In
a move that has stunned many and has angered more than a few, the
Ohio Department of Natural Resources axed on July 5th
the-then chief of the Ohio Division of Wildlife Ray Petering.
Petering
was immediately replaced by Mike Miller. Prior to this shake-up
Miller was the Natural Resources Department’s boating law
administrator within the reorganized Division of Parks and
Watercraft.
And
at the same time Petering was being dismissed it became known that
the Natural Resources Department was changing the assignment
designation status of its various divisional assistant chiefs. This
transformation removes the various assistant chiefs’ previous civil
servant-protected classification to now an unclassified, and thus
unprotected, status.
Prior
to this redefinition, assistant chiefs positions were more often than
not occupied by career “wonks” who are familiar with the
day-to-day activities and policies of the respective divisions they
serve. This change is viewed as a potentially serious breach of
effective civil servant governance, some believe.
Indeed,
less than one week later on July 10th The Natural
Resources Department shuffled the-then Wildlife Division’s two
assistant chiefs – Susan Vance and Scott Hale – to the
reorganized Division of Parks and Watercraft.
At
the same time the Department forced changes in the leadership of the
Wildlife Division’s wildlife management section, its law section,
as well as its federal aid administrator.
Meanwhile,
at the law section also will now report directly to Miller, who is a
commissioned officer.
The
new Wildlife Division team is described below.
As
for Petering’s abrupt dismissal, expecting to participate in a
meeting in the Fountain Square office of Natural Resources Director
James Zehringer, instead Petering was met by him and two other top
agency officials. Petering was handed a letter of separation.
This
letter states that the authority to dismiss Petering without a right
to appeal is granted under the Ohio Revised Code and Administrative
Code, and that the 60- or so-word document says it “… is to
advise you that your unclassified appointment of Deputy Director…
with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife
is being revoked. This action will be effective immediately.” and
signed by Zehringer.
The
letter then concludes with “Thank you for your service and wish you
the best in any future endeavors.”
Petering
was then escorted by Fountain Square security to his former office to
retrieve any personal effects and followed to the entrance of the
agency’s sprawling, fenced campus complex. It has been learned.
Department
spokesman Matt Eiselstein said that these dismissal steps are in
keeping with agency and executive branch protocols.
However,
Petering is known to have stated that he was “fired” by
Zehringer. And this dismissal also is in sharp contrast to a November
13th, 2015 Natural Resources Department press release. In
that release Zehringer announced in flattering tone the recall of
Petering from Wildlife Division retirement with the statement that
reads in part:
“Ray’s background and experience in the field of fish and
wildlife resources, as well as his success in establishing and
maintaining partnerships to strengthen wildlife conservation,
made Ray the ideal candidate for this job,” said ODNR Director
James Zehringer. “Under Ray’s leadership I anticipate the
Division of Wildlife will make great advancements in furthering
ODNR’s efforts to improve Ohio’s fish and wildlife
management.”
However, the Natural Resources Department did not respond to inquiries as to why Petering was dismissed so abruptly. That suddenness struck the Columbus-based U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance as payback for the former chief’s belief that increases to hunting and fishing license fees for Ohio residents were necessary to stave off impending financial challenges for the Wildlife Division.
“We are surprised and utterly disappointed to learn that the ODNR has decided to fire Wildlife Chief Ray Petering,” said Evan Heusinkveld, president and CEO of the Sportsmen’s Alliance.
“Ray has been a tireless advocate for Ohio’s fish and wildlife resources, and for those who fund conservation; Ohio’s sportsmen and women. While Ray served at the pleasure of the Director, he never forgot who the paying customer was, and Ray worked hard to protect conservation and advance opportunities for Ohio’s hunters, anglers and trappers.”
Not unexpectedly, the Alliance also was more than a little infuriated with the National Resources Department in General and Director Zehringer in particular following Monday’s shake-up within the Wildlife Division.
Not surprisingly then the organization did not waste any time in posting its scathing appraisal of the Natural Resources Department’s latest action Monday, the Alliance using a tone it more often reserves for the anti-hunting movement.
“ ‘I’ve heard from many folks this morning that see these moves as little else but political retribution by Director Zehringer and the Kasich Administration,’ said Evan Heusinkveld, the Alliance’s president and CEO in comments appearing on the group’s web page.
