LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Vice Chairman Rick Watkins resigned Thursday, a week after his arrest in Lonoke County on charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct.
Gov. Mike Beebe, who appointed Watkins to the commission in July 2007, accepted Watkins’ resignation letter, dated Wednesday, on Thursday, effective immediately, spokesman Matt DeCample said.
“Given the circumstances, it was the right thing for Rick to do,” DeCample said. “It’s obviously not an easy decision for anyone.”
Watkins was arrested Jan. 22 after beating on the door of a rural Lonoke County home, demanding to know where his children and truck were, according to Sheriff John Staley. Watkins also fired a handgun into the ground, the sheriff said.
In a text message sent at 10:06 a.m. Thursday, Watkins apologized to the governor, the commission and Arkansas residents.
“My actions were unacceptable. I take full responsibility,” he wrote. “I believe that I did the right thing by volunteering my resignation.”
Game and Fish Commission Director Mike Knoedl, the agency’s former law enforcement chief, said he confiscated Watkins’ commission-issued Glock 19 semiautomatic pistol and badge on Wednesday as a precautionary measure.
It was not the same firearm that Watkins fired in the Lonoke County incident, Knoedl said.
“That was something that I thought was best for the agency,” said Knoedl, who became director in October. “If anybody asked, I could reassure them that I was in possession of his firearm and badge.”
The status of Watkins’ state concealed-carry permit for firearms was not clear Thursday. A list of names and corresponding ZIP codes of permit holders released a week ago by Arkansas State Police officials showed two people named Richard Watkins as having permits, one of which had a Little Rock ZIP code that corresponded with the address on Watkins’ police report.
In an updated list provided by state police Thursday, there was only one Richard Watkins listed, with a Gassville ZIP code.
State police spokesman Bill Sadler, citing Arkansas Code Annotated 5-73-301, said state police officials can’t comment directly on the status of a person’s permit.
Several of Watkins’ fellow commissioners said he had done the right thing in resigning.
“I believe Mr. Watkins has done the right thing by resigning from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission,” said Steve Cook of Malvern, a 2011 appointee to the commission.
“We teach our youth about responsibility, safety and how to conduct yourself, and this incident is not an example about what we teach. As an Arkansas Game and Fish commissioner, we should be setting the highest example and hold true to those expectations. I wish Mr. Watkins the very best as he deals with his issues, and I hope he finds much needed support from his friends and family.”
Commissioner Emon Mahony said Watkins had a keen interest in the agency’s budget process.
“He and the staff had worked on the budgeting process and had improved it immensely to make it more transparent and efficient,” Mahony said. “We will miss him, and we’ll miss his work.”
Commissioner Ron Duncan of Springdale, appointed by Beebe in 2008 and next in seniority to Watkins, had a tense relationship with the now-former commissioner, yet wished him well.
“I wish the best for Mr. Watkins in his recovery, and I think he did the right thing for the commission, and quite rightly for himself, because its such a stressful position,” Duncan said.
Commissioner Fred Brown of Corning said he first heard about the resignation during a call for comment from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
“To me it’s unfortunate this occurred, but given the circumstances, Rick made the right decision for all parties involved,” Brown said.
Former Commissioner Sheffield Nelson, who has had an acrimonious relationship with the commission since his departure in 2007, has been highly critical of Watkins, who replaced him, as well as Mahony and former Commissioner Craig Campbell.
Nelson said he believes that Watkins did immeasurable harm to the morale of the Game and Fish Commission’s employees and eroded the agency’s trust with the state’s hunters and fishermen.
Watkins’ resignation is “certainly in the best interests of the staff of the Game and Fish Commission and the sportsmen of the state of Arkansas,” Nelson said. “I felt strongly that he, along with [Mahony and Campbell], took it in the exact opposite course. The way he treated employees was abysmal. They detest him. I’m just pleased that they now have a majority of commissioners who are dedicated to the same values and principles that we cherished and promoted.”
In a Game and Fish Commission employee-morale survey conducted in 2012 by Responsive Management, employees were harshly critical of Watkins. Many complained of being harassed, abused and threatened by him.
Watkins was also a central figure in the commission’s attempt in 2010 to circumvent state law by creating its own freedom-of-information policy.
Brett Morgan, who served on the commission with Watkins from 2007-2010, said he had a good working relationship with Watkins during their first two years of service together but that Watkins changed when Beebe appointed Mahony to the commission in 2009.
During Morgan’s tenure as chairman, Morgan said, Watkins, Mahony and Campbell formed a coalition to cancel the 2009 fall turkey season. Morgan said they recruited current Chairman Ron Pierce to join them at the last minute to provide the fourth vote necessary to cancel the season three days before it was scheduled to begin.
“That’s when things began to go downhill,” Morgan said. “They swapped a turkey vote for a trout vote on [expanding] a catch-and-release area where the [North Fork of the White River] goes into the White [River]. The commission did a three-year study, and only one person was against it. They told Pierce if he would vote for the closing of the fall turkey season, they would vote with him not to expand that catch-and-release area. That’s exactly how it happened, and that’s where things started to go sour.”
Mahony disputed Morgan’s account of the votes.
“There was no vote swap,” he said. “That’s not true. It never was true, and it will never be true.”
Campbell could not be reached for comment.
With Watkins’ resignation, Morgan said, he believes that the commission can finally begin putting the turmoil to rest and move forward in a positive fashion.
“The whole incident is unfortunate for the commission and for Rick,” Morgan said. “I wish him well going forward.With the turmoil and scrutiny the commission has been under for the past two years, I think he made the right decision in his resignation. With this matter laid to rest, I have full confidence the commission and the agency will put this behind them and successfully move forward managing the wildlife resources of our state.”
Pierce never acknowledged or denied that a vote swap took place. He was at his vacation home at Lake Fork, Texas, on Thursday. He said he did not know that Watkins had resigned and learned of it only through a request for comment from the Democrat-Gazette. He declined to comment until he had more information.
DeCample deflected questions regarding the strained relationship between Beebe and Watkins.
“We’re focused on looking forward and finding the right person to fill that spot and getting the commission working again.”
Watkins’ replacement will serve the remainder of Watkins’ term, which will end in June 2014. DeCample said there are a lot of candidates who want to serve on the Game and Fish Commission. He said he doesn’t know who might be interested in serving only 17 months.
Front Section, Pages 1 on 02/01/2013