Is the Chief bigger than the Department?
On Wednesday, State senators postponed confirmation of Schwarzenegger’s appointed candidate David Koch for Department of Fish and Game Chief. Although few senators had anything negative to say about Koch, the panel expressed larger concerns about the department as a whole.
Koch steps into the Fish and Game spotlight amid great turmoil in the department and throughout the state.
Matt Weiss of the Sacramento Bee noted, “Several witnesses complained the department has failed to fulfill its law-enforcement responsibilities, whether by not hiring enough game wardens or by not asserting its permit authority over matters such as timber harvesting and stream alterations.
“Of particular concern to some was the department’s recent refusal to halt recreational suction-dredge mining, which the department’s own scientists assert damages fish habitat. Another raised by several witnesses is inadequate protection of endangered salmon populations.
“Few speakers blamed Koch for these problems. But they said the department has been starved of the money and authority it needs to carry out its responsibilities.
“It’s tragic our state professes to be a leader in the ‘green’ movement, but will not hire or maintain enough staffing to protect our natural resources,” said Jerry Karnow, a game warden and legislative liaison to the California Fish and Game Wardens Association. “At this time, the wardens association will not offer an endorsement of any director appointed by this governor.”
“Karnow noted the department employs only about 220 field-level game wardens to police wildlife crimes statewide. And last week, more than 90 of them got layoff notices as part of the administration’s effort to balance the state budget.
“Whether those layoffs go forward remains unclear.
“You may have a good man in a bad department,” said Zeke Grader, executive director of Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations.
