Dear Sportfish,
Below is a federal news release from our Federal Subsistence Board.
These regulator's continue to slice & dice their Subsistence Pie as their
official "Fish & Game Day Of Doom" approaches.
Alaska has enjoyed a bountiful harvest of salmon for many years, so who
could ever imagine a year when only selected Alaskan's would be
allowed to hunt or fish in your favorite spot?
Most folks don't give the subsistence issue the time of day since they already
have way to many things to think about. Federal subsistence regulators have
however set the stage for a future Kenai River "Fish & Game Day Of Doom".
Can the average Kenai Peninsula resident imagine how their lives would
change, especially if their income depended directly on our fish & game resources?
This theoretical "Day of Doom" would carry with it the fact that your
fishing season could be either reduced or totally cancelled (after you have
collected substantial preseason deposits), which you would have to refund.
Many Alaskan's do sluff off these subsistence "Fish & Game Day Of Doom" concerns.
Federal regulator's have designated up-river areas of the Kenai River for
a subsistence priority. This priority could have devastating economic
effects on all sportfishing businesses operating down-river from such a priority area.
The Kenai Peninsula is a popular tourist destination for our visitors.
Lodging sales alone more than doubled between 1990 and 1998.
Peninsula recreational sales increased from $9.2 million to $27.2 million
during this time and reflect a very large growth factor within the visitor industry.
A "Subsistence Day of Doom" could very well reach beyond the river and also close
commercial salmon fisheries within Cook Inlet. Do you think Inlet commercial
fishermen fully understand the possible ramifications of a "Subsistence Day of Doom"?
Everyone can always hope that the "Day of Doom" never arrives but
do any of us fully understand what federal regulators have constructed?
This Kenai River federal subsistence plan is in reality a plan to "allow"
economic disaster for at least the city of Soldotna, and is a trade-off for
a small up-river subsistence priority.
Do you think the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly fully understands
this economic possibility? Activating this subsistence priority could easily
damage the economy of the entire Kenai Peninsula. In reality the KPB should
be setting aside a (ten to twenty million dollar operational nest-egg) anticipating
a possible " Subsistence Day of Doom".
There is currently no KPB "day of doom operational nest egg", therefore when
our salmon runs cycle into a slight recession, the KPB may be found in a large
economic depression and begging for a federal bail it out.
The Kenai River is a primary destination for a huge percentage of
the total people visiting the Kenai Peninsula. Peninsula residents should be
fully aware that the activation of this small localized priority could easily
trigger a Kenai Peninsula wide economic depression. This economic
depression could last for years or for as long as federal regulators are
concerned about a few hundred residents being able to easily collect salmon
for their freezer.
60% of the Kenai River drainage is located within some kind of a federal lands area.
These Kenai River federal lands are located within the Kenai's head-waters.
Alaska's Federal Subsistence Board has taken great pains to make sure that residents
living on the Kenai River, just down-river from Skilak Lake, do not qualify for a rural
subsistence priority but Copper Landing and Moose Pass area residents do qualify.
If the federal government feels that these areas are not able to meet their
subsistence requirements, it will not hesitate to issue federal ultimatums to
the State of Alaska if it does not restrict or remove down-river users.
If Alaska fails to comply with these federal demands the federal government
will also take-over manage of all navigable waters on the Kenai River.
If closing the river fails to meet the up-river subsistence priority, it will then
also assume control of all navigable waters in Cook Inlet which are less than
three miles off shore. This could mean closing down most of the commercial
fishing fleet which operates off the mouth of the Kenai River.
This all moves into the wonderful world of a possible future reality for you
because of the 1994 U.S. District Court, Katie John's decision which ruled that
the federal government has absolute authority to manage all fish and wildlife
on all navigable waters in Alaska inside the three-mile limit.
The entire Kenai River is considered navigable waters.
Most of our Kenai River, Cook Inlet commercial fisheries are within
the three-mile limit.
