Controversy over the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is nothing new to the hunters and fishermen of our state and they took a new turn last week as the N.C. Wildlife Federation officially listed complaints with our new Governor about appointments made to the Commission by former Governor Easley.

It has been common knowledge that by making a substantial contribution to the campaign of ranking politicians could result in a “plum” appointment as one of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commissioners but the full extent of these pay-offs pretty much stayed in the background until testimony in the recent Easley hearings in Raleigh placed such corruption in the limelight.

The process of becoming one of the Wildlife Commissioners is far different in today’s world than it was years ago. At one time the hunters and fishermen themselves had at least some input as to who represented their district on the Commission. Nowdays it looks like we outdoorsmen have little say over the number of commissioners and how they arrive at that position. In some cases the position of being a N.C. Wildlife Commissioner appears to have been handed out on the basis of how much hard cash was handed out to some elected politician’s campaign.

If The State of North Carolina should return to some process whereby our Wildlife Commissioners would be appointed by a process similar to the town hall meetings that you see in other states, it would be a great example of how our American democracy could work. It would be a particularly fitting way for hunters and fishermen to have more voice in how our wildlife commissioners are chosen. Since hunters and fishermen are largely paying their own way for the services of fish and wildlife management in North Carolina, a proposal like this seems reasonable.

Hunters and fishermen pride themselves for pretty much paying for our own fish and wildlife management programs without a little dipping into the general fund moneys paid by other citizens. I suppose the term “self sufficient” would be appropriate in the case of our outdoorsmen.

Through a somewhat complicated process the hunting and fishing licenses (taxes) moneys gained by the state are used to match a federal tax that these outdoorsmen pay on their equipment. Basically the state puts up 25% of the money needed to operate the Wildlife Commission while the federal government matches the state’s money with the other 75%.

This relatively “self sufficiency” on the part of our Wildlife Resources Commission was clearly brought into focus years ago when I asked the then Governor of North Carolina Jim Martin just who the NCWRC answered to. His reply was that this branch of our government seldom answered to anyone due to the unique way the Commission received their funding. Some describe the Wildlife Commission as being their own “little empire” within the North Carolina government.

The democratic process of electing our own Wildlife Commissioners began to take on a different life once politicians discovered that this could be a source of campaign money that they hoped would remain anonymous. Politicians started adding to the overall number of appointed commissioners and the new source of “campaign money” became quite lucrative.

It’s important to stress that not all appointed Wildlife Commissioners are alleged to have bought their way onto the NCWRC.

With the recent testimony from the Easley hearings in mind the North Carolina Wildlife Federation has entered the fray by asking Governor Purdue to investigate the process by which our Wildlife Commissioners are appointed.

The state's leading conservation organization dedicated to wildlife and wildlife-based outdoor recreation has asked Governor Beverly Purdue to investigate allegations that appointments to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission were made in return for political donations. In an emergency resolution passed on November 2, 2009, by the board of directors of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF), the 64-year-old organization points to allegations that the appointment of certain commissioners to the Wildlife Resources Commission was predicated upon political donations of over $100,000. These allegations came in sworn testimony during the recent hearings of the Board of Elections regarding irregularities in the Mike Easley for Governor Campaign of 2004.

"If these allegations prove true," said Tim Gestwicki, executive director of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, "we call upon Governor Perdue to immediately demand the resignations of any individuals who were appointed under such inappropriate circumstances. She should then appoint duly qualified, representative citizens to serve out any replaced terms. That's a fair, straightforward process to restoring credibility to the current appointment process and structure of the state agency responsible for the wildlife resources that belong to all North Carolinians."

Founded in 1945 solely for the purpose of advocating for a politics-free, science-based wildlife agency for North Carolina, NCWF has been largely credited for gaining support for the creation in 1947 of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. "Managing our state's wildlife resources demands the highest level of integrity and objectivity," said Gestwicki. "Every North Carolinian that cares about wildlife, whether they are a hunter, angler, bird-watcher, or wildlife gardener, should be gravely concerned that our natural resources might have been considered a patronage for political gain. The North Carolina Wildlife Federation is as committed to ensuring that the wildlife of this state is managed without interference of politics and personal gain as we were to the creation of science-based wildlife management a half-century ago."

In the mission statement of our North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission they state that, “Since its inception in 1947, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) has been dedicated to the wise-use, conservation, and management of the state's fish and wildlife resources. Our policies and programs are based on scientifically sound resource management, assessment and monitoring, applied research, and public input.

“The WRC consists of wildlife and fisheries biologists, wildlife enforcement officers, educators, engineers and administrative staff in nine districts across the state. Whether you enjoy hunting, fishing, boating or are just interested in Tarheel wildlife, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is here to enrich your outdoor experiences.”