Fish and Game, populated by defenders of fur and fin, was the obvious choice. Their bitterness engulfed the Legislature. The Legislature's refusal to approve common-sense license increases was just another episode of the ongoing legislative assault and battery. As a result, good people are leaving the department. Wildlife managers cannot manage.
Morale is at an all-time low.
Poor funding will produce poor management. Without good management, Idaho could become a state in which wildlife disappears, wiped out by the pressures of industrialization and suburban sprawl. That must not happen. Idahoans treasure wildlife. Legislators should end the assault and battery and find ways to shore up the Department of Fish and Game, heal its wounds and keep wildlife healthy.