Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife
- Alaska Chapter -

SFW Alaska President’s Message
Summer 2010

Feds vs. State

By Ralph Seekins - President

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (“ADF&G) has been monitoring the caribou population on Unimak Island in the Aleutian Chain. Their biologists reported a drop in population from more than 1200 animals in 2002 to about 400 this year and also reported the bull/cow ratio at a dangerously low 5 bulls per 100 cows. After being made aware of the disastrous decline, the Board of Game had already closed the caribou hunting season.

ADF&G biologists didn’t have to look too hard to pinpoint the problem. They estimated the wolf population on the island had grown to about 30 animals – a number that could wipe out every caribou on the Island in just one more year. Solid evidence clearly demonstrated that these wolf packs were already killing 99.9% of the baby caribou before they could even reach 1 month of age. The decimation was so bad that immediate action was called for to protect this important herd from further slaughter and to allow it to recover. ADF&G planned to reduce the wolf population by seven animals using helicopters manned by two ADF&G biologists and four pilots. The planned reduction would take place only on the caribou calving grounds.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the managing federal agency for most of the land on the Island since it is in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Their immediate response to the state’s plan was a threat to charge any ADF&G personnel taking part in an aerial wolf control action on Refuge lands with criminal trespass. The Service said they were not convinced that aerial predator control (the most effective, efficient and humane method) is appropriate at this time given that one of the agency’s mandates is to manage for “natural diversity” – whatever that means. POPPYCOCK!!!

This is a perfect example of Federal “political intervention” in the state’s clear legal authority to manage its wildlife assets on a sound scientific basis. And, the Fed’s motivation for their foot dragging became very clear when the Service’s Assistant Regional Director in Anchorage (721 air miles from Unimak) said the control effort “could create considerable public controversy.” Studying the matter while this year’s meager calf crop is ripped apart on the calving grounds is more appealing to them than being branded as the first Federal Agency to agree in any way to predator control within a Federal enclave. Once again, we see the Feds standing in the way of totally appropriate State of Alaska management of the animals that clearly belong collectively to the people of Alaska.

Federal intervention into management of state-owned resources is totally out of bounds. And it is even more so when their intervention is merely to avoid “public controversy” rather than allowing state management to meet the nutritional needs of the families living on the island. Alaska’s political leaders should not cave in to this totally unconstitutional power grab by the Federal Government.

(Ralph Seekins is one of the Founding Board Members of SFW Alaska. He is a former Alaskan Legislator, a successful businessman from Fairbanks, and an outspoken advocate for constitutionally-based abundance management.)