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State wildlife officials on Friday began issuing
new wolf control permits under new regulations unanimously approved
by the Board of Game in response to concerns raised by a Superior
Court judge.
Pilots participating in this winter's five predator management
programs turned in their old permits and picked up new ones, and several
said they planned to be flying this weekend.
Last week, the Anchorage Superior Court temporarily grounded the
use of aircraft to take wolves because of technical inconsistencies
in Board regulations. The Board met in emergency session for 8 1/2
hours Wednesday to address the court's concerns.
"I appreciate the quick action taken by the Board and the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) in response to the ruling,"
said Governor Frank H. Murkowski. "I look forward to the continued
success of our scientifically based predator management programs,
most of which are only in their second year."p>
Emergency regulations authorizing resumption of the control plans
were signed Thursday by Lieutenant Governor Loren Leman and are effective
for 120 days. The Board will consider making the regulations permanent
at its next regularly scheduled meeting in Fairbanks from March 10-20.
Public testimony will be accepted.
The state originally issued permits to 157 pilots to reduce wolf
numbers in the western Interior, northeast Alaska and two areas in
Southcentral. The permitees had taken 24 wolves in the first six weeks
of the program prior to the court’s ruling.
Last week, the court said the Board and ADF&G had complied with
applicable state and federal laws, but there were conflicts in the
Board's own regulations with regard to the type of information
to be included in the predator management plans.
The original plans were written by different biologists in different
areas of the state over the span of several years so they differed
significantly. At its emergency meeting, the Board adopted a template
for all the plans, and any future ones, to follow.
"A prolonged delay would have done considerable damage to efforts
to restore depleted moose populations important to many segments of
Alaska society, "said ADF&G Commissioner McKie Campbell.
"Predator management plans typically are conducted for a minimum
of five years to allow for uncontrolled variables like weather."
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