Governor appoints new FWP commissioner
Laura Lundquist
(Missoula Current) The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks commission will have one new member representing northwest Montana. But some sportsmen question the timing of his appointment.
On Wednesday, Governor Greg Gianforte announced that he had appointed Ian Wargo as the FWP commissioner for Region 1, replacing Pat Tabor. A Kalispell native, Wargo is a civil engineer and Montana guide, and he has served on the Region 1 Citizen Advisory Committee, the Mule Deer Citizen Advisory Committee. and the Elk Management Citizen Advisory Committee. Wargo also testified on a number of sportsmen’s bills during the recent Legislative session.
Some sportsmen expressed relief that Tabor had not been reappointed and that Wargo would replace him. Tabor had made a number of proposals during his tenure that favored outfitters over resident hunters or that disregarded the advice of biologists. For example, he pushed to increase black bear quotas and season lengths in a region where biologists were already concerned about declining black bear populations.
“The commission sets hunting and fishing regulations and approves or denies FWP property acquisitions, among other responsibilities. As avid sportspersons, we’re confident that Wargo will uphold FWP's mission to steward fish, wildlife, parks, and recreational resources for the public now and into the future, and we look forward to working with him and all seven Commissioners,” said Mike Mershon, Montana Wildlife Federation president and board chair. “As a vocal advocate for the use of the best-available science and someone who has frequently testified before the Commission, we encourage him to prioritize science and public participation as a Commissioner.”
However, some wildlife advocates are cautious about the implications of Wargo’s appointment.
“Commissioner Wargo made a comment during the last Montana legislative session that wolves needed to be killed, but perhaps in a more targeted manner,” Marc Cooke, Wolves of the Rockies executive director, said in a social media post. “We look forward to continuing our relationship with Commissioner Wargo. Still, we will continue to push back and resist unscientific-based wolf and large carnivore management.”
FWP commissioners serve a four-year term and normally have to be confirmed by the Montana Senate. In the past, governors have occasionally appointed commissioners after the Legislative session if the Senate committee rejected the governor’s nominees. For example, after the 2017 Senate rejected two of Gov. Steve Bullock’s nominees, Bullock appointed Tim Aldrich and Shane Colton for two-year terms. Both were subsequently confirmed by the 2019 Legislature. After the 2021 Senate rejected Bullock’s appointee, Andrew McKean, Gianforte appointed Leslie Robinson for a two-year term, and she was later confirmed in 2023.
However, some sportsmen question the timing of the announcement of Wargo’s appointment, asking why he wasn’t nominated in time for the Senate to confirm him before the end of April. Word was already out around the end of 2024 that Tabor would not be returning to the commission. That rumor was backed up when Tabor wasn’t present for the commission meetings in February, March and April. So sportsmen were already wondering in February who the new commissioner would be.
At the end of April, Frank Szollosi, Montana Wildlife Federation executive director, sent a letter to Gianforte asking why the governor hadn’t put a nominee forward.
“…the Region 1 Commission Seat remains unfilled, thereby skirting public review provided with Senate confirmation. This is unfortunate, though we understand that timing for these replacements does not always align with the legislative calendar. In light of this, we would like to request that, moving forward, interim appointments for commissioner vacancies include a transparent and public vetting process to ensure the most qualified candidates are being selected,” Szollosi wrote.
“Further, Montana needs a responsive Commission that listens to and considers all public input, and bases their wildlife management decisions on science. To that end, we believe it appropriate and necessary that the seven-member Commission include at least one professional wildlife biologist. We ask that you consider this when appointing a new Region 1 Commissioner,” Szollosi wrote.
The Missoula Current reached out to the Governor’s Office but received no response by press time.
The other three FWP commission appointments went to people who are already on the commission: Brian Cebull for Region 5, KC Walsh for Region 4 and William Lane for Region 7. Cebull and Walsh were confirmed in 2021 and Lane was confirmed in 2023.
Contact reporter Laura Lundquist at lundquist@missoulacurrent.com.