Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to get division evaluations

PORTLAND – A consulting group that angered state workers with its evaluation of a division of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has been hired to review the department’s other four divisions.

The Management Assistance Team, which works with wildlife agencies nationwide, was scheduled to begin its work Monday. The review of the four bureaus, including the Warden Service, is expected to be completed in June.

The West Virginia-based group released a review last January that called for reorganizing management in the department’s fisheries division.

Lee Perry, who was commissioner at the time, responded by cutting the responsibilities of former fisheries director Peter Bourque.

Some of the division’s field biologists characterized the report as a “witch hunt” even though it praised the work of the biologists.

Sally Angus Guynn, a member of Management Assistance Team, said the criticism would not cause the group to alter its approach.

“No matter how hard you try to be objective in data collection, people will always criticize and not like the outcome,” Guynn said. “We have heard a lot of good things from the fisheries biologists since that review, both positive and negative perspectives on how that went. This review is different.”

Deputy Commissioner Paul Jacques said officials will be more sensitive to employees’ feelings this time. He said the review’s recommendations will be considered but not automatically implemented.

The review will be paid for with part of a $50,000 Outdoor Heritage Grant the department was awarded for the review of the fisheries division, according to department spokesman Mark Latti.

The fisheries review cost $12,000, while the new review is expected to cost $27,000, Latti said.

The Management Assistance Team will begin its review by meeting with focus groups made up of outdoorsmen, fishing and hunting licensees, and others who spend time outdoors, Jacques said.