Winter’s the time to start talking fish

WASILLA — Now’s the time for anyone wanting to have a say in local fish and game issues to speak up.

Several important meetings are planned between now and the end of January, including elections for a newly-created Susitna Valley advisory committee, elections for the existing Matanuska Valley advisory committee and a special Board of Fisheries hearing in Wasilla (see story, this page).

Susitna Valley AC

elections planned

The Susitna Valley advisory committee was created during a joint meeting of the Alaska Board of Fish and Board of Game held in October. At that meeting, the joint boards decided to add the advisory committee as a way to give better representation to community members in places like Talkeetna, Trapper Creek, Willow, Big Lake, Petersville and Sunshine. Previously, the only advisory committee in the Valley was the Matanuska Valley AC, which meets in Palmer.

The Susitna advisory committee elections will be held Friday at 7 p.m. at the Willow Community Building, and are open to all residents of the area.

Southcentral Boards Support Coordinator Sherry Wright said any Susitna Valley residents with an interest in shaping fish and game management policies are being invited to throw their hats into the ring to serve on the committee.

“Anyone from any of those communities can come and put in their names,” Wright said.

Wright said as many as 15 people will be chosen to serve on the committee, though that number isn’t set in stone. Members will be chosen by a vote of meeting attendees, then seated based on which nominees get the most votes. Following the election, she said the committee will then choose officers from among the newly-elected members.

More than 80 local advisory committees across the state — including 18 in Southcentral — are responsible for advising the Board of Fish and Board of Game on wildlife issues. The committees prepare comments and take positions, which the boards then take into consideration when deliberating on management issues at statewide meetings.

Mat Valley committee

to elect nine members

The Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee will hold its annual election meeting Dec.19 at 7 p.m. in the Wasilla High School theater.

There are nine open spots on the committee, and anyone is welcome to submit their name for election — or just visit the meeting to share an opinion or vote.

In addition to the election the committee will also be discussing proposals for the upcoming UCI meeting in Anchorage.

For more information on the meeting, contact committee chair Denny Hamann at 373-5938.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

frontiersman.com