By George Dovel, Editor of The Outdoorsman – Republished with permission.
To counteract a false claim by Idaho Fish and Game Commissioner Randy Budge that certain hunters who testify are not telling the truth about the Department’s role in transplanting Canadian wolves into Idaho, Outdoorsman Bulletin No. 38 published documents proving IDFG [Idaho Department of Fish and Game] violated Idaho Code Sec. 36-715(2) by:
(a) illegally signing a document which officially approved the FWS wolf plan;
(b) illegally signing a permit authorizing FWS to introduce up to 75 Canadian wolves into Idaho.
I suggested it was time for them to admit the truth about how we got where we are, put it behind them, and get on with the business of restoring our billion dollar wildlife resource. Instead, a May 13, 2010 Lewiston Tribune article stated, “Department Director Cal Groen said the document was signed to make sure any wolves placed in Idaho were done so under an experimental and nonessential population status.”
As Chief of the IDFG Natural Resource Policy Bureau, Groen knew FWS needed state approval of its plan to bring “Nonessential Experimental” Canadian wolves into Idaho in order to appear to comply with 50 CFR 17 and the intent of Congress. He also knew Idaho Law prohibited IDFG from signing the agreements – yet they did it anyway.
But instead of admitting they violated Idaho law in order to get Canadian wolves into Idaho as I suggested, Groen had a “Wolf Reintroduction/Recovery Timeline” placed on the website the last week in May which conceals their illegal actions. It claims the Permit was simply “a courtesy in accordance with state law and the Idaho wolf management plan currently being drafted by IDFG.” and truthfully admits the full Commission formally approved introduction of the wolves by FWS two months later.
If Groen’s statement to the Tribune is an admission that we would not have many wolves in Idaho today if the documents allowing FWS to transplant them had not been signed, he admitted the truth about the controversial documents for a change.
But his willingness to continue to mislead the public with a carefully crafted document distorting the truth does not excuse the fact that Fish and Game’s violation of State Law then to serve its private agenda, is now costing Idaho citizens up to $24 million each year just in lost revenue from elk hunters. Unfortunately, that cost represents just the tip of the iceberg to Idaho Citizens.
