Below is the press release issued by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department concerning its latest audit of efficiency. I have highlighted one area of which I will comment on below.
CONCORD, NH — At its monthly meeting today, the Fiscal Committee accepted the Office of the Legislative Budget Assistant Audit Division’s Performance Audit Report of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
According to the report, the purpose and scope of the audit was to “assess the efficiency and effectiveness” of the N.H. Fish and Game Department. The report concludes that New Hampshire state government has assigned responsibilities to the Fish and Game Department in an efficient and effective manner. The report contains 30 observations that address a wide variety of issues, including governance matters associated with the Fish and Game Commission, strategic and operational planning, revenue generation, organizational structure within the Department, and fleet management and controls. Due to the financial situation of the Department, the audit focused on the program areas most dependent on unrestricted revenues.
“The Department concurred or concurred in part with 90% of the audit observations,” said Acting Executive Director Donald S. Clarke. “The overall audit process provided us with an opportunity for self-examination in responding to the observations and, looking ahead, it will give us an opportunity to make changes that will improve our ability to achieve our mission.”
Clarke noted that N.H. Fish and Game will prepare an action plan to address the recommendations. To the extent resources are available, priorities will include:
* Revising Fish and Game’s strategic plan, documenting Department priorities and developing operational plans for the Divisions;
* Conducting a vehicle utilization review with an eye toward efficiency;
* Working closely with the state Office of Information Technology to improve data management through various database improvements; and
* Developing a cost-accounting system for use by all Divisions.
The report suggests that the Legislature may wish to look at a number of issues, including:
*New revenue streams to fund the Department’s work into the coming years;
* A change to the name of the Department to better reflect the broadening responsibilities and constituency now served;
* Making the Fish and Game Commission advisory; and
* Broadening representation on the Commission.
“The Department will work closely and cooperatively with the N.H. Legislature to review the relevant laws and implement the recommendations made by the Audit Report,” Clarke said.
When posted by the LBA, the full report containing the specific observations and responses will be available online at: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/lba/LBAAuditReports.html.
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department works to conserve, manage and protect the state’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, as well as providing the public with opportunities to understand, use and appreciate these resources. Visit http://www.WildNH.com.
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New Hampshire, like many other states, has struggled of late to find ways to fund the increasing demands put on it by the state legislature above and beyond the normal duties of a fish and game department. New Hampshire, like many other states, are heading in the wrong direction, in my opinion, if they follow this part of the recommendations suggested by the audit recently completed. (highlighted above)
The recommendations are that New Hampshire consider renaming the Fish and Game Department to better reflect the constituency it represents and herein lies at least one of the problems facing budget problems. I think it would be wrong for New Hampshire to continue down this path of turning their fish and game department into a “natural resources” agency or whatever politically correct name it wants to come up with, as non game related representatives seek to take over the department.
Fish and game department’s purpose should be for what they were originally intended - manage for fish and game to provide opportunities for residents to hunt, trap and fish. The vast difference, as I see it, with managing fish and game as opposed to providing search and rescue, policing the waterways and ATV/snowmobile trails, etc., deals with politics. Managing wildlife is not a political or law enforcement activity, or shouldn’t be anyway. Politics and science are like oil and water. They just don’t mix. Fish and game needs to be as far removed from the usual politics in order for it to function as it was designed.
The other suggestion being made is to change its representation on the Commission to also accommodate non-game services, etc. Once again, these two “opposites” do not attract. Other states have tried this method and failed miserably. Swallowing up fish and game under environmental departments and/or natural resources departments then become governed by heads of department with political agendas and attitudes toward anti-hunting.
Maine’s governor John Baldacci just the other night announced in his State of the State Address, that he will seek to swallow up some of the existing departments into larger departments in order to save money. This is the same thing New Hampshire has been told it should consider.
It is my opinion that states should move in the complete opposite direction. Fish and game departments should be whittled back down to functions that concern only the scientific management of game for the purpose of providing hunting, fishing and trapping opportunities for its citizens. All other activities, many of which are now administered by fish and game, should be moved to other departments like conservation or agriculture. These departments can then come up with creative ways to fund their interests other than placing the demand and responsibility on the shoulders of the license buyers as they have in the past.
Enlarging commissions with this move to better represent the departments function, will further erode the fish and game part of the department. It’s been proven time and time again that when those commissioners, with little or no interest in the activities of fish and game, make decisions, they will work to undermine and take money away from game management. Politics rule the day and fish and game suffers.
We are struggling to find answers and cures to a dwindling hunting and fishing fraternity. Taking away or reducing the effectiveness of the outdoor sportsmen to be able to lobby their fish and game, is another wedge that discourages and drives participants away.
New Jersey, a state whose fish and game is a part of the Department of Environmental Protection, is suffering a great deal due to politics and a governor who is anti-hunting. Appointing a puppet head of the DEP has essentially stripped those within the fish and game department of any say or authority - just as they intend to do. Now, Gov. Corzine and DEP head Liza Jackson, along with other animal rights activists and anti-hunting groups, are lobbying to change representation on the commission to reflect that of New Jersey’s citizenship. This means essentially that if 5% of the population are hunters, they get 5% representation on the commission. This spells trouble. Big Time!!
Some have called this tactic of pushing fish and game departments into “Natural Resources” or “Environment”, incrementalism - a systematic step by step approach at ridding the state of hunting, fishing and trapping and it probably is.
Outdoor sportsmen have battled for years to be able to effectively challenge our fish and game departments to do the jobs they were commissioned to do. Adding another political barrier for us will further erode our power to protect what we all enjoy so much.
Some have argued that the politics already exist and because we are in such dire straights over money, we should change and then allow tax dollars from general taxation to better fund the departments. I argue it will further increase political pressure and in the long run will actually take money away from fish and game projects, with little change and less representation weakening our resolve.
If we can keep our fish and game departments smaller, functioning only for the purpose originally intended and funded totally with fees from licenses, we can maintain our control and have a better, healthier working relationship between outdoor sportsmen and members of fish and game.
Tom Remington
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HOLDERNESS, N.H. — A free workshop covering the basics of hunting wild turkeys is being offered by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department on Saturday, April 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center on Perch Pond Road in Holderness, N.H. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited. To sign up for the workshop, or for more information, call (603) 536-3954.
With over 40,000 
Over 60,000 deer hunters took to the woods in New Hampshire this fall spending over $80 million dollars in pursuit of the illusive whitetail deer. Officials say because of recent mild winters resulting in more deer and late season snows, 13,416 deer were taken. That compares to 11,766 last year and is projected to be the highest harvest since 1967 when hunters took 14,204.
This is cool and something that should give the Fish and Game website a kick in the pants as well as provide readers with a great resource. It’s exciting to see New Hampshire actively finding ways to promote their natural resources. Here is a press release I got from NHFG.
CONTACT:
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The excitement level among whitetail deer hunters is at a near frenzied point as bow and rifles hunters polish up their gear ready for opening day. This weekend marks youth hunting opportunities for many states as well. In Maine, kids that are at least 10 years old and younger than sixteen have this Saturday all to themselves.