MANAGEMENT OF ALASKA'S WILDLIFE 



Fish and wildlife have always 

 been and will continue to be very 

 important in Alaska. These re- 

 sources, offering employment and 

 enjoyment to thousands, must be 

 protected and managed carefully. 



The Alaska Game Law was 

 enacted by Congress in 1925, for 

 managing Alaska's wildlife re- 

 sources. Under this law, as 

 amended, the Secretary of the In- 

 terior appoints an Alaska game 

 commission of five members. Four 

 of the members — one from each ju- 

 dicial district — must be represen- 

 tative residents of Alaska, not 

 employed by the Federal Govern- 

 ment. The fifth member is the Re- 

 gional Director in Alaska of the 

 Fish and Wildlife Service, and is 

 Executive Officer of the Commis- 

 sion. 



Upon consultation with or rec- 

 ommendation from the Commis- 

 sion, the Secretary of the Interior 

 may issue regulations governing the 

 taking, possessing, and transport- 

 ing of game animals, fur animals, 

 game birds, and game fishes in 

 Alaska. The Commission meets 

 annually to propose hunting sea- 

 sons, bag limits, game and fur dis- 

 tricts, and wildlife sanctuaries, to 

 plan regulatory work to be carried 

 out under the Executive Officer, 

 and to recommend action on such 



matters as restocking game lands, 

 introducing new species, control- 

 ling predators, and research. Gen- 

 eral administration and enforce- 

 ment of the Alaska Game Law is 

 largely the responsibility of the 

 Fish and Wildlife Service, 



This administrative arrange- 

 ment has been satisfactory, and the 

 untiring efforts of the Alaska Game 

 Commission have helped bring 

 about a wholesome respect for the 

 game laws and widespread cooper- 

 ation in law enforcement from the 

 residents. 



Fifteen national wildlife refuges 

 in Alaska provide special protection 

 for sea otter, bear, moose, sea birds, 

 and waterfowl. Some of the more 

 famous include the Aleutian Is- 

 lands National Wildlife Refuge, 

 the Kodiak National Wildlife Re- 

 fuge, and the Kenai National Wild- 

 life Refuge. Refuges for ducks and 

 geese are being established at Cold 

 Bay and on the Yukon Delta, sup- 

 ply sources for the Pacific flyway. 



Besides the national wildlife 

 refuges, a number of local areas are 

 closed to hunting or trapping. 

 Tliese closures provide a flexible 

 means of management where hunt- 

 ing or trapping pressure has be- 

 come too heavy or where a species 

 requires special protection. Alaska 

 game regulations for the current 



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