F & G Planning a Wildlife Summit

Idaho Fish and Game is convening a Wildlife Summit this fall to discuss how Fish and Game manages wildlife and whether the agency should engage a broader base of support. Early last year, Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore laid out for his staff the agency's dilemma: legal mandates and public expectations have outgrown funding sources. Now Moore wants to lay it out for the rest of Idaho. He wants to discuss how to meet those mandates and expectations without infringing on the agency's core mission of stewardship of wildlife to provide opportunities for hunting, fishing and trapping. A date has been set and a venue rented. Fish and Game plans to convene the "Idaho Wildlife Summit" on the weekend of August 24, 25, 26, 2012, at the Riverside Hotel in Boise. The date was picked to avoid the national elections and summer vacations, recognizing that it would be nearly impossible to pick a time that would not conflict with some hunting or fishing season. Other details are being worked out, including an agenda for the discussion. Fish and Game officials have been talking to a variety of groups about the summit, including hunter, angler and conservation groups. The physical size of the facility will limit the number of people who can attend - but Fish and Game is working on ways to reach those who are interested, such as online connections and video conferencing. Southeast Regional Supervisor Mark Gamblin was appointed by Moore to serve as chairman of the committee organizing the Wildlife Summit.