Alaska must protect its salmon runs

Fall is in the air and salmon are spawning in the creeks. The bulk of the tourists have come and gone, but the silver salmon are still surging up the Kenai River, and for the next couple of months, rainbow trout and Dolly Varden will enjoy a steady stream of salmon eggs – a nutritious meal that is integral to the notoriety of the Kenai River as a world-class freshwater sport fishery.

Every summer, people travel to Alaska to catch wild salmon and trophy resident fish – the secret to the success of Alaska's flourishing sportfishing and tourism industries. It's basic supply and demand. We are the only state left with strong salmon fisheries, and everyone wants a piece of it.

As owners of a fly shop and fishing guide service on the Kenai River, we are hyper-aware that our livelihood is tied to the river, the fish in it, and the health of both. Our business and entire community directly benefit from salmon and healthy habitat. It is our responsibility to protect the habitat necessary for the production of Alaska's most important renewable resource. It's a cost of doing business in Alaska, and it benefits everyone. In 2018, one of the ways businesses are protecting their investments in Alaska's fisheries and tourism is to support updates to fish habitat protection laws.

This November, Alaskans have the opportunity to cast a vote on Ballot Measure 1, "An act providing for protection of wild salmon and fish and wildlife habitat." Ballot Measure 1 updates Alaska's outdated fish habitat permitting laws to keep pace with the needs of development in the 21st century and allows development of Alaska's resources without sacrificing critical salmon habitat. Under the new permitting system, projects with minimal or no impact to salmon habitat will quickly be approved while projects with the potential for large impacts on salmon habitat will be thoroughly reviewed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game through science-based standards with robust public comment. The department will also collect a fee for its time associated with a permit, which provides fiscally responsible relief to a state with a stretched budget.

This effort to update Alaska's primary law protecting fish and game began in 2017 with a directive from the Board of Fish to the Alaska Legislature. The Legislature was unsuccessful in updating the law despite immense and broad support, now it is the people of Alaska's turn.

Alaskans cannot rely on federal regulators or other outside interests to ensure our salmon runs and our world-class waters remain productive. We are fortunate to have robust salmon populations in Alaska. To ensure these runs remain strong, we need a strong state permitting process for development in fish habitat that empowers Fish and Game's Habitat Division, which is our state agency that knows salmon habitat best.

Between now and Nov. 6, you will hear a lot about Ballot Measure 1. Unfortunately, most of what you hear will be from the deep-pocketed opponents using money from international developers to mislead Alaskans. One thing you won't hear from them is that Ballot Measure 1 protects the habitat salmon need to survive, while still allowing for the responsible development of Alaska's resources. Ballot Measure 1 protects 43,000 Alaskan jobs reliant on salmon, our communities and cultural traditions, and keeps Alaska resilient. When salmon thrive, Alaska prospers.

Lakeview Outfitters is proud to join the many sport fishing businesses, hundreds of local businesses, and thousands of Alaskans that support Alaska's salmon habitat, and we encourage you to vote "yes for salmon" this November.

Philip Hilbruner and Travis Dawson operate Lakeview Outfitters in Cooper Landing.

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