Day 4 interview with Miller

I’m hoping that I can get my arms around the personnel issues. To be honest, these fine [natural resource professionals] are holding things together with bailing wire and spit. We need to encourage everybody that there will be a turnaround, and we will see better days. . . . I do believe that. It might not be instantaneous. These people here are telling me what they have been wanting to say for a while, and we are going to work it out together. Miller indicated, obviously, that the IDNR will have to be creative with funding issues, in a number of ways. He also indicated that he needs to get out and meet with the regional officials. For example, he has already heard about some of the law enforcement issues on Lake Michigan. Four days on job, and two were weekend days. I have a lot of work to do to understand the issues.

We are going to be working on it from Day 1: Getting more people engaged in outdoor recreation . . . getting children involved. This isn’t something that will be paying off in three months, six months, but in a decade. . . . It is important for the mission of the agency and for future generations. . . . If we don’t get people connected to lands, or parks or a particular activity, we won’t have a future.

There are a lot of resources for science. We will use the best available science at our disposal to guide our decisions. . . . As long as it is good science. . . . Scientific surveys that guide decisions have migrated over to the University of Illinois [a move of the Surveys to the U of I by former Gov. Blagojevich]. We will have to ask for outside help.

Frankly, I need to have more time to look at these. I am getting some good advice. It is a concern that last year’s harvest was in decline, last year’s bucks were in decline. We may need to take a look at trends before making any substantial changes. But for me, this is Day 4, we need to go over this and talk to people. There are going to be two decision I will make that will never make anybody happy: duck hunting and deer hunting. We will do the best we can.

I am going to need to look into this. I recognize that is another hot issue we need to take a look at. I do need to talk to some fisheries biologists to give any kind of comment on that.

I will have to talk to fisheries biologists. The Great Lakes is a valuable resource. We want to be careful with decisions we make. I want to trust the biologists to recommended courses of action.

That is an intriguing idea. I will make a note and take a look.

No. It is only a matter of time until the state record smallmouth [bass] is caught there. It will be a real exciting day when we get that one. There will be a lot of buzz when that record is broken.

The most direct answer is no. But there are lot of things to consider here. When I suggested I thought it would be a perfect place to try a pilot program for back-country camping, he said it sounded interesting and all ideas are welcome.

I need to take a look at that one. I will have to take a look at things here.