At the Annual Meeting, Peggy Merritt took over as President after a year as President-Elect, and last year's Vice President, Buck Bryant, became the new President-Elect. Dana Schmidt is now the Chapter's First Past President. In this year's elections, Cindy Hartmann was elected Vice President and Allen Bingham was elected Secretary-Treasurer. Congratulations!
Also, many thanks to outgoing Secretary-Treasurer Brenda Wright for all her hard work the past year.
It is -20 F outside, and snow is piled high. For most of us, field work slows down considerably in Alaska during winter. However, controversies related to aquatic resource management broil on, regardless of weather or season.
In one such controversy, the Chapter was brought into the arena because our name was alluded to during a presentation on logging spruce beetle-infested forests. First, the EXCOM took quick action to inform all involved that the Chapter had not lent support to widespread logging of beetle-infested forests. Second, the EXCOM directed the Environmental Concerns Committee to research the issue, and together we drafted a news release which is reprinted in this Oncorhynchus. Basically, the Alaska Society of American Foresters is seeking legislative approval for subsidized logging ($50 million to $100 million annually) by declaring an environmental emergency. The Chapter's position statement was sent to various newspapers, federal and state agency heads, and Alaska House and Senate leaders. The news release seeks to countermand assertions that an environmental emergency, in terms of aquatic resources, currently exists in beetle-infested forests of Alaska. The proposed remedy, widespread timber removal, could present greater risks to fish than the beetles.
As you may remember, AFS in general, and the Alaska Chapter in particular, agreed to support the Sustainable Fisheries Foundation. The Alaska Chapter is listed as a participant in developing a sustainable fisheries strategy for the Pacific Northwest. A draft report by the Sustainable Fisheries Foundation, "Towards Sustainable Fisheries: Building a Cooperative Strategy for Balancing the Conservation and Use of West Coast Salmon and Steelhead Populations," recently became available, and I am reviewing it. I am working with the Commissioner's Office of ADF&G and have solicited comments from other Alaskans who attended the Sustainable Fisheries Conference last April. While the draft strategy is a good start, we have some concerns about the draft report, including the omission of differing opinions; not all workgroup participants agreed with issues raised or proposed solutions. It would be inaccurate to allude to a consensus at this point. I will continue to work with the EXCOM, meeting participants, and Foundation organizers in reviewing and commenting on the draft strategy, and will keep members posted regarding the outcome. The bottom line is that AFS will not support a misrepresentation of the facts. [ed. note: letter available as news item on this web site.]
Alaska Sea Grant has approached the Chapter about co-sponsoring a symposium in 1998. The EXCOM believes, and members at the business meeting concurred, that this is a good opportunity to collaborate with professionals in related fields of interest and to acquire assistance in publishing proceedings in a timely manner. The topic is open to suggestions. If you would like to suggest a symposium topic, please contact me. A running list of topics will be posted on the Chapter's internet Home Page. Vote for your favorite! [ed. note: page to be developed when we receive some suggestions to post. Send suggestions to this site at fishak@alaska.net or to Peggy Merritt at Pmerritt@fishgame.state.ak.us]
The Princess Hotel offered good food and warm hospitality to 112 registrants at the Chapter's 1996 Annual Meeting in Fairbanks.
David Policansky from the National Research Council set the stage for the meeting theme, "Interrelating Biology, Socioeconomics and Politics to Manage Alaska's Fisheries" in the plenary session with his keynote address. He offered some thought-provoking comments about how important it is to combine various sources of information to achieve the "best" solution to fishery management problems.
In the Optimization Methods session, guest speaker Gil Sylvia gave a dynamic slide presentation on approaches he has used to combine economic, biological, and political information. Tom Kron gets the "Never Give Up Award"--despite raging snowstorms and flight delays, he and Dan Senecal-Albrecht showed up in the nick of time for the Yukon River session. I especially enjoyed meeting the Canadian speakers and appreciate the effort they made in participating in the Yukon River session. Speakers in the Fishery Values session repeatedly pointed out the relationships between management and economics, especially our guest Gordon Gislason, who found that the late arrival of regulation books contributed to a loss of over $100 million and 2,000 seasonal jobs in a portion of B.C. Bryan Hebden started the North Pacific International Fisheries Session with the Canada stocks-at-risk analog to the Alaska stocks-at-risk report. Speakers Dan Bottom, Ole Mathisen, and our special guest scientist from Russia, Vladimir Radchenko, gave talks which were related and fit really well together. I had no idea they were in communication with each other. Small ocean!
