Planned Kasilof River boat ramp may help drift boat anglers

In what could be a boon for Kenai Peninsula anglers, the state Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation will discuss plans for building a public drift boat takeout on the Kasilof River, one of the Peninsula's most popular salmon streams, next month.

The Legislature funded the project in 2011 and 2012, and two potential locations adjacent to the historic Old Kasilof Landing have been identified.

The plan calls for building a traditional boat ramp that would be limited to drift boat retrieval June 15 to Aug. 15. The Kasilof sees strong king and red salmon runs. Last year, for instance, about 240,000 reds passed through the weir at river Mile 8.

Open house meetings will lay out the history of the project and solicit opinions. The dates:

*Dec. 14 at Tustumena Elementary School in Kasilof.

*Dec. 15 in Room 102 of the Atwood Building in Anchorage.

For information call Jack Blackwell at 907-262-5581.

Fortymile caribou hunt to close

A winter hunt of the sprawling Fortymile caribou herd will close Saturday (Dec. 3) night. The registration hunt that's closing is in Game Management Units 20B and 25C — all of Zone 1 — on lands accessible from the Steese Highway and Chena Hot Springs Road.

"Fortymile caribou are abundant in Zone 1, which is expected to result in high harvest success and the … quota being reached in the first three days," Tok area biologist Jeff Gross said in a press release.

The overall winter quota is 630 caribou, with 380 coming from Zone 1. The herd is one of the biggest — and one of the healthiest — in Alaska, with more than 50,000 animals, according to Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimates.

The closure only applies to state caribou hunts. The federal hunt on federal lands is not affected. Hunters with questions about federal subsistence regulations should call 1-800-478-1456.

Ahtna tribes gain wildlife management responsibilities

U.S. Department of the Interior Deputy Secretary Michael Connor on Tuesday signed an agreement with the Ahtna Intertribal Resources Commission to coordinate natural resource management with the eight federally recognized tribes in the Ahtna region. The hoped-for outcome: a cooperative wildlife management demonstration project on federal and Ahtna Corp. lands in Southcentral.

Ahtna people are expected to assume a greater role in managing subsistence moose and caribou hunting for tribal members under the Federal Subsistence Management Program.

"As Alaska's population has grown, the Ahtna people have borne the brunt of increasing hunting pressure on their traditional lands because these areas are fairly accessible to much of the Railbelt, home to 70 percent of Alaska's population," Connor said. "This agreement is an effort to help preserve their traditional way of life, put food on the table and improve wildlife habitat and populations."

Recognizing the importance of traditional ecological knowledge and cultural practices, the agreement commits Interior to begin a process under the Federal Subsistence Board to allow the Ahtna Commission to administer subsistence caribou and moose hunts for tribal members. The Federal Subsistence Board would … also sanction joint work on wildlife management and habitat issues across federal land and the 1.5 million acres of Ahtna lands from Cantwell to Chitina.

"The ability of our people to pass down traditional knowledge and customary practices from generation to generation has allowed us to thrive for thousands of years. We are very thankful for the work of Secretary (Sally) Jewell and Deputy Secretary Connor and their staff to make sure our traditional ecological knowledge and customary and traditional management practices are heard and represented," said AITRC Board Chair Christopher Gene.

Rural Alaskans in the Ahtna region who are not tribal members will continue to hunt on federal lands under the Federal Subsistence Management Program as before and will not be affected by the agreement. Federal lands in the Ahtna region include portions of Denali National Park and Preserve, Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, and scattered Bureau of Land Management lands around the Richardson and Denali Highways.

The Ahtna Cooperative Management Demonstration Project is the first such cooperative agreement, and one that Jewell alluded to last month at the Alaska Federation of Natives conference in Fairbanks. The order encourages federal land managers to involve Native Americans in the management of fish and wildlife resources on federal lands that are part of their traditional lands.

Fliers can ski for free at Utah resort

Given the sparse snow cover so far this winter, Alaska skiers who regularly fly to Salt Lake City may benefit from an Alaska Airlines promotion — free midweek skiing and snowboarding at Snowbasin Resort. From December to April, fliers to Utah can ski for free — or just take a gondola ride — within 24 hours of landing at Salt Lake International Airport Tuesday through Thursday.

Nestled in the heart of the Wasatch Mountains, Snowbasin Resort is in Ogden, a 40-minute drive north of Salt Lake International Airport.

Snowbasin offers 3,000 skiable acres, 3,000 vertical feet, nine lifts, and open bowls. Via the Mount Allen Tram, visitors can check out the 2002 Winter Olympic Games sites of the men's and women's downhill as well as the Super G start.

Renovation to Skagway’s Gold Rush Historical Park debuts

After spending nearly $1 million, a new gold rush exhibit will debut 6 p.m. Friday (Dec. 2) at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Skagway.

The new exhibits at the visitor center and museum will feature interactive and accessible exhibits. Visitors can smell sourdough and eulachon oil, step into a muddy boot print, "raft" down the Yukon River, and spin a game-show style wheel to see if they strike it rich…or die.

"It's been a long process and we're really proud of the final result," says education specialist Jason Verhaeghe of the park service. "These exhibits tell the story of the gold rush by following five real characters, helping visitors feel like they're on a journey themselves."

Much of the work was done by a Portland company called Formations Inc.

Large graphics convey the main concepts and emotions of the gold rush even to visitors who don't read English fluently.

Admission to the visitor center and museum are free. In winter, the museum is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, but closed on federal holidays. The visitor center is closed for winter and will re-open for the 2017 summer season.

Sandhill cranes’ long trek to Mat-Su

The conservation group, Alaskans for Palmer Hay Flats, will host its first winter banquet 6 p.m. Dec. 3 at Settlers Bay Lodge. Biologist Tom Rothe will talk on the hay flats' sandhill cranes, birds that make an annual trek between the Mat-Su and Modesto, California.

There will be a prime rib dinner and door prizes, including Alaska Railroad tickets to Seward, a flightseeing trip for three, a waterfowl hunting package and a guided fishing trip.

Tickets are $60 for individuals, $110 a couple. Details, 907-357-8711.