Board of Game
Find out about current Board of Game proposals and issues.
Who Manages Alaska’s Wildlife?
Management of wildlife in Alaska is guided by the Board of Game and carried out by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The Board of Game is a seven member board appointed by the Governor. These seven people have constitutional and statutory authority to set policies and to regulate harvest and management of Alaska’s wildlife.
Though there is a law that requires the board to provide a diversity of interest and point of view, this provision has been ignored for years. Currently, the sitting board represents hunting guides, professional trappers and hunters, and one retired biologist. There is no one from the tourism sector, no one representing non-consumptive uses and no one who can be considered an expert in predator-prey relationships, or with a background in ecosystem management. The result has been a disturbing trend by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Board of Game towards more extreme and singularly-focused agenda to eliminate predators in the hopes that such actions will increase human harvest of ungulates.
Alaska Statute AS 16.05.221 (b) members of the Board of Game shall be appointed on the “basis of interest in public affairs, good judgment, knowledge, and ability in the field of action of the board, and with a view to providing diversity of interest and points of view in the membership."
A recent peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Wildlife Management, which can be viewed here, claims that the State of Alaska has liberalized grizzly bear regulations 124 times between 1995 and 2010. State regulations and policies now allow snaring of brown and black bears, killing sows with cubs and cubs, year-round seasons, unlimited bag limits, killing bears from aircraft and killing animals in their dens. In conjunctions with these changes, the Board of Game has also reauthorized land and shoot hunting, and has vastly expanded “predator control areas,” where the name of the game is to kill as many predators as is humanly possible. All of this has been done with little scientific or social justification.
Bears and wolves play a vital role in the overall health and balance of our ecosystems, and provide an important part of Alaska’s wild heritage. Alaska’s bears, and particularly brown bears, draw thousands of visitors to the state, adding to our state’s economy. Conservationists have over the years, tried to modernize the archaic policies and practices to bring our state into compliance with the 21st century, with little success. In 1997, the prestigious and well-respected National Research Council published a report called Wolves, Bears, and Their Prey in Alaska: Biological and Social Challenges in Wildlife Management. They did exhaustive research and made recommendations, which have been largely ignored by our state wildlife managers. You can download their report by visiting their website:
http://dels.nas.edu/Report/Wolves-Bears-Their-Prey/5791
Though we here at ACE recognize the value of harvesting wild game to feed Alaskan families, we oppose the widespread killing of bears and wolves. Even the Department of Fish and Game acknowledges the fact that the link between extreme predator control and increases in moose harvests remains unestablished.
What You Can Do:
· Write or call the Governor's office. Ask the Governor to support a more balanced and informed approach to wildlife management. Ask him to make appointments to the Board of Game who will represent wildlife viewing and tourism values with a foundation in modern scientific principles.
Click here to send the Governor an email:
http://gov.alaska.gov/parnell/contact/email-the-governor.html
Or give him a call: 907-465-3500
· Stay informed about the Board of Game process to find out about meetings, comment periods, and opportunities to submit proposals, click here: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=gameboard.main
Please contact Valerie if you have further questions: valerie@akcenter.org or call 907-274-3632
