The purpose of this petition is to recognize and recommend that Mr. Denis Ferfecki is considered as a recommended member of the New Jersey State Fish and Game Council. Mr. Ferfecki as a private citizen has spent thousands of hours of his personal time and thousands of dollars of his own money, to help enhance the overall quality of freshwater fishing, water quality and protection of the environment for the benefit of all New Jersey citizens and the sportsman in the state. He has spent countless hours fighting for the protection of wild trout streams and water quality issues at town hall meetings throughout the state, as well a protection of federal land within our state. He has operated, at his own expense, a web site, NJTROUT.COM for the past 8 years that has become a staple for open dialog on all issues concerning trout fishing. He has worked with many of the national sportsman associations and organization to bring together their joint efforts to make New Jersey a better place. In addition to these efforts Denis is well known to the staff of New Jersey\'s Dept of Fish and Wildlife and has attended and participated in countless programs, always willing to lend support to their efforts. Whether it is organizing a fishing derby in is home town for children or driving two hours after work to participate and give testimony in a land use hearing, Mr. Ferfecki has been a champion for all NJ sportsmen and would be a fine representation for all sportsmen as a member of the council. It is understood that there is a formal recommendation process for this council seat and as outlined below, we the petition signers recommend Denis Ferfecki to the official recommending bodies as outlined. The Fish and Game Council, appointed by the Governor, oversees the Division\'s operations and appoints a Director (subject to the Governor\'s approval). History The Fish and Game Council was created by Law in 1945 (N.J.S.A.13:1B-24) and succeeded the former Board of Fish and Game Commissioners. The Fish and Game Council was transferred to the Department of Conservation in 1948 and its powers were to be \"exercised and performed through the Division of Fish and Game in the department.\" The Division of Fish and Game was placed under the supervision of a director who was given the power to \"administer the work of such Division under the direction and supervision of the commissioner.\" The commissioner in turn was charged by the legislature with the responsibility for the administration of the work of the department, to appoint and remove officers and other personnel and to generally perform all of the executive functions necessary to administer the department. Composition This law established the composition of the Council as follows: three members of council shall be farmers, recommended to the Governor for appointment by the agricultural convention; six members shall be sportsmen, recommended to the Governor for appointment by the New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen\'s Clubs; and two members shall be commercial fishermen. One farmer representative and two sportsmen representatives in the council shall be chosen from among residents of any of the following counties - Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren; one farmer representative and two sportsmen representatives in the council shall be chosen from among residents of any of the following counties - Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset and Union; and one farmer representative and two sportsmen representatives shall be chosen from among residents of any of the following counties - Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem. With the creation of the Marine Fisheries Council in 1979, the commercial fishing representatives were replaced on the Fish and Game Council with the Chairman of the Endangered and Nongame Species Advisory Committee and a public member \"knowledgeable in land use management and soil conservation practices.\"

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