Many fine papers were presented in the Watershed Management session. I especially enjoyed the gripping tale about the Red Dog Mine as told by Fred DeCicco and Phyllis Weber-Scannell. Their joint presentation format was interesting. Cooperative studies don't have to be a chore, if you follow the advice offered by Roger Harding and Mark Laker, given in the session about Multi-Agency Issues and Solutions. John Burr's wake up call about jurisdictional changes was timely. Contributed presentations were well done, and the speakers were obviously enthused about their subjects.
There was enthusiastic participation and good attendance at the four workgroup sessions: Aquatic Education, Sheefish Research and Management, Chum Salmon Ecology, and Age-Structured Stock Assessment Models. Several of the workgroups are preparing a summary of presentations and dialogue. If you were unable to attend and would like a copy of workgroup minutes, contact the hosts.
I would like to thank all the session Chairs and workgroup hosts for their help in organizing a great meeting. Special thanks to Lou Carufel for orchestrating the door prizes, Klaus Wuttig for overseeing student helpers, Lisa Stuby for finding our banquet entertainment, and Sue Hayes and other members of the Awards Committee. Finally, thanks to all of you who participated in and attended the meeting!
Abstracts of presentations and posters are available on the Chapter's Home Page [ed. note: yet to come, agenda is available]. You can also find there notes from the workshops on sheefish management and age-structured assessment [ed. note: yet to come] models. Video copies of the sessions can be ordered from the Student Unit.
It's 1997 already, and it's time to start planning for the next
Chapter Annual Meeting to be held in Juneau on November 18-21,
1997. The theme will be "From the Mountains to the Sea:
Linked Ecosystems." Now is the time to think about special
sessions, symposium, or workshops you would like to see at the
1997 meeting. Member volunteers are especially needed to serve
on the Local Arrangements Committee. Please contact M. D. Bryant,
PNW Research, 2770 Sherwood Ln. 2A, Juneau 99801 or by e-mail
at mbryant@ptialaska.net
with ideas for the meeting or
if you would like to work on local arrangements.
The 1997 Restoration Workshop, open to the public, will be held at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage on January 23-25. This is the annual seminar at which scientists review 1996 work and help shape future restoration projects.
The parks bill signed by President Clinton will allow the Trustee Council to proceed with a plan to purchase 3,254 acres of fish and wildlife habitat in the Kenai River Drainage, including about 4 miles of Kenai River shoreline. Negotiations continue on several fronts to provide long-term protection of large tracts of habitat in the spill area.
The Restoration Update, published bimonthly by the Trustee Council, can be obtained by calling (800) 283-7745 (in Alaska) or (800) 283-7745 (outside Alaska).
As a Chapter, we achieve our goals primarily through two means: education and advocacy. For a volunteer organization, I think we can be proud of what we have accomplished in these areas. Now that our goal of finishing the publication of proceedings from three symposia is about to be realized, it's time to solicit comments from members about their interest in sponsoring another symposium. While it is critical to maintain our own identity as a Chapter, I think it's also important to collaborate from time to time with related professional organizations. You get exposed to new or different ideas, meet new people, perhaps form new working partnerships, and consolidate your travel expenses and time. I'd like to pursue collaboration as a means to improve technical science.
Regarding education and advocacy, my goals as president are to: 1) continue sponsoring at least two continuing education courses a year; 2) collaborate with Sea Grant in holding a symposium with peer-reviewed proceedings; 3) set up guidelines in the Procedures Manual to assist in planning a large project such as a symposium; 4) continue to sponsor participation of a Pacific Rim guest scientist in Chapter annual meetings; 5) improve visibility of the Chapter by releasing articles to the press; 6) serve as a source of information and provide recommendations to state legislators and administrators and to congressional delegates on fisheries issues; and 7) establish a working relationship with NPIC to further causes of common interest to both chapters.
