December 30, 2011 For immediate release
Save Western Wildlife rejects proposed Idaho Fish and Game Wildlife Summit Save Western Wildlife recently learned of Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDF&G) plans
to hold a Wildlife Summit. We believe the department is attempting to change the direction and management of Idaho’s big game by removing hunters from the public process. The department has failed to manage wildlife as directed in Idaho Code: 36-103 and has violated the law by not first going to the Legislature as required. IDF&G has not followed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidelines, and the required flexibility studies have not been conducted. IDF&G has entered into collaboration with environmental organizations with the intent to bypass law and rebuild the IDF&G’s mission, without first going to the Legislators. IDF&G must go through the Legislative branch to make any changes to the mission statement, or the Legislature must pass law that gives IDF&G the authority to make the direction changes
they desire.
SWW was informed that IDF&G managers are secretly negotiating with non-hunting organizations to allow these non-stakeholders to change the mission of Idaho’s big game management strategy. It is hunters who have financed Idaho’s greatest wildlife success story, and Idaho’s hunters are the stakeholders of this institution. Idaho’s hunting residents and nonresidents have invested over 80 years of equity to build both sustainable hunting populations of wildlife and viewable wildlife for non-hunters. SWW charges the department with attempting to exclude Idaho’s wildlife investors, with contemptuous disregard for their on-going investment.
Clearly, IDF&G is in violation of Idaho law and NEPA and is using the collaboration process to bypass the duly elected representatives of the people of Idaho. We demand that this process stop immediately as it demonstrates contempt for both the people of Idaho, and their elected representatives
Read more:
http://www.skinnymoose.com/bbb/2011/12/30/save-western-wildlife-rejects-proposed-idaho-fish-and-game-wildlife-summit/#ixzz1i2O7MPlk
