Over six weeks ago, I wrote an account of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s (IDFG) Public “Open House” in Hailey Idaho regarding the then released Idaho Wolf Population Management Plan.

Originally, IDFG had not intended to have a meeting in Hailey. But because of the insistence of a number of citizens, dozens of people in Blaine County were allowed to turn out for the event and voice their legitimate concern overwhelmingly against the state’s plan to kill wolves. This responsiveness was made possible given the Blaine County Commissions willingness to take official oral comments from the pubic, a willingness that the IDFG had not shown in any other of their “open house” formats around the state. The public outcry was inspirational, a community of people on a dark cold night civilly engaged in opposition to the state’s plan to kill wolves. At the end of the night:

Just before the last person left, a member of the public asked the IDFG commissioner in attendance, Wayne Wright, whether he would still support killing 600 wolves and what he thought of the public’s concern.

Idaho Deparment of Fish and Game’s commissioner Wayne Wright, representing the Magic Valley Region, responded:

“God gave us the ability to manage wildlife.”
Just like that ~ Blaine county’s concern sloughed off the back of the commissioner’s conscience.

Now, there’s more.

Six weeks after the fact, news hit that Officials say activist assaulted commissioner following a source outside the IDFG tipping Matt Christensen off that a memo was about to be issued instructing IDFG employees to avoid Western Watersheds Project’s Jon Marvel :

Moore alleges Marvel shouted at Wayne Wright, the Fish and Game commissioner who represents the Magic Valley, on Dec. 17 after a public meeting in Hailey about removing wolves from the endangered species list. Moore and another official stepped between the two as Marvel began to shout, and as the men were leaving the building, Marvel cursed at Wright and shoved him in the back or side, Moore said.

The paper ran the story without the input of Jon Marvel nor the contribution of at least three eye witnesses, myself included, all who would have contradicted the account of IDFG employees.

Jon’s Reply published today (1/30); Attack story tries to divert attention from real issues :

(Tuesday’s) front-page story about me is not the news that ought to be in that prominent location. It presents completely false tabloid-like allegations without substantiation.

I want to make very clear that there was no assault by me against anyone on Dec. 17 in Hailey, and there is no history of my making threats against any Idaho Department of Fish and Game employee.

After the wolf management hearing in Hailey, I argued with the commissioner. The apparent disagreement about what happened during the argument could easily have been resolved if the department had called me or several witnesses to the argument who are not Idaho Department of Fish and Game employees. Those witnesses would have contradicted the claims made by the department and the commissioners, but they were not contacted.

The Department of Fish and Game waited six weeks after the Hailey wolf management meeting to release this memo to a friendly newspaper without any real investigation. The Idaho Fish and Game commissioners must believe that it is acceptable to presume guilt without any reasonable investigation if doing so may marginalize anyone who holds opposing views.

The timing and intensity of this personal attack suggests that the Times-News and the Idaho Fish and Game commissioners seek to distract attention from the devastating policies currently being initiated by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to kill most of Idaho’s wolves and many of the remaining bighorn sheep.

That’s the news that ought to be on the front page.

JON MARVEL

Today (1/30), Greg Stahl, of the Idaho Mountain Express, printed a story which included the witness accounts of myself, who was next to Marvel and Wright during the entire altercation, as well as another witness, Lynne Stone. F&G accuses Marvel of physical abuse, Marvel responds :

“Let me make clear there was no assault, and there is no history of threats against any employees of the Department of Fish and Game by me, ever,” Marvel said.

And for my part, being one of two witnesses to see the the confrontation it in its entirety, both of which corroborate Marvel’s account :

“It’s patently false, and it’s a lie, and I can’t believe the department would say these things,” Ertz said. “I do know what happened. I was six feet away at most from Jon and Wayne that whole time.”

Ertz said he remembers the evening well because Marvel was willing to confront what was happening with the Department of Fish and Game with regard to wolves “in a direct way, and I thought it was an appropriate way.”

The story also illuminates how Virgil Moore, who had made the initial claim of “assault” in the original Time-News story had come to remember the event :

“At the same time I was in front of them walking down the hall, so I did not see Dr. Wright get physically contacted by Mr. Marvel.”

He said that only later, in conversations with Parrish and Wright did it become clear that Marvel had “pushed, shoved or contacted Dr. Wright.”

The claim that Jon Marvel “assaulted” or was abusive in any way is not true. Jon Marvel asked Commissioner Wayne Wright whether the state intended to kill 600 wolves. Wayne Wright was not comfortable with Jon’s question, got physically and temperamentally worked up at which point Jon insistently and pointedly asked the question again.

Having witnessed the account I find it exceptionally disturbing that an official of the state was able to cast aside the inspirational concern of the Blaine County community that night, as he did when Jon further asked what the commissioner thought of Blaine County’s response to wolf killing. I find it similarly disconcerting that these IDFG officials, apparently forgetting or unaware that myself, another and Lynne Stone were present, would engage in what I can only believe to be character assassination making official decisions and claims to the media without contacting any of us to inquire of our account. I could not believe what I was reading yesterday having been there over six weeks ago.

Jon Marvel’s conduct that night ought be admired by anyone who has an interest in honesty, wildlife advocacy, and integrity ~ by anyone who has ever wanted to walk up to an official, an employee of the public’s state, and tell that official the truth as he saw it while insisting on pertinent answers in a meeting established for that very purpose. That these wildlife related questions made an IDFG public official uncomfortable is a telling indictment of IDFG’s planned management, but that these officials would wait over a month, then equate that discomfort with “assault” or abuse is simply outrageous and entirely dishonest.

F&G accuses Marvel of physical abuse
By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer
1/30/08