Fish & Game Is Subject of Preliminary Inquiry

By Patric Hedlund

The California Department of Fish & Game (DFG) is the subject of a newly opened file and preliminary inquiry by Mark Martin, a consultant with the California State Assembly Committee on Accountability and Administrative Review.

Martin said in a telephone interview Friday, Aug. 27 that he does not yet know the scope of his inquiry or whether an actual investigation will eventually result. He said he is opening a file at this time and is open to complaints or comments by members of the public or state employees with concerns. He emphasized, again, that no official investigation has yet been formally opened.

Items of interest include inefficient use of state dollars; misuse or abuse of state funds or property; a state government program, department or agency’s failure to perform its required duties to serve the public.

Wendy Reed, Director of the Antelope Valley Conservancy said Friday that Martin’s file was opened “in response to complaints about DFG endowments management, and has since expanded to a wide range of activities, agencies, and organizations involved in environmental issues (enforcement, mitigation, fees, etc.), grants, threats or retaliation, affiliated nonprofits or projects, land deals, public policy, and anything else you consider relevant to the implementation of conservation in California.”

Martin can be reached at mark.martin@asm.ca.gov and at 916-319-3841. He said he welcomes public comments and can arrange for confidentiality in the case that anyone with tips would like to stay anonymous.

This is part of the September 03, 2010 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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