Wildlife Commission Votes to Fire Cribbs

As expected, the California Fish and Game Commission fired Executive Secretary Hal Cribbs Monday, even as a state senate hearing investigated the reasons for the ouster of the second-most powerful fish and wildlife official in the state.

The special commission session, called when Cribbs refused a commission request to resign two weeks ago, took only 20 minutes before a standing-room-only audience in Sacramento.

Commissioner Ben Biaggini of San Francisco moved that the position be vacated as of Friday at 5 p.m. Commissioner Albert Taucher of Long Beach seconded the motion.

Then Cribbs was allowed to speak.

There was no other comment or testimony before the vote, and Commissioner Everett McCracken of Carmichael joined in a 3-0 vote, Commission President Bob Bryant of Yuba City abstaining. The fifth commissioner, John Murdy of Newport Beach, was out of the country.

Afterward, the commissioners declined to comment on the vote.

There has been speculation that Cribbs’ management style was considered overly aggressive by legislators and DFG officials, and that firing him would defuse nine pending bills that would alter the influence of the commission.

Sen. Dan McCorquodale (D-San Jose), chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, conducted hearings before and after the commission session but was unable to extract explanations from the four commissioners. Instead, he heard only praise for Cribbs’ abilities.

“They still have a great mystery going there,” McCorquodale said. “I tried every way I could to see if there was any legitimacy to what they were doing. Instead, they talked as if they wanted to canonize him. I wish I had a spot that I could hire him. I’d like to put him to work overseeing the department.”

Cribbs said afterward: “Right now I don’t think it’s prudent for me to comment. I’m looking at my options. If I knew for sure the rationale and reasons behind all things, it would make life at least more interesting.”

The commission announced no replacement, although one of Cribbs’ top two assistants, either Bob Treanor and Ron Pelzman, is expected to serve at least as an interim executive.