Parnell Administration Targets Wolves and Alaska’s Economy – Time to Howl!
Last week, the Alaska Board of Game voted 4-3 to open the Northeast periphery of the Denali National Park and preserve to wolf trapping. What this means is that an area around the National Park, referred to as a “buffer zone” no longer exists. The buffer zone was put into place to help preserve the wolves that live in the park and are a huge draw for tourism and wildlife photographers. In recent years, pack leaders wandered out of the park and fell victim to trapping, raising the hackles of wildlife organizations, conservationists, residents who love wildlife, and the tourism industry.
And now, thanks to the challenged decision-making of our new governor (who is much like the old governor on this issue) the tourism boycott has begun. Thanks a lot, Governor Parnell. I’m sure business owners across the state are really excited about this, especially since the economy has already reduced tourism by double digits last summer.
The buffer zone helps to keep these Denali wolves alive, because, frankly, wolves don’t really know where the park boundary ends, and where they need to be to stay safe. These packs, which have been studied since the 1930s, have a natural range and it doesn’t exactly conform to the boundary of the park. And now the northeast periphery, which was formerly a protected area, is open for trapping thanks to this vote by the Board of Game.
The decision swings in the opposite direction of what park authorities had asked for. The federal authorities had recommended expanding the buffer zone to protect the wolves that wander outside the park’s boundaries. Those particular wolves are the ones typically seen by busloads of tourists who visit the park every summer.
The wolf population is the lowest it has been since 1987, park authorities say. While they don’t know for sure why the numbers have plummeted, they say there has been trapping pressure on the animals.
There are about 70 wolves left in the 6-million-acre park.
Let’s look at this 4-3 vote.
Sometimes the best way to understand a vote, is to understand the votER. So, let’s hunker down and learn about the latest appointment to this board, one of those on the “4″ side that voted to remove the buffer zone and increase the trapping of wolves. Governor Sean Parnell recently appointed a man named Al Barette of Fairbanks to the Board. Mr. Barette has an interesting history.
He retired from the military in 1993 because of an injury, and now lives in Fairbanks with his wife and three children. He’s also a business owner. But his kind of business is not the kind of business that will feel the pinch when environmental and wildlife groups expand the boycott on Alaska travel because of this decision. He owns the kind of business that thinks this decision is just swell.
He owns the Fairbanks Fur Tannery – the first commercial tannery in Alaska. He started it in 1993 and business is good, but of course it will be better soon. Here’s a picture of Mr. Barette on the job.
Then, in 2002 he purchased another business – The Alaskan No. 9 Trap Company. And, believe it or not, they manufacture The Alaska Wolf Trap. Business prospects are looking good for that one too.
One of his favorite things to do is to teach young, inexperienced trappers how to do it better, and is often seen discussing equipment and tactics “over the counter” at the Alaska Fur Tannery.
And he is so dedicated to wolf elimination, he was even the recipient of the very first permit to shoot one from an airplane, after then Lt. Parnell’s poorly worded ballot initiative permitting the practice passed. Thousands of Alaskans, myself included, voted the wrong way on that initiative because it was worded so poorly. A cynic might say that the obfuscation was deliberate. Voters had voted against the aerial hunt twice before but this time it passed.
But surely, there are two sides to every story. Granted that tourists will suffer, and the wolves of course, and wildlife photographers, and those in the tourism industry, and small business owners who will feel the pinch of tourism boycotts… But someone has to benefit from this other than just Board of Game member Al Barette who will be able to sell more traps, and tan more hides. There are others who benefit. See my emphasis below.
Alaska wildlife advocate Rick Steiner called the Denali decision a slap in the face to the park service and to its visitors who come to the park to see, among other animals, a wolf.
“It’s an outrageous decision,” he said. “The Board of Game placed the interests of three or four trappers on the eastern edge of Denali over the interests of hundreds of thousands of visitors to the park, and countless public comments from Alaskans asking not only to maintain the existing buffer but to expand it.”
He said the economic impact of the tourists that the wolves draw to the state make wolves “worth orders of magnitude more alive than dead.”
The interest of three or four trappers AND the interest of the man who cast the deciding vote to eradicate the buffer zone. Conflict of interest? Sounds like it to me.
Once again Alaskans are caught up in the epic battle of the hunters. On the one hand are the wolves who bring tourists to the park and are worth their weight in public relations gold. They have to eat, and they have the misfortune of liking to eat the same things we do. On the other hand are those for whom the Alaska wilderness of their dreams is nothing more than a moose and caribou farm with us the only predator. It’s good for people who like to eat wild game, yes. But the big money comes from those who come to Alaska, kill something, and leave. And so the state may as well stack boards with those who can make a pretty penny off trapping. It’s a win-win situation for them, and a lose-lose situation for the wolves and those who derive joy and economic benefit from keeping them alive.
It’s time to elect a new governor. Before you cast your vote in November, find out what your candidate thinks about the current mission of the Board of Game, and find out if they are appalled by the current conflict of interest that exists on the Board, and the administration’s war on tourism and small business.
