Jim Unsworth's past work history-education looks like?
 I have no doubt, everyone including me, hopes the new Director will be a positive change for WDFW.

Calling the new Director a rabid wolf loving tree hugger, isn't very professional. We haven't even seen him in action yet.


It Would be interesting to know the choices the Wildlife Commissioners had in their pick?

[JimmyHoffa]

 
So if Cenci went to work elsewhere, do you think the people of that new area would like to know what he was up to while at WDFW?

[bigtex]

Glad to hear that without serving one day on his new job we've pegged him as a rabid wolf loving tree hugger.

Thanks Hunt WA for the quick assessment. I'm sure he'll feel real welcome here.

Or that he was the "best candidate" even though the list of candidates hasn't been made public....

[wolfbait]

Glad to hear that without serving one day on his new job we've pegged him as a rabid wolf loving tree hugger.

Thanks Hunt WA for the quick assessment. I'm sure he'll feel real welcome here.

Or that he was the "best candidate" even though the list of candidates hasn't been made public....

 "Or that he was the "best candidate" even though the list of candidates hasn't been made public…."

And behind door number two is a, wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, sorry the door won't open.

Bigtex, are you sure your opinion should represent all the people in WA?

[bigtex]

Glad to hear that without serving one day on his new job we've pegged him as a rabid wolf loving tree hugger.

Thanks Hunt WA for the quick assessment. I'm sure he'll feel real welcome here.

Or that he was the "best candidate" even though the list of candidates hasn't been made public....

"Or that he was the "best candidate" even though the list of candidates hasn't been made public…."

And behind door number two is a, wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, sorry the door won't open.

Bigtex, are you sure your opinion should represent all the people in WA?

Am I missing something? Where did I even say that?

I am saying before we say he was the "best candidate" we may actually want to see the actual candidate list...

[wolfbait]

Glad to hear that without serving one day on his new job we've pegged him as a rabid wolf loving tree hugger.

Thanks Hunt WA for the quick assessment. I'm sure he'll feel real welcome here.

Or that he was the "best candidate" even though the list of candidates hasn't been made public....

"Or that he was the "best candidate" even though the list of candidates hasn't been made public…."

And behind door number two is a, wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, sorry the door won't open.

Bigtex, are you sure your opinion should represent all the people in WA?

Am I missing something? Where did I even say that?

I am saying before we say he was the "best candidate" we may actually want to see the actual candidate list...

Thank you for Clearing that up, Bigtex

[Skillet]

Does it really matter?  He's the guy we have now, let's try and work with him to get some important changes made. We're married, like it or not, and we're in honeymoon period now. Let's get some action instead of spending the time complaining about our new partner in wildlife management.  He's basically brand-new and going to be looking for user groups to work for to get support from.

Let's be one of those groups.