Having been a resident of Alaska for over 48 years, I have seen the residency issue come up regularly.
It seems strange to me that people who call Haines home but may have never spent a winter here find their residency in question.
If a person cannot meet the hunting subsistence standards such as where do you buy most of your groceries or gas and such, then they need to explore their lifestyle in light of being a qualified resident for subsistence purposes.
It states very clearly on the state subsistence salmon permit; Alaska residency; determination of residency (AS 1.05.415); a “resident” means a person who is physically present in Alaska with the intent to remain indefinitely and make a home here, has maintained that person’s domicile in Alaska for the 12 consecutive months immediately preceding this application for a permit.
Winterizing a home and leaving for five or six or more months each year does not seem to meet the requirement here. As such, people who do leave all winter and do not meet the normal standards for maintaining a home here present a questionable picture of compliance.
Steve Virg-In