Wildlife agency recommends three commission candidates

An Arizona Game and Fish Commission board voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend three candidates to the governor to fill an open commission seat.

Eric Sparks, the current commission chairman, will be replaced once Gov. Doug Ducey appoints a candidate, who must be confirmed by the state Senate. Though there's no set date for an appointment, the board expects a decision by the end of the year.

Daniel Caputo, Clay Hernandez and Kate Scott are competing for the vacant position on the agency’s commission, which establishes policy for the management, preservation, and harvest of wildlife throughout the state.

The candidates were interviewed in a public meeting Tuesday. Board members focused on two main policies: the general use of trail cameras and the process that allows the public to propose and vote on legislation in the general election.

Following the three interviews, each member of the four-person board distributed 25 points among the candidates to show their preferences. This netted 47 points for Caputo, 41 points for Hernandez and 12 points for Scott.

While the board is only required to submit two candidates to Ducey, the members unanimously voted for all three to move forward.

“(Gov. Ducey’s) office has expressed an interest to have a wide range of applicants with diverse backgrounds apply for the job and I think all three fit that bill," said Charles Kelly, the board member who proposed the resolution to submit all candidates. "Maybe some more than others, but I would like to give the governor an opportunity to consider all three applicants."

The lack of gender diversity as well as the commission's frequent tilt toward hunters and anglers over nonhunters has long been a concern for members of the public and environmentalists.

Since its founding in 1929, the commission has consisted primarily of men with a strong hunter-angler perspective.

Frances Werner became the first female commission member in 1980, appointed by Gov. Bruce Babbitt. Four women have served on the commission since.

The last woman to be appointed finished her term in 2011, according to Arizona State Library records reviewed by The Republic. A handful of women have applied for a commission membership in the years since, but haven't been appointed.

In 2010 the Arizona Legislature passed legislation that created the recommendation board and required that the governor select candidates endorsed by the board. Previously, applicants could apply directly to the governor’s office.

Since that law was passed, no wildlife biologists or women have been appointed to the commission, according to the Animal Defense League of Arizona. That claim was confirmed by a review of commissioner biographies since 2010 by The Republic.

Current commission members include Eric Sparks of Tucson, who serves as chairman, Kurt Davis of Phoenix, Leland “Bill” Brake of Elgin, James Goughnour of Payson, and Todd Geiler of Prescott.

Sparks, an attorney, has contributed to various wildlife management groups, including Safari Club International, where he was the Legal Committee Vice Chairman. The controversial trophyhunting club advocates for hunters and has been criticized for supporting the killing of imperiled and exotic wild animals. The organization says it promotes wildlife conservation because trophy hunt proceeds go towards conservation initiatives.

Geiler, an avid hunter according to his profile, is also a member of Safari Club International. He has said he joined because of the organization’s involvement in Sonoran pronghorn recovery efforts.

The commission is required to have no more than three of its members be of the same political party. There are currently three Republicans and two Democrats. Davis, Goughnour and Geiler are registered Republicans. Brake and Sparks are registered Democrats.

Caputo is a Coconino County resident with a background in policing and wildlife management.

He currently owns and runs Northland Investigations, a polygraph service company that often partners with law enforcement. Caputo worked for the game and fish department as a wildlife manager from 2001to 2008 and as a volunteer reserve officer from 2008 to 2012.

When asked about the use of trail cameras, Caputo said the commission must “stay on top of technology and make sure it is in the values of what fair chase is.” Fair chase is the ethical and lawful pursuit of wildlife in a manner that does not give the hunter or angler an unfair advantage over the animal.

Caputo called the public’s ability to propose and vote on legislation “dangerous.”

“We can’t be reactive when it comes to the legislative ballot box potential,” Caputo said. “We need to make sure (the public) understands what the game and fish department does and why we do it. So if something does go to the ballot box they have a little bit more knowledge and a little bit more education on how to vote.”

Clay Hernandez

Hernandez is a Pima County resident with a background in law. He is currently an attorney for Hernandez & Hamilton, a criminal defense firm. He is a member of several wildlife groups, including Trout Unlimited, the Arizona Antelope Foundation and the Arizona Elk Society.

During the questioning, Hernandez said the use of trail cameras was a “very complicated issue.”

“I don’t have a hard and fast position with them,” Hernandez said. “I just recognize all of the issues that are there and any sort of change in the regulation would be something that would have to be reviewed in great detail and have a whole lot of input from various groups.”

According to Hernandez, the public’s ability to propose and vote on legislation is “another complicated issue.” While Hernandez said he likes “the idea of voters voting on things,” legislative initiatives from the public can “degrade significantly” the work of wildlife agencies.

“My understanding from talking to folks in wildlife is that when you do that sort of thing, you are ignoring what the commission does and what the folks at game and fish do,” Hernandez said.

Kate Scott

Scott is a Cochise county resident with a background in wildlife conservation. She is currently the founder and director of the Madrean Archipelago Wildlife Center. She has previously worked for the Tucson Wildlife Center and the New Frontier Animal Medical Center. She has applied for the commission the past two years.

Most recently, Scott has been a central figure in protests against border wall construction at the San Pedro River . If chosen for the commission, Scott will be the first woman on the commission since Jennifer Martin, a non-hunter, who finished her term in 2011.

As an avid wildlife watcher, Scott said the use of trail cameras has many pros for landowners and other outdoor enthusiasts. She said its use “definitely needs to have restrictions for hunting.”

Scott said the ability of the public to propose and vote on legislation is a “good initiative.”

“(It) underscores people having the say in their wildlife,” Scott said. “It is held in a public trust doctrine, the state agency has the sovereignty to manage it on their behalf and I think that knowing they have that voice empowers them and gets them more involved. It’s a winwin.”

Follow Anton L. Delgado’s reporting on Twitter at @antonldelgado and tell him about stories at anton.delgado @arizonarepublic.com.

Reach Erin Stone at erin.stone@arizonarepublic.com and follow her on Twitter @Erstone7.

Environmental coverage on az central.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.