Critical Anchorage Advisory Council election Tuesday

By Lee Leschper

This Tuesday there are two big elections for Anchorage residents.

For local sport and subsistence fishermen, the election for open seats on the Anchorage Fish & Game Advisory Committee may be even more important than muni elections.

There are six AC positions open in this year’s election, plus two alternates. Critically, most of the candidates up for reelection identify themselves as sport fishermen.

Anchorage has the highest percentage of sport and subsistence anglers in the state. In some Anchorage legislative districts almost 45 percent of residents hold sport fishing licenses. Yet their voice is limited in AC and Board of Fish actions.

In last year’s election, all six openings were filled by candidates endorsed by and identifying as commercial fishermen. A similar result in this year’s election would solidify the AC representation for commercial and not sport fishing.

ASFA member and AC member Neil DeWitt is up for reelection. Neil is one of the most active representatives for sport fishing in the state, as a member of both the Anchorage and Mat Valley ACs. He offered this insight:

“I want to stay on the Anchorage AC because I do my very best to get BOF/BOG people to listen to my ideas. I’ve been told I have some good ideas by them. I am one of the sport and personal use fish people on the Anchorage AC.

“I also have worked to get my chair at the WACH (western artic caribou herd) working group to be listened to and respected.  My chair position is now on the technical committee. I also am on the rewrite of the WACH Management Plan. This will be done over the summer months.”a

ASFA member Grant Kopplin is also running for an open seat on the AC. Here’s a brief bio Grant provided:

“I joined the military right after high school and was stationed here in Alaska at 18. I’ve spent my entire adult life here in Alaska. I am now working for the anchorage fire department. I grew up hunting and fishing in Missouri and I’m a very avid hunter and fisherman. I’m a member of RHAK and the Alaska sport fishing association.

“One of the things I’m interested in doing is doing what we can to help influence fish and game to make proper and fair conservation rules and regulations to help Preserve fish and game for future generations. I also believe that fish and wildlife should be managed in a way that always puts the average Alaska resident first. I also want to see our Anchorage AC do more to get public involvement. It’s shocking how few residents know how the BOF and BOG process work.

“The Anchorage AC represents more people than any other AC, and our residents travel across the state to fish and hunt.

“In my opinion we need to accurately represent the concerns of our residents which I’m not sure is happening.”

The process and election is simple. You must be a resident of the Anchorage Muni and be present at 6:30 p.m. to sign in and vote.

Candidates are given a chance to speak to the group and then voters choose their six favorites. Last year commercial fishing interests circulated a list before the meeting of those candidates they considered favoring commercial fishing. All of those candidates were elected.

The meeting and election is Tuesday, April 3, 6:30 p.m. at the King Career Center in Anchorage. 2650 E Northern Lights Blvd. 

Agenda will also include discussion of BOF and Joint Board proposals. For more information on the AC, contact Frank Neumann at 529-0892.

As you’ve seen with recent attempts by the Governor to stack the Board of Fish with commercial fishing representatives, and more fishing closures especially in the MatSu Valley, it’s critical that sport fishing be represented and heard in management decisions.

Please attend, bring your fishing friends and vote. And share this message with your fishing friends and family.

If you have questions, please call Alaska Sport Fishing Association president Dustin Slinker (907-522-3474) or Lee Leschper (907-957-6025).