While waiting to cast your vote, feel free to let the governor know how you feel about this. And remember, the wolves of Denali National Park belong to ALL of us, wherever in the country we live. So, even if you’re not in the state, you have a stake in this.
Governor Sean Parnell – http://gov.alaska.gov/parnell/contact/email-the-governor.html
CALL 907-465-3500 FAX: 907-465-3532
PLEASE ALSO CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND TELL THEM NOT TO CONFIRM BARETTE’S APPOINTMENT. More details on this story to come.
Sick.
Sighhhhhhhhhh………..why does Alaska seem like America’s capitol of corruption,with no consequences, except when “the feds” get involved?
Why does it seem that Alaskans never hold Alaskans accountable in politics?
Does ANYONE in Alaskan politics have an idea that it is just as much their responsibility to hold others accountable as it is for them to remain ethical and accountable to the citizens?
It seems that in Alaska, the rule of thumb is that no one gets involved in politics, without the sole purpose being to line their own pockets whilst greasing hundreds of wheels along the way.
No wonder a $arah Palin evolved from all of this.
Now appears that Mayor Sullivan is going to try to out do $arah before he’s through too.
You have a lifetime of work cut out for you AKM…………..
When does the the aerial hunting and trapping of governors and other politicians that can’t wait to wipe all wildlife off our planet start. Does it require a permit?? I think this should be posted on Huffington since it involves the rest of the lower 48 as well. Those are the ones whose visits power Alaska. If we boycott maybe their greed for tourist money will override their lust for blood.
Intreped well armed hunters take Trophy game-wolves the weak and sick, thus wolves are aiding the herd by keeping the gene pool strong,and the hunters? just the opposite. Taking a game animal to eat/survive is one thing-taking one because you can and you want brag rights is sick–killing off the balance of nature is sicker and just plain dumb!!
BTW-bet lots of the stock men in the lower 48 “howling” about stock predation are leasing public land for their stock—well it’s MY land too fellas,mine and the wolves if I have any input at all.
Somewhere Parnell, Sarah et al got a weakened mental gene pool handed to them. Wonder what predator took out the better ancestor from their family trees? Just my opinion…
Yowwwwwwwwl. Expletives deleted. There is a cold place in he*l for each and every one of these people. We need Parnell’s head on a pike.
In the old days, trappers moved around so that the animals they trapped would have time to recuperate their numbers (just like farmers letting their fields lie fallow). What now? Who buys wolf furs? They should also be held accountable.
just makes me sick
I am so sad about this vote and the obvious tipping of the Board of Game by adding this Barette character. Of course, he will vote for the trapping of wolves, or the shooting, or whatever – he makes more money by allowing this activity! I find it hard to believe that Parnell is as dumb as he appears to be.
I will send him an email when I am in a more calm frame of mind so that what I say is said well and not in just anger!
I keep thinking that I will start learning more about the political activity in my state, but the story that will not end in Alaska has me captured. I stand in awe of the amount of corruption that is allowed and that there are not enough voters to stop it. How sad
@Martha #2 – No accountability seems to be a national problem not just an Alaskan one. I’m still waiting for Bush and Cheney to be held accountable for two wars and a tanked economy. And I’m also waiting for an investigation into said tanked economy. How did Wall Street, Banks and Corporations go from empty pockets and begging for loans to repaying said loans and giving millions if not billions of money in compensation in less then eight months while the rest of the country is still in the dumper. As the saying goes something stinks in Denmark. I want to know the who, what, where and why and those who did this held accountable. This was an accident NOT!!!!
He got an earful from me, AKM…a real HOWLER (ala Harry Potter). My Wolves, Our Wolves, deserve our protection. (Please cue the tiny Hollywood starlets!)
Yon Dung’s monkeyshines sent me off the weepy deep end, but I’ve gathered my strength, I’m back, and now I’m angry. I made a promise to myself to spend as much time each day contacting elected officials as I spend here on the ‘flats…
We have Important Work that Must Be Done.
I won’t sit down.
I won’t shut up.
and also, too, I won’t Quit.
rant over…for now
The four who voted to eliminate the current buffer zone:
Cliff Judkins
PO Box 874124
Wasilla, Alaska 99687 Chair
06/30/2012
Teresa Sager Albaugh
HC 72 Box 835
Tok, AK 99780
06/30/2012
Al Barette (907) 452-6047
380 Peger Road
Fairbanks, Alaska 99709.
(replaced Bob Bell of Anchorage this week–Al owns the Fairbanks Fur Tannery that tans many of the wolf pelts trapped in the buffer zone around Denali.)
Lewis Bradley
8206 E.Duchess Drive
Palmer, AK 99645
06/30/2011
The three who voted to retain the current buffer zone that has been in place for the last six years (and is still inadequate to protect the Park wolves according to several biologists and the National Park Service):
Ted Spraker
49230 Victoria Ave.
Soldotna, Alaska 99669 Vice-Chair
06/30/2011
Ben Grussendorf
1221 Halibut Point Road
Sitka, AK 99835
03/01/2010 (reappointed for new term?)
