Environmentalist on Fish & Wildlife panel draws fire

[jeepasaurusrex]

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Environmentalists-appointment-to-Fish--Wildlife-panel-draws-fire--136877643.html

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - The appointment of an Eastern Washington environmentalist to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission has upset some rural officials, who say their small-town values are unfairly being pushed aside in favor of big-city views about what's best for nature.

Okanogan County commissioners this week sent a letter to Gov. Chris Gregoire complaining that Jay Kehne does not reflect their opinions, in part because he supports the continued protection of wolves in the region. Kehne works for Conservation Northwest, a Bellingham-based environmental group that also supports continued government protection of wolves.

"We believe a conflict of interest does exist," Okanogan County commissioners said in their letter, which was also sent to state Sen. Brian Hatfield D-Raymond, whose Agriculture, Water & Rural Economic Development Committee has the power to remove Kehne from his new position.

Kehne, a longtime resident of Eastern Washington, said there is no conflict of interest in being an environmentalist and a member of the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

"I was chosen for my credentials," said Kehne, a wildlife biologist. He said he will not resign from the commission, to which he was appointed in early December.

Kehne is one of three representatives from Eastern Washington on the nine-member commission.

"It is an Eastern Washington position, not an Okanogan County position," he said.

The job of a Fish and Wildlife commissioner is to look at the best science possible and make a good decision for wildlife, he said. Politics and one's place of employment should not be involved, he said.

"Everybody works for somebody," Kehne said. "I've got degrees in wildlife biology and soil science and have had jobs for 31 years across Eastern Washington and California."

But State Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, said politics play a part. The commission has plenty of urban representation, as most of the commissioners hail from populous Western Washington, he said.

The three positions from Eastern Washington should better reflect the values of rural areas, Kretz said.

"Those three Eastern Washington positions should put some diversity in there, rather than the same thing people in Seattle and Olympia are thinking," Kretz said.

Kretz said rural residents have the most contact and assume many of the costs of dealing with wildlife.

"I've got deer in my haystack right now," Kretz said.

Conservation Northwest issued a statement last week saying Kehne was an outstanding choice for commissioner.

"The Governor appointed Jay to the commission to represent himself," the group said.

"Conservation Northwest is disappointed that some politicians have reacted to Jay's appointment in ways that generate only heat, not light, to public discussion," the group said. "Where people disagree on important issues, including tough ones like wolf recovery, the best approach is civil and informed dialogue, not personal attacks."

The letter from the commissioners to Hatfield accused Kehne of being disrespectful to people who want gray wolves removed from endangered species protection.

In fact, Kehne is dismissive of the county's push to delist wolves in the county, saying the attempt is pointless.

"It can't and won't happen," Kehne said.

Trying to get him removed from the commission in favor of someone who supports hunting of wolves is also a bad idea, he said.

He noted the state's recently released wolf management plan was unanimously adopted by the commission, indicating it was based on science.

"Politicians in Okanogan County want to get stuck in the past and not have wolves," Kehne said.

Kehne also rejected the notion that Conservation Northwest was a radical group, noting that they were working on ways to help ranchers co-exist with wolves, and trying to develop more wildlife corridors so there are fewer collisions between deer and motor vehicles.

"These aren't radical environmental things," he said.

[Dave Workman]

Nice to have something new to write about.

 

Duck!

[jeepasaurusrex]

 

Good to see its getting out in the main stream media though.

[high country]

Interesting stuff at the Wdfw....kinda like considering a proposal by a private llc to manage hunts in eastern wa......politics, money, money, money, wildlife.....that is the order of their concern.

[Wenatcheejay]

Interesting stuff at the Wdfw....kinda like considering a proposal by a private llc to manage hunts in eastern wa......politics, money, money, money, wildlife.....that is the order of their concern.

Don't forget to plug in the social engineering.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Hmmmm a guy who's a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Mule Deer Foundation isn't good enough for you guys because he's also a conservationist? He's worked  to provide conservation assistance to farmers, ranchers and he's a bad choice? Really?

Personally I would hate to see a PUBLIC commission stacked one way or the other. Differing views keep people honest.  I want the best input from ALL sides.

And personally, I'm all for conserving as much public land for hunting as possible. Without it, we're all up the creek without a paddle.

[Wenatcheejay]

Hmmmm a guy who's a member of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Mule Deer Foundation isn't good enough for you guys because he's also a conservationist? He's worked  to provide conservation assistance to farmers, ranchers and he's a bad choice? Really?

