By Louie Stout

In case you haven’t heard, the Indiana DNR’s Division of Fish and Wildlife has a new look.

Division Director Amanda Wuestefeld not only has changed the organizational table but hopes to change the way the division deals with the public.

No longer is there a Chief of Fisheries or a Chief of Wildlife. Instead, she has reshaped the division with four assistant directors reporting to her.

Those new positions are Office of Public Land headed by Brad Feaster, who will oversee public land management, including public access sites; Office of Private Lands headed by Sam Whiteleather who will take stake of Indiana private land issues; Office of Science and Research led by Joe Caudill, who will govern fisheries and wildlife research and fish and wildlife health issues; and Office of Planning and Public Engagement, supervised by Angela Haywood, who will take on licensing and permits, federal aid programs, and steer the division toward more public outreach.

“When Mark (Reiter) retired as director, we talked about modernizing the fish and wildlife agency and working closer with the public and sharing our stories better,” said Wuestefeld. “We are great biologists, but not so good as social scientists.”

She added that the way the division was divided into sections prior to her changes, “things got clunky and there were a lot of duplicated efforts.”

“We also have a much broader audience than the hunting and fishing population,” she said. “We just don’t give them as many ways to check in with us.”

Most of the changes occur in the central office although some titles throughout the state were either eliminated or combined with other departments.

Fortunately for sportsmen, there are no changes in field staff. District biologists and supervisors will remain in place and work out of regional offices.

“The activities are largely the same,” she said. “We’re still managing fish and wildlife resources and the charge hasn’t changed. But the way we are organized is different.”

Wuestefeld is a huge proponent of “social science,” which appears to mean the DNR will be integrating more public opinion in the projects the DFW undertakes.

“For example, we’ve done the Willow Slough (Fish and Wildlife Area) renovation multiple times,” she said. “The problem there is you have a popular fishery and waterfowl hunting grounds and that can cause a conflict … do we let the fishery go down to protect the hunting while renovating?

“Previously we just did what we thought was best. This time we began discussion with the public early and did an open house where we presented our data showing the health of the wildlife population using that body of water. The fishermen weren’t excited about the renovation but they understood. They asked if they could fish out the lake before we did the renovation and we worked out something for everyone.”

Wuestefeld noted that there’s a social aspect to just about everything the DFW does.

“We as biologists think we know what is right but sometimes if we just use the biological science we end up with a larger fight on our hands than we would if we would have integrated public opinion in what we should be doing.” 

Wuestefeld is correct when she said the DFW has a good story to tell. There’s a lot of good work being done by field biologists that would make license holders feel good about how their money is being spent.

However, the DFW has done a lousy job of tooting its own horn and doesn’t make it easy for media types to work with its personnel. That’s largely due to an edict from DNR executives who prevent field personnel from interacting directly with the media without written prior permission. If they do, they face reprisals. Furthermore, when media interviews are granted, biologists are burdened with filing reports outlining the nature and details of the interview.

Apparently, bureaucracy trumps social science.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the personnel changes play out. I know Caudill but am unfamiliar with the other three assistant directors. If they have similar talents, the DFW is in good shape.

Caudill previously served as Indiana’s deer biologist and is one of the sharpest biologists I’ve worked with in my 49 years of covering the DNR and Indiana outdoors. If they can keep him from straying to a better paying state, he will do a great job.