Bill Goodnight Former Chief of Info for Idaho Fish & Game Dept.

People are angry; and they're not just angry about the way the Fish and Game Commission is being dealt with. They're angry about politicians.

Basically, in 1938 sportsmen were in the same position we're in now. Every time there was a new governor elected, they would see a wholesale cleaning of house by the governor. There was no continuity, no professionalism.

We're getting to the point where we're in that kind of jeopardy. Professional opinions on resource issues are being suppressed because of political expediency. We feel it all starts at the commission level. If commissioners are selected who, according to code, have as the only criteria for appointment an interest and knowledge of fish and wildlife, then things down through the staff will operate properly. But as long as commissioners do not respect the views of professionals, do not appreciate life long research that documents predator/ prey relationships, fisheries solutions, we'll never have a properly functioning Department.

The reluctance to speak out is almost institutionalized within the Department. Even though there are still people there with integrity, they know that they can be had if they aggravate industry and politicians. One of our top fisheries people just recently left to become the chief of fisheries in Oregon. That move was not strictly a career move; it was a move because he was under threat constantly from the Legislature and interest groups for basically speaking out for what was the best, by scientific consensus, recovery plan for salmon and steelhead.

So our hope is that through this initiative, we'll change the way commissioners are selected, the way they're hired and fired and hopefully insulate them from the pressures of politics.