IFG Commission leadership shifts

Will Naillon, who represents the Salmon Region on the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, was elected chairman of the commission Tuesday. Brad Corkill, who represents the Panhandle Region was elected vice chair.

Every May, the commissioners elect a chair and vice-chair to serve for the next year. Typically, the vice-chair gets moved up to be chairman and the commission elects a new vice-chair.

“It was extremely humbling, the show of support from the commission for all the hard work I have done,” Naillon said, and commented on the new vice-chair. “Brad is a good man and certainly maintains his focus on wildlife and sportsmen.”

“Holding that position is an honor,” Corkill said.

Chairman Naillon and ex-chairman Mark Doerr’s terms on the commission are coming to a close. In the past, Gov. Butch Otter has re-appointed commission members when their terms expire if they are still in good standing with his office. Otter has asked Naillon and Doerr to reapply for their positions, a move some speculate was influenced by a few legislators interested in commercializing some of Idaho’s game tag programs.

In 2015 the commission sent a fee increase bill to the Legislature to get more money out of hunting tags. The bill came back with three amendments attached to it that would have let private landowners sell special hunting tags for profit, changed the way the lottery system awards controlled hunts and essentially auction off nonresident hunting tags.

Doerr and Naillon refused to accept the amendments and rescinded their fee increase request rather than allowing the hunting tag amendments to be debated.

If Naillon is not reappointed to the commission, the commission will hold another election for chairman during its July meeting, he said.

Naillon would not confirm if he plans to reapply for his position but said he will release that information early next week. He said being elected chairman was a great vote of confidence from other commission members but probably won’t influence whether or not he is reappointed by the governor.