
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, June 2, 1990                   TAG: 9006020383
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                 LENGTH: Medium

GAME DEPARTMENT HIRES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The new executive director of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries believes his agency's greatest challenge is to get more young people interested in the outdoors - whether for hunting and fishing or just observing wildlife.

Bud Bristow, a 30-year veteran in wildlife resource management from Arizona, was named director of the department Friday. He replaces James Remington, who resigned after heading the agency for three years.

Bristow, 52, held a similar position in Arizona, where he was director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department for five years beginning in 1981.

His most recent assignment was as director of a wildlife marketing program sponsored by a group of state and provincial wildlife agencies and the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. He has a degree in wildlife conservation from Oklahoma State University.

The Virginia department didn't advertise the position outside the state but quickly drew 60 applications from across the country, said board Chairman Ely Jones Jr. of Tazewell.

Remington, 60, a retired executive of Philip Morris Inc., said he had accomplished most of the things he set out to do and wanted to spend time catching up on personal activities, including piloting his plane and outdoor sports.

Jones praised Remington for bringing needed business management practices to the agency.

"For the past three years, our focus has been on restructuring and getting the agency on a sound financial footing," Jones said. "Mr. Bristow's job will be to go out and work with sportsmen and various groups. The fact that he has had experience as a resource manager and is a good educator impressed us."

Bristow described himself as an avid hunter and fishermen, with a keen desire to introduce the joys of the outdoors to young people.

"Young people now live in a plastic-concrete world, and it is very difficult for them to identify with wildlife or natural resources. We are going to have to reposition our agency some way so that they will have knowledge and relationship with the natural world."

by CNB