After a lengthy career in wildlife management, Idaho’s Fish and Game director will retire. Virgil Moore has served as Idaho’s top fish and wildlife official since 2011.
One of his first big tasks included overseeing the delisting of gray wolves in Idaho under the Endangered Species Act, which meant they could be hunted.
The move rankled conservationists, but was met with cheers from hunters and ranchers who say wolf packs had decimated elk herds and preyed on livestock.
Moore also helped Gov. Butch Otter develop Idaho’s sage grouse management plan to help keep the bird from becoming endangered, as its habitat is threatened by wildfires and livestock grazing.
He had previously served as the head of Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife and worked at several positions within Idaho Fish and Game’s fisheries division.
Moore says he wants to spend more time with his family. He plans to remain on the job until the Fish and Game Commission names his replacement in January.
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