The Board of Fisheries chairman Karl Johnstone resigned today after concerns were raised about the lack of transparency in last week’s Department of Fish and Game commissioner nomination.
Governor Bill Walker reportedly spoke with Johnstone about the concerns over the process and told the chairman he would not keep Johnstone on the board after his term expired in July. Johnstone then resigned.
Last week Representative Mike Chenault (R-Nikiski) wrote a letter to Gov. Walker voicing his voicing his displeasure with the process of the joint Board of Fisheries and Board of Game.
Chenault: “Well I just think the nomination process should be an open and transparent process and from what I understood as I’m talking to folks and what I read in the paper, it wasn’t. Rowland Maw who has the credentials to be considered for the commissioner position, flew down here on his own dime to meet with the board of fish members and they chose not to interview him at all. Caused me some concern that we don’t have that open and transparent policy that all of us want so much to abide by.”
There were four candidates up for possible interviews, local drifter Roland Maw being one along with acting commissioner Sam Cotten who was the only one to advance despite the Board of Game voting to interview Maw.