48 Would Like To Be Washington Fish And Wildlife Commissioners

At least four dozen people have put their names in to serve on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, where the terms of three members are up at the end of this year.

The Governor’s Office could always reappoint that trio, but at least one – Don McIsaac of rural Clark County – has indicated he will resign when is stint is over December 31, opening up a Western Washington seat.

The two others, Barbara Baker of Olympia and Kim Thorburn of Spokane are interested in continuing to serve, per a story in the Spokane Spokesman-Review. Baker, who is the commission chair, occupies and at-large seat, while Thorburn holds an Eastern Washington position.

The list of potential commission replacements as it stands as of mid-November was published as a sidebar to a longer story that details how hunting and fishing groups and preservationists are “jockeying for influence” on who will be named to the citizen panel that oversees WDFW and hires and fires its director. The latter are trying to wrestle the commission and agency away from its traditional base.

Names on the list that will be known to Washington’s fishing and hunting community include Brian Blake, the former chair of the state House of Representatives’ natural resources and agriculture committee; Marie Neumiller, the executive director of Inland Northwest Wildlife Council; and Don McBride, a member of Coastal Conservation Association of Washington who has headed up the King of the Reach live-capture fall Chinook derby.

There’s also Chris Bachman of various environmental organizations, Artifishal film producer Dylan Tomine and Tim Coleman of Kettle Range Conservation Group and formerly of WDFW’s Wolf Advisory Group.

Others on the list include:

Charlene Andrade; Jarrod Bailey; David Bain; Robert Bearden; Zachary Bogatz; Howard Braham; Scott Brown; Janis Burger; Glen Carlson; Merrilyn Conniry; Mathews Cook; Toby Cooper; Jacob Fuller; Peter Hapke; Gregory Holmes; James Jarvis; Todd Johnston; Kathryn Konoski; Katherine Lynch; Mike Mackey; Richard Mann; Julian Matthews; Brian McGowan; Daniel Myers; Laurie Ness; Theresa Ottosen; Steven Parker; Mike Petersen; Jeffrey Pitts; David Powell; Ross Rachey; Wayne Regelin; mountain climber John Roskelley; John Skalski; Randy Tyler; Travis Van Dyke; David Wallin; Richard West; Ann Williamson; Elizabeth Williamson; Stanley Wilson; and Linda Zimlicki-Owens.

Per the Spokesman-Review’s Eli Francovich, Jamie Smith of the Governor’s Office says Inslee “is looking for candidates who understand fish and wildlife issues, including the ‘increasing responsibilities facing the agency.'”

“The governor is seeking applicants that are open minded, willing to seek compromise, have an even temperament and demeanor, and will demonstrate respect and professionalism to the other commissioners and the public,” Smith told Francovich.

The last five appointments have been pretty one-sided, made without apparent consultation with the sporting community and controversial, and have resulted in the end of Washington’s limited-entry spring black bear hunt as it’s been known.