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ALASKA YOUTH HUNTER EDUCATION CHALLENGE
The Great Land Goes National Alaska sends its first Youth Hunter Education Challenge team to the national stage Making Alaska history: Coach Melody Taylor and members of the Great Land Grizzlies, Alaska’s first team to compete at the National Youth Hunter Education Challenge. “This milestone is bigger than a single competition. It shows that Alaska…
An Open Letter to our Congressional Delegates- Impact of Sea Otters in Southeast Alaska!
Dear Congressional Delegates, Territorial Sportsmen Inc is a Juneau based sportsmen organization. We are writing to urge you to support the “Steps to Reform” regarding the Marine Mammal Protection Act, as listed here: https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/…/092325_marine_mammal_prot… We are aware that sea otters are decimating crab and shellfish populations south of Juneau and are concerned that if no…
A Major Decision Is Approaching for Alaska’s Public Lands
The Alaska Snowmachine Alliance (ASA) and the Alaska Outdoor Council (AOC)are committed to keeping Alaskans informed about issues that could permanently affectpublic access, recreation, and our trail systems. The State of Alaska, through a preliminary decision issued by the Alaska Departmentof Natural Resources (DNR), is considering the conveyance of approximately 19,950acres of State land near…
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Alaska Outdoor Council Supports Teach ‘Em Outdoors Camp
Investing in Alaska’s Future—One Young Outdoorsman at a TimeThe Alaska Outdoor Council was proud to sponsor this year’s Teach ‘Em Outdoors Camp, helping introduce Alaska’s next generation to the traditions, skills, and values that define our outdoor heritage.Throughout the camp, families and youth participated in hands-on activities including firearms safety, marksmanship, trapping education, fishing, outdoor…
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Alaska Outdoor Council announces it’s supported Candidates for the 2026 Election.
Governor Adam Crum House of Representatives Jamie Allard Mia Costello Julie Coulombe Delena Johnson Kevin McCabe Elexie Moore Jubilee Underwood Garret Nelson Steve St. Clair Mike Prax Will Stapp Bill Elam Justin Ruffridge Sarah Vance Rebecca Schwanke Harmony Tomaszewski John Boyle Senate Cathy Tilton George Rauscher Frank Tomaszewski
Continue Reading Alaska Outdoor Council announces it’s supported Candidates for the 2026 Election.
Bison Pie- A Conversation on Alaskan Wood Bison
Bison Pie Eric Anslinger- Vice President Interior I recently attended the Yukon Flats Wood Bison working group. For those unfamiliar I’ll provide a brief recap of the Wood Bison reintroduction in Alaska. Depending on who you ask there are a few different folks that claim credit for the idea of the reintroduction of Wood Bison…
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2026 Candidate Questionaire – For Gubernatorial Candidates running for office in 2026-
Candidates from all across Alaska are invited to participate in our Candidate Questionaire for 2026. The Answers will be posted publically in our quarterly newsletter with no alterations or edits. These Questionaire’s will directly influence the endorsements made by the Alaska Outdoor Council following the 2026 August 18 Primary Election. Please Send completed Questionaires by…
Stewarding Alaska starts at the Polls: Importance of Voting in 2026 for the Outdoorsmen!
Part 1 Wildlife Management In 2026, Alaska will hold an election that will dictate the leadership of the state for the next four years. This race comes at a critical time for those who hold Alaska’s wilderness and resources at a high priority in their lives. Not only from a perspective of who will make…
Peeking Behind the Curtain
Eric Anslinger- Vice President Interior Alaska As an adult on set hunter, I spent the first seven years of my relationship with theoutdoors simply entranced in natures wonders and beauty. I never paid much attention to whybag limits were what they were, why private land owners got extra tags, or what the PittmanRoberston Act was.…
Protecting Alaska’s Motorized Access: The Fight Against the Alaska Long TrailNational Scenic Trail Designation
Protecting Alaska’s Motorized Access: The Fight Against the Alaska Long TrailNational Scenic Trail Designation Spanning 500 miles from Seward to Fairbanks, the proposed Alaska Long Trail cutsthrough the heart of Alaska and across some of the few remaining state-managedpublic lands. Following a feasibility study funded through federal appropriations at therequest of Senator Lisa Murkowski, the…
Who does salmon in Alaskan waters belong and who decides how many you can harvest?
