Mat-Su Anglers Column: Writing and Submitting a Fishery Regulation Proposal

Have you ever thought how Mat-Su Valley fishing regulations could be better? Perhaps there is a specific body of water that is closed to fishing — either all year or for a specific time period that simply does not seem to make sense. Maybe you wonder, why are so many Mat-Su streams closed to bait fishing for most of the year? Or why is personal use dip netting for salmon so limited in the Mat-Su Valley, when much more liberal personal use fishing is allowed on the Kenai Peninsula and in the Copper River Basin.

Alaska has a system where every resident and nonresidents have the opportunity to propose and / or support new or different fishing and hunting regulations. Normally new regulations for specific areas of Alaska are considered once during a 3-year cycle. For Upper Cook Inlet fisheries (which includes the Mat-Su Valley) the opportunity to submit proposals is ongoing through April 10, 2023. The process starts with an individual or group filling out a Regulation Proposal Form found at this location on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) website: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=process.proposal&board=fisheries Note: this is the online fill and submit form. A form can also be filled out and faxed in, or mailed in. For more information on these additional options follow this web url: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.forms then scroll down to the Proposals section.

Filling Out the Form

The check boxes near the top of the form should be easy to fill out. Question 1 on the proposal asks for the AAC number — this can either be left blank —- or you can ask an ADF&G employee to help you identify the number.

Question 2 asks what issue you would like the board to address? And why? This is simply a place for your statement about what you would like to see change and your reason for wanting this change. I also like to consider /write how a proposal might benefit others, the community, regulations enforcement, or the state.

Question 3 asks what solution do you recommend —What would the new regulation say? When answering these questions you may find it helpful to look at what the current regulation about this issue says. In many cases you can suggest an amendment to the current regulation for example if the current regulation states: Whatever Creek is open to fishing June 1 — 5 between the house of 8a.m. and 9 a.m.daily. You can amend the regulation by inserting changes with bold underlined letters and showing portions [to be deleted with brackets]. So your solution might read: Amend the regulation as follows: Whatever Creek is open to fishing [June 1 —5 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. daily] January 1 — December 31.

If you have time to work with an ADF&G fisheries biologist, when writing your proposal, he or she can help with the regulatory language. If asked, a fisheries biologist may also offer suggestions that could make your proposal better or more likely to be adopted by the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

Remember to fill out the checkbox stating you have reviewed the form and it is correct (look for and correct Alaska stream names that may have been misspelled by your computer or other errors that may have occurred). Next fill in all the required contact information — If there are questions about your submission ADF&G may contact you. It is time to submit.

After your proposal is submitted you should receive an acknowledgement from ADF&G. The department should post your proposal on their website for public comments by fall, and it should be considered for adoption by the Alaska Board of Fisheries during their 2023 / 2024 winter Upper Cook Inlet meeting. Having a proposal adopted that benefits the public is definitely a public service — and should provide any angler with a feeling of accomplishment.