Stosh Hoffman Jr.
PO Box 2374
Bethel, Ak 99559
06/01/2011
I will never understand the complete hatred these people have for these beautiful animals. They all love their dogs, but wolves just make them crazy. I mean, I really don’t get it.
Sorry I went off on a rant guys. But I’m mad as hell and I’m not gonna take it any more. : )
#12 Shadow’s Heart – it must be the weather! I went off on a rant yesterday and trying to not follow up with another today.
Deep breathes, that is the ticket, also too
Kelly @10, thank you for the contact information. Snail mail heading their way from Florida tomorrow, for what it’s worth.
Shadow’s Heart and 1 smartcanerican, March is coming in like a lion, or maybe a wolf, eh?
ROAR!!
HOWL!!!!
caw Caw CAW CAW CAW!!!!!!
Like you said -Denali belongs to ALL of us so I am sending a formal complaint via snail mail 2moro to each of the above listed by Kelly, big thanks Kelly. Our park,our wolves too.
Lovemydogs is dead on right to ask who buys the furs.
And SP should b ashamed about shopping a series with her showing the glories of Alaska. Glories that she and her cronies (Parnell et al) are sooooo eager to destroy with mines and oil exploration and deforestation and overfishing etc and ugh hunting/trapping. Do they use Leg traps? UGH! harrowing,nightmare stuff.
Sorry I’ve been so ANGRY all afternoon -am using up more than my share of space–politics endlessly wrong in so many ways in AK. and the USA as a whole!!
That guy had a CLEAR conflict of interest and should have abstained from the vote. I will be calling and emailing the governor. I live in Oregon and can truthfully say I will be boycotting Alaska, except for Mudflats (maybe I should leave that part out!). This is the kind of self-dealing that should not be in our politics on any level but, unfortunately, is the rule rather than the exception. Grrrrr.
Talk about a scorched earth policy. If there are only an estimated 70 wolves left then how many traps can the guy expect to sell? Seriously, dude, set up shop selling camera accessories or mittens.
Someone who is ‘ in the know ‘ please give us an email or name of a FEDERAL Official, Agency or Organization that we may contact…?
Does the regulation of this fall under the purview of the ” Dept. of the Interior ” with Ken Salazar or does the ” Nat’l Park Service ” need to be notified.
” WHO ” sits over the heads of these State Boards.
Does it help to make calls or emails to our State Senators..? We all pay taxes toward our NATIONAL Parks. These are OUR Nat’l Parks. These State ‘ yahoos ‘ don’t care if we call them because they are already basing THEIR decisions on something else entirely. Not on common sense and the Facts. To them… its ” What’s in it for Me..?
They learned from WHO came before them. They follow in S’errors footsteps…. remember.
Lets find a ” Bigger Bully ” that carries a bigger stick than they do.
As S’error so lovingly referred to them ” Lets call in the Feds”.
Lets make this a FEDERAL case. There are more of US… than there are of them. Who do we call or email..?
An average of 14 wolves per million acres. Why would any sane person want to kill them. Certainly, they are doing absolutely no harm to anyone or anything.
Shame on Alaska!
Here is my letter to Parnell:
My family and two other couples with their families have decided to boycott Alaska. We will spend this summer vacationing in the Canadian Rockies instead.
Our boycott stems from your unnecessary and barbaric slaughter of Denali Wolves.
You are a despicable and shameful person for appointing a person in the tannery and trap making business to the board of game.
You must be as unscrupulous and ignorant as the last Governor.
We will be sending money to your political opponents and look forward to your well deserved defeat, the fall.
Parnell – the new Palin.
The business community needs to read this guy the riot act, along with conservationists. This is all about croneyism, and appeasing big game guides, and the AOC, and has nothing to do with what Alaskans want. This joker needs to go. I had hopes for him. No more.
Any knitters out there??? Maybe we need mittens like they had for the Olympics but with wolf paws on them. We could start something to raise money, awareness and protest all at the same time. Hold your paw up if you are against this.
We have voted on the not shooting wolves from planes at least 3 times since I have lived here. It is always a resounding “NO”, we are NOT for this. And yet, everytime we vote it seems we are voting on it again. And every time the ballot language becomes more convoluted so you aren’t sure if you are voting the way you want to. It’s an outrage.
Letters to the editor are being written. The people of Alaska need to scream to the heavens about this. The problem is I scream until I am hoarse and then my screams are not heard.
I just don’t understand this whole thing.
When the wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone and the ranchers in the area had a hissy fit, I could understand their concerns, even if I didn’t agree with them. They were using rangeland that was immediately adjacent to the park and the wolves could have been perceived as a direct threat to their livelihood. They were limited in what other grazing land they could use due to the terrain and private ownership of the surrounding land. Of course, the federal government promised compensation for any livestock that would be lost to wolves, but I could at least understand their fear and anger.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m assuming that the lands adjacent to the park do not contain cattle ranches that would be directly affected by allowing the wolves to safely access the buffer zones. From what I can see, the people most affected by this zone are those who run hunting companies and trappers (and people who sell traps, of course!), which I assume is an EXTREMELY small number of people. There would also seem to be plenty of other land available for those same people to use that would not impact this particular group of wolves.
