Bern Shanks
Bernard "Bern" Shanks | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 4, 1940 |
| Education | Ph.D., Michigan State University M.S., Montana State University B.A., Montana State University |
| Occupation(s) | Public administrator, conservationist, author |
| Board member of | Defenders of Wildlife (1983-1992) The Wilderness Society (1978-1982) |
Bernard Duane "Bern" Shanks (born April 4, 1940) is an American environmental scientist, educator, public administrator, conservationist, and author. He has been a sometimes outspoken advocate for public lands preservation and natural resources regulation.
The author of several nonfiction books on topics related to the American West, Shanks taught natural resources management at Utah State University; served as director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; sat on the boards of directors of The Wilderness Society and Defenders of Wildlife; and supervised regional research programs at the U.S. Geological Survey.
Early life and education
[edit]Bern Shanks was born in El Paso, Illinois to Arthur Shanks and Grace Shanks (née Arnold). After graduating high school, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, worked as a smokejumper with the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska and Montana, and spent time as a fire lookout in Yellowstone National Park. According to environmental historian Jedediah Rogers, "once introduced to the West he became a real outdoors enthusiast".[1][2]
Shanks received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Montana State University, thereafter going to work for the National Park Service (NPS) analyzing grazing licenses at Grand Teton National Park.[2][3] Disillusioned by government work due to what he believed were improper concessions being given to United States Senator Clifford Hansen, who grazed his cattle in the park, Shanks resigned from his job at the NPS.[3] He enrolled in graduate school, earning a Master of Science in Earth Science from Montana State.[2] He went on to complete a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Development at Michigan State University in 1974 where his thesis, completed under the supervision of Eckhart Dersch and inspired by the ideas of Ronald Horvath, was Indicators of Missouri River Project Effects on Local Residents.[2][3][4]
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Shanks began his career teaching at Utah State University. At Utah State, he spoke extensively against the Sagebrush Rebellion, asserting that the movement was motivated by private interests and big business, and not a sense of patriotism as supporters claimed. Following a 1980 letter of complaint to the university president from some in the Sagebrush movement, Shanks departed Utah State.[1]
Shanks subsequently served as director of planning for the Arizona parks department and as policy advisor on land management issues in the office of the governor of California. He later spent five years as director of the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento.[2]
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
[edit]In 1996, Shanks was hired as director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).[5] He was described by Spokesman Review columnist Rich Landers as "the most open and accessible state wildlife chief in memory".[6]
In 1997, Shanks assigned observers to commercial purse seiners to monitor bycatch; Shanks would later describe the findings of that survey as "obscene". After Shanks moved to impose stricter regulations on the commercial fishery, pressure mounted on him from some members of the state's Fish and Wildlife Commission to resign, ostensibly due to a $17 million shortfall in the department's budget resulting from lower-than-expected fishing license fees. Dan McDonald, the Republican majority leader in the state senate, signaled his support for Shanks as did a coalition of 16 conservation groups, including the Audubon Society. Nevertheless, under increasing pressure, Shanks resigned in June 1998.[5][7]
Writing in Salmon Without Rivers: A History Of The Pacific Salmon Crisis, author Jim Lichatowich describes the department's budget issues as an excuse to force Shanks from office while the real impetus was political pressure exerted by the commercial fishing industry.[8] Spokesman Review columnist Rich Landers, meanwhile, notes that WDFW's budget shortfall was similar to what sibling agencies in Oregon and Idaho experienced during the same time and was the result of issues that predated Shanks' arrival; he described the move against Shanks as "political tricks" originating in the office of Governor of Washington.[6] Bob Oke, chairman of the state senate's natural resources committee and a Shanks supporter, called Shanks' resignation "a dark day, the lowest ebb of the department".[5] Reporting on Shanks' resignation, the AP's David Ammons wrote that he had a "reputation as a fierce advocate for dwindling fish and wildlife stock ... [that] pitted him against user groups, particularly commercial fishermen".[5] According to The News Tribune, Shanks "lost his job on what many believe were trumped-up charges" after "he tried to bring the [commercial fishing industry] under control".[9]
Later career
[edit]After leaving the WDFW, Shanks worked for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), where he was charged with overseeing 11 state units in the USGS Cooperative Research Units Program.[2][10]
As of 2024, he is a member of the board of directors of the Resource Renewal Institute, which describes itself as advocating "for the conservation, preservation, and restoration of our public lands for current and future generations".[11]
Personal life
[edit]In a 1985 article for Sports Illustrated chronicling a ski trip with Shanks and Governor of Arizona Bruce Babbitt, Kenny Moore described him as a "mild, wry man".[12]
Shanks is married and has a son. He lives in the San Juan Islands.[2]
Works
[edit]- Shanks, Bern (1989). California Wildlife. UNKNO. ISBN 0937959472.
- Shanks, Bern (1987). Wilderness Survival. Universe Books. ISBN 0876636555.
- Shanks, Bern (1984). This Land Is Your Land: The Struggle to Save America's Public Lands. Random House. ISBN 0871568225.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Rogers, Jedediah. "Land Grabbers, Toadstool Worshippers, and the Sagebrush Rebellion in Utah, 1979-1981". byu.edu. BYU. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Smokejumpers. Turner Publishing Company. 2003. p. 83. ISBN 1563118548.
- ^ a b c Frome, Michael (1992). Regreening the National Parks. University of Arizona Press. pp. 134–136. ISBN 0816512884.
- ^ Shanks, Bern (1974). Indicators of Missouri River Project Effects on Local Residents (Ph.D. thesis).
- ^ a b c d Ammons, David (June 14, 1998). "Wildlife Director Quits Under Fire". Lewiston Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Landers, Rich (March 19, 1998). "Wildlife Director Seems Victimized By Political Tactics". Spokesman Review. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ Buchal, James (2007). The Great Salmon Hoax: An Eyewitness Account of the Collapse of Science and Law and the Triumph of Politics in Salmon Recovery. Iconoclast. p. 44. ISBN 0966195108.
- ^ Lichatowich, James A. (2001). Salmon Without Rivers: A History Of The Pacific Salmon Crisis. Island Press. ISBN 1559633611.
- ^ Mottram, Bob (October 27, 1999). "Initiative Process a Poor Way to Manager". The News Tribune. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ "Changing Faces". The Communicator. 4 (1): 1. March 2008.
- ^ "Meet our Board of Directors". rri.org. Resource Renewal Institute. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ Moore, Kenny (April 8, 1985). "Grandeur and Torment". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 22, 2024.