Some of Gary Alts parting words
01-10-2005, 12:57 PM
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Giant Nontypical
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW PA USA
Posts: 7,220
Some of Gary Alts parting words
Alt reflects on decision to leave Game Commission
By Bob Frye
TRIBUNE-REVIEW OUTDOORS EDITOR
Sunday, January 9, 2005
It was January of 2000 and the Pennsylvania Game Commission was having its first meeting of the year.
It was a coming out party of sorts for Gary Alt. He had just been appointed head of the agency's deer management section about three months earlier and this was his first chance to really let the public know what he was thinking.
Alt, in typical fashion, was a firebrand that day, his voice rising as he called the tolerance of an overabundance of deer "the greatest skeleton in the closet of wildlife management."
Alt also offered up a bit of prophecy that day. He said he was dedicating his life to fixing the deer situation. If he could do that as an employee of the Game Commission, he would. But if the agency or hunters wouldn't let him succeed, Alt said, he would lead the charge from outside.
That day may be here.
Alt left the commission effective Dec. 31. It was officially billed as a retirement, though Alt is just 53 years old.
Last week, Alt spoke publicly for the first time about his decision to leave. It was not about protecting his retirement or putting the wraps on a career that had run its course.
Alt said he retired because his bosses at the commission would not let him do what needed to be done to bring deer into balance with their habitat.
"It was an impossible situation. There was no way to win," Alt said.
The problem of Alt being at odds with some others within the agency is not a recent development. it began when Alt was asked -- after having spent three months touring the state talking about the need for antler restrictions -- to do an about face and drop his request for them.
It continue, he said, when his bosses, in an attempt to "rein him in," started sending representatives of the executive office to the deer section's meetings to squash biological discussions.
Alt refused to back down in either case. When things deteriorated so far that he felt he could no longer be effective, he walked away.
"I didn't want to put my credibility at stake by staying. I would rather starve than perform malpractice," Alt said. "I'm not going to do it."
Alt believes the problem of trying to raise more deer than the landscape can support will be solved. Too many people in society are aware of the issue to think change isn't coming.
The only question, Alt said, is whether the Game Commission can be the agency to bring that change about. Alt believes most hunters bought into his programs, but worries that a vocal minority will force some commissioners to back away from doing the right thing.
That would be a "lethal mistake," he said.
"I feel sad because Pennsylvania deserves better than what it has had. I feel sad about what will likely happen to the commission if they turn and run," Alt said.
Either way, Alt figures to be around to see what happens next. He's lining up work leading photo tours to sites around the world. He wants to write a few natural history books on bear and deer, too, and do some lectures.
Already, though, several groups have approached him about becoming a spokesman for deer issues on a state or national level.
"I still believe deeply in this cause," Alt said. " I don't think I'll ever walk away from it completely."
In the meantime, Alt said he has no regrets about his decision to retire. He's proud of what he and his deer team accomplished, and with how hunters adapted to things like antler restrictions when so many thought they couldn't.
"I have no interest in name calling. I have no interest in blame. I just want Pennsylvania to manage its wildlife in a better fashion than it has done," Alt said.
"That's not optional. That has to be done. If the leadership is not in place to get that done, we have to find the right leadership and put it in a position to do what's right."
Bob Frye can be reached at [email protected] or (724) 838-5148.
here's the link:
[link]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/outdoors/s_291309.html[/link]
The parts about reining him in by sending executive board reps to quash biological discussions and the part about the very vocal minority are very interesting.
BTW, I personally heard him say he would quit before committing malpractice 4 years ago. At least the guy has principals. It looks like he was up to the job of deer management, he just wasnt up to the politics.
Lets hope politics dont win in the end.
By Bob Frye
TRIBUNE-REVIEW OUTDOORS EDITOR
Sunday, January 9, 2005
It was January of 2000 and the Pennsylvania Game Commission was having its first meeting of the year.
It was a coming out party of sorts for Gary Alt. He had just been appointed head of the agency's deer management section about three months earlier and this was his first chance to really let the public know what he was thinking.
Alt, in typical fashion, was a firebrand that day, his voice rising as he called the tolerance of an overabundance of deer "the greatest skeleton in the closet of wildlife management."
Alt also offered up a bit of prophecy that day. He said he was dedicating his life to fixing the deer situation. If he could do that as an employee of the Game Commission, he would. But if the agency or hunters wouldn't let him succeed, Alt said, he would lead the charge from outside.
That day may be here.
Alt left the commission effective Dec. 31. It was officially billed as a retirement, though Alt is just 53 years old.
Last week, Alt spoke publicly for the first time about his decision to leave. It was not about protecting his retirement or putting the wraps on a career that had run its course.
Alt said he retired because his bosses at the commission would not let him do what needed to be done to bring deer into balance with their habitat.
"It was an impossible situation. There was no way to win," Alt said.
The problem of Alt being at odds with some others within the agency is not a recent development. it began when Alt was asked -- after having spent three months touring the state talking about the need for antler restrictions -- to do an about face and drop his request for them.
It continue, he said, when his bosses, in an attempt to "rein him in," started sending representatives of the executive office to the deer section's meetings to squash biological discussions.
Alt refused to back down in either case. When things deteriorated so far that he felt he could no longer be effective, he walked away.
"I didn't want to put my credibility at stake by staying. I would rather starve than perform malpractice," Alt said. "I'm not going to do it."
