Prepared Statement for Wildlife Commission meeting December 18, 1999

My name is Gerry Lent and I represent Nevada Hunters Association, and this is the public comment period. Mr. Chairman and members of the Wildlife Commission. In accordance with the provisions of N.R.S. 241.035 of the Nevada Open Meeting Law, I am requesting that my prepared written remarks be included in the official minutes of this meeting.

I was fortunate to draw a sheep tag in Nevada for the 1999 season. I received a letter from the Division of Wildlife dated July 6, 1999 which reads in part: Dear Gerald...as you are aware, attendance at a pre-hunt indoctrination course is required of all sheep hunters or their guide. Your tag will be issued upon successful Completion of this requirement.

This letter is firm and to the point and does not say anything about exceptions. The 1999 Hunting and Trapping Laws and Regulations as outlined in your official

Nevada Hunt Book clearly lay out big game tag regulations. The law says in accordance with N.A.C.502.345 and N.R.S.501.181 and 502.030 that say: he or his guide or subguide who is licensed in this state, MUST attend an indoctrination course relating to bighorn sheep. The tag will be issued upon the completion of the course.

1 personally called Terry to see if he was going to make any exceptions on the sheep indoctrinations and he firmly told me he was going to excuse no one. He said if I was to be excused I would have to have attended a course in 1989 or later, which I had.

An action agenda item was placed on your September 11, 1999 meeting: "The Commission will be asked for guidance regarding acceptable reasons for indoctrination course waiver granted by the administrator as allowed in N.A.C.502.345."

Dave Rice said: "1 bring these words to you from (administrator) Terry, (regarding

Joe Glazner's dad's two letters written to Terry Crawforth requesting his son be excused). "Mr. Crawforth has told me he is not going to excuse anybody without some criteria. Even though it is provided for, he is not prepared to make any excuse without criteria." If Dave Rice is correct here with these comments since he is speaking for the administrator, then we have a definite question of the integrity of the administrator and you commissioners cannot trust his word.

Commissioner Matorian asked if there is a way to provide him with another meeting at his expense and accommodate him? Mr. Rice said, "as far as I know there is nothing in writing that provides for that. 1 know that Terry is not interested in starting that type of system which is what he has told me. We have the classes set up, we wrote letters to the people, made it clear to him that this is the time, place, and date for your indoctrination." Mr. Tanner said he (Joe's dad) is in a tough spot because he was handling all the paperwork for his son who was a student in an out-of-state university. This is not the truth-Joe goes to Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno. Either Mr. Tanner deceived you to justify giving a special indoctrination or he was deceived by a hunter. Commissioner Tiberti added that he still has the option of going to the administrator and being excused. Chairman Bradley said "Terry has already reached the conclusion without guidance that he is not going to give any exceptions." Chairman Bradley, you gave him guidance and he disregarded your motion!! "Commissioner Cavin moved that we give the director guidance for emergency situations only that he would be authorized to waive the indoctrination."

Commissioner Coons seconded the motion. Vote was unanimous, motion carried.

Terry violated this Commission's directive which required an emergency situation to not attend an indoctrination. No and I emphasize no emergency letters were ever written by any of the other participants who attended the special indoctrination!! I think this is a serious violation of your policy-whenever you vote on an action item it is a policy not a recommendation. The commission did not say we recommend.....

Chairman Bradley stated "NBU has offered their assistance to this family in trying to overcome this problem". Why, Because two NBU board members were part of the four people given special privileges of getting a special indoctrination just for them. This reeks

of favoritism!

Mr. Chairman, as an attorney told me, "Now I'm going to tell you the full story." This whole fiasco is tainted and implies special favors for certain people. Individuals who gave Division of Wildlife sheep in exchange for favoritism. Lets make the law work for everyone equally. As long as you have favoritism you will continue to have these problems.

Other sheep hunters were not given the choice of a special indoctrination and had to inconvenience themselves to attend the required indoctrination. Where are your regulations that allow you to have a special indoctrination for a privileged few AND establish fees for this? I thought these had to be done by the legislature. As Wayne Howie, your legal advisor said, "This is proper subject for a regulation" which you don't have.

These very important items need to be addressed and I request you put them on the next agenda:

FIRST: It appears special favors were issued to special friends of the agency by establishing unauthorized special indoctrination with special unauthorized fees.

SECOND: The administrator ignored the Commission's policies which you voted upon. This is a serious violation of your trust.

THIRD: A serious personnel session should be held to decide who is right and who is wrong. This whole process appears disingenuous.

Ed. note: A meeting is scheduled for the February Wildlife Commission meeting on this matter.