“ ‘Continuing the pattern of the last 6 ½ years, the leadership of the ODNR has not had any dialogue, or expressed any urgent need, to entirely decimate the Division of Wildlife’s leadership with the actual tax payers who fund the agency – Ohio’s hunters and anglers.’
“ ‘Additionally, the Sportsmen’s Alliance has learned that neither (the) ODNR, nor the governor’s office, communicated any need for these changes with members of the Ohio Wildlife Council – a group specifically created to advise the governor and director on matters impacting fish and wildlife resources. The Wildlife Council also had broken ranks with ODNR earlier this year, advising the governor and legislature of the need for the fee increases.
“ ‘It’s clear that the leadership of the ODNR does not value input from the tax-paying public,’ said Heusinkveld.
“ ‘Ohio sportsmen and women have become increasingly concerned that ODNR leadership has intentions of raiding the wildlife fund of sportsmen’s dollars that are intended for fish and wildlife conservation. The complete overhaul of the leadership of the Division of Wildlife will only serve to further those fears and sever any trust remaining between sportsmen and women and this administration.' ”
In
an
electronic
letter sent
to all Natural Resources
employees Zehringer said that while he wished Petering “well in his
future endeavors” his replacement, Mike
Miller, “has had a long and distinguished career with the
Department that includes 20 years as a Wildlife officer and
supervisor.”
“Mike
brings an experienced wildlife law enforcement perspective to the
position, along with some creative ideas in regard to helping the
division thrive. I believe Mike will bring energy and focus to the
chief’s role that will help us provide additional opportunities and
access for our hunters, trappers and anglers.”
Zehringer
added that Miller “will assume his new role immediately, and will
be meeting with Wildlife staff to share and discuss his vision for
the future success of the Division of Wildlife.”
“I
know he is eager to hear from staff about their thoughts and ideas,
as well as Ohio’s sportsmen and women on what their top priorities
are for the near and long term future,” Zehringer said.
That
Miller is well qualified to hold down the Wildlife Division fort,
people familiar with him heartily agree. Among them is Guy
Denny, retired chief of the now largely devolved Ohio Division of
Natural Areas and Preserves.
Like
Miller, Denny is a resident of Knox County and the latter said that
the former served with distinction as the Wildlife Division officer
assigned by the agency to that largely rural community.
“Mike
is a very impressive guy and he is a good choice,” Denny said.
“Mike was certainly well respected by everyone in Knox County.”
Still,
Denny is not entirely pleased with all of the associated news related
to the Wildlife Division shakeup. The move to make assistant chiefs
of the Wildlife Division administrative appointees instead of rising
through the ranks smacks of patronage, making such candidates
answerable to the prevailing political winds and not sound fish and
game doctrine, Denny says.
“That’s
a very bad move,” Denny said.
Rob
Sexton, spokesman for the Sportsman’s Alliance, agrees, adding that what happened July 10th can best be described as being the "Monday morning massacre."
Sexton
goes even further by nothing that
the assistant chief change is potentially more egregious an error
than was the sudden dismissal of Petering. That
is because assistant
chief
positions now
can
be filled with people who have well-heeled political connections but
who possess little to no experience dealing with the matters that
impact the respective agencies they’ll be working for, Sexton says.
“The
whole purpose of civil servants is to ensure that government
functions well without undo political posturing and interference,”
Sexton said.
But
Eislestein says the new policy is in keeping within the letter of the
law and will serve the department well.
“This
change was a Department wide move that was undertaken because the
title of ‘assistant chief’ carries with it a fiduciary
responsibility,” Eislestein said. “Now all assistant chief
positions across every ODNR division are unclassified. This review is
not unique to ODNR as other departments within the state are also
making this change.”
The following individuals have assumed their new roles and titles,
effective July 10th and as determined by the Natural
Resources Department, as per Eislestein:
Scott Sharpe will oversee wildlife
management, district officers, fish management and aviation.
Mike Luers will oversee Fiscal,
Federal Aid and Information and Education.
Susie Vance (Communications Coordinator) will be in charge of
coordinating education, community outreach and marketing for Parks
and Watercraft. Scott Hale (Boating Access Coordinator) is focusing
on recreational resource planning.
Greg Wade and Dave Kohler will be transitioning
to the Division of Parks and Watercraft. Wade is a law
enforcement program manager, Kohler will work
on recreational programs.
Efforts
to reach out to Petering for direct comment were not returned
successfully. Meanwhile, the Natural Resources Department declined an
interview request to speak with Miller until after the deadline for
this story.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
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