Continued: 8 appointed to outdoors council

Eight of 12 people who will serve on a legislative-citizens council and recommend how to spend money on fish and wildlife habitat raised by the recently passed constitutional amendment have been appointed.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Tuesday named Jim Cox, Wayne Enger, Scott Rall and Bob Schroeder to the Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council. House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher appointed David Hartwell, Darby Nelson, Rep. Rick Hansen and Rep. Bob Gunther. Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller is expected to hame four committee members today.

The eight are:

Cox, of Cologne, is the owner of Midwest Thermo Equipment Inc. He is a lifetime member of several outdoors, habitat and conservation organizations. He was president of the Minnesota Waterfowl Association from 2003-06. Cox is an active member of Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, and serves on the board of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Trust.

Enger, of Perham, is the Otter Tail County director of the Farm Service Agency. He is a recent past president of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, and former member of Minnesota Bow Hunters Inc., Ducks Unlimited, and Future Farmers of America. He served as a governor's appointee on the Environment and Natural Resource Trust Fund Advisory Task Force and has a number of years of experience as an advanced hunter education instructor.

Rall, of Worthington, is an active member of organizations carrying out habitat and natural resource protection in southwest Minnesota. He is a lifetime member of Pheasants Forever and serves as the president of the Nobles County chapter of Pheasants Forever. He writes a weekly outdoors column in the Worthington Daily Globe. Rall is appointed to a term that expires Jan. 3, 2011.

Schroeder, of Minneapolis, was the deputy chief of staff to Gov. Pawlenty from 2003 to 2008. He previously served as the deputy Secretary of State and assistant commissioner at the Department of Administration. Schroeder practiced forestry for more than 10 years and is the former chair of the Minnesota Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and former chair of the Environmental Quality Board.

Hartwell, of Minneapolis, is president of Bellcomb Technologies.  He is on the boards of the National Audubon Society, the Land Trust Alliance, the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Mississippi River Fund and Minnesota League of Conservation Voters.