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The AWA in early 2007 was essential to the effort to persuade the Alaska Department of Fish and Game not to open to brown bear hunting areas immediately adjoining the McNeil River State Game Refuge.
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The AWA was the catalyst in organizing an ad hoc group calling itself "Team Wolverine". Chugach State Park had been closed to wolverine trapping for approximately 30 years but was opened by the Board of Game in 2007. In March, 2009, the Board of Game reversed itself and closed Chugach State Park to wolverine trapping once again. Closure was strongly recommended by the State’s biologists, but the Board of Game made clear that they reversed themselves only because of heavy public pressure. The AWA and Team Wolverine proudly take credit for generating the public pressure. Almost all of Team Wolverine’s members are also members of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance.
- The AWA was the plaintiff in an action against the State of Alaska in regard to a State bounty program targeting wolves. The AWA prevailed in this litigation.
- The AWA was also the plaintiff in an action against the State of Alaska in regard to the use of State employees, helicopters and radio transmitting collars on alpha wolves. The State stopped the program voluntarily after the litigation was instituted.
- The AWA was an unsuccessful plaintiff in an action to halt the State’s aerial predator control program using fixed wing aircraft, private pilots, and no radio transmitting collars.
- The AWA has had booths at the Tanana Valley Fair and the State Fair. Both fairs are week long events which are attended by thousands of Alaskans. The AWA’s booths provide a variety of educational materials regarding wildlife in Alaska. In addition to these fairs, the AWA has had booths at other events including the Oceans Festival, and the "Public Market" at Thanksgiving, in Juneau.
- The AWA puts on a Fun Run in Anchorage every summer. Educational materials are provided in the sign up area, in an effort to reach out to the community.
- The AWA publishes a newsletter twice annually, called "Echoes". It contains articles regarding wildlife issues throughout Alaska.
- In the last fourteen years, the AWA has participated in five citizen ballot initiatives which have been aimed at prohibiting the killing of bears and wolves from aircraft, with snares, and using bait. In addition to those five elections, we participated in the ballot measure where the State Legislature would have amended the State Constitution so as to take away the right of citizens to use the initiative process to protect wildlife. Our record is 3-3. Most notably, we preserved the constitutional provision allowing ballot initiatives, but lost the 2008 initiative against aerial hunting. And so aerial hunting is now legal.
- The AWA notified its members of proposed legislation by the Palin administration that would have removed all requirements for science prior to opening areas to aerial predator control. That legislation died in committee in the summer of 2008, in part because AWA’s members contacted critical legislators.
- With the selection of Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate, the AWA office was besieged with inquiries from national media, as the AWA was (prior to her selection) one of the few Alaskan based organizations openly critical of Gov. Palin’s policies. Our focus, of course, was wildlife.
- The AWA monitors proposals made to modify hunting regulations throughout Alaska, on an ongoing basis. Members and the public are notified of some of these proposals, and comments are provided to the Alaska Board of Game as the BOG goes through its annual cycle of meetings on regulatory proposals. Several of our members are regulars at BOG meetings, providing testimony, and keeping tabs on the ins and outs of the process. The recent March, 2009 meeting was a disaster for wildlife, but the AWA was there, letting the BOG know that many Alaskans think of wildlife as more than meat on the table, a trophy on the wall, or a money maker for a big game hunting guide.
- We are active both as an organization, and also through our volunteer members. Many of us are frequent letter writers to our local newspapers, commenting on wildlife issues in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, the Kenai Peninsula and elsewhere. Several of our board members are active in other conservation oriented local groups. Jenny Pursell, for instance, co-founded a local organization, ‘Voices for Douglas Island Wildlife’, sits on the board of directors of ‘Friends of Admiralty Island’, is a member of the State sponsored Juneau-Douglas Fish and Game Advisory Committee, and is co-chair on the Mendenhall Refuge Citizens Advisory Group.
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