With all the undeveloped land in Alaska, why do these people need to access THIS particular area when the health of both the wolf pack and the entire Denali park ecosystem seems to be much more valuable, both for tourism (for millions of people) and for the general health of our planet.
How does this tiny group of people get SO much power? Could someone ‘splain, please?
This is truly sickening. I kept waiting on you to mention the slaughter that is to take place on the islands. Marmots, rabbits are targeted on islands by US Fish and Wildlife. I remember you had wrote a article about the marmots being the official groundhog for spring. I thought it was ironic that they said they were going to poison them because they are invasive species. Why in the world do you adopt a state animal to celebrate then call for it to be mass exterminated. Makes no sense to me.
What I thought more interesting was the article was on ADN and you know everyone has a comment over there, but this article only received 3 comments and one of those was mine. I could understand the rats that were expunged, that caused some raptor deaths. This will be a very strong blow to the raptors, ridding them of two of their food sources. I am coming to understand if you are an animal in Alaska you have no prayer chance in hell of living a nice long life. Somebody is wanting to kill you for some reason or the other.
The Eco-system in Alaska is going to be so screwed up it will be a miracle if it ever rebounds from these decisions being made. One hoof and mouth case in a herd of caribou would probably kill significant numbers if there is no natural predators to cull the sick and dying.
Great job on getting the word out Mudflats!
Mr. Barette should have recused himself from this vote because of his conflicts of interest.
Here is some additional information:
Mr. Barette is new appointee and has NOT yet been confirmed by the Legislature. So you can also call or email your State Senator and Representative asking that Mr. Barrette not be confirmed to the Board of Game.
Let’s not give up on this one!
Or in the words of Edward Abbey – “It is not enough to understand the natural world; the point is to defend and preserve it.”
Thanks for pointing that out Dave! AKM
lovemydogs, just caw me anytime you need me to add my voice to yours.
love the wolf mittens idea, and also, too, but can’t knit nor crochet…
oh ps the article I was referring to is still on the ADN site.
It’s things like this that make me really despise humanity.
To lovemydogs – I can knit a little. I’ve never done mittens, but if you can find or devise a pattern beginning knitters can follow, I will try my best to make some to sell for the cause and will ask more experienced knitters here in the KC metro area if they would help. I would gladly ask local yarn shops to post notices requesting volunteers if we had details on what to do and where to send the finished pairs and reassurance that the monies will go to the cause. I bet others reading this would be willing to do what they can to make this a viable fund raising project.
This was the year my group of 10 was traveling to Alaska…not any more. *sigh*
tewise at 24 & 26,
Rats on island ecosystems are a bad thing. the islands where fox & rat eradication occur are part of the usfws alaska maritime refuge & a haven for cliff and ground nesting seabirds. those birds evolved without land-based predators and the rats (and introduced fox) devastate the populations. I’ve seen video of a rat on a live seabird’s back, gnawing a hole in the bird–eating it alive. The rats also get to the eggs causing seabird colony failure. Raptors still have the seabirds & eggs to eat and shouldn’t need the rats, unless the island was supporting an inflated raptor population based on the availability of introduced prey. Hopefully the island ecosystems now have a chance at returning to “normal”.
From the refuge’s website (http://alaskamaritime.fws.gov/): The refuge hosts seabird populations of both national and international significance. It provides nesting habitat for an estimated 40 million seabirds, representing 80% of all seabirds in North America.
and: The ultimate goal of refuge invasive species management is to restore the natural diversity its lands. Introduced foxes and shipwrecked rats have had catastrophic impacts on seabird populations, intertidal diversity, and archeological remains. Foxes have been removed from more than one million acres on over 40 islands to date. The successful delisting in 2000 of the endemic Aleutian Canada Goose as an endangered species was only made possible by removing fox from their nesting islands. Rats pose a greater threat to island ecosystems than even an oil spill, because rats can remain forever.
I swear to gods and goddesses that only 10% of us in Alaska understand the meaning behind the phrase “Conflict of Interest.”
lovemydogs–I’ll also prowl around on my other forum home and see if I can find a pattern. There are mudpups there too; maybe we can work up something.
Today Fish and Game just fired the head of the Wildlife Division(Division of Wildlife Conservation), Doug Larson because he’s not Predator Control enough for “them”. The new Director of the division will be Corey Rossi who is a Palin appointee into on of the deputy or assistant commissioner role. I bet you can expect Predator Control to expand, intensify or maybe both. Perhaps, I might bet money on this, predator control will be a permanent and extensive part of Fish and Game.
I hope this makes folks angry enough to elect a new Governor next time around. Governor appointments to boards in Alaska are very important.
