After Reading Dr Wielgus Complaint it is quite clear that Rep Joel Kretz needs to be removed from Office! Joel Kretz is clearly managing Washington States Resources as a special Interest Cattle Rancher! Joel Kretz’s own actions appear to have placed him in Direct Violation of the mandates placed upon him under the Public Trust. His own personal comments would lead a Prudent individual to call his ethics into question.
In 2015, following presentation of the Lab’s wolf/livestock research results to the Legislature, Rep. Kretz reiterated to former President Floyd that his express goal was to shut down the Lab and stop its research. In later budget negotiations, Rep. Kretz managed to insert a “Legislative Rider” on the State House Proviso that ultimately funded Dr. Wielgus’s research program. The “rider” stipulated that the funds would be disbursed to the WDFW, then transferred to the Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and then to the Lab at WSU; this deal was inconsistent with the existing 4 year research contract established in 2013. In this way and contrary to normal procedure, the University could withhold credit for Dr. Wielgus – as director – for obtaining the grant, cut his summer research salary (2 months out of the year), and prohibit use of grant funds for any “personal” costs (e.g., travel to meetings, conferences, legislative and WDFW briefings, etc.).
See Complaint
[gview file=”http://protectthewolves.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/4_27_17_Wielgus_academic_freedom_complaint.pdf”]
Comments
This wrongful attack on Dr. Wielgus exposes some troubling activity:
1. It has affected other researchers associated with the Carnivore Lab in a highly negative way. It has reduced public trust for the years of dedicated scientific research coming out of WSU and the Lab.
2. The concerted and highly unethical antiwildlife, antipredator, and antiwolf activity by Mr. Kretz and all who colluded in his unethical attachment of riders to a state budget bill runs directly counter to wildlife and environmental management law in Washington.
3. the integrity of the WAG has been compromised by what may have been intentional disregard or even planning by one or more members, to subvert the management and coexistence programs. There is a suggestion from the extremely probable purposeful placing of salt licks and their retention, that at least one livestock producer using public lands, that denning information was misused by the Diamond M owner. Because WDFW and the WAG failed to focus efforts on this rancher’s immediate removal of his attractants, that both employees of the agency and members of the WAG project have either failed to operate with diligence, or worse, have intentionally attempted to create grazing lessee/wildlife conflict.