The following is an open letter by an anonymous reader…
The Fish and Wildlife Commission’s recent choice for the Director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is an inappropriate choice for Washington.
The new director is from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, which is known for its brutal archaic wildlife management style. They support many practices, which have been banned here by state initiatives because of the cruelty involved. These practices include bear baiting, hounding, and the use of steel-jaw traps. They promote the killing of wolves in all kinds of despicable ways and put little emphasis on protecting endangered species.
The primary mandate for WDFW is to protect, preserve, and perpetuate our state’s wildlife. The Commission’s choice of director is inconsistent with this mandate and is ill suited for our state. I fear for the future of our wildlife.
Exposing the Big Game 
Jim is there any way to reverse this choice with a veto or repeal request
Good question. Bob’s earlier comment suggested only the commission has a say, but if anyone knows otherwise, please enlighten us.
maybe that’s why he left….to come over to a more civilized department…maybe give him a chance…he can’t push anything through that will severely go against what washington stands for.
Maybe we’ll have no choice.
I don’t know if that’s true, Bob. Here in Idaho the Fish & Game Commission and Fish & Game Department answer to hunters/trappers/anglers. The rest of us are given token notice, if that. They definitely do not answer to the general public. It’s hard to say exactly how many Idahoans support current “wildlife” policy, but I’d say there’s a substantial number of us that utterly reject what Idaho stands for. So far, it hasn’t helped in affecting “wildlife” policy. I believe the mandate of the Idaho F&G Commission & Department is to perpetuate wildlife for hunting, trapping, and viewing opportunities — or something like that. If Washington State mandate lacks that vile language, you have good grounds to go after Unsworth’s misbehavior if it occurs.
I like your optimism and your suggestion to give him a chance. Do it, but don’t ever turn your back!
Given his track record this sounds like a political move to push through unsavoury policies.
Excellent letter! I’m not sure who has to approve the position. The Wildlife Commission has offered him the job and he has accepted, but he may still need to be confirmed by the Senate, which is Republican (the House is Democratic). I will check. In the meantime, I need more information about the candidate to use in my communications with officials. I will start with a name search through the Idaho Statesman.
Thanks for checking and keep us posted.
I don’t know a great deal about him, but I attended a Fish & Game Commission meeting in Boise last year. Wolves and trapping were two of the topics. There were plenty of people in camo, and some testified for the expansion of trapping. Others expressed their appreciation of the (horrible) wolf policy and vowed to “do their part.” Unsworth mostly sat in the corner radiating hostility and glaring at the pro-wolf people in the crowd, who were substantial and — as far as I could tell — far outnumbered the camo/hunting/trapping enthusiasts. My interpretation is that he is very closed-minded to anything but brutal exploitation and that he is resentful of those who do not share his views. I suspect he is one of those who goes through the motions of the public hearing process, knowing full well that it is fulfillment of the letter of the law and nothing more. Welcome to the Idaho Fish and Game Commission and their minions, the Fish & Game Department personnel like Unsworth.
If it were me, I would ask for commitment to work with all sides of the debate, figure out how that would be demonstrated (what actions), ask for examples from his tenure in Idaho that illustrate that principle, and put him on the spot by asking him to identify who his customer is. In Idaho, I believe the answer is that the customer is the hunter/trapper/angler. Nobody else counts. I’d also be curious at who at Idaho Fish & Game he idolizes and emulates. If it’s the director, or one of the Fish & Game Commissioners, set aside a lot of time to be scrutinizing and criticizing this guy.
I oppose the WDFW commission of ANY persons associated with the brutal murder/hunting practices against our nation’s predators against ALL scientific evidence that states that the natural order of predators are beneficial to the environment. I am especially against any persons who purposely seek to eradicate wolves from the American landscape. Persons who follow this line of thinking should NEVER be placed in a position to “protect” nature and it’s inhabitants as it goes contrary to past actions and violates the will of the majority of Americans who wish the PROTECTION of keystone species like wolves.