By choosing someone with such an apparent conflict of interest to serve in this position on the Board of Game, Sean Parnell has once again proved himself to be a real tool and a man lacking in the vision and perspective needed to govern Alaska.
Wolves have been declining in the Park even with the buffer zone that has been in place for the past six years. Park wolves are habituated to humans and become sitting ducks for hunters/trappers in the areas adjacent to the Park where wolves wander during the winter.
This protective area is also important because wolves from other packs come into this area in the winter. Thus the buffer area serves as an important region for wolf packs to interbreed and preserve their genetic strength and diversity. Furthermore wolf families in the Park are really harmed when individual family members (particularly the alpha members) are harvested too frequently and indiscriminately.
The Board of Game has disregarded science and the input of Alaskans 50 to 1 who favored keeping or expanding this buffer zone.
Thanks to Elwood Lynn, Assistant Supertendent, of Denali National Park for speaking out to expand the wolf buffer zone. Thanks to Dr. Rick Steiner for his biological and scientific input. Thanks to all who testified and signed petitions. Thanks, Gordon Haber, for your life’s work.
And thanks to the wolves of Denali who have shown us all what fine characters you are. We Alaskan humans, for the most part, appreciate your value.
So sorry to have such an important issue go in such a bad way in 2010!
..I sent an email to your Gov.. my wife is a travel agent/owner, and she will be advising her clients who express interest in going to Alaska ( typically cruise ships) of this crappy policy.. and of course, living in the midst of California Tree-huggers,
Our own planned trip to Alaska will be on permemant hold until this policy is reversed….. she went to Denali a couple of years ago on a FAM tour by Princess Cruise lines, …enjoyed herself immensely…. chuckle..thought she’d have a week without my snoring…her travel agent partner snored worse than I do !!
Very sad. We have been to Denali twice and the wolf has alluded us. It’s the only major animal we haven’t seen in the park. Knowing that my chances are getting slimmer is not likely to make me make a third trip to Denali.
Wow! 70 wolves left in the park…..and they vote to eradicate the buffer zone!
Blatant short-sighted ignorance! Reminds me of the greedy whole-sale slaughter of the bison and beaver by fur traders in the 1700-1800′s.
Sure sounds like a conflict of interest to me with the tanner casting the deciding vote. Disgusting.
So – Dave #25 – Barette, not confirmed – does that mean his vote is void? OK, probably not. Geez.
Ed – Is it true that Doug Larson was fired? He’s one of the ones on-site when the litters of wolf pups were shot IN their dens! There must be some recourse to this outrageous farce of a “Board of Game.” How much are those wolves worth in tourist dollars versus a tanned pelt? Does the BOG not have any conflict of interest requirement (negative requirement, I mean)? Should Barette not have recused himself when he clearly stands to profit from his deciding vote?
Does Al Barette have the missing black Juneau wolf in his tannery now?
here is the letter i just e-mailed to the governor…..
Dear Governor Parnell,
i am terribly upset about the decision to expand Wolf hunting and trapping. i am writing you although i am not a resident of your state i am still a taxpayer and a citizen of this country. the wildlife of Alaska are apart of the ecosystem for all of us. i expect you to govern your state accordingly. thank you bea miller
Alaska’s legislators should step up to the plate on this issue–recognizing the clear conflict of interest of Al Barette on the wolf buffer zone issue and other hunting and trapping proposals before the Board.
Ethical legislators will choose to better represent the majority of Alaskans by providing more careful scrutiny of Board of Game appointees and better legislation to direct the Board of Game in their actions.
Not surprisingly, ADFG failed to weigh in on this issue. Typically, one only keeps an ADFG job if one does not make waves on behalf of fish and wildlife.
The whole thing is pathetic.
I just checked back to see if anybody had some info to share about my original question. These State people have already made up their mind and it was NOT based on the 1. Facts , 2. common sense or what is the 3. fiscally responsible thing to do. It’s Ideology or ” Idiotology “… spell it how you like.
I want to apply pressure to people who are willing to listen to me. Otherwise you are like Barney Frank who said ” Talking to you is like talking to a Table ”
—————–
It’s time to bring out the Big Guns…..Therefore I would ask again…..
#18 honestyinGov Says:
March 9th, 2010 at 3:53 PM
Someone who is ‘ in the know ‘ please give us an email or name of a FEDERAL Official, Agency or Organization that we may contact…?
National Park Service (Jim Stratton is head of all National Parks in Alaska)–The Park Service has weighed in in a positive way, but they need to be encouraged to follow up.
National Fish and Wildlife Service
Ken Salazar/Kim Elton (Interior Department/Alaska Interior Department)
Alaska’s Legislators (They’ll never act unless they hear from a lot of folks.)
Any ADFG folks you know–the wimps–just to make them squirm, but don’t expect them to act.
Kim @ 31, I stated I understood about the rats because I know what they do to the bird species and the diseases they carry. But rabbits and marmots do not eat birds or there eggs. I still don’t understand why you would take a mascot (marmots) to celebrate (spring forecast) then talk about eradicating them. Some of the foxes are not invasive some are native foxes.
