USA -(Ammoland.com)- Rich Boornazian, Assistant Commissioner, Natural and Historic Resources, at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, is announcing a reorganization plan for the state’s Division of Fish & Wildlife which includes new appointments in the Division, along with a special assignment to seek additional revenue sources to support the Division’s mission.
Mr. Boornazian is pleased to announce that current Fish & Wildlife Director, Dave Chanda, has agreed to take on a special assignment as Senior Policy Advisor to the Assistant Commissioner.
His role is to identify and develop revenue opportunities to support the operations and research responsibilities of the Division of Fish & Wildlife.
“During Dave Chanda’s tenure at Fish & Wildlife, he has balanced the Division’s budget, generated an additional $2.5 million in annual revenue, and increased participation in wildlife-related recreation,” said Boornazian. “He is the perfect person to lead this important effort to help seek additional resources to better conduct our efforts to protect and promote New Jersey’s native fish and wildlife species.”
Mr. Chanda is a 36-year veteran of DEP and has led the Division of Fish and Wildlife for the past 12 years. Under his successful leadership, New Jersey has seen a remarkable recovery of endangered and threatened species including osprey, bald eagles, and peregrine falcons.
Mr. Chanda will also continue his work on a national level with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) to implement the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish and Wildlife.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fish and Wildlife Management (Cook College) both from Rutgers University.
Upon Mr. Chanda’s assumption of this position in early 2017, long-time division veteran Larry Herrighty will become Acting Director of Fish and Wildlife, pending the recommendation of the New Jersey Fish and Game Council. Larry joined DEP in 1980 and has served as Assistant Director for Fish & Wildlife Operations since 2007.
In these roles, Larry has helped implement a number of improvements in fish and wildlife issues for DEP. He helped develop the Comprehensive Black Bear Management Policy and worked with staff to implement liberalized archery hunting regulations to more effectively manage suburban deer populations.
Mr. Herrighty holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resource Management, specializing in Wildlife Resources, from Rutgers University (Cook College). He joined DEP in 1980 as an assistant biologist with the Bureau of Wildlife Management’s Upland Game Project.
With Mr. Herrighty assuming his new position, Dave Golden, who is currently Chief of the Land Management Bureau, will be moving to the position of Assistant Director of Fish and Wildlife for Operations.
In his current role, Mr. Golden leads the division’s efforts in managing the state’s Wildlife Management Area System, which comprises more than 348,000 acres in 122 areas across the Garden State.
He is a 15-year veteran at DEP and began his career in Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Non-Game Species Program. Mr. Golden graduated from Kutztown University with a B.S. in Biology and has an M.S. in Zoology from Miami University (Ohio).