The ability of the Alaska Chapter to accomplish anything of value depends on volunteers. For example, an active ECC, composed of members of various areas of expertise, and the Past President's Committee are important resources in situations requiring a quick response time. I know there are different levels of support. Even if you have zero support in your work environment to participate in AFS, there are small but important jobs you can do to help out. I encourage you to get involved in committees depending upon your interests and areas of specialty.
The Awards Committee is pleased to announce the Best Poster and Best Paper Awards from the 23rd Annual Meeting in Fairbanks. During the 3-day meeting, 32 papers and 6 posters were judged. Congratulations go to Carol Woody (USGS, Biological Resources Division) for her winning poster titled "Phenotypic and habitat-use variation between proximate sockeye salmon populations, Tustumena Lake, Alaska." The Best Student Paper Award went to Michael Daigneault (UAF) for his presentation of the paper "Health and condition of outmigrating juvenile chinook and chum salmon near the Chena River Dam, Alaska." Penny Crane and Lisa Sieb (ADF&G) were the recipients of the Best Paper Award for their paper "Genetic diversity patterns of chum salmon of the Yukon River." Congratulations to all award winners and to everyone who made a presentation at this meeting. It is always difficult to choose only one paper or poster to receive an award when there are so many good presentations.
Anyone interested in serving on the Awards Committee or judging papers and posters at the 1997 meeting in Juneau please contact Awards Committee Chair Suzanne Hayes at 7466334 or e-mail at SuzanneH@fishgame.state.ak.us.
Dear Editor:
The fall Oncorhynchus had an editorial by Dana Schmidt
which implied that too much money was being spent on Snake River
sockeye recovery in Idaho, while systems in Alaska "go virtually
unnoticed" and went on to state "The research dollars
expended per fish returning to the Columbia River is beginning
to be an embarrassment to the profession." Schmidt suggested
that "Sooner or later politicians or industry will cut their
losses and redistribute funding to those parts of the budget that
will correlate with economic or quality of life improvements and
align themselves with the economic or political benefits that
follow."
I hope that members of the Alaska Chapter would carefully consider their words before making such statements. The return of one female sockeye to Redfish Lake this year attests to the adaptability of these remarkable fish despite overwhelming mismanagement of their migration corridor. Over 100 adult sockeye were planted into Redfish Lake this year--offspring of the eight sockeye that returned 3 years ago reared in the captive broodstock program. It's estimated that 30,000 smolts left Redfish and Pettit Lakes in 1996, which should translate to 30-60 adults returning in 1998. These salmon stocks can recover if the Snake/Columbia River system is managed to enhance juvenile downstream migration. Money doesn't need to stop flowing to Snake River sockeye, it merely needs to be directed properly to improve river management. Investing in these fragile stocks is better than losing this important resource for all time.
Governor Knowles delivered a strong message to politicians this year by having the state join in a lawsuit to improve management of the Snake and Columbia Rivers on behalf of these salmon stocks. I hope that the Chapter will actively support recovery of all salmon stocks--whether there be one fish or many left, and whether the stocks originate in Alaska or elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest.
The loss of Snake and Columbia River salmon affects Alaska fisheries
as more fishing occurs in Alaska waters because fish are disappearing
down South. It is important to protect and enhance Alaska fisheries,
but we should consider the whole picture, and support salmon recovery
on a broad regional level as well. As fisheries professionals,
we do ourselves no service if we write off salmon stocks because
they are beyond our borders or their numbers are small.
Kathleen Menke
Former Co-Chair of the Idaho Chapter Anadromous Fisheries Committee,
now living in Haines.
Letters Policy:
As writing this is my last official task at 10 pm before getting on the plane to Australia in the morning at 5 am, I marvel at my ability to procrastinate to the last minute. As much as I'm looking forward to the Tasmanian summer, I'll probably never get used to the abundance Alaska seas provide us each year and the privilege it