Former Fisheries Chief Returns as Deputy Director

Virgil Moore, former chief of fisheries for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, is coming back to Idaho, 11 months after becoming director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Moore, 55, who left Idaho in August last year to take the job in Oregon, has been hired as deputy director of Idaho Fish and Game. "Idaho Fish and Game is my family," Moore said when he left Fish and Game last year. "I'm moving to a different place, but I'll never leave my family." Now he's moving back. "We are thrilled Virgil is returning to Idaho Fish and Game," Director Cal Groen said. "He knows our operation inside out, having served in several regional positions, and as chief of two of our bureaus. He was a highly respected and effective leader while here, and his experience in Oregon makes him even better. "His insight and his counsel will be invaluable as we plot our course and work through the challenges we face at Fish and Game," Groen said. "Virgil has outstanding administrative and managerial skills that will be a tremendous asset." Moore resigned his position in Oregon on June 18, and expects to return to Idaho by late July or early August. Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1952, he earned a bachelor's degree in education from Northwest Missouri State University in 1973. He taught high school biology in Missouri before moving to Idaho in 1974. In 1977 he received a master's degree in zoology from Idaho State University. In 1977, Moore went to work for Idaho Fish and Game as a fisheries research biologist, working on Yellowstone cutthroat trout in the South Fork of the Snake River. He eventually held positions as state fisheries manager, fisheries research manager and communications bureau chief. And he was Fish and Game's fisheries chief for more than eight years. Moore will replace Terry Mansfield who is retiring in mid-August. Moore's letter of resignation to Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski cites personal reasons he's leaving. His wife and family, including two grandchildren, are in Idaho. Moore has lived in Pocatello, Salmon, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls and Boise. He and his family all enjoy outdoor activities, including whitewater boating, fishing, skiing, and photography.