Oregon Senate Confirms Kotek’s 2 New Fish And Wildlife Commission Appointees

The Oregon Senate has confirmed the two state Fish and Wildlife Commission appointees forwarded last month by Governor Tina Kotek.

Hugh Morrison, the retired regional director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, was approved on a strong bipartisan vote of 26-4, while Dave Moldal, a senior program manager at Energy Trust of Oregon and self-described “licensed sportsman,” was voted in 20-10.

Both men are from Multnomah County. One will fill a seat that’s been empty for much of the past year after a commissioner left the board, while the other takes over for Dr. Leslie King, whose four-year term expires today.

Senator Jeff Golden (D-Ashland) made the motion this afternoon to confirm Morrison and Moldal. He praised their “deep subject-matter backgrounds” in natural resources, backgrounds in facilitation among diverse constituents, and interpersonal skills – a “three-fer” of qualities that would do well on the Fish and Wildlife Commission

Senator Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) said he had some concerns with Moldal but that speaking with the sportsmen’s community, he said they were hopeful of moving the nomination forward. Smith said that as the chair of the senate’s Sportsmen’s Caucus, he would support Moldal as well as watch and see.

On his LinkedIn page, Moldal describes himself as a senior program manager at Energy Trust of Oregon, a nonprofit that works to help homeowners, businesses and others reduce their energy bills and where he has worked in various roles for nearly 13 years. Before that he did project development in Colorado and Portland, worked as an FBI special agent in Minnesota for three years, and was a regional organizer for the National Wildlife Federation.

He has a masters of science in environmental sciences and a masters of public administration from Indiana University.

As for Morrison, his LinkedIn shows he served in various roles for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, including most recently as regional director for the Pacific Region. He also served as a USFWS deputy regional director, regional business advisor, and assistant regional director, and he retired from the Service this past April.

In recent years Morrison has also done outdoors-oriented consulting work and network coordination, as well as volunteered for the Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts and served on the board of the North Coast Land Conservancy. Originally from Eugene, he has a masters of public administration from the University of Washington.

On Monday, Moldal and Morrison provided the Oregon Senate’s Interim Committee On Rules and Executive Appointments their stump speeches on Monday. To wit:

My name is Dave Moldal, I’m honored to be nominated to serve on the Fish and Wildlife Commission. I’m eager to commit my time and my experience to serve the state of Oregon to advance programs and policies that enhance fish and wildlife conservation.

Throughout my life I’ve maintained a deep passion for wildlife and wild places. I’m a licensed sportsman, love for hunting, fishing and birdwatching. I also find great joy in spending time in Oregon’s wild places, from rafting the John Day and Grand Ronde Rivers to hiking the Blue Mountains and the Steens.

Raising two boys who also love to fish, bird watch and experience the wonders of our natural world, I have a lot at stake and want to work to make sure that they as well as all future generations enjoy an abundance and diversity of game and nongame wildlife in Oregon.

If confirmed, my work on the commission will be informed by my strong belief in training and science, my experience working with private landowners and in conservation throughout the country, my confidence that stakeholder organizations have more shared values and goals than they have differences and my belief that common-sense conservation measures and sound investments are critical to conserve and restore wildlife and their habitats.

I’ve spoken with many conservation, commercial and recreational fishing organizations and will commit to reaching out to them regularly during my tenure on the commission. In closing, I’m very excited about this opportunity to contribute my time and experience to advance conservation in Oregon, listen carefully to and work with tribes, my fellow commissioners, ODFW staff, and all stakeholders.

My name is Hugh Morrison, and I’m honored to have been nominated to serve on the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. If confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to representing the upper Northwest Region but serving all Oregonians in this role.

I believe I can add value to the commission and support the work of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. I’ve invested my career in fish and wildlife conservation, natural resource management and outdoor recreation. I understand the importance of this work to communities and economies, to the ecology, ecological and cultural health of our state, and to individuals seeking sustenance or just a sense of awe from wildlife.

I know wildlife management decisions can be complex and can carry weighty implications, which is why it’s so critical to follow the science. Equally important, I’ve learned that the most durable solutions come from applying the science in open collaborative processes which provide a path to common ground and shared solutions.

FInally, like all the fantastic people in this room, I’m committed to public service. As a multigenerational Oregonian, I feel a deep connection to the lands and waters of this state and to the life and the livelihoods that they sustain. If confirmed, I’ll enthusiastically contribute to the long history of forward-thinking fish and wildlife management in our state. Thank you.