While Alaska’s governor was unveiling his budget proposal on Dec. 9, the state Boards of Fisheries and Game were grappling with how to accommodate future budget cuts.
The board support component of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game faces a budget shortfall this year, and is looking for ways to make the additional cuts that are expected in the years to come. A joint committee that included members from each board met in Anchorage, to consider how to reduce spending on the process for developing fish and game regulations. The board took no action, and had little discussion, mostly listening to testimony from more than a dozen members of the public.
The options that have been floated so far include changing how often the board looks at each issue, asking those proposing changes to the fishery to pay a fee or otherwise changing the proposal process, and reducing expenses at each meeting.
The bottom-line at the half-day meeting?
Whatever has to be done, Alaskans appreciate the public process those boards afford them, and don’t want that compromised.
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