Thank you for your support and your participation during this historic 2017 legislative session. A lot of important decisions were made on behalf of our state. Some of these decisions I can take pride in because I cast a vote, or helped push the bill that I knew would have a positive impact for my constituents – and all Alaskans.
Juneau – Today, the Alaska House of Representatives approved legislation to prohibit wolf hunting and trapping in two areas adjacent to Denali National Park and Preserve. House Bill 105, sponsored by Representative Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage), seeks to ensure healthy wolf populations so that park visitors can see wolves in the wild.
Juneau – Representative Bryce Edgmon (D-Dillingham) has released the following statement in response to the settlement of a lawsuit between the Environmental Protection Agency and the developer of the proposed Pebble Mine. The settlement forces the EPA to back off from its finding under the Clean Water act that a mine would do severe damage to the Bristol Bay watershed, fish, and wildlife. The settlement also sets a deadline for the Pebble Limited Partnership to apply for permits to develop a large gold, copper, and molybdenum mine on state owned land north of Lake Iliamna in the Bristol Bay region.
Juneau – Today, the Alaska House of Representatives passed legislation adding an additional restriction on nonresident hunters in an effort to protect arctic caribou herds. House Bill 211, sponsored by Representative Dean Westlake (D-Kiana), requires nonresident hunters, without a second degree of kin in Alaska, to be accompanied by a licensed professional hunting guide when hunting caribou from the Western Arctic, Porcupine, or Central Arctic Caribou Herds.
Juneau – Legislation advanced out of the House Resources Committee today to allow municipalities in Alaska to establish their own rules to control trapping. House Bill 201, sponsored by Representative Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage), limits municipal regulations to the limited purpose of preventing injuries to people and domestic animals.
Juneau – Earlier today, Representative Dean Westlake (D-Kiana) introduced House Bill 211 to further protect one of Alaska’s most vital resources. HB 211 requires nonresident hunters, without a second degree of kin, to be accompanied by a licensed professional hunting guide in order to take a caribou from any of the Western Arctic, Porcupine, or Central Arctic Caribou Herds.
Juneau – On Friday, legislation to change the makeup of the Alaska Board of Game was advanced out of the House Resources Committee. House Bill 134, sponsored by Representative Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage), amends the composition of the Board of Game to include one member whose main use of game resources is non-consumptive and who is actively engaged in wildlife conservation.
Juneau – Earlier today, legislation to protect the ability of visitors to the Denali National Park to see wolves in the wild was advanced out of the House Resources Committee. House Bill 105, sponsored by Representative Andy Josephson (D-Anchorage), seeks to create an area along the eastern border of the Denali National Park that is closed to the hunting and trapping of wolves.
