FWP: Hank's out Dustin Temple in

The ironic part is 90% or more of the MT resident hunters can count on one hand how many days they hunt per year, yet it's their God given right to have seasons that are half a year long.
Yup . But they wanna go out opener 3rd weekend in October , and wanna go out after Turkey dinner
 
It will be impossible to get everyone to agree. I only hunt elk about five or six days a year because of work and a waterfowl addiction so shortened seasons would work for me but some folks will just look at you like your a communist if you even mention shorter season, pick a season ,ECT. I don't think most people are even thinking about the resource.
 
Had a long conversation with him yesterday and I think he's got some direction to be more responsive to landowners dealing with over-abundance on private land, but he's clearly looking for solutions here. One thing he told me was akin to recognizing that their solutions weren't popular (HB 505 in particular) so he's looking at the public and especially the engaged hunting groups to help find some solutions, alongside agriculture and outfitters.

Season setting is coming up quickly, so there's a great opportunity to work locally and get your suggestions in to the local bio's and work with your local commissioner. This is where I see the most opportunity to change things from the status quo to a more thoughtful process. I doubt the commission is willing to keep the status quo, and so we can either rely on government to make changes and we accept that, or we focus on the changes we want to see, and bring the commission to our positions.

The EMP revamp is still coming up this year, so again - good way to engage in the process especially on fuyture management towards better public land hunting.

Rulemaking on all the legislation that passed is coming up as well.




SB 58 doubled the cap on Block Management payments from $25K to $50K and the budget had an extra $7 million for the program as well as a handful of new hunt techs to help adminsiter. PLPW is going to be looking at Block Mgt in light of SB 58, and will be making rule changes, etc. I do think this process is going to be a good one based on conversations with the chairman and @Eric Albus.

HB 596 reforms the 454 program starting in 2024

PAL Act agreements are about to hit 500K acres of previously landlocked public land being open to hunting access.

The draw is smooth and painless for the first time in years (this is sarcasm).
I am hopeful that we will see a significant increase in BM payments.
The participants deserve fair compensation for what they provide.
 
I have heard the same thing. Several of my neighbors are or were very high up with FWP. The things they have told me don't give me any hope things will get better.
Usually when a govt employee is worried or doesn’t like their boss…. It’s a good thing.
 
It will be impossible to get everyone to agree. I only hunt elk about five or six days a year because of work and a waterfowl addiction so shortened seasons would work for me but some folks will just look at you like your a communist if you even mention shorter season, pick a season ,ECT. I don't think most people are even thinking about the resource.
You are correct, most do not think about the resource but for one or two days a year, and then only when taking that resource off the landscape.
 
It simply implies that their boss is holding them accountable.
Perhaps a bad thing according to some of the reactions?
Because you are making the assumption they aren’t doing their jobs.

If everyone hates the local trooper or deputy is it because he holds them accountable, or is he a jerk? Local football coach? Local crop insurance adjuster?

Not all government employees are slugs who need held accountable any more than every rancher is a greedy asshole who abuses the environment and milks government subsidies.

If the all the landowners hate the FWP director, is he a non-responsive jerk, or his he holding those selfish people accountable? Or neither?

Resist your bias. It isn’t attractive.
 
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@Eric Albus the last enforcement chief was widely disliked. Is that because he was holding people accountable? That would be your automatic assumption, based on your previous statements. My sources tell me it was because of ethics and integrity.

To his credit, Dustin Temple removed that chief. Does that mean he’s a saint? Nope. Just means he fired a person lacking ethics and scruples. His next HR decision could be abysmal.

There is nuance in everything.
 
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What an ignorant statement.
Right. Clearly, Albus has never worked for the govt. The earlier comment about knee callouses as the chief qualification for govt management positions was not far off the mark in my experience ... which was very extensive. Qualified intelligent staff will voice their frustration ... if they have a backbone ... which is rare these days.
 
Right. Clearly, Albus has never worked for the govt. The earlier comment about knee callouses as the chief qualification for govt management positions was not far off the mark in my experience ... which was very extensive. Qualified intelligent staff will voice their frustration ... if they have a backbone ... which is rare these days.
Correct you are, I’ve never been employed by gov’t. Have known many who have been, and most tend to agree with President Reagan’s assessment.
 
Saw some truly awful private sector customer service yesterday including the business manager repeatedly hang up on incoming calls without saying a word to the person on the line

With private businesses you make the choice to support or boycott. (Most) Private businesses succeed or fail, because of performance.
 
With private businesses you make the choice to support or boycott. (Most) Private businesses succeed or fail, because of performance.
Well since the company is worth somewhere between 130-330 billion and has basically killed any small local competition I don’t think they’re too concerned
 
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