New Arizona Game and Fish commissioner criticized for Safari Club International membership


Helena Wegner, The Republic | azcentral.com


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The newest member of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission is stirring concerns from two wildlife advocacy organizations because of his affiliation with the world’s largest trophy-hunting organization. 

© Arizona Land and Water Trust Pronghorn on Babacomari Ranch in southeast Arizona.

Todd Geiler received approval from the Senate on Tuesday to join the Arizona Game and Fish Commission.

But the Humane Society of the United States and the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter say they have some concerns with Geiler's ties to Safari Club International.

Safari International is a nonprofit organization that advocates for hunters. This includes providing opportunities to hunt big game trophies around the world. The organization views their work as promoting wildlife conservation efforts because the money raised from the hunting experience goes toward conserving the species.

Geiler is a member of Safari Club International, an affiliation that was listed on Gov. Doug Ducey's press release announcing his nomination.

Kellye Pinkleton, the Arizona senior state director of the Humane Society of the United States, said her organization takes issue with trophy hunting — when an animal is killed for body parts, bragging rights or trophy hanging.

The Humane Society’s mission is to end cruel practices toward animals, including trophy hunting.

“It is troubling that he has ties to largest trophy hunting organization that often just serves the wealthy,” Pinkleton said. “Safari Club celebrates senseless killing, buying and selling of dead animals for bragging rights.”

Pinkleton said she doesn't oppose Geiler's confirmation to the commission, but she would like to see more representation of conservationists and biologists.

"We believe the commission should reflect all Arizonans and not just those with close ties to a trophy-hunting organization like SCI," she said in an email.

Sandy Bahr, the director for Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter, disapproved of Geiler's confirmation and disputed Safari International's characterization as a conservation organization.

“They (commission members) shouldn’t be advocating for things like wildlife killing contests,” Bahr said.
Geiler: Pronghorn recovery program prompted membership

Although some members of Safari Club join because of trophy hunting, Geiler said he did so because of the organization’s involvement in Sonoran Pronghorn recovery. One of SCI’s headquarters is in Tucson.

“I am proud of my memberships in numerous conservation groups that have worked to enhance, restore and perpetuate wildlife across our state whose members are the backbone of funding conservation in Arizona and the nation without using a dime of state general fund tax dollars,” he said in an email.

Geiler said no photos will surface of him next to a hunted endangered animal.

Eric S. Sparks, a current game and fish commissioner, served as a legal committee vice chairman for the Safari Club International from 1999 to 2009. No other commissioners listed an affiliation to the club on the commission's website.

Ducey nominated Geiler in January from a list of candidates provided by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission Appointment Recommendation Board.

“The governor is pro-animal and pro-hunting. We think Game and Fish does an excellent job managing our wildlife, protecting public safety, and promoting recreation,” Ducey spokesman Patrick Ptak wrote in a text message. “The Commission is an important part of that success and we are proud of the job they are doing. We stand by our appointments.”

Geiler is an avid hunter and leader in his community who comes from a family involved in farming, ranching and eye care. He maintains a optometrist practice in Prescott that was started by his grandfather in 1946.

As a boy, Geiler learned how to hunt from his great grandfather, grandfather and father. Geiler and his wife mentor teenagers and women interested in learning about firearms and hunting.
Lack of diversity on the commission?

Bahr from the Sierra Club opposed Geiler's nomination to at the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee hearing on Feb. 12.

Despite commissioners having knowledge of wildlife, she said there are no women, people of color or wildlife biologists serving on the game and fish commission.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission Appointment Recommendation Board perpetuates the lack of diversity by choosing nominees with similar backgrounds, she said.

State Sen. Andrea Dalessandro, D-Green Valley, said she has issues with candidates sent from the recommendation board to the committee. She voted against Geiler's nomination.

Sen. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, shared the same concern.

“The people that have been put in front of us are lacking in diversity, so the whole system is broken,” Mendez said.

Pinkleton said current commissioners do not accurately represent Arizonans because most of them are hunters or anglers.

Because the department manages wildlife, Pinkleton said someone with a scientific or wildlife biologist background would better serve the commission and Arizonans.

The current commission is made up of five men from different Arizona counties. According to the department's website, no more than three members can be from the same political party.

Including Geiler, the commission has three Republicans, one Democrat and one independent.

At the committee hearing, Bahr also said she opposed Geiler's nomination because of his attitude toward predators and his opposition toward restrictions on the use of lead ammunition in the Kaibab National Forest and other areas.

Geiler filed a declaration in 2012 opposing "any and all proposed prohibitions and/or restrictions on the use of lead ammunition" in Kaibab and other hunting areas in Arizona.

When asked about that In an interview, Geiler said he supports the department's encouragement for hunters to use non lead ammunition like copper bullets.

Contact the reporter at helena.wegner@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on The Republic | azcentral.com: New Arizona Game and Fish commissioner criticized for Safari Club International membership