00CS FOR SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 24(RES)                                                                         
01 Relating to a division of game in the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and                                            
02 to management of game.                                                                                                  
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04  WHEREAS, under Governor Steve Cowper, the name of the Alaska Department of                                             
05 Fish and Game, division of game, was changed to the division of wildlife conservation on                                
06 January 1, 1989; and                                                                                                    
07  WHEREAS, during the seven years under the new name, the primary mission of the                                         
08 division, to manage the vast game resources of Alaska, has been significantly redirected                                
09 toward nongame, nonconsumptive uses and users; and                                                                      
10  WHEREAS the change of the name of the division appears to also have changed the                                        
11 focus of the division from management goals reflective of the taxes, license fees, and                                  
12 matching federal dollars provided by consumptive users of game resources to management                                  
13 goals based on public opinion and unscientific data; and                                                                
14  WHEREAS significant amounts of federal and state fish and game funds have been                                         

01 used for purposes other than those purposes statutorily mandated to benefit those hunters and                           
02 sportsmen whose license fees and equipment taxes provide funding for the division;                                      
03  BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature finds that the number of actions                                      
04 by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to manage people, instead of game, by reducing                                
05 harvests, implementing onerous methods and means regulations, and restricting access to                                 
06 game, should be kept at the lowest possible levels; and be it                                                           
07  FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature finds that the game                                                 
08 resources of Alaska have the potential to be a truly growing "permanent fund," capable of                               
09 providing the highest harvestable and viewing benefits to all Alaskans; and be it                                       
10  FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature finds that if the Department                                        
11 of Fish and Game desires to provide viewing opportunities and other nonconsumptive uses of                              
12 resources, that those uses compete with other department programs for general fund money                                
13 and not siphon federal and state fish and game funds provided by hunters and sportsmen; and                             
14 be it                                                                                                                   
15  FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urgently requests Governor                                          
16 Knowles to reestablish the division of game within the Alaska Department of Fish and Game                               
17 and to reaffirm the division's primary mission to manage the game resources of the state to                             
18 achieve and maintain high sustainable levels of game for all Alaskans.