The rule changes, which were adopted in September 2016, expanded the definition of predator control so that state hunting management decisions (season dates, bag limits, methods of take, etc.) fell within the expanded definition and under federal jurisdiction on refuge property. This overreaching federal action banned the most reasonable and restrained means of controlling wolf, black bear and grizzly bear populations. Controlling these apex predator populations is necessary to maintain sustainable populations of prey species such as caribou, moose and other ungulates, as well as the overall balance of the ecosystem. The changes handcuffed wildlife biologists and land managers, and usurped Alaska’s right to manage game species in accordance with state goals and traditions.
H.J. Res 69, introduced by Alaska’s Rep. Don Young, passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 225 to 193 and passed the Senate by a vote of 52-47, shepherded by Alaska’s U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski. The passage means that Alaska refuge administrators and biologists can once again manage wildlife unencumbered by federal bureaucracy and animal-rights-backed dogma.