Alt believes the problem of trying to raise more deer than the landscape can support will be solved. Too many people in society are aware of the issue to think change isn't coming.
The only question, Alt said, is whether the Game Commission can be the agency to bring that change about. Alt believes most hunters bought into his programs, but worries that a vocal minority will force some commissioners to back away from doing the right thing.
That would be a "lethal mistake," he said.
"I feel sad because Pennsylvania deserves better than what it has had. I feel sad about what will likely happen to the commission if they turn and run," Alt said.
Either way, Alt figures to be around to see what happens next. He's lining up work leading photo tours to sites around the world. He wants to write a few natural history books on bear and deer, too, and do some lectures.
Already, though, several groups have approached him about becoming a spokesman for deer issues on a state or national level.
"I still believe deeply in this cause," Alt said. " I don't think I'll ever walk away from it completely."
In the meantime, Alt said he has no regrets about his decision to retire. He's proud of what he and his deer team accomplished, and with how hunters adapted to things like antler restrictions when so many thought they couldn't.
"I have no interest in name calling. I have no interest in blame. I just want Pennsylvania to manage its wildlife in a better fashion than it has done," Alt said.
"That's not optional. That has to be done. If the leadership is not in place to get that done, we have to find the right leadership and put it in a position to do what's right."
Bob Frye can be reached at [email protected] or (724) 838-5148.
here's the link:
[link]http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/outdoors/s_291309.html[/link]
The parts about reining him in by sending executive board reps to quash biological discussions and the part about the very vocal minority are very interesting.
BTW, I personally heard him say he would quit before committing malpractice 4 years ago. At least the guy has principals. It looks like he was up to the job of deer management, he just wasnt up to the politics.
Lets hope politics dont win in the end.
01-10-2005, 01:25 PM
#2
Join Date: Dec 2004
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Posts: 205
RE: Some of Gary Alts parting words
BT I don't know about you but if my boss says do something I do it, if I choose not to I quit or get fired...simple as that.
they told him the direction they wanted him to go in and he should have, as an employee of mine ( and every hunter in the state) I expect him to do as his bosses ( that my Govenor appointed) told him to.
I see no honor in his actions he was a rouge!!!
they told him the direction they wanted him to go in and he should have, as an employee of mine ( and every hunter in the state) I expect him to do as his bosses ( that my Govenor appointed) told him to.
I see no honor in his actions he was a rouge!!!
01-10-2005, 02:35 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SW PA USA
Posts: 7,220
RE: Some of Gary Alts parting words
If I hire a heart surgeon to fix my ticker, it would be pretty stupid of me to tell him how to perform the operation. Yes, I'm the boss in that case, but he's the expert. Alt simply said he'd rather quit than do it wrong. Whether you agree with him or not, he stood for his principles and refused to do something he thought was wrong. He said it from the getgo and stuck to his guns.
01-10-2005, 03:28 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2004
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Posts: 205
RE: Some of Gary Alts parting words
I'm tired of beating this dead horse, Alt IMHO started something he didn't have the backbone to finish and any sane person can see that. he had to know he was in for a hard fight trying to convince hunters it was for their benifit to not see many deer. now that the hunters are revolting he called it quits.
Spin it anyway you and your like wish but that is a fact. He quit when the going got tough on him an the job was not finished.
I for one am glad he did while there is a chance to repair the damage. He did more than damage the deer herd, he got alot of land closed to hunting now that was open thruout the state.
i've said it many times: ALT did more to end sport hunting in Pa than any anti org has done in the last 10 yrs..hunters can't find a place to hunt they quit, hunters don't see deer they quit 2 of the top 3 reasons hunters quit the sport.......Alt produced both
Spin it anyway you and your like wish but that is a fact. He quit when the going got tough on him an the job was not finished.
I for one am glad he did while there is a chance to repair the damage. He did more than damage the deer herd, he got alot of land closed to hunting now that was open thruout the state.
i've said it many times: ALT did more to end sport hunting in Pa than any anti org has done in the last 10 yrs..hunters can't find a place to hunt they quit, hunters don't see deer they quit 2 of the top 3 reasons hunters quit the sport.......Alt produced both
01-10-2005, 08:44 PM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pittsburgh PA
Posts: 947
RE: Some of Gary Alts parting words
U, Alt couldn't finish what he started because they wouldn't let him. He knew he was in for fight when he got into this and he stood strong until the politics wouldn't let him continue. I say the ones without backbones are the ones who forced him out and are caving in to the uneducated hunters who ONLY care about seeing MORE deer. They seem to be the ones not willing to stand up for what is the right thing to do and taking the easy way out.
01-11-2005, 06:43 AM
#10
Join Date: May 2004
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Posts: 255
RE: Some of Gary Alts parting words
People are tired of his rhetoric, they are tired of promises not delivered and misleading
reports that the sky is falling.
He can't go back to the days when his daddy would fly him around in the family private plane...... and look for bears. You can never go back.....
I'm looking to the immediate future which is January for my decision to purchase anymore Pa hunting licences. If Pa is going to continue the hype and hyperbole method of railroading hunters, then I will find better things to spend money on.
reports that the sky is falling.
He can't go back to the days when his daddy would fly him around in the family private plane...... and look for bears. You can never go back.....
I'm looking to the immediate future which is January for my decision to purchase anymore Pa hunting licences. If Pa is going to continue the hype and hyperbole method of railroading hunters, then I will find better things to spend money on.