Politics in Pa Deer Management

DennyF said:

Why keep repeating what you've already been shown to have been erroneous info on another thread here???

Ridge did not appoint Alt to anything, as he has no authority over whom the PGC Board of Commissioners appoint to hold a position within PGC. Nor did he appoint Vern Ross to be PGC Ex. Director, which was also done by the Board of Commissioners.

A Governor can nominate citizens to positions as Commissionrs on various PA agencies. The PA Senate must then confirm them, or they cannot fill the position.

Such repeated ranting only reinforces the obvious: You apparently lack any understanding of the facts and issues.

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keystone-hunter said:

Publicly stated suggested routes of action for dcnr to take from their Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council to ensure pgc complied with less deer demands.



"(1) D.C.N.R. should continue to work with P.G.C. to promote effective and strategic
management of the deer herd and to reduce their numbers in order to promote
forest regeneration.
(2) D.C.N.R. should support P.G.C.’s Deer Management Assistance Program but
should advocate for expansion of the program’s availability to private
landowners and simplification of the application process in order to promote
landowner participation in the program.
(3) D.C.N.R. should advocate and support educational outreach concerning forest
regeneration issues as they relate to Pennsylvania’s deer population.
(4) The Secretary should request the Governor’s office to convene an
interdepartmental Deer Management Task Force consisting of leadership at the
secretary level from, at a minimum, D.C.N.R., Department of Environmental
Protection, Department of Agriculture, and P.G.C., in order to address deer
population and deer-related impact issues.
(5) If P.G.C. programs do not effectively reduce deer populations, then D.C.N.R and
other landowners should consider necessary legal and legislative action to
protect the resources."

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R.W.J said:

DennyF said:

Why keep repeating what you've already been shown to have been erroneous info on another thread here???

Ridge did not appoint Alt to anything, as he has no authority over whom the PGC Board of Commissioners appoint to hold a position within PGC. Nor did he appoint Vern Ross to be PGC Ex. Director, which was also done by the Board of Commissioners.

A Governor can nominate citizens to positions as Commissionrs on various PA agencies. The PA Senate must then confirm them, or they cannot fill the position.

Such repeated ranting only reinforces the obvious: You apparently lack any understanding of the facts and issues.

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This has been pointed out to him before, but since it doesnt fit with his thoughts and Everland, he chooses to ignore it.

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keystone-hunter said:

Publicly stated suggested routes of action for dcnr to take from their Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council to ensure pgc complied with less deer demands.

(5) If P.G.C. programs do not effectively reduce deer populations, then D.C.N.R and
other landowners should consider necessary legal and legislative action to
protect the resources."

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huntingjess34 said:

Great topic.

The real reasons for herd reduction doesn't have one single thing to do with herd health and everything to do with the money.

Dirty politics started it. Only politics can end it.

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keystone-hunter said:

This topic is being discussed in the Wisconsin thread, where the huge amount of politics in Pa were pointed out, as is now the case in Wisconsin also. It was shown that Alt was selected by the Governor of Pa at the time, Ridge, to accomplish his goals of herd reduction. Being the boss of dcnr and also having command over pgc, many see his steering Pa deer management as nothing but uncalled for political intereference. There has also been actions taken by dcnr and the governor like removing commissioners and with-holding monies, not to mention sanctions on land acquistions in the past. Threats of lawsuits made to force their compliance. It seems some wish to further disucss these issues. So we can use this thread for that. Here is one good article I found about this same governor appointing the then executive director. Is all of this appropriate?

Any other political deer management issues can be discussed here.



POLITICS AS USUAL
THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PENNSYLVANIA GAME COMMISSION ASSUMED HIS
OFFICE AT THE AGENCY'S HARRISBURG HEADQUARTERS ON MONDAY.

Friday, May 07, 1999 Page: 1B

Politics as usual
The new executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission assumed his office at the agency's Harrisburg headquarters on MondayThe appointment is, in understatement, controversial.
Vern R. Ross, 58, of Camp Hill, succeeded Don C. Madl as the agency's executive director.
Madl retired April 30 after 37 years with the commission.
Madl is out, Ross is in, and Ross will have his hands full.
Never has the commission faced such a rocky road, and never has the agency's executive director faced such animosity from sportsmen and sportsmen's groups.
Hunters are crying that there are too few deer, that small game hunting is poor, and that the commission is doing too little to benefit wildlife and its habitat.
Hunters are angry; opinions on this matter are heated.
On top of that, the word out is that the commission's new director was a political appointment, that he has little or no experience in the field of wildlife management.
Resentment is the result of the lament that it is "politics as usual" in Harrisburg.
The claim is not unfounded.
Governor Tom Ridge appointed Ross director of his Sportsmen's Advisory Council on Oct. 11, 1995.
Despite the governor's appointment, Ross has virtually no academic background or experience that would prepare him to operate an agency such as the game commission- an agency funded primarily by hunting license sales, an agency with about 700 employees and an almost $70 million budget.
While it is not known what advice Ross may have offered the governor, he and the council have not had an obvious impact on the field sports.
But Ross and the council did interview and recommend four of the current eight game commissioners who were consequently appointed by Ridge.
And those same commissioners who received the nod of approval from Ross and the council voted to name Ross to fill the executive director's post.
Ross was among eight finalists for the position among 37 potential candidates.
Presumably, a few of those 37 candidates possessed at least modest experience in the field of wildlife management.
No matter. Ross still managed to prevail as the commissioner's No. 1 choice.
Originally from New Kensington, Ross is a graduate of Valley High School. He served in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1962, then worked for 37 years in a variety of administrative positions that included work in the food industry.
The only professional experience Ross has with wildlife, wildlife management and with hunting and sportsmen's groups is through his stint as the governor's adviser.
I was not involved with the game commissioner's interview process. I did not get to peruse the resumes of the 37 people who applied for the job.
But it's hard to believe that a candidate with more experience than Ross did not eagerly toss a hat into the ring.
That's in the past now, like it or not.
Even if Ross were no more than a political appointment, he has taken over the helm of the agency that manages wildlife in one of the top hunting states in the nation.
Ross faces a rocky road.
He will have his hands full.
George Smith is The Times Leader outdoors writer.

Read more: http://archives.timesleader.com/1999/199...l#ixzz2FzRUcokq

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Furtaker Ron said:

Notice;

“When Gov. Tom Ridge asked me to take over Pennsylvania’s deer program,”

and

"Having the governor behind me meant I could create a team from the outside, jumping the normal chain of command."

Direct quotes firsthand from Alt himself.

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Wendel707 said:

Looks like alot of facts in that piece too yellodog. Not convenient though huh?

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