ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
Kenai Peninsula Delegation

SENATOR Ganv STEVENS. 
REPRESENTATIVE San/m VANCE, DIST. 31

Seaman Panza A. manner 0
BEN DIST. 29
Rat-nesrma?rtvt: Know, Dtsr. 30

 

Of?cial Business

January 23, 2019

Reed Morisky
PO Box 83707
Fairbanks, AK 99708

Dear Chairman Morisky and Members of the Alaska Board of Fisheries 

Fisheries are of extraordinary importance to all Alaskans, including those Alaskans from all user
groups on the Kcnai Peninsula. Therefore, the actions of the BOP are carefully scrutinized for
fairness and adequate public process. As we have recently heard the importance of ?rebuilding
the public trust", many Alaskans were surprised by the lack of public process diSplayed by the
Board on January IS, 2019 when the rotating location of the Upper Cook Inlet (UCI) Fin?sh
meeting was moved from the Kenai Peninsula to Anchorage.

A recent contrasting example that included adequate public notice and participation took place
on February 2"?1 20l8, when the Board published notice of their intent to revisit the 2020 
Fin?sh meeting location at their March 6-9 meeting in Anchorage. This gave the public more
than 30 days notice. Individuals submitted on-time public comments to be included in the
Board?s packet and gave in-person testimony. No such process was included in the sudden
January l8?' decision.

Last week, during the Arctic/Yukon/Kuskokwim in?sh meeting in Anchorage, Chairman
Morisky indicated that the board would again be taking up the issue of the location of the 2020
Fin?sh meeting. He made this statement on Tuesday after the public comment period had
closed, when the meeting was already underway. We are not aware of any prior public notice on
the website or elsewhere that this item was again up for consideration.

Furthermore, Kenai Peninsula elected and public of?cials were misled when they were informed
by Chair Morisky on two separate occasions that the vote on the 2020 meeting location would
not take place on that day. The Kenai Peninsula of?cials felt comfortable enough with those
emphatic statements that they left soon after the BOP break for lunch and after one last guarantee
by the Chair that the vote would not take place. The public later learned that the vote did take
place rather immediately after lunch, apparently through a decision made behind closed doors,
out of the view of the public and again, without opportunity for public testimony.

The Alaska was created to establish a public process for conserving and allocating ?sheries
resources for all user groups. The function of public notice helps us ensure that members of the
public have an opportunity to comment on matters of importance to them on resources that

belong to all Alaskans. We feel that the public process was circumvented at the January l8?h
meeting.

We support Governor Dunleavy?s desire to restore the people?s trust in government. The Alaska
has a responsibility to ensure that of?cial actions are beyond reproach. Although we do not
demand a particular ?nal result, the legislative representatives of the people of the Kenai
Peninsula request that you rescind your action to move the 2020 UCI Fin?sh meeting to
Anchorage, which would allow for adequate notice to revisit the issue in a process that includes
full and appropriate public participation.

Sincerely,

 

 

?Gary Stevens
a. 7? th-f-J

Repr sentati've Sarah Vance

 

Representative Ziary Knopf? 5

Ce:

The Honorable Governor Mike Dunleavy
John Jensen

Orville Huntington

Alan Cain

Israel Payton

Robert Ruffner

Fritz Johnson

Glenn Haight