For a decade, sportsmen had a governor who was not concerned about their issues. It was akin to Rome burning while Nero fiddled. Translated, our deer numbers were declining while Governor Miller and Wildlife administrator Willie Molini did nothing about it. (except blame Mother Nature) Fortunately for sportsmen and our natural resource both of them have been put out to pasture and now the long process of rebuilding has begun.

With some new Wildlife appointments due, what sportsmen didn’t need was any more Wildlife commissioners who accepted the appointment for fame, glory and perks. Sportsmen need Wildlife commissioners who know what the hell is going on about wildlife issues, not just to rubber-stamp what NDOW wants them to do.

Governor Kenny Guinn has just announced two new appointments to the Wildlife Commission. Governor Guinn is a person who has kept his campaign promises to appoint knowledgeable people to the Wildlife Commission. This is a step in the right direction for our natural resource as well as sportsmen.

Governor Guinn chose Tommy Ford to fill the sportsmen position. He is a member of seventeen wildlife organizations. In addition to supporting these organizations monetarily, he has also worked physically on projects such as water projects for our state animal, the desert bighorn sheep. Currently, two of former Governor Bob Miller s sportsmen appointees (Bill Bradley and Jelindo Tiberti) had never attended a Wildlife Commission or Advisory Board meeting before serving on the Wildlife Commission. Kenny Guinn s two sportsmen s representatives (Brad Quilici and Tommy Ford) have attended many of these meetings before their appointments to the Wildlife / Commission.

John Moran will represent the general public on the Wildlife Commission. John, like so many of us, has gotten

disgusted with the deterioration of hunting in our state and has been going to other states to hunt. Last year he had four hunting licenses, all in other states. As a past chairman of the Colorado River Commission, John looks forward to tackling the problems that exist and confront outdoorsmen in our state. Again, unlike so many Miller appointees, John has contacted sportsmen to find out what the problems are and is ready to implement solutions.

It has taken years of mismanagement and Bob Miller s appointments to the Wildlife Commission to put us in this despicable mess. Now with a governor who cares and some knowledgeable Wildlife commissioners, the outlook for sportsmen will look much brighter!