Karpowitz, a DWR employee for 26 years and big-game coordinator for the past six, is credited with increasing elk, moose and bighorn sheep populations and connecting with the big-game hunting public while creating comprehensive management plans.
But some people wonder whether his appointment was more political than practical.
"Jim Karpowitz is an excellent big-game biologist and I have always found him easy to work with. However, he lacks experience in the critical areas of aquatics, non-game, budget, legislative issues, and management or supervisory experience. That makes his selection very odd, kind of like appointing a dental specialist to be Surgeon General of the U.S.," said Debbie Goodman, outgoing legislative lobbyist for the Audubon Council.
Goodman speculated that Karpowitz's appointment by Michael Styler, director of the Department of Natural Resources, has less to do with a shared vision and more to do with politics.
"I am deeply disturbed and disappointed for what this says about Mike Styler's motives as a manager, about his vision for the future of DWR, and about how both have been influenced by Mike's long association with Don Peay, founder and spokesperson for SFW [Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife, a pro-hunting group]," Goodman said.
Styler, whose agency has oversight of DWR, chose Karpowitz over Miles Moretti, who has been acting director since last August.
"Having Miles and Jim come to me as the top two candidates made for a difficult decision," Styler said. "It was like having to choose between two sons."
Karpowitz originally did not aspire to the director's job.
"I never planned to be the director. I wanted to be a biologist and work in the woods and catch animals and I did that for a lot of years. Kevin [Conway, former DWR director] convinced me that there was a great opportunity to do more and that's why I am here," he said.
Styler, appointed in early January by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., acknowledges that he worked with Peay (who asked the 15,000 members of SFW to vote for Huntsman last fall) on many big game issues during his years as a former state representative from Delta. But he said the decision was his alone.
"There are a lot of sportsmen's groups in this state and I talked to all of them on this issue. When it came down to those two names, Don told me they were two good names and he wished me luck in making my choice," Styler said.
Peay said he did not pressure Styler to pick Karpowitz. However, Peay was one of nine people on an interview panel that screened seven candidates from across the nation for the DWR job.
"There was no doubt we had the top two candidates," said Jim Carter, who served on the interview panel and represented Utah anglers. "But I can say I am really kind of disappointed with director Styler's decision because so much time and effort has gone into developing really good relationships with Miles. We are going to support Jim and we will do what we can to help him at his job . . . we just don't know what the vision and the plan is from the director of the Department of Natural Resources."
Styler says his vision is "to make the dirt fly" on Utah's Watershed Initiative and the DWR's aggressive Habitat Initiative.
"We want to increase the opportunity for birders, for fishermen, for sensitive species and for all wildlife. Jim has been given specific assignments in the past with big game and he has carried out those assignments with tremendous accolades," Styler said. "I want to broaden his assignment and watch him do the same thing with fish, with birds and sensitive species while continuing the important work with big game."
Karpowitz is a hunter, but said it isn't the only way he enjoys Utah's wildlife.
"There is no doubt I like big game, but I'm a fisher and I love bird watching," he said.
"People make fun of me when I take my bird book on hunting trips, but I have to."
brettp@sltrib.com
