Readers Respond to Gov. Kate Brown’s Nomination of a Big Game Hunter to the Fish and Wildlife Commission

"These commissions may be low profile, but they are making critical decisions about what kind of state we want to be, and I want science and conservation to have seats at the table."

OR42, the breeding female of the Chesnimnus Pack, had her failed radio-collar replaced on Feb. 23, 2017 in the Chesnimnus WMU in northern Wallowa County. (ODFW)

Last week, WW wrote about conservationist opposition to Gov. Kate Brown's appointments to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission, the group that oversees the state's wolf management plan ("Wolf in Sheep's Clothing," WW, April 24, 2019). One appointee, James Nash, is a rancher and hunting guide from Enterprise, Ore., whose Instagram until recently featured a gallery of slain exotic animals such as hippos and zebras.

Bryant, via Twitter: "Nash will be a great addition. People who live and work with the land are generally the best caretakers."

Don VonRocket, via Facebook: "For Kate Brown's' spokesperson to admit they were not aware of his history and lifestyle screams of lack of vetting."

Tka Brake, via wweek.com: "Are you saying he will shoot every animal in sight? That's pretty ridiculous. He's obviously an outdoors person who knows a lot about animals."

Brian Cregeen, via Facebook: "Big-game hunting and wildlife preservation are two different things. He can be great at both."

Somsai, via wweek.com: "Well, it looks as if Nash has spent his life involved in conservation, as big-game hunters are the epitome of a wildlife conservationist. Think Leopold and Roosevelt. What exactly has the writer of the hit piece done? And who in the heck calls whiney eco-litigation groups conservationist before they've done anything to conserve anything?"

Fran Peceri, via Twitter: "Just like 45 filling the swamp with monsters."

Picks Betray Oregon's Values

Thank you for your story about the appointment of trophy hunter James Nash to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission. This is the kind of low-profile, high-stakes appointment that can fly under the radar without hard-working reporters to shine a light in the dark corners of Salem. It seems obvious there's a strong pro-environment constituency in Oregon, especially among Democratic voters, but Gov. Brown prefers to publicize her more symbolic environmentalism, like "Rise Above Plastic Pollution Day," while quietly appointing an ODFW committee that consistently votes against protecting Oregon's wildlife (see wolves, Humboldt martens), and a forestry commission that votes to clear cut Oregon's trees. I'd like to see Gov. Brown stand up for the wildlife and wild places that make Oregon special, and appoint wildlife and forestry boards that reflect the values of the many environmentalists who voted for her instead of narrow extractive constituencies. These commissions may be low profile, but they are making critical decisions about what kind of state we want to be, and I want science and conservation to have seats at the table.

—Felice Kelly|Southwest Portland

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