#30 write to the guv and the board of tourism and tell them why you won’t come to AK, I think only $$ will reach these people. It makes me sick in my soul that they would do this. I cannot stand it.
43
honestyinGov : I have been sending my correspondence to Salazar.
Sue, wasn’t it Lem butler, the King Salmon ADF&G Area Management Biologist that nabbed those wolves in the den? I think it was Lem, Pat Valkenburg and Ken Taylor that were out there. Lem went down into the den after the wolf cubs with the pistol, didn’t kill them all so Ken Taylor (I think) said lay the (dead) mom out and wait for the cubs to come out to her. then they offed them.
Perhaps it was another incident Doug was involved in. I thought Doug was just the spokesman though.
They don’t call him SP 2.0 for nuthin. Same freaky religion too. I hope voters don’t fall into that “anybody but Murkowski” thing again. Parnell hasn’t had a real scandal yet – I hope AK has learned our lesson and will GO BLUE!
Re: Dave @ 25s comment…
Is the 7-member Alaska Board of Game one that *requires* its members be nominated and confirmed by the State Legislature…or is it one that can be filled with plain old appointees [cronies] of the Gov at the Gov’s discretion [whim]?
If it’s the former: Does anyone know if any *other* States have a provision in their State’s constitution, statutes, by-laws, or whatever, that allow a person who has *not* yet been confirmed by the Legislature (AKA, a *nominee*) to be a *voting* member of the State board to which they’ve been nominated? Sure sounds like Parnell’s Alaska does.
Seems to me that if the position [to be filled] requires the nominee’s name be submitted to the Legislature for a yea or nay vote, that the person [the *nominee*] is *not* a voting member of said board *until* they have been confirmed [by the Legislature].
That the nominee sits in on board meetings to ‘get up to speed’ on the board’s inner workings is one thing –it’s probably helpful all the way around; to voice their opinions on an issue(s) before the board *as if they were a confirmed member* is something else. To actually *vote* on an issue before the board, is BEYOND something else. Smacks to me of being totally illegal.
Sounds to me as if Gov Parnell and the AK Board of Game have some mighty big ‘splainin to do. Either Parnell is stacking the board *against* wildlife and the *Game* Board is going along with it, OR he and the Board are allowing a *non* member to vote on Board issues…from the looks of it: probably both.
Which ever way you want to cut it, I think both Parnell and the Board have some pretty heavy questions (RE: violations of trust and/or regulations) to answer ~ both for the citizens of Alaska and for the citizens of the other 49 States who will also, ultimately, be harmed by this study-after-study-after-study scientifically *unsupported* (and unsupportable!), asinine “vote”. beth.
# 47
tewise Says:
March 9th, 2010 at 9:05 PM
43
honestyinGov : I have been sending my correspondence to Salazar.
————————-
Thanks tewise… Do you have the link to the email or contact page you used.? Was it directly to his office or a certain Dept. ?
I will go ahead and do a search, but others might want it as well and the more people who ‘ focus ‘ their energy in the exact same spot might get better results.
Sent my 2 cents worth to Parnell…
Our Grandson is getting married in June & planned a cruise to Alaska, but he is changing their honeymoon destination for love of Wolves.
Their are no words for our disgust in your support of killing wolves to satisfy friends instead of being honorable. Did you or Mr Barette have a hand in firing Doug Larson?
You are following well in Ms. Palin’s footsteps…When you run for Office again I will donate to your opponent and maybe eventually the egotism will get washed away.
Hey maybe you could quit along with Dan Sullivan, take his ‘inheritance’ & work alongside $arah’s school friends at your local Dairy.
With enemies of the environment like the Governors of Alaska—seems like climate change is just icing on the cake—–fekkin’ a@!hats!
The timing of this horrific decision – - and the boycott – - is critical, IMO. Now is the time that MANY people would normally be plunking down payments to hold a berth on cruises or vacations for the summer. In some cases, people are soon to get their tax refunds beefed up by all the little children exemptions, and potentially planning to see a beautiful Alaska.
Sorry, Alaska businesses! I will discourage all of my friends & family from traveling to place that has no common sense as to what the tourists are looking to see & photograph.
I will also be writing letters tomorrow when I feel less angry.
Called today – I think contacting Salazar is an excellent idea. I am wondering if there is some precedence re Buffalo who wandered out of Yellowstone, but I don’t know if that resolved in a positive way or not.
The buffer zone idea was a unique and long awaited approach to game management – a huge step forward on a variety of fronts.
Right behind the hoped for benefit to the wolves themselves, it opened a door for the state and fed to collaborate sensibly and meaningfully on a wildlife issue, something very much missing here.
Folks such as Mr Barette are stuck in a place it’s time to move forward from.
Governor Parnell , by appointing him, has shown THIS Alaskan that the gov is willing to , on yet another front, harness Alaskan mistrust of the fed, at any cost, to “buy” votes.