Salmon allocation in AlaskaRod Arno, Public Policy DirectorAlaska Outdoor Council Who does salmon in Alaskan waters belong and who decides howmany you can harvest?That question has driven politics in Alaska since banning fish traps was on theballot the same time as voting for Statehood back in 1956. State politicians weretired of getting trumped by the…
Continue Reading Who does salmon in Alaskan waters belong and who decides how many you can harvest?
Alaska King Salmon Extinctions
By Andy Couch I talked with Northern Cook Inlet Sport Fisheries Management Biologist, Samantha Oslund on Tuesday of this week, and she mentioned the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) king salmon regulations (by emergency order) should be publicized for Upper Cook Inlet sometime this week. In the Mat-Su Valley It sounded like…
Winter Sea Duck Hunting in Alaska
by Kyle Moffat Big game hunting. It’s largely the only kind of hunting our family has ever done. Sure, my brother and I grew up chasing squirrels and put lots of spruce grouse into a frying pan, but hunting birds with a shotgun? Nah…not really our thing. Our son, Connor, who is now 16, has…
President’s Message: Call to Action
https://alaskaoutdoorcouncil.org/memberships-donations/ A Call to Action Now is the time to act! With the current administration now is the time for our representatives in Washington to hear our voice’s. With over 60% of our state under federal control, we find ourselves at the mercy of bureaucratic decision made thousands of miles away in Washington, D.C. This…
North Pacific Salmon runs are in trouble, there is little doubt.
Rod Arno, Public Policy Director for the Alaska Outdoor Council Alaska’s ecosystem are dependent on healthy stocks of salmon returning ever year. Coastal marine mammals, pelagic and nonpelagic fish, shellfish, seabirds, some birds, coastal bears, many furbearers, stream-bed willow eating moose, insects, and Alaskans who choose to make salmon part of their food source…
Continue Reading North Pacific Salmon runs are in trouble, there is little doubt.
2024 Election Recommendations
Alaska Outdoor Council is committed to working with Government Leaders and State agencies to fulfill our mission. Part of this commitment is supporting Political Candidates who have the best interest of Alaskan’s at heart. In this regard and in alignment with Policy 5-97 the following survey is available to candidates seeking support of the council,…
Alaska Outdoor Council comments on BLM Feasibility study for AK Long Trail
The Alaska Outdoor Council represents thousands of Alaskans who because mostof our member are accessing public lands via motorized transportation are themajority user group of federally recognized trails (RS2477) in the state. Access topublic lands in Alaska is of upmost importance to Alaska Outdoor Council’smembership.The route proposed by the Alaska Trails nonprofit 501(c)(3) from Seward…
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HJR22 to Amend the State Constitution
The 33rd Legislature of the State of Alaska is considering a resolution HJR22 toput the question before voters to amend Article 8 ~Natural Resources of theConstitution of the State of Alaska to add a new section on Subsistence Use of fishand game.The stated purpose of the resolution, HJR22, is to put an end to Dual…
Land grab in Alaska Again?
Rod- Arno- Public Policy Director The current land grab in Alaska is a matter of “who” gets to manage and more importantly, allocate fish and game on federal lands/waters in Alaska, just over 60% of the state. It’s a management authority grab from the state this time. Only Alaska’s Congressional delegation can stop the takeover…
Winter 2024 Alaska Board of Game meetings
Rod Arno -Public Policy Director -Alaska Outdoor Council A bunch of Alaska is open to over 200 proposals this winter to change currenthunting/trapping regulations north of the Alaska Range, southwest to the TogiakNWR and north to the Beaufort Sea. There are spotted areas of contiguous statepublic lands scattered throughout these GMUs dominated by federal ownership.State…
Research Shows 83% of Studies on Fish hatcheries determine adverse side effects!
