Should PFBC Director Doug Austen Resign?

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Should PFBC Director Doug Austen Resign? ©

By Jim Slinsky
02/16/08

When conspiracy theories play out right before your eyes, they are no longer theories. They become fact. The politics surrounding merging our fish and game commissions took a major leap forward in the past two weeks and we shall see who has the courage to address it. By that I mean if our legislators will take action or if you will take action. We have arrived at the point of “a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do”, which is very difficult for some to act out.
This fiasco started a few weeks ago with our PA Fish and Boat Commissioners asking their Executive Director Doug Austen to resign. I was in the Capital visiting legislators when the story broke, so as bizarre as the following might sound, it is real. Legislative Liaison Gary Moore was allegedly appointed as the Interim Executive Director. This one moved quickly from that point. I was told a day later Doug Austen had resigned and the next day the new story became he was filing a suit to keep his job. By the end of week, Doug Austen was still the Executive Director. A day later a letter was circulated by PFBC Commissioner President Bill Sabatose attempting to calm the storm. It stated our Fish Commissioners were madly in love with the performance of Executive Director Doug Austen. Hmmm?

The story within the story is that Governor Rendell intervened and threatened to fire all of our PFBC Commissioners if Doug Austen wasn’t retained. This part of the story you can easily confirm by asking the heavy-hitters around the Capital. Game and fish politics have deteriorated to absurdity.

The issues were not Doug Austen’s administrative skills, but his politics and philosophies. The changes to our rattlesnake hunts, which were economically damaging to our rural communities was an issue. The new season for snapping turtles, a serious fish predator, were attributed to his leadership. His closeness to Trout Unlimited and their brook trout agenda, deeming brown and rainbow trout as an invasive species and the curtailing of stocking trout in general all did not sit well with our PFBC Commissioners. Mr. Austin apparently spends a great deal of his time forming partnerships and catering to outside organizations rather than communicating with our Commissioners. When asked by our Commissioners if he favors merging our game and fish agencies, apparently Mr. Austen refused to provide a clear-cut answer. The bottom line is Doug Austen appeared to be an agent for merger to our Commissioners and they acted upon their instincts and within their authority.

Interestingly, our legislators are enamored with Doug Austen. Administratively speaking, it is touted that he has done an excellent job of running the PFBC. I don’t believe the above issues were carefully analyzed by our legislators. The devil is always in the details.

With all of that said, the intervening by Governor Rendell, a Democrat, is the real story. He learned his lessons well from Tom Ridge, a Republican, on how to interfere with fish and game matters. What I am saying is this incremental, but methodical and continuous interference in game and fish matters has merger agenda written all over it. At this point calling any part of the travesties for the past 8-10 years pure coincidence is laughable. The attempt to weaken and ultimately destroy these two independent agencies is glaringly apparent and has transcended two administrations. Thankfully, there is plenty of time until the fall elections. I suspect this entire debate will play a major part in who is elected and who is not. Fortunately, Pennsylvanians remember.

Right now, the ball is in our legislators’ court. The firing of PGC Commissioner George Venesky was an outrage and glimpse of the direction we were headed. Calling rainbow and brown trout invasive species will have the same effect on fishing license sales as eradicating our deer herd. Our PFBC Commissioners realized that and acted. Perhaps, they should act again and all resign. This will send a loud and clear message to Governor Rendell and our legislators. Perhaps, Doug Austen should act out “a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do” and not become the new divisive force in our Commonwealth.

The only question left unanswered is should Doug Austen resign before or after our legislators strengthen our Commissioner policies and send this Governor and all future Governors a loud and clear message?

Jim Slinsky is the host and producer of the “Outdoor Talk Network”, a nationally syndicated, outdoor-talk radio program. For a station near you or to contact Jim, visit his website at www.outdoortalknetwork.com.

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