Biography of Jim Beers

Jim Beers retired from the US Fish and Wildlife Service after 30 years.  He served as a wildlife biologist, wetlands biologist, special agent, and refuge manager.  After working for the Utah Fish & Game and spending four years as a Reserve Officer in the US Navy, he joined the US Fish & Wildlife Service and was stationed in Devils Lake, North Dakota; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Grand Island, Nebraska; New York City; and Washington, DC.

While in Washington Jim was a Congressional Fellow, the Chief of Operations for the National Wildlife Refuge System, the Program Coordinator for the Animal Damage Control Program, and for his final seven years he was the wildlife biologist in the Central Office who served as Project Officer on nearly all national wildlife projects funded with Pittman-Robertson money.  Appointees of the Clinton Administration cleansed the US Fish and Wildlife Service of many wildlife management biologists like Jim to replace them with new age employees who supported eliminating the management of plants and animals for sustainable uses as spelled out in laws.  Jim resisted and eventually testified before Congress about how the Service was misusing millions of dollars intended for state wildlife management programs to do things prohibited by Congress.  This was being done in collusion with animal rights and environmental organizations.  After spending ten months at home with full pay and no work assignment, Jim Beers accepted a cash settlement and retired in 1999.  He holds a Bachelors in Wildlife Resources from Utah State University and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Northern Colorado.