Dear FWP and the Elk Management Citizen Advisory Group -
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on your ‘Stakeholder Meetings’ proposal.
The Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers supports and would very much like to participate in the implementation of stakeholder meetings. We like to underscore and support how important it is for the various groups to come together and talk about things we have in common or not. It's always surprising how much common ground there actually is and how the magic of spending time together can heal and lead to surprising outcomes.
That said, we agree with the comments offered by the CommEd Division regarding the importance of ensuring there's "direction and purpose to delineate the role of a group or groups clearly. Other collaboration efforts on elk management like the Devils Kitchen Workgroup and the PLPW could cause public confusion on what the stakeholder group’s purpose is and what role they have with FWP."
While it is relatively easy to create conditions and invitations for groups to come together, it is much more difficult to develop appropriate charters, delegate decision-making authority, and give folks a sense of purpose that is commensurate with their investment of time and effort. Therein, in the implementation, lies the challenge.
Thank you again for the opportunity to comment on your ‘Stakeholder Meetings’ proposal. We appreciate your careful consideration.
-The Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers