Dec. 5, 2006

High hopes for new governor

OUTDOORS/Howard Delo

The elections are behind us and our new governor was sworn in yesterday. Congratulations, Gov. Palin! Now, I'll be watching to see if she fulfills her promises of &#8220open and transparent government,” and whether she continues predator management and deals with the wildlife enforcement issues created by the last administration as she said she would in campaign statements.

I had to be careful about political discussions during the election season to keep both myself and the Frontiersman out of

trouble.

I wasn't really concerned about myself - my opinions are mine, and if you disagree, well, that just makes for a more spirited discussion. But I couldn't place the paper in an untenable position, and still expect to write a

column!

Now I can comment on a few things.

Love him or hate him, former Gov. Murkowski did a few things right. Under his administration, predator management in selected problem areas of the state was implemented. I've said this before - if we are going to manage the animal populations, then we need to manage all the animal populations, not just moose and caribou. A short-term reduction in the numbers of predators will result in more prey species numbers, and, if the results of other Canadian and Alaskan studies hold true, more predators as well.

On a related note, Murkowski signed an important piece of legislation into law this past year. Along with about 15 other states, Alaska now has what is commonly known as a &#8220Castle Law.” In essence, this means that a law-abiding citizen, conducting themself in a legal manner, is no longer required to attempt fleeing before utilizing deadly force to defend themselves or another person being physically threatened by a criminal engaged in committing a crime.

Now, before you run out and start baiting criminals into shooting range, understand that I am not a lawyer and my comprehension of this law might not be correct. Do a little research to make sure you understand your legal responsibilities.

Former Gov. Tony Knowles sounded like a typical candidate who has held the office before.

To refresh your memories, Knowles steadfastly refused to allow a predator management program to be implemented during his administration, even though Bush residents in certain areas had been asking for help for years. Predator management isn't &#8220politically correct” and, heaven forbid, Alaska can't be seen as &#8220politically incorrect.”

Apparently, after receiving Bush support to get elected, catering to the &#8220East Coast Establishment” was more important to him than helping village residents feed their families. Maybe he was thinking about running for the U.S. Senate! During this governor's campaign, when asked about predator management, Knowles implied that he might support it if the science was there - his pat answer. The science has been there for a long time - a simple yes or no would have been better.

In his defense, however, Knowles did help the sportfishing industry during his administration more so than Murkowski did in his. Only in an ideal world does the biology and protection of the resource come before the politics of people management, allocation, and control. Knowles leaned more toward the sports angler while Murkowski was more concerned with trying to rebuild and reenergize the commercial fishing industry.

As this is written, Gov. Palin has not released her complete list of department commissioners. For what it is worth, I would like to see one commissioner retained and one resign. Commissioner McKie Campbell has done a fine job in dealing with Alaska's wildlife issues. In my opinion, he has been the best commissioner Fish and Game has had for many, many years. I hope Gov. Palin will retain him.

It isn't a secret who I would like to see gone - Commissioner Bill Tandeske of the Department of Public Safety. While Gov. Murkowski ordered the move, Tandeske was responsible for dismantling the Fish and Wildlife Protection Division (FWP) within Public Safety, sounding the death knell for full-time wildlife law enforcement in Alaska.

I've written about this problem for years, starting before the FWP was dismantled. If you have followed this issue, both the Board of Fisheries and Board of Game have heard repeated complaints from the public about the lack of wildlife enforcement over the past couple of years. Several articles in the Anchorage paper have documented these concerns.

The upper levels of public safety have displayed a decided ignorance of wildlife enforcement issues and requirements. I hope Gov. Palin appoints a commissioner who has a better grasp of these topics.

In case you're wondering, I voted for Sarah in both the primary and the general elections. But then, I voted for Frank last time around and look what happened. I hope Gov. Palin does what she has said she would and understands that listening to her constituents might be the most important thing she can do.

Howard Delo is a retired Alaska Department of Fish and Game fisheries biologist.