Ryan Olsen

Due to unavoidable work schedule conflicts, I am not able to make this statement in person. I strongly oppose this bill as a NH resident and outdoorsman. This bill will effectively remove any check and balances in critical decisions related to New Hampshire's conservation and hunting / fishing programs. This bill, if passed, would allow a politically appointed person to overrule our State's wildlife biologists and Fish and Game department. By changing the wording from Consent of the Fish and Game department to making the F&G Department an advisory board, the State is allowing for the specific politics of a certain appointee to overrule the informed decision of a board of educated biologists and conservation experts. The recommendations and consent of our biologists and Fish and Game officials should be the cornerstone of our conservation and hunting/fishing decisions, and this bill would allow for the dismissal of scientific evidence and biological data in favor of a single appointees beliefs to determine critical statues and regulations. We should not allow politics or a single person the ability to determine the health and well-being of our conservation programs and natural resources. The NH Fish and Game Department has a long history of successful conservation and hunting / fishing programs and allowing these programs to be influenced by a single person is irresponsible and could cause lasting damage to our State's natural resources, revenue generation, and wildlife conservation. I strongly oppose this bill and will use my vote in upcoming elections to ensure representatives who vote in favor of this bill and do not believe in our State's long-standing tradition of informed decisions regarding our Fish & Game programs and initiatives, are voted out .