Martha Williams Sworn In as Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service

[UngulateNerd92]

Martha Williams was sworn in as Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service by Secretary Deb Haaland today. Martha has been serving as Principal Deputy Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service since January 20, 2021, exercising the delegable authority of the Director.

"Martha’s decades of experience in conservation, wildlife management, and natural resources stewardship have been a crucial asset as the Department of the Interior tackles the dual climate and biodiversity crises,” said Secretary Haaland. “Her strategic vision and collaborative approach will be key in her role as Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service and as the Department works to conserve, connect, and restore America’s lands, waters and wildlife for current and future generations."

Martha Williams Sworn In as Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service

 

[Pantheraman]

Yeah because heaven forbid swear in Mike Phillips for that role, you know, someone who'd actually be competent at that role.

Seriously, caring for game animals is the only thing wildlife conservation-related we're good at in this country. The Endangered Species Act gets weakened, the USFWS is pretty incompetent, we, for the most part, can't conserve large predators worth crap, and we can't get enough money to the non-game species that need it thanks to a corrupt system of state wildlife management.

 

[UngulateNerd92]

Yeah because heaven forbid swear in Mike Phillips for that role, you know, someone who'd actually be competent at that role.

Seriously, caring for game animals is the only thing wildlife conservation-related we're good at in this country. The Endangered Species Act gets weakened, the USFWS is pretty incompetent, we, for the most part, can't conserve large predators worth crap, and we can't get enough money to the non-game species that need it thanks to a corrupt system of state wildlife management.

From what I read about Mike Phillips, it definitely sounds like he would have been more qualified. How do you think the agency would be ran had be become the Director of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service as opposed to Martha Williams?

 

[Pantheraman]

From what I read about Mike Phillips, it definitely sounds like he would have been more qualified. How do you think the agency would be ran had be become the Director of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service as opposed to Martha Williams?

In short, given his background and what he's accomplished in his life. I believe he would whip the agency into shape because not only does he have the know-how, but also something the current employees apparently lack: the will to do what's needed.

Compared to him, Martha Williams can be best described in one word: pathetic.

And this is why we the people don't get to vote on who the USFWS director is. Because we'd actually choose the more competent person.

 

[UngulateNerd92]

In short, given his background and what he's accomplished in his life. I believe he would whip the agency into shape because not only does he have the know-how, but also something the current employees apparently lack: the will to do what's needed.

Compared to him, Martha Williams can be best described in one word: pathetic.

And this is why we the people don't get to vote on who the USFWS director is. Because we'd actually choose the more competent person.

Thank you so much for explaining that. I definitely need to read more about Mike Williams. Pardon the digression, but I do think that when are where possible, the secretaries of presidential cabinets and heads of departments within each agency should be elected rather than appointed by the President. For example, I would like to be able to vote directly for the Secretary of the Interior, Director of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, Director of the Bureau of Land Management, Secretary of Agriculture, Chief of the United States Forest Service, Director of the Environmental Protection Agency etc.

 

[15399]

And this is why we the people don't get to vote on who the USFWS director is. Because we'd actually choose the more competent person.

I wouldn't be so certain about that. Most people wouldn't pay attention to these positions that, while important, don't have the media attention surrounding them that many other jobs have, and hence may not always make the most informed decisions. Especially with the number of cabinet positions, subcabinet positions, etc., if all these things were elected then none of us, myself included, would be able to pay attention to everything. Furthermore, as sad as it is to say, wildlife conservation isn't exactly popular in this country. Wolves in particular often get demonized, and I could easily see someone win an election for USFWS Director on the promises of ending wolf conservation. Just because you or I would choose someone competent and conservation-minded doesn't mean the entire US would.

 

[JVM]

Is there a reasonable summary of the differences between these individuals? Pardon my sheer stupidity but most of what I can find on the subject is written by people who are very in the know but isn't necessarily very accessible. I was able to gather a little about Mike Phillips but I still feel like I am going off what I have been told by experts rather than fully understanding.

I agree with @Neil chace here strongly -- one of my areas of study was political history and I am skeptical to say that you could convince the American people nationally to vote for anyone who wanted to restore populations of predatory species, considering there is active disagreement among voters about which sorts of human beings deserve to be treated as such. It would be incredibly easy to convince a majority of people that such and such wants to put your children in danger because he cares more about wolves than your family's safety, and I do mean incredibly easy. "You care more about animals than people" is an extremely, effortlessly successful argument no matter how disagreeable I find it personally.

 

[Pantheraman]

@Neil chace

Right, I almost forgot. It isn't conservation that's popular in this country, it's game management that's popular in this country and we just call it conservation.