Hatcheries have long produced salmonids for fisheries and mitigation, though theirwidespread use is increasingly controversial because of potential impacts to wildsalmonids. We conducted a global literature search of peer-reviewed publications(1970–2021) evaluating how hatchery salmonids affected wild salmonids, developed apublicly available database, and synthesized results. Two hundred six publications metour search criteria, with 83% reporting adverse/minimally…
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Impacts of pink salmon on North Pacific ecosystems
PRESS RELEASE From diatoms to killer whales: impacts of pink salmon on North Pacific ecosystems Gregory T. Ruggerone1*, Alan M. Springer2, Gus B. van Vliet3, Brendan Connors4, James R. Irvine5, Leon D. Shaul6, Matthew R. Sloat7, and William I. Atlas7 1Natural Resources Consultants, Seattle, WA (GRuggerone@nrccorp.com) 2College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska…
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“Management Train wrecks” at Two of Mat-Su’s Largest Coho Salmon Sport Fisheries
Between my column last Friday mentioning, what should have been a peak week of coho salmon sport fishing opportunities, and when this column will appear in print on Friday August 18, 2023 shortages of coho salmon migrating past weirs on two of Mat-Su Valley’s largest coho salmon sport fisheries have led to sweeping coho salmon…
Continue Reading “Management Train wrecks” at Two of Mat-Su’s Largest Coho Salmon Sport Fisheries
Bycatch Is Killing Legendary Alaskan Fishing
Commercial trawl bycatch is decimating Alaska’s king salmon and halibut. “In a state where I can go to jail for not taking enough meat off the ribs of a moose I hunt, or I can receive a ticket for taking a king salmon out of the water if I catch one while trout fishing, Alaska’s ‘Big Trawl’…
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Hunting Coalition files Amicus Brief in U.S Supreme Court
The battle over Dual (state or federal) Wildlife Management in Alaska could be headed to the U.S. Supreme over the 2015 Kenai Rule Back in 2013 the Alaska Board of Game (BOG) exercised it’s authority to manage game on federal public lands in the Kenai Refuge. The BOG chose to increase the opportunity to harvest…
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Raise ‘Em Outdoors Children’s Camp Success!
The Raise ‘Em Outdoors Alaska Camps were a success! It’s was great to not only sponsor these camps, but partner with such a great organization! We truly look forward to being part of this program again next year and continue to watch it grow! Great job to The Hoffman Life for spear heading this experience…
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Alaska Outdoor Council Sponsors Rabbit Creek Rimfire Range Remodel
“Today, I got to visit Director of The Division of Wildlife Conservation, Eddie Grasser to pass along funds for improvements at the Rabbit Creek Rimfire Range. It is located at Rabbit Creek Shooting Park”.- Caleb Martin- Executive Director A major component of the RCSP is hunter education and training. To this end, the RCSP has…
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Political Candidate Survey and Endorsements
Alaska Outdoor Council is committed to working with Government Leaders and State agencies to fulfill our mission. Part of this commitment is supporting Political Candidates who have the best interest of Alaskan’s at heart. In this regard and in alignment with Policy 5-97 the following survey is available to candidates seeking support of the council,…
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Alaska Outdoor Council files Amicus in State of Alaska vs Federal Subsistence Board
By AOC Executive Director Caleb Martin In a continual effort to protect All Alaskans’ rights to access their natural resources, Alaska Outdoor Council has filed an Amicus Curiae Brief in the State’s case. An amicus curiae is an individual or organization who is not a party to a legal case, but who is permitted to…
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Legislation before the U.S. Congress that could affect Alaska’s outdoor folks
By AOC Executive Director Rod Arno Sealaska Lands Bill, S 730 – Sponsored by both Alaskan Senators was rumored to be headed for a senate markup this summer. If so, AOC has yet to see a copy of changes to last years’ bill. Rep. Don Young’s bill, HR 1408, was folded into an omnibus bill called…
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Land Acquisition in the State of Alaska
Attached is the link to the Federal Register proposed rule which if adopted would negate the enacted Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) by allowing the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) to transfer 44 million acres of fee simple lands to trust status in Alaska on a case-by-case basis. What does that mean…
GMU23 Non-Local Caribou Hunting Ban
The Federal Subsistence Board (FSB) bans non-local caribou hunters on all federal lands in GMU 23 for this coming hunting season. Special Action Request WSA16-01. That means: • If you grew up on the North Slope or Western Alaska and moved south you cannot go home to hunt with your family on federally owned lands…