Hatcheries? cut. Hunting? Hmmm. But wolves...We want more $$$$$$

[Dave Workman]

From the "This'll burn your bottom" file...

In tough times, WDFW wants more money for…wolves?
   
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is about to live up to the name longtime critics have attached to it: Department of NO Fish and Watchable Wildlife, by proposing steep cuts in hatchery production and fisheries management.

http://www.examiner.com/gun-rights-in-seattle/in-tough-times-for-fish-and-game-wdfw-wants-more-money-for-wolves

[mulehunter]

 

Mulehuntr

[boneaddict]

You never fail to cheer me up Dave....NOT     Thanks for keeping us updated

[dirty24d]

This may be a dum question but is Dale Denney ( Bearpaw )


Then there is Dale Denney, the veteran Colville-based hunting guide and advocate, whose lengthy letter to the Fish & Wildlife Commission is worth reading every word. Denney is no crank. He has spent his life in the outdoors, and has literally depended upon the resource for his livelihood. Denney doesn’t mince words. He gets right down to it:

[BIGINNER]

This may be a dum question but is Dale Denney ( Bearpaw )


Then there is Dale Denney, the veteran Colville-based hunting guide and advocate, whose lengthy letter to the Fish & Wildlife Commission is worth reading every word. Denney is no crank. He has spent his life in the outdoors, and has literally depended upon the resource for his livelihood. Denney doesn’t mince words. He gets right down to it:

YEP,.... UNLESS HE STILL WANTS TO STAY ANONOMISE

[bearmanric]

F them all sick of this *censored* every day. Rick
   about had enough. they dont give a crap about the elk and deer its about the money.

[358NM]

Both letters quoted in that article are outstanding and should be read by everyone.

[dirty24d]

Both letters quoted in that article are outstanding and should be read by everyone.

 

They were extremely well written.

[Dhoey07]

 

[Machias]

Does anyone really doubt the WDFW is on a mission to end sport hunting?   

[Justin7mm]

i hope some of you use spell check if you send in letters to the department...It does not make the hunting community look too intelligent when we make a great argument but spell all of our words wrong. Sometimes its better to use short words than to butcher long ones.

[whuppinstick]

I'm confused at all the outrage over this article.  I read it and this quote stuck out to me:

“…for wolf population monitoring over the next two years. That would go towards hiring a field staffer to search for more packs in the Blues, Cascades and Northeast as well as pay for travel, supplies and other items. Funding would come from sales of endangered wildlife license plates.”—Northwest Sportsman


It sounds like the people who want the wolves (those who would buy endangered species plates) are the people who are paying for them?  Shouldn't we be cheering for this??

Edit: I went back and read the link to the original article at Northwest Sportsman and I have to say that I am fully supportive of this request for money.  They are asking for $75,000 to
'hire a field staffer to search for more packs in the Blues, Cascades and Northeast as well as pay for travel, supplies and other items  to help learn the locations of the packs and to implement more tracking collars.'  This is exactly what we need!  If they can have a better handle on the population (I don't know how many times on this site I have read reports of wolves that are followed by mocking words towards WDFW for not officially recognizing them) then it's just that much quicker we'll reach the management plan's objectives and get them off the list.

Here is an important quote from the article: "The importance of putting radio and GPS collars on wolves to follow their movements was underscored recently by ODFW’s decision to kill off two more members of its Imnaha Pack, which were tracked to the location of a 14th confirmed livestock wolfkill over the past year and a half." 

[Deep Forks]

This may be a dum question but is Dale Denney ( Bearpaw )


Then there is Dale Denney, the veteran Colville-based hunting guide and advocate, whose lengthy letter to the Fish & Wildlife Commission is worth reading every word. Denney is no crank. He has spent his life in the outdoors, and has literally depended upon the resource for his livelihood. Denney doesn’t mince words. He gets right down to it:

YEP,.... UNLESS HE STILL WANTS TO STAY ANONOMISE

We should all be writing to our politicians and wildlife commission...

[bearpaw]

Yes, I am Dale Denney, nothing to hide. Sorry about any mispelled words in my message! I also have to admit, I intended to say unsustainable rather than sustainable. 

I wrote that message in between hunts. I am a lifelong hunting guide who tries to do his part by giving back something to the sport by raising awareness. I probably should have taken the time to spell check and will try to remember next time, good spelling no doubt would be more effective. 

___________________________________

Political Stunt
I think Director Anderson is playing politics, he can't possibly think the smartest thing to cut is hatcheries. THAT DOES NOT SEEM LIKE GOOD BUSINESS
From a business standpoint the most important thing to maintain in the WDFW budget is the fish hatcheries. If they reduce production, they reduce future income from license sales and they reduce future state tax revenue that is realized from the commerce created by the hatchery fish. 

Documenting Wolves
It seems to me that we need much more monitoring of wolves. The only way we can ever delist is to document enough wolves in Washington, and the sooner they are documented the better. I totally agree with hiring more people to monitor wolves, but hiring someone one to do this who does not know how to find wolves would be pointless.

If I was the Director,    I would call in my Endangered Specie Dept head and I would say, "I want you to find me three positions within the Endangered Species Dept that are the least necessary. Then get me a list of individuals who know wolves and who want a job documenting wolves in Washington." This way the WDFW would not have to request any increase in the budget to monitor wolves.   

Budget Cuts
I don't know the WDFW budget or exactly how many people work for the WDFW. But if I was calling the shots, I would call a meeting of my dept heads and I would address them with some of the following points:

1.  We must make a 10% cut in our budget, most residents of our state have had to make similar cuts in income and in many cases more extreme cuts. All WDFW salaries and wages will be reduced by 10% across the board. I am sorry but this is a necessary step in cost reduction, we all must share in the cuts. When our budget recovers we will reinstate original salaries.

2.  WDFW will not reduce basic services, basic programs, or cut hatcheries, these are the foundation of our purpose and our future.

3.  I want every dept to make 10% cuts. Find ways to continue current basic services, programs, etc, but each dept must find unnecessary programs to cut and ways to continue services with 10% less funding.

4.  Put a link on the front page of the WDFW website and contact all known sporting groups and stakeholder groups to participate in an online poll requesting suggestions from the public of what they suggest cutting to meet our projected budget.

5.  We will meet in two weeks, please have a list of solutions for each dept and have a list of the public suggestions.

[Sumpnneedskillin]

Dale, you've got my vote to be next the WDFW Director!