The Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s top interim brass, along with a Game and Fish commissioner, sat before a Wyoming legislative committee Tuesday without mentioning the circumstances of the former director’s sudden departure.
And members of the joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee didn’t ask about it.
Committee members later told Cowboy State Daily they didn’t see that topic as relevant to current business. And, it’s also a personnel matter, best not discussed in a public forum, they said.
Without mentioning former Game and Fish director Angi Bruce by name, interim director Eric Wiltanger acknowledged the department is going through significant change but, in his estimation, is standing strong.
Wiltanger, along with deputy director Jeff Davis, interim deputy director Dan Smith, and Game and Fish commissioner John Masterson, appeared before the committee to deliver a status report.
"About a month ago, our agency went through a significant leadership change,” Wiltanger said during his remarks before the committee Tuesday in Jackson.
“Part of our purpose today is to assure you, and the public we serve, that while faces may change, our commitment to conserving wildlife and serving people remains as strong as ever.”
Many Wyomingites remain curious about what caused Bruce to suddenly depart Aug. 6.
Gov. Mark Gordon, who appointed Bruce in 2024, announced Aug. 7 that Bruce would join his staff in a newly created director of special policy initiatives position.
The Game and Fish Commission has the most direct control over the department director. So, it’s likely that some sort of disagreement between Bruce and the commission led to her departure, former Gov. Jim Geringer previously told Cowboy State Daily.
Why Bruce Didn’t Come Up
As the only commissioner to appear before lawmakers Tuesday, Masterson didn’t mention the circumstances of Bruce’s departure, and lawmakers didn’t query him about it.
The committee is co-chaired by Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper and Rep. Andrew Byron, R-Jackson.
Landen told Cowboy State Daily the committee meeting didn’t seem like the time or the place to ask questions about Bruce’s departure.
And moreover, the Game and Fish commission is an independent body, so commissioners aren’t under any obligation to divulge details of a personnel matter to legislators, he added.
“Having been in public administration, I assumed there wasn’t going to be much said in a public meeting,” he said.
Byron also said it didn’t seem appropriate to broach the subject of Bruce’s departure during the committee hearing.
“On a public state like that, it didn’t occur to me” to ask for details about Bruce’s resignation, he told Cowboy State Daily.
Byron said the committee was, and is, focused on the future of the Game and Fish Department.
“Obviously, they’re coming into their busiest time of year, with the hunting seasons,” he said.
He added he was impressed with Bruce’s leadership skills when she was department director.
Committee Member Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie, said she didn’t see any point in trying to press Game and Fish personnel or commissioners about Bruce’s departure.
“We knew that if we asked, we would have just been given the line that it was a personnel matter and that we wouldn’t get any new information that officials haven’t told the press already,” she stated in a text message to Cowboy State Daily.
Provenza added she hasn’t gotten inquiries from her constituents about the situation with Bruce.
She said the focus should remain on the moving Game and Fish forward and doing what’s best for wildlife and outdoors enthusiasts.
“So, for me, my eyes were on the task at hand of working legislation,” she stated.
‘This Is The Crew’
For now, the department’s leadership is set and has things in hand as Wyoming’s fall hunting seasons kick off, Wiltanger said.
“For the next couple of months, this is the crew,” he said.
The department, the Game and Fish Commission, and Wyoming’s next governor will follow protocol in selecting the next permanent department director.
The Game and Fish Commission has direct authority over the department and is in charge of recommending three candidates for permanent director to the governor after the Nov. 3 general election.
The governor will have until March to appoint the director.
Still Big On Grizzly Delisting
Bruce and her predecessor, current U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Director Brian Nesvik, were openly vocal in their support for delisting grizzly bears in the Lower 48 from Endangered Species Act protection.
Smith said the department’s stance on that remains unchanged.
“The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is still promoting that grizzly bears be delisted,” he said.
The Department of the Interior recently directed FWS to consider revising the 4(d) rule under the ESA to essentially hand full management of grizzlies over to state agencies in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
FWS has until Dec. 31 to render a decision on that.
While the 4 (d) rule change wouldn’t amount to a full desilting of grizzlies, Game and Fish considers it a step in the right direction, Smith said.
Mule deer conservation, partnering with landowners, and addressing hunters’ and anglers’ concerns also remain top priorities for Game and Fish, he and Wiltanger said.
Keeping Morale Up
Staffing at Game and Fish remains good, Smith said. The department is still down eight game wardens, but new recruits are in the pipeline, he said.
Game and Fish also recently coaxed experienced game wardens away from Colorado and South Dakota, one from each state, Smith added.
Wiltanger told the committee he’ll focus on maintaining morale within the department.
“Obviously, with this change (in leadership), my biggest priority right now is internal stability,” he said.
“This department runs really smooth. And at times, whenever you hit bumps, the less impact on our field folks, the better,” Wiltanger added.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
