Gov. Brad Little narrowed his search for an Idaho Fish and Game commissioner to represent the Clearwater region to five semifinalists.
They are former commissioner Dan Blanco of Moscow; Ron Beitelspacher, a former Idaho state senator and representative from Grangeville; Don Ebert, a former Clearwater County Commissioner from Weippe; Charles Graham, a retired attorney and forester from Moscow; and Dwight Curtis, director of the Moscow Parks and Recreation Department.
Little’s spokeswoman, Marissa Morrison, said officials from the governor’s office will interview the men next week and narrow the field to two finalists who will be interviewed by Little the following week. Morrison expects the governor to make an appointment by the end of the month. The commission sets policy for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
The Clearwater Region, one of seven in the state, has not had an active commissioner since January when Brad Melton of Lewiston resigned after state Sen. Michelle Stennett raised questions about his party affiliation.
The 1938 citizen’s initiative that created the commission limits the number of members from a single political party to four. When Melton was appointed, four Republicans were serving on the commission. He previously had registered as a Republican but switched to unaffiliated before his appointment.
The five semifinalists include two Democrats — Beitelspacher and Ebert. Blanco, Graham and Curtis are independents.
Blanco, who served one term on the commission, was appointed by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. When Little became governor, rather than reapoint Blanco to a second term, he solicited applications from interested residents of the region and invited Blanco to apply. He ultimately chose Melton.
Blanco said his recent history as a commissioner would allow him to be effective immediately if he is reappointed.
Beitelspacher said he is seeking the position to help ensure his grandchildren and other young Idahoans have the same opportunity to hunt and fish he did and that local hunters and anglers have access to policymakers.
“They are out in the field everyday; they need to be listened to,” he said.
He also wants to make sure people continue to have access to public lands, especially where they are mixed or adjacent to private ground. He said many landowners have traditionally allowed people to cross their property to reach public land, but that could change in the future.
“It’s public land, but if you don’t have public access to the public land you are kind of doodle dashed,” he said.
Ebert served on the Clearwater County Commission for 16 years and was a member of the Clearwater Basin Collaborative. He would like to improve relationships between the public and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
“I think Fish and Game could do better, but I also think the citizens need to understand better what Fish and Game does. I think there needs to be greater understanding between Fish and Game and the hunters and fishers.”
Graham worked for the U.S. Forest Service before becoming an attorney. He worked in private practice at Moscow for 20 years and spent four years at University of Idaho’s Office of General Council before retiring from law and returning to forestry as a consultant.
He is both a hunter and angler and interested in giving back after years of enjoying the activities. He also said he is interested in the nexus of science, policy and politics when it comes to difficult issues such as salmon and steelhead recovery.
Curtis said via email that he didn’t want to comment on his interest in serving on the commission until after his interview with Little’s team.
Little also will need to replace commission chairman Jerry Meyers of North Fork. Meyers, who joined the commission four years ago without a party affiliation, said he won’t seek a second term because he wants to be able to vote in the state’s closed Republican primary elections. Morrison said Little will soon solicit applications for those interested in replacing Meyers. She said the governor has not yet decided if he will reappoint commissioner Greg Cameron, who represents the Magic Valley region, or if he will open that seat to new applicants.
Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.