The only thing necessary to trigger a "Subsistence Day of Doom", is for our
bountiful salmon runs to diminish for a year or two. The next thing you
would be reading is the words "Fisheries Shut Down Required", as the
federal government begins to tighten the "absolute authority screws" on Alaska.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1994: Court Endorses Federal Authority on All Navigable Waters. U.S. District Court Judge Holland
rules for Katie John, concluding that the federal government, not the State of Alaska, is entitled to manage
fish and wildlife on public lands in Alaska for purposes of Title VIII of ANILCA. He also rules that
"public lands" include all navigable waters in Alaska inside the three-mile limit. He issues a 60-day
stay order on implementing his decision, and indicates it will be extended if his decision is appealed
to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The state and federal governments file appeals.
http://www.subsistmgtinfo.org/history.htm
Federal Subsistence Management Program
http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/index.cfm
Kenai Peninsula Federal Public Lands,
Kenai National Wildlife Refuge - Chugach National Forest
http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/pdf/fishregs06/cookin.pdf
Map of Alaska Federal Public Lands
http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/maps.cfm?mapb=4
Map of Kenai Nonrural Areas
http://alaska.fws.gov/asm/pdf/maps/kenai06prop.pdf
Larry Buklis
Federal Subsistence Policy Coordinator
larry_buklis@fws.gov
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: Chuck_Miller@fws.gov
To: fws-FSB-Subsistence@lists.fws.gov
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2006 8:55 AM
Subject: [fws-fsb-subsistence] Federal Subsistence Board News Release
News Release
For Immediate Release
December 14, 2006
For additional information contact: Maureen Clark
(800) 478-1456, (907) 786-3953
Maureen_Clark@fws.gov
Federal Subsistence Board Adopts Final Rule
on Rural/Nonrural Status Changes
The Federal Subsistence Board adopted a final rule on changes to the rural or nonrural status of several Alaska communities and areas at a public meeting in Anchorage on Dec. 13.
The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act requires that rural Alaskans be given a priority for subsistence uses of fish and wildlife on Federal public lands and waters. Only residents of rural communities and areas are eligible for this subsistence priority. The Board initially determined which Alaska communities were rural when the Federal Subsistence Management Program began in 1990. Federal subsistence regulations require that rural/nonrural status be reviewed every 10 years, beginning with the availability of the 2000 census data. At the completion of this review, the status of most Alaska communities remains unchanged. However, under the final rule:
Adak changes in status from nonrural to rural.
Prudhoe Bay changes from rural to nonrural.
Point MacKenzie is grouped with the nonrural Wasilla/Palmer Area, and thereby changes in status from rural to nonrural.
Fritz Creek East (not including Voznesenka) and the North Fork Road area are grouped with the nonrural Homer Area, and thereby change in status from rural to nonrural.
The boundaries of nonrural Sterling, within the Kenai Area, are expanded to align with the U.S. Census Bureau's recently expanded boundaries for Sterling.
The Ketchikan nonrural area is expanded to include all areas on the road system connected to the City of Ketchikan, including Saxman, and Pennock Island and an expanded portion of Gravina Island. If the road system connected to the City of Ketchikan expands, the newly connected areas would be included in the nonrural Ketchikan Area.
This final rule differs from the proposed rule published in the Federal Register Aug. 14, 2006 in that Kodiak will retain its rural status and Saxman will become nonrural for purposes of Federal subsistence management. The final rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register within the next 60 days. The change in Adak's rural status will take effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. All other changes will take effect five years after publication.
For additional information, please contact Maureen Clark or Larry Buklis with the Federal Office of Subsistence Management at (800) 478-1456 or (907) 786-3888.
-FSB-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sport Fish Alert is a free sport fish information service.
If you hear sport fish news or wish to be add to the Sport Fish Alert mail
list just drop us a letter at ccpwow@gci.net
Don Johnson
ccpwow@gci.net