A little of this, a little of that

This is going to be a “little of this and a little of that” column. There are lots of things going on and now is a good time to mention some of them.

First off, for all you muzzleloading rendezvous folks, the Alaska State Muzzle Loading Association Fall Rendezvous scheduled to be held at Fort Wick, near Talkeetna, this weekend has been cancelled. The recent heavy rains washed out the only access road to the rendezvous site and road repairs aren’t expected to be completed until after the weekend. Most of you muzzleloaders already know this, but for the few who might not have heard, here it is.

For all Valley anglers concerned about the status of our Northern District salmon populations, the Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) will be meeting in Anchorage at the Egan Civic and Convention Center October 9-10, beginning at 8:30 am. in their annual workshop meeting.

The board holds this meeting every year to organize their upcoming cycle of meetings, elect officers, set up committees, and address any issues which may have developed over the summer. Reviewing and identifying stocks of concern is another task addressed at this workshop. This is the meeting where the board votes to accept or reject emergency petitions and agenda change requests (ACR) submitted to address issues not scheduled for the regular slate of upcoming meetings.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission (MSBFWC) submitted an ACR asking that the BOF address the situation with the Little Susitna coho population. This past season was the fourth consecutive year where the Little Su coho failed to achieve their minimum escapement goal number. This qualifies that population as a Stock of Concern under the Sustainable Salmon Fisheries Policy regulation.

Many of you attended the meeting with Fish and Game August 29 in Willow where the management of our Northern District salmon stocks was discussed. Most in attendance were not satisfied with the answers or lack of answers given by the department to many questions about how our stocks were managed. The BOF can mandate changes which can benefit our coho and sockeye salmon resources, but only if they vote to accept the ACR submitted by MSBFWC.

That vote can be heavily influenced by the number of folks attending the BOF meeting and showing an interest in the board’s acceptance of the ACR. I strongly encourage as many as possible attend the meeting and let the BOF know why you are there. You can bet the commercial interests will be present and saying there is no problem with Little Su coho stocks.

We’re moving into the gun show season and the first will occur at Raven Hall in Palmer October 6-7. The show is sponsored by the Alaska Gun Collector’s Association (AGCA) and is one of the major shows in the valley each year. I like to browse, even if I’m not looking for anything in particular – hope to see you there.

And finally, the Sportsmen’s Act of 2012 (S. 3525) is in front of Congress waiting to be heard and voted on. This bill is one of the few truly bipartisan pieces of legislation developed by Congress recently and incorporates 19 different bills important to American sportsmen in supporting access and conservation of habitat and species. In addition, the bill addresses the expansion and enhancement of our shooting heritage, hunting, recreational fishing and shooting on federal public lands, and the sustainability of fish and wildlife populations that support those activities, plus the continued authorization of several vital conservation programs that enhance waterfowl and other fish and wildlife populations and habitats.

More than 56 different national wildlife and conservation organizations support the bill. Some examples include: American Fisheries Society, Trout Unlimited, Ruffed Grouse Society, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Wild Sheep Foundation, Pheasants Forever, Boone and Crocket Club, Pope and Young Club, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Rifle Association, and many more. This partial listing indicates a broad range of outdoor sporting interests who have come together to support this legislation.

Many federal conservation programs which have either recently expired or are scheduled to do so are renewed in this legislation. The unique thing about this act is that it has no cost to the American taxpayer. Check out the bill and if you support it, contact our Alaskan congressional delegation and tell them you support its passage.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by emailing sports@frontiersman.com.