Members praise predation‑fund report by biologist Joe Bennett Jr.; board to note findings in meeting report

Members discussed a predation fund report compiled by biologist Joe Bennett Jr., which summarized the results and expenditures of predator‑control projects over the past 12 months. A board member said the report provided a level of accountability the County Game Boards had not previously had and praised Bennett for documenting project results and fund transfers.

Members noted the report was about 28 pages and included descriptions of Raven and Coyote projects and explanations of money transfers between different projects; some federal shutdown impacts on projects were mentioned. One member said they would thank Bennett on the record and include a note in the board report about his work.

The transcript does not include the full report text, specific dollar amounts, or detailed project outcomes; members said the report was available in the meeting support materials and that it answered long‑standing questions about predator expenditures.