An open letter

This column is going to be a little different than what I usually do. Since I have this forum available to me, I want to publicly thank some folks in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough for their support and encouragement over the past 14 years. You’ll understand better as you read the following:

This is an open letter to the Mat-Su Borough Mayor, Edna DeVries; the Mat-Su Borough Manager, Mike Brown; the Mat-Su Borough Assembly; and the Mat-Su Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Now that my tenure with the Fish and Wildlife Commission is over, I want to extend my thanks and deep appreciation to you all for the kind words, plaques, and other items you presented to me over the last couple of months of my time on the commission. I didn’t honestly think I deserved all the accolades you folks bestowed on me. Let me explain.

I believe that God told us to be wise stewards of all His creation, both lands and waters, and all the creatures that inhabit that domain. I have also had a life-long interest in the natural biological world. Combining those two points explains why I went into Wildlife and Fisheries Management with Fish and Game. After my career with that department was over, I decided to offer what I could to the idea of “wise” management by becoming involved with the Mat Valley F&G Advisory Committee, the Alaska Board of Fisheries, and, finally, The Mat-Su Borough Fish and Wildlife Commission.

I learned a lot over that time from folks working to do what I was hoping to contribute to. I especially want to thank former commission member Larry Engel. I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor and Larry’s knowledge of the world of fisheries is unmatched, in my opinion. We both stepped down from the commission at the same time, but our individual decisions to do so were made independently of each other. It was just time for us both to move on.

I’m not sure why, but Governor Palin thought I could contribute when she appointed me to the Board of fisheries in 2007. Boy, talk about a steep learning curve, even with my college and work experience as background! I would have liked to serve one more term, but the politics of fisheries management got mixed in and the next governor decided to go a different direction.

I was approached by members of a new F&G advisory committee I helped create while on the board, to serve as a member. When I found out Larry Engel was on the borough commission, it was an easy decision. Larry and the commission based their decisions on the best available science available. The advisory committee tended to be more “allegorical” in their approaches to making recommendations. I was used to working based on science and not opinion.

My time on the commission was very educational for me. The various commission members over the years were some of the smartest folks I have had the privilege of meeting and working with. The member group on the commission I just left are some fantastic individuals with knowledge bases beyond my wildest thoughts. I can’t speak highly enough of those folks.

I want to thank the borough administration, both mayor and manager, for their unwavering support for the commission over my time as a member. They have provided the commission with the financial ability to attend state and federal management meetings and meet with legislators in Juneau to provide the borough’s perspective on matters of fish, wildlife, and habitat. The borough assembly obviously contributed to that financial support. They also listened to our recommendations and supported our efforts in dealing with both the state and federal natural resource management agencies. I hope that support will continue into the future.

I was also privileged to work with four great borough employees from the Planning Department over time who served as our liaison with the borough and all other entities, state, federal, and private, wishing to interact with the commission. One has gone on to become a state representative in Juneau, where he could make contributions to the commission’s natural resource efforts.

I’ve probably rambled on more than I should, but I wanted to say “Thank You” to the folks involved. I know it hasn’t always been easy to deal with me, at times, because tact and diplomacy aren’t some of my stronger personality traits. It has been my privilege and honor to have served on the commission and I thank you for the opportunity.