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. Fisher
