American Fisheries Society
Alaska Chapter
The Alaska Chapter of the American Fisheries Society is a professional organization of individuals interested in maintaining high standards for the fisheries profession and ensuring conservation of Alaska's fisheries. This web site is a source of current information regarding the Alaska Chapter and its activities.

The Alaska Chapter: A Concise Account of Its 25-Year History For a PDF version of this History as the Originally "Published" Brochure --- Check Here AFS25th.pdf

How the Chapter Got Its Start

In 1971, Jon Nelson, a USFW fish biologist, transferred to Kenai, Alaska, from Bismarck, North Dakota. Jon had been active in the AFS Upper Missouri River Chapter but could not continue local affiliation because there was no chapter in Alaska. In January 1972, he wrote to AFS for guidance on forming a chapter and received a prompt response from Henry Clepper, acting Executive Secretary. With directions in hand, Jon began the task of gathering support from other fisheries professionals statewide. He credits Charles H. Meacham, then Special Assistant to the USFWS Alaska Area Director, for support by granting official time and resources to the job. In July 1972, Jon sent a petition with 14 signatures (10 were required) to AFS with a request to organize; at the time, 94 AFS members resided in Alaska.

The petition was approved by the Executive Committee in September 1972 at the annual AFS meeting in Hot Springs, Arkansas. For some reason not apparent in Chapter records, the Executive committee re-approved petition at the 1973 annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. So, the organizational meeting was delayed until 1974.

On May 22-23, 1974, 21 charter members (listed below) met in Juneau, where they elected Jon Nelson as President; Jack Van Hyning, Vice President; Allen Davis, Secretary-Treasure; and Charles P. Meacham, Program Chair. Eight months later, January 8-9, 1975, 80 registrants attended the first annual meeting of the Alaska Chapter at Juneau's Baranof Hotel. Special guests included Jim Brooks, then the ADF&G Commissioner; Dr. Cameron Stevenson, then AFS President; and Senator Ted Stevens, who gave the keynote address. The Alaska Chapter was out of the gate at a hard gallop!

go to top

Charter Members

go to top

Annual Chapter Meetings

go to top

Telling Ourselves - And Others

During 1974-1980, the Chapter communicated with its members by mail, using letters, announcements, and irregular newsletters. By 1981 the Chapter and its programs were growing rapidly. The time for a regular newsletter had come.

The first issue of Oncorhynchus, the Alaska chapter newsletter, appeared in April 1981; 3 issues came out that year. Thereafter, 4 issues appeared annually without fail. Issue 1 (Winter) summarizes the annual meeting held late the previous year; 2 (Spring) and 3(Summer) cover a wide variety of matters, including initial coverage of the next annual meeting; and 4 (Fall) provides program details for the upcoming meeting.

The early years of Oncorhynchus came from efforts by Lou Carufel (editor, 1981-86), assisted by Mel Monsen and reporters Mark LaRiviere and Bob Wilbur. Production has always been ably handled by Connie Taylor at Fathom Graphics, Anchorage (formerly Fathom Publishing, Cordova). Mel Monsen and Carl Burger served as co-editors during 1986. Mel Monsen took over as editor during 1987-88. Alan Johnson holds the length-of-service record for editor (1989-1995). Mike Murphy (1995-present) has enhanced the appearance of the newsletter.

Although Oncorhynchus is now the time-proven key to communicating and recording Chapter affairs, a more recent addition has greatly enhanced our circulation: a Chapter home page (http://www.alaska.net/~fishak) includes recent newsletters and is linked to other web sites, including those of AFS and our Student Unit. Dana Schmidt was largely responsible for starting the Chapter home page; the webmaster is now Norma Jean Sands.

go to top

Student Unit

The Student Unit is a statewide organization of the Alaska Chapter whose members are also AFS student members. The Student Unit began in February 1987 as the Arctic Unit, a geographical subunit of the Chapter, composed of AFS members living north of the Alaska Range. The Arctic Unit provided a means for student involvement in AFS activities on the UAF campus. In 1990, the President of the Arctic Unit began serving as a nonvoting member of the chapter Executive committee. By 1993, the Unit By-Laws had been changed to reflect a new name - Student Unit - and a statewide membership for students only. In response, the Chapter membership approved a 1995 proposal to seat the Student Unit President as a full member of the Chapter Excom.

