New biologist a real asset

Changes in personnel are inevitable in any organization, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is no different.

Over the last year or so, we’ve seen a new area sportfish management biologist, a new assistant area sportfish management biologist and a new statewide small game biologist move into their positions at the Palmer office. The new area wildlife management biologist has just recently moved into his position as well.

Olin Albertson began working in Palmer the end of March and sounds like he is already settling in nicely in learning his new job requirements. I spoke with Albertson earlier this week via telephone to introduce myself and learn some background about our new area manager.

Albertson graduated from Utah State University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife. In addition to the degree, he has a wide and varied working history in wildlife-related fields. Albertson has worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Utah, Wyoming and Washington state. He has spent some time with the USDA Wildlife Services Agency, again in Utah, Idaho and Washington. He comes to Alaska most recently from British Columbia, Canada, where he operated a guiding/outfitting business and worked as a wildlife management consultant.

In addition to Albertson’s professional working life, he volunteered his time as the president of a local fish and game club and sat on a regional wildlife regulation and allocation committee representing resident hunters in British Columbia.

When I asked why he moved from the private sector back into public employment, Albertson explained that the tough economy of the past several years made earning a living in the wildlife arena difficult. When dollars become short, folks tend to reduce or eliminate spending on nonessential things, including hunting and other recreational activities. That same economic dynamic is happening today here in the Valley — just ask any local sportfishing or hunting guide.

I asked Albertson what attracted him to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) specifically. He replied that the department has the reputation of using the best science available in making various management decisions and that those decisions attempt to be proactive toward solving various wildlife issues. In his professional career prior to coming to Alaska, he said he saw several resource management agencies that were unwilling, underfunded or slow to react to issues. While Albertson understands that economics, politics and other factors often influence the ability of wildlife managers to be responsive to issues, his goal is to be as proactive and responsive as possible.

Albertson also commented on the wildlife regulations process in Alaska. While still new to the Board of Game process, from what he has learned so far, Albertson said he is impressed with the open public access and personal interaction an individual can have in influencing wildlife resource regulations development in Alaska. He said in several other jurisdictions where he has worked, the public often has little input into how and what hunting regulations are implemented.

We talked about the nature of outdoors politics in Alaska and Albertson understands that, in his position as area manager, when a tough decision needs to be made, he will make the best decision he can based on the science and knowledge available. If that decision leads to criticism down the road, he’s prepared to take the heat, knowing he did the best he could with information available at the time.

Albertson also prefers to keep game regulations as simple as possible and plans to manage the game populations in his area to provide as much public hunting opportunity as possible while protecting the health and sustained yield of those populations.

On a personal note, Albertson enjoys all outdoors activities and has five boys ranging in age from 13 years to 8 months. He hunts and fishes as much as he can with his kids. He’s looking forward to watching them catch their first Alaska king salmon or harvest their first moose.

That’s great! Free-time participation in hunting or fishing by ADF&G employees help them better understand the public perspective and not just the biological factors in managing a fish or game population.

Based on this discussion, I think Olin Albertson will become a real asset to Fish and Game, and specifically to the proper management of our local wildlife resources.

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.