Flynarrow
Well-known member
Leadership is being systematically dismantled and replacements, if they can be found, are "yes" people chosen by the Director. Centralization is replacing people close to the field resources. Like gophers, remaining biologists don't dare stick their heads out of the holes. The Director and the Commission was chosen by Gov GG. Outfitters and high roller landowners are benefitting at the expense of sportsmen and wildlife/fish enthusiasts. The following letter gets to some of the issues.
Montanans should demand better for our wildlife and our democracy
I am a 70-year-old, retired farmer. I am a 4th generation Montanan and a lifelong avid hunter,
angler, and conservationist. I have a degree in Wildlife Biology and research experience on
large predators. I started farming in 1977. I own Circle S Ranch in eastern Montana and pay
property taxes in 5 counties. I have always shared the bounty of the ranch with sportsmen and
conservationists for free. No one has ever paid a dime for access. I have been engaged in
conservation, habitat improvement, and fish and wildlife management for a lifetime. I don’t hold
myself out as a Republican or a Democrat. However, I write this letter as hunting season begins
to urge all Montana hunters to start paying attention to how you vote, and which party is helping
local Montana hunters, and which one is not.
Just when we think our Fish, Wildlife & Parks couldn’t go lower, bam! More news about the
manipulative internal workings of Dustin Temple and his inner circle cohorts has come to light.
Word on the street, certain reporters and news outlets being shunned by FWP upper
management.
The freedom of the press was considered important enough to put into the First Amendment of
the U.S. Constitution to guarantee that right along with freedom to redress government, freedom
of religion, and free speech. Some state government leaders believe they can circumvent those
freedoms by intimidating employees to keep them from revealing the agency's workings.
This news comes from sources inside the agency, but they can't be named because surviving
FWP employees are scared of Temple’s retribution. One can’t blame those employees for not
being as transparent as they once were, considering the numerous employees that have been
shown the door because they dared to stand up. But news flash here, folks: We are still supposed
to have freedom of the press.
Volumes are spoken of our FWP leaders working in the shadows. Decisions that in the past
would have been freely reported by reporters are now often only revealed by whistleblowers or
court documents. The agency is being about as secretive and deceiving of our Montanans as
any time in the past.
In a campaign speech a few years ago, Governor Gianforte claimed that FWP was extorting
landowners and he was going to do something about that. Turns out, he wasn’t kidding. But
what he did was enable large landowners to take over wildlife management. Furthermore, he
also campaigned with outfitters, saying he was inviting them to the table. He did that too, and
now Montana's wildlife is increasingly for sale.
Governor Gianforte is true to his twisted beliefs. After election, his administration immediately
began tearing apart a revered wildlife agency. He and Lt. Governor Kristin Juras are still on that
same mission, and now, Dustin Temple is the Governor’s tool, doing his best to keep the public
in the dark. Montanans should demand better for our wildlife and our democracy.
Joe Perry
Conrad
Montanans should demand better for our wildlife and our democracy
I am a 70-year-old, retired farmer. I am a 4th generation Montanan and a lifelong avid hunter,
angler, and conservationist. I have a degree in Wildlife Biology and research experience on
large predators. I started farming in 1977. I own Circle S Ranch in eastern Montana and pay
property taxes in 5 counties. I have always shared the bounty of the ranch with sportsmen and
conservationists for free. No one has ever paid a dime for access. I have been engaged in
conservation, habitat improvement, and fish and wildlife management for a lifetime. I don’t hold
myself out as a Republican or a Democrat. However, I write this letter as hunting season begins
to urge all Montana hunters to start paying attention to how you vote, and which party is helping
local Montana hunters, and which one is not.
Just when we think our Fish, Wildlife & Parks couldn’t go lower, bam! More news about the
manipulative internal workings of Dustin Temple and his inner circle cohorts has come to light.
Word on the street, certain reporters and news outlets being shunned by FWP upper
management.
The freedom of the press was considered important enough to put into the First Amendment of
the U.S. Constitution to guarantee that right along with freedom to redress government, freedom
of religion, and free speech. Some state government leaders believe they can circumvent those
freedoms by intimidating employees to keep them from revealing the agency's workings.
This news comes from sources inside the agency, but they can't be named because surviving
FWP employees are scared of Temple’s retribution. One can’t blame those employees for not
being as transparent as they once were, considering the numerous employees that have been
shown the door because they dared to stand up. But news flash here, folks: We are still supposed
to have freedom of the press.
Volumes are spoken of our FWP leaders working in the shadows. Decisions that in the past
would have been freely reported by reporters are now often only revealed by whistleblowers or
court documents. The agency is being about as secretive and deceiving of our Montanans as
any time in the past.
In a campaign speech a few years ago, Governor Gianforte claimed that FWP was extorting
landowners and he was going to do something about that. Turns out, he wasn’t kidding. But
what he did was enable large landowners to take over wildlife management. Furthermore, he
also campaigned with outfitters, saying he was inviting them to the table. He did that too, and
now Montana's wildlife is increasingly for sale.
Governor Gianforte is true to his twisted beliefs. After election, his administration immediately
began tearing apart a revered wildlife agency. He and Lt. Governor Kristin Juras are still on that
same mission, and now, Dustin Temple is the Governor’s tool, doing his best to keep the public
in the dark. Montanans should demand better for our wildlife and our democracy.
Joe Perry
Conrad
.
