The Upper Lynn Canal Fish and Game Advisory Committee met recently to fill six open seats, in Haines, Skagway, and Klukwan as well as two undesignated ones.
The advisory committee is a group of community members who meet a few times a year on fish and game management issues.
After elections, the committee spent much of the meeting strategizing on how to push back against Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s plan to get rid of the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Advisory Council.
It sent a letter to the lawmakers set to hear public testimony on the impact of Dunleavy’s plan. Dunleavy’s order eliminating the advisory council will become law in early March unless a joint legislative session meets and overturns it before then.
“It’s removing local control over a, a group of people that are working together, a broad range of people working together to discover, talk about, and have input in what goes on at the Bald Eagle Preserve,” said Tim McDonough, who led the meeting.
Under Dunleavy’s order, the eagle preserve council’s responsibilities would be shifted over to the Department of Natural Resources and the Division of Parks.
Kathleen Menke told the group it should consider how state parks in the Haines area are being managed for clues in understanding how well the governor’s proposal would work.
“We haven’t had a ranger here for several years,” Menke said. “We don’t have restrooms at Mosquito Lake, we don’t have maintenance on the Chilkat State Park Road…so, state parks has a real poor track record right now for efficiency.”
The group elected the following members to the 15-member board:
- Kip Kermoian – Haines Seat
- Ryan Cook – Haines Seat
- Teresa Katzeek – Klukwan
- Adam Smith – Skagway Seat
- Marvin Willard – undesignated seat
- Kathleen Menke – undesignated seat