The leftover-from-statehood-land issues, tribal recognition issues, rural preference v urban ‘equality’ game issues ( ANILCA) … on and on…
We have so many issues to duke out with the fed and we stay stuck in acting like backwoods bozos with BoG decisions like this?
And, also too, the last time these dummies brought a tourist boycott down on us it is MY part of the state- 800 miles away- which suffered the most…
And , too also, we will NEVER have a truly sensible predator control program around the state as long as these twits keep up their high profile posturing in the most populated part of the state and ignore the vast majority of the state’s lands in their zeal to poke the fed and “radical Outside environmentalists” ( phrase courtesy the unlamented and finally gone Sen Stevens ) in the eye…
And for those of you contacting the D o the Int- please contact the Dof Commerce as well and tell Sec Locke that the pollack fishery in the Bering Sea threatens multiple species of salmon and other fish and that the feds’ myopia there is as dangerous as the myopia of the dimwitted Alaskan Board of Game here…
‘that the feds’ myopia there is as dangerous as the myopia of the dimwitted Alaskan Board of Game here…’
Actually it’s worse… and the state’s part in it is almost as bad… but this is a Wildlife post so I’ll stay off Fish, AKM
Clarification, please. On most local boards, appointees awaiting confirmation by elected officials are not sworn in and not allowed to vote. Is this actually allowed here?
Secondly, since this decision is likely to impact his business directly, why did he not recuse himself? Is there no procedure in place for the body to prevent someone with a conflict of interest from voting?
I do not know the area or the particulars well enough to take sides on the issue of the buffer zone, and after seeing what happened in Yellowstone thanks to large numbers of well-meaning, put poorly informed people who did not have to live with the consequences of the legislation they helped push through, suggest others not familiar with the particulars refrain as well, but from a civics standpoint, Barette’s voting looks very wrong.
Disclosure: I am no wolf fan. I do not find them noble. They will kill just for sport. The process of harassing and bringing down an animal can literally take days, and I have some ocean front property in Arizona for those who really think they only kill the old and the sick. Familiarity with the Yellowstone situation puts me on the side of the ranchers and critters like elk and moose. I take exception to the word “reintroduction,” since there is no definitive evidence wolves were ever there in any number, and I am appalled by what has passed as “science” there and how much effort has gone into obfuscation of the facts to justify particular positions over the years. It’s an old book now, but I recommend reading Playing God in Yellowstone by Alston Chase for a better understanding of what has happened there.
IndependentValley –
I DO find the wolf noble, and believe they have just as much a right to live as any other animal. I, too am VERY familiar with the Yellowstone situation, and it puts me squarely on the OTHER side of ranchers. In fact, the ranchers are now up in arms about Elk moving off of Park land onto outside grazing land, as they suspect that Elk are the carrier of Brucellosis, not the bison. I have also read Alston Chase’s book, which was written in 1987 – 22 years ago! You might have noted in his later book, that he is just as much against unmanaged Elk/Deer populations as they will outgraze an area, destroying habitat for other animals and birds, as well as trees. And guess what helps that problem???!!?? Wolves! You need to bring yourself up to date.
As far as recent events in Denali, I will be writing to your governor, as I WAS planning on a trip to Denali this year . . . but not with this recent development.
CrazyHorse, I thank you for your comments. I think we are in agreement with each other and Mr. Chase that animal populations need to be managed responsibly, which is not different from his stance in his earlier book, nor mine. The issue is whether we are managing based on truth and science. Perhaps things have changed, but up through the time the first wolves were introduced there, that was not the case, and family members still living on the edges of the park are not leading me to believe things are much different now. For many years there were neither wolves nor an elk overpopulation problem. There were local outfitters making a living on small, sustainable hunts in areas held by gentlemen’s agreements, and we had elk in the freezer. (That was before a lot of newbies moved in and started having wholesale hunts.) I remember growing up with animals in variety and abundance wandering through the yard, including lots of black bears, and co-existing with them peacefully, always respecting that it was their home first. I truly understand that wolves, coyotes, mountain lions and the like need to eat; I just don’t believe in spreading fiction about it. I remember when black bears started being killed and dumped in trenches inside the park, and were trapped and dropped from helicopters, and transported to sheep grazing areas outside the park, where they were killed by herders, and how adamant my mother was with the local game warden that they should leave the bears alone. It wasn’t long before they were a rarity. Now it’s pretty much just grizzly and bison (which were not in our area when I was growing up), and the occasional moose. For awhile, elk numbers were way down – I don’t know what they are now, but then they were reporting huge numbers of elk in the northern herd, while there was not nearly enough sign in the back country for that many elk. Just recently, I saw a piece on the news where the target numbers for elk keep being reduced, and I wonder what makes the land so much less able to sustain an elk population now than when I was little. I also remember too well the fires of 1988 that they let burn as “natural,” when 11 of the 13 were set by man, and which, in a year dry enough that farmers in Powell were looking at water rationing early on, they let go until they almost destroyed my family home. Thank heavens for snow in September that year. Then they tried to tell people the fire didn’t do that much damage, and imposed restrictions on overflights so people couldn’t really see for themselves, and they closed and locked gates in some areas where they apparently didn’t want anybody to see the devastation. I hiked to some of those spots – and it was gut-wrenching. The last bear biologist I met knew zero about bears – or common courtesy – and I told her to get lost and leave the visiting grizzly bear alone. The bear wasn’t bothering anything, and was due to move on of her own accord soon in quest of food for herself and her cubs, since she had found none with us. The biologist was obnoxious, and much harder to get rid of. Suffice it to say that many of the biologists/managers then had brand new degrees, no common sense, little experience with animals, and no interest in learning from those who had lived there all their lives. If I am now skeptical of biologists and game managers with shiny new degrees and little field experience, I trust you will now understand why and forgive me. Likewise, having lived in an area where much of the management was based on falsehoods that sounded good, but that the locals knew to be untrue, and having seen the unintended consequences, I am extremely hesitant to get involved in issues where I am not personally familiar with the facts. I hope you will forgive that, as well.
