Why is Fish and Game holding a Summit?

Much has changed since 1938 when Idaho citizens created the Idaho Fish and Game Commission through Idaho’s first citizens’ initiative. Our state’s population has tripled; two out of three Idahoans now live in cities; and wildlife management responsibilities are much broader than 75 years ago. For instance, Fish and Game spends a lot of time and resources working in cooperation with the federal government to manage many federally designated threatened and endangered species, and keeping other species from being added to the list. In addition, increased development has impacted wildlife, and management of nongame species are also important agency responsibilities. Our challenge is to balance our wildlife conservation and management responsibilities with available revenue sources. The Summit will help us define how we address these challenges together.