Personally I would hate to see a PUBLIC commission stacked one way or the other. Differing views keep people honest.  I want the best input from ALL sides.

And personally, I'm all for conserving as much public land for hunting as possible. Without it, we're all up the creek without a paddle.

Yep, if they were all Con N-W and Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity payroll you'd be smoking a fat one. (For medical reasons I am sure.)

After all they are the true "Conservationists." They have become quite rich suing for it.

[NoBark]

There are two kinds of consevationists. Pro-hunting opportunity and against hunting.  Which is he?

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Lets see, his bio says...... http://wdfw.wa.gov/news/release.php?id=dec0711a

"-Larry Carpenter, a Mount Vernon boat dealer and long-time sportfishing enthusiast, and Jay Kehne, an Okanogan County conservationist and hunter, have been appointed by Gov. Chris Gregoire to two vacant positions on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. "

"Kehne, appointed to an eastern Washington position on the commission, serves as Okanogan outreach associate for Conservation Northwest. He previously had 31-year career with the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, including serving as resource conservation and development coordinator for Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties and providing conservation assistance to farmers, ranchers and other landowners. He has collaborated on an Okanogan County conservation-easement working group with county officials, land trusts and WDFW staff. Kehne, a member of both the Rocky Mountain Elk and Mule Deer foundations"

Sure sounds like a hunter to me and one who is concerned about deer and elk to boot. He's putting his money where his mouth is and supporting organizations that work to provide good habitat for game animals.

[Elkaholic daWg]

My legislators have been informed of my feelings on him. Stop drinking (or making) the kool aid

[Special T]

I could say that i'm gods gift to women, and am a decendant of Don Juan... Just because its said does that mean I'm the master of pleasing a woman?    ACTIONS speak louder than words. We know that Conservation NW is not necessiazrliy a friend of Hunters, and the RMEF has been VERY resurved in its actions trying to reduce the impact of wolves in WA despite the huge dent they have made in ID and MT... 
Wolves are here, and have been here for some time.  Just because the state says they are going to do something about it does not mean they are going to be effective or do it well. How can they with only 1 trapper to document wolves?

[Wenatcheejay]

Perception, Perception, Perception.

If you do not consider the North American Model of management any different than farming, and you consider natural ecosystem management true conservation, then Con-NW, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Center for Biological Diversity is the one true religon, they make sense.

You have to consider these fine folk like Radical Islamists. For us, religion and politcs are seperate. But for them it is the same. For us, when we picture Wildlife Management we speak of and come from an ideolgy called "The North American Model." Being Americans we are ethnocentric. That's our weakness, we believe everyone believes the way we do. If they don't, well they should. We fail to see that for these fine folks their management ideolgy is not at all like ours.It comes from a point of view where they think that our model is a sin against nature. It is unholy, evil, self serving, and wrong. It is something that has to be distroyed. There is no difference between their politics and their actions, and never forget they are true believers. They exist to distroy our ideology and to distroy our management model.

We look at this as user funded, so leave us alone. But, that does not work with Marxism. There is nothing wrong with taking what you want through the masses in that ideology. With Marxism people need to me managed like cattle, not nature. They wish to have dominion over us while entertaining their belief of freeing nature from the illness of man. We are an affliction, an infection. Hunting to them is in the spirit of it. It is not about harvesting. We laugh of camping with guns. To them, we should be greatful even that is allowed. And soon, the guns will be spitwads anyway in their world.

This is political, it is idological. Our way of life is what is up for grabs. I don't know which way the conntinum will go. So far, it is radical Neo-Maxist in nature and our Nation that is winning. The problem is it is so insideous most people don't see the issue it for what it is. We negotiage with our enemies who seek to distroy us while confusing our allies and those who support us.

[JimmyHoffa]

Sure sounds like a hunter to me and one who is concerned about deer and elk to boot. He's putting his money where his mouth is and supporting organizations that work to provide good habitat for game animals.

I read an article that I believe was on here where he was interviewed.  He mentioned only hunting deer and elk and if I remember correctly wasn't supportive of hunting predators.  He works for an organization that was one of the strongest backers of I-655 which removed hound hunting for bears and cougars and baiting for bears.  Although that organization was willing to take a second look for the pilot program for hound hunting of cougars.
There is another commissioner that always claims to be pro-fishing, but keeps trying to shut down areas along the coast and areas within certain depths to use as 'world class scuba diving parks' for his diving buddies (he's also a diver).

[jeepasaurusrex]

Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, craps like a duck.....