August 2008
James named to Great Lakes commission

Bill James, chief fisheries biologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, has been nominated to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission by President George W. Bush.

“It’s humbling and kind of mysterious,” James said of the announcement.

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission was established in 1955 by Canada and the United States to control the invasive sea lamprey, but has expanded to incorporate a wide range of aquatic research and management efforts in the Great Lakes.

“This reflects admirably on the career and talents of Bill James, but at the same time sheds a favorable light on DNR and our state,” said Gov. Mitch Daniels, who last year honored James for 35 years of state government service.

An Illinois native, James has been in charge of the Division of Fish and Wildlife Fisheries Section since 1978. He previously worked as a reservoir biologist, statewide research supervisor and regional supervisor. James actually began his career with the DNR while in college, spending three summers assisting with lake and stream investigations throughout Indiana.

“Bill is the full package – humble, dedicated, loyal and hard working,” DNR Director Robert E. Carter Jr. said. “I’m confident he will approach this task with the same diligence he has given all these years to DNR and our state fisheries programs.”

James’ duties with DNR include overseeing statewide programs of fish management, research, hatcheries, public access, aquatic habitat, aquatic invasive species control and contaminants.

He led management team efforts to extend migratory runs of steelhead trout and salmon on the St. Joseph River through Michigan and Indiana. That award-winning partnership project between Indiana DNR, Michigan DNR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service resulted in the construction of four migration ladders to assist fish in passing over dams, a new fish hatchery in Indiana and expanded public access facilities on the river.

James has served on numerous state and national committees, is a founding member of the six-state Ohio River Fisheries Management Team, and has worked with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission in several capacities as a committee chair.