Alaska is a beacon of good fisheries management. We’ve done things right over the past 5 decades, and have the healthiest fisheries in the world to show for it. Giving state foresters and others without fisheries expertise the authority to make fishery protection decisions would be a step towards making the terrible mistakes most other states have made as they’ve degraded their fisheries.

     On the Pacific Coast, for example, whole runs of salmon and steelhead have been lost. Oregon and California are great examples of why we shouldn’t weaken the Habitat Division.

     It has been shown that the Habitat Division processes permit applications quite quickly, contrary to the criticism of those who support the Governor’s proposal. Roughly 20,000 permits have been granted in the past decade, an in 2002 permits were granted on average within 15 days.

     The list of Alaskans who oppose this move is long and growing. Every Fish & Game Commissioner for the past 30 years has opposed the Governors’ move, as have fishing groups such as the Alaska Chapter of Trout Unlimited; Alaska’s largest active sport fishing organization, the Alaska Flyfishers Association; The Anchorage Fish & Game Advisory Committee; The Cooper Landing Fish & Game Advisory Committee; the Paxson Fish and Game Advisory Committee; The Alaska Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, and the Kenai River Special Management Advisory Board (KRSMA). Likewise, the Alaska Council of Village Presidents has opposed this move. This is a partial list of organizations that have stated their opposition to the Governor’s move. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

               Sincerely,