Former wildlife official Blake worked to balance man, nature
By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune
When Bill Blake died Wednesday at the age of 87, Florida's hunters and fishermen lost one of their biggest champions, say those who knew him. Also losing a friend, though, was the state's game and fish.
Blake was the only person to serve on both the state Marine Fisheries Commission and on what is now called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
In such roles, the longtime Tampa businessman struck a delicate balance between serving the interests of hunters and fishermen, while working to preserve the state's natural resources.
As a member of the commission, Blake worked tirelessly to opening up public lands for hunting, said Bob Brantly, former executive director of what was then the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission.
For instance, Blake went before the Southwest Florida Water Management District and argued that the Green Swamp be open to hunting, after surveys were done on the deer and turkey populations there, Brantly said.
"If the (wildlife) population would support hunting, he was always in favor of doing it," Brantly said. "He was helping the hunter out."
Blake always wanted scientific data before making such decisions, Brantly said. And he wanted his fellow commissioners to think statewide, not parochially.
Once, commissioners came from the same areas designated by individual congressional districts, but Blake succeeded in abolishing that system, making the role of commissioner a statewide one, Brantly said.
He also always kept wildlife in mind.
Mariana Jones, who was once executive secretary of the citizen hunters' group the Florida Wildlife Federation, remembers while Blake was on the fish and game commission, the federation wanted the purple gallinule taken off the game bird list.
Jones' husband Johnny, now 77, was president of the federation and couldn't find a hunter in the state that shot the birds, so he thought there was no harm in stopping bird hunters from shooting a member of the species in the future.
Commission staff didn't want to take the gallinule off the list for fear organizations like the National Audubon Society would perceive the move as a starting point to take other birds, like quail, off the list, Mariana Jones said. Blake recognized the practicality of the federation's position, however, and backed it.
The gallinule was taken off the list.
"While most people are trying to figure out what the government can do for them, Mr. Blake was trying to figure out how he could serve the hunters and fishermen and the people who truly appreciate Florida the way God built it," said Capt. Dave Markett, an alligator and python hunting guide, as well as a fishing guide, who knew Blake for 30 years.
"He understood that man had affected the balance of nature and in many cases the hunter was the vehicle to allow the wildlife populations to remain in balance," Markett said.
Capt. Charlie Harris, of Homosassa, also works as a fishing guide, and Blake was one of his clients. He remembers Blake having a fondness for redfish, but his client had a particular way of fishing, Harris said.
"He only took what he was going to eat that night and let the rest go," Harris said. "He wasn't no fish hog."
:angel
:angel
RIP. We could use a few more men like he was on the commission.
sounds like he worked hard for the hunters and fisherman,he will be missed