I grew up in Montana and I have seen the pictures of the hunters and trappers booty. It sickens me to this day. There is a wave of thought going through this country that if god put it out there I should shoot it, because god gave it to me to shoot. If it’s livestock these beautiful animals are harrassing and killing then there are provisions for compensation. This is just more of the ‘I have a gun, and damned if I’m not going to shoot something.
I completely understand managed hunting to maintain healthy populations, but random slaughter for sport, give me a break. I bet the same people who support this kind of behavior also want to strap their penis extenders on and walk around town.
ValleyIndependent -
Thank you for your considered response. I stand corrected in my initial reaction to your first post, and no forgiveness is necessary! Part of the problem I struggle with here in Montana now and previously while living in Alaska is the type of attitude that Tom posted above . . . “have gun, will kill.” I am not against hunting for subsistance, but I am against the tendency to hunt predators simply because they need to eat and thus reduce the so-called trophy animals. With that kind of attitude, one would get rid of mountain lions, bears, wolves, and hell why not, the eagle. Which is ironic, since man can’t seem to eat enough meat, but by God, if a predator does, kill ‘em.
That said, I too, have found past efforts by Fish&Game, Nat’l Park mgrs, etc., to be ill advised with sometimes horrific results. I believe that the “hands off” philosophy here in Montana has stemmed from past mistakes, where they really did not know what they were doing. What is really needed is a whole ecosystem approach, where all animals are taken into consideration (man included), and not just a focus on those “more desired” animals like cattle, Elk, deer, etc. Anything less will not work.
Tom and CrazyHorse, it seems we are of like mind. Having never felt compelled to shoot anything just because I own guns, I have never understood the “have gun, must kill” attitude, either, and it frightens me. People that don’t respect animals, be they predator or prey, have a tendency not to respect people, either.
I suspect it has to do with upbringing. My dad would shoot something if the freezer was looking empty, but I don’t remember him being much of a trophy hunter. Those old bulls are really not the best eating, anyway. My brother used to guide hunters, but most of his own hunting has been with a camera. The unwritten rule was to kill only what you would eat, or that which was unavoidable and determined to eat you. Predators were to be taken as necessary to ensure healthy herds of other animals, but not for sport, or just because they were predators. Mostly, animals were to be enjoyed by viewing at a respectful distance.
One of the challenges we faced back then was that the Park Service and Forest Service personnel tended to be on fairly short rotations, usually not more than 3-5 years. So, just about the time they were getting to really know the area, the animals, and the old-timers with all their knowledge, they would be off to somewhere else and there would be another brand-newbie starting over with no clue. There really does need to be some continuity, and, as you say, a whole ecosystem approach, recognizing that the ecosystem does not start or end at human-drawn, arbitrary park boundaries. There also needs to be some realization that we do not have good data about what was actually there originally, and so, the idea that we will somehow “put it back,” and then “let nature take over,” particularly in a park where millions of people visit and which has seen increased development around it, is fundamentally flawed. The best we can do now is to create a realistic management plan. My best to those attempting to do just that.
Moose Pucky.
What makes you think the Fish and Game professional staff aren’t making waves? Your assumption they are cowering at their desks and keeping their heads down is far from the truth. It’s easy to throw stones from the outside.
Dear AK MuckRaker. I thought I remembered a video of the AK Board of Game meeting in Faibanks but cannot find it on your site. It’s where the acting chairman dressed down the woman from back east who came to testify for the proposed buffer expansion.
Any help would be appreciated.
Rivrat
PS. where do I get a snowflake (avatar?)
i found this on the defenders of wildlife website from their winter 2010 issue:
http://www.defenders.org/newsroom/defenders_magazine/winter_2010/the_lost_frontier.php
it really is just a politics game. and let’s not forget that it was sarah palin who sponsored the “predator management” bill (SB 176, forever ingrained in my memory) that allows aerial hunting in the first place.