In addition to holding regular meetings and social events during the school year, at which fisheries professional speak on Alaskan issues, the Student Unit has undertaken several projects: logistic support at annual Chapter meetings, including video-taping of presentations; initiating a fisheries-related resolution regarding the development of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (which was eventually adopted by the Alaska Chapter and the parent Society); and submitting a successful reservation of instream flow for fish and wildlife in the Tanana River.

In 1998, a new student group was formed on the Juneau campus, expanding studen6 involvement in Chapter affairs. The Juneau group will emphasize professional development and annually alternated with the Fairbanks group in providing student representation on the Chapter Excom. Drs. Jim Reynolds (Fairbanks) and Mile Adkison (Juneau) serve as campus advisors.

go to top

Locals Making Good

Two Past Presidents of the Alaska Chapter have gone on to preside over the Western Division and AFS itself. Stan Moberly served as WD President during 1983-84 and AFS President in 1987-88. Carl Bruger was WD President during 1994-95 and will serve as AFS President during 2000-01. We done good!

go to top

Best Chapter

1993 was a proud year for the Alaska Chapter. We won the Outstanding Chapter Award in the Western Division, then went on to compete with the winners in the 3 other divisions and wind the AFS Outstanding Chapter award for that year. Considering the competition, it was truly an honor. Bill Hauser played a key role in preparing the successful application, which now resides in the /chapter archives.

go to top

Friends of Fish

It's the dedication to our aquatic resources that binds Chapter members in purpose and drives the Chapter engine of volunteerism. The committees, continuing education courses, legislative reviews, resolutions, and other activities aimed at the understanding and conservation of these resources are too numerous to describe herein. These activities are the very core of our Chapter. However, some major projects deserve mention.

During the 1990s, the Chapter grew from its meeting/newsletter model to supporting major publication projects. The symposium "Fish Ecology in Arctic North America" was held in 1992 and published in 1997. The "Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Symposium" was held in 1993 and its proceedings appeared in 1996. "Aquatic Habitat Restoration in Northern Ecosystems" was held in 1994 and is in press. The "Stocks at Risk" project was published in Fisheries in 1996. The posthumous publication of Rae Baxter's "Fishes of Alaska" has been a monumental undertaking but is near completion and will be a monumental publication.

go to top

Awards

There is no recognition like peer recognition. Awards by the Alaska Chapter to its members for their professional achievements have been important in maintaining the high standards of the American Fisheries Society.

At most annual meetings, the chapter Awards Committee has selected presentations to receive the Best Paper Award, Best Poster Award, and Best Student Paper Award. The recipients over the past 25 years are too numerous to list here, but they represent the best of science and management in Alaskan fisheries.

The Meritorious Service Award has been given since 1989 for an outstanding contribution in any area of Alaska fisheries, including research, management, education, planning, industry, and policy development. Nominations can come from any source, and nominees need not be AFS members. The contribution must be recent and not the result of many years of efforts. Recipients of the MDS include Bill Heard, Nick Dudiak, John Clark, Steve Klein, Bill Wilson, Alex Wertheimer, Fred DeCicco, and Fred Everest.

The Wally Noerenberg Award for Fisheries Excellence, the highest award of the Alaska Chapter, is bestowed as a special honor on individuals who have made outstanding, career-long contributions to science, education, or management in Alaskan fisheries. The award's namesake was best known for his work as a biologist in Prince William sound, rising to the rank of ADF&G Commissioner, then serving as consultant to the PWSAC. Wally Noerenburg received the first award posthumously in 1982. Since then, 9 others have received this recognition: Armin Koenig, Bob Armstrong, Clem Tillon, Steve Pennoyer, Jim Branson, Jim Reynolds, Ole Mathisen, Ken Roberson, and John Clark.

go to top

Membership

The Alaska Chapter started in 1974 with 21 charter members. Since then, it has grown to become one of the largest chapters in AFS. In 1997, the last official report in Oncorhynchus, the Chapter had 430 members in 5 categories: 324 active, 42 student, 51 life, 8 retired, and 5 other.

go to top

Owning Up

To anyone who suffered my errors of omission, or commission, I apologize. I'll appreciate any corrections to the historical record.

Jim Reynolds, Chapter Historian

go to top