Department of Fish and Game (DFG) director Donald Koch has announced he is resigning from his position. In a letter last week to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Koch said he is resigning for personal reasons effective Sunday.
Koch, a retired DFG wildlife biologist, was appointed by Schwarzenegger and served in the position for 18 months. Who is on the list to become the next director in unknown but it is a political appointment, which means it doesn”t necessarily have to be a biologist or someone within the DFG ranks.
The problem with the DFG is the director is always a political appointee who often has little or no experience in fish and wildlife matters. In other words, it”s a reward for a person who has helped the governor get elected by either contributing large amounts of money or campaigning for the governor.
Funding to run the DFG comes from fishing and hunting license fees and other fees that sportsmen and women pay. A small part of the budget comes out of the state”s general fund, but the state”s outdoor enthusiasts foot most of the bill. The big gripe among sportsmen is a large portion of DFG”s duties have little or nothing do with fish and wildlife.
For example, hunters this season paid a total of nearly $200 in fees for the basic license, deer tags, pigs tags and all the stamps required such as duck and upland game. Fishermen are also paying exorbitant fees. A basic license plus a second rod stamp will set you back more than $60 and this doesn”t include all the stamps required for salmon, steelhead and abalone fishing. Only a portion of these funds are spent on the fish we catch and the game we hunt. California is also one of the few states that doesn”t give senior citizens a break on fishing and hunting licenses.
One reason DFG is always broke is because, in addition to all the duties of tending to fish and wildlife, it takes care of native plants, exotic animals and endangered species such as the red-legged frog. If a bag of flour spills on the highway and it”s near a stream, the DFG is called out. The same applies to oil spills or other toxic spills. Timber harvest plans also fall under the DFG”s jurisdiction. Housing developments are approved by the DFG. Most of these are items that have nothing to do with fishing and hunting, yet the sportsmen and women pay for it.
Like all state agencies, DFG has had its budget reduced and much of the research and fish and wildlife management has fallen by the wayside.
A good example is in our own county, where we have only three game wardens assigned. In addition to Lake County, they are often required to patrol Mendocino and Sonoma counties. While I have always said we are fortunate to have the best game wardens in state, even they are being spread to the breaking point. For all this Californians pay more for fishing and hunting licenses than any other state in the nation.
Hopefully our governor will appoint a career DFG employee, such as Koch, as the new director.
The state should also look into establishing a program that has proven successful in other states. Bring the DFG under an umbrella organization called “Department of Natural Resources.” The state of Minnesota is a good example. Under the Minnesota DNR program there is the Department of Highways, Agriculture, Forestry, Environmental Protection, Health and State Parks. Fish and Game is a division within the DNR and handles only fish and wildlife. This allows the biologists and game wardens to concentrate their efforts only on fish and game matters. The person in charge of the fish and wildlife division is a career employee. In fact, more and more states are going to the DNR concept and California is long past due to do the same thing.
Hunters and fishermen don”t mind paying the high license fees if they can be assured that their money will be used to improve hunting and fishing. What they do mind is when their license fees are spent on red-legged frog studies and the mating habits of the Pup Fish.
