Wayne Heimer, retired from the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, made interesting arguments against former Gov. Tony Knowles concerning wildlife issues.
He argued that management itself, by definition, is “intervening … to produce a predetermined outcome,” a desired or predefined outcome. In his view, that means “to maximize sustainable use of ecosystems to benefit humans, primarily for food.” He contends that other people like Knowles support “perpetual custodial preservation of ecosystems where man does not intervene” with nature, apparently in any way. Undoubtedly, both ends of the spectrum exist, and compromise is necessary.
He is right, in a sense, to state that, “Nature is neither warm nor fuzzy,” at least not always to other species; it is a hungry world, after all. Amongst each other, nature certainly can be warm and fuzzy; ask any mother bear, fox or wolf – except perhaps when salmon enter the equation. But Heimer drifted from reality when he claimed that the Board of Game exists to “prevent dictatorial management by the government’s executive branch” or by central government and “to make sure the public has a voice in harvest regulations.” It seems odd that he believes that things can’t change by “changing the Game Board to include more folks with a flexible definition of management. It isn’t that easy.”
When all members of the Board of Game are pro-consumptive use of wildlife and regularly vote in a block, unanimously against non-consumptive regulations like trapping setbacks, people should scratch their heads and wonder. Unanimity seems to be a fair indication of “dictatorial intent,” which allows no dissent within its ranks.
To say that “Today, Gov. Mike Dunleavy pointedly doesn’t dictate management policy” may be true for Alaska game management. But why would he? He dictates the membership of the Board of Game, and they just do the work for him. Alaska needs a balanced Board of Game.
— Ken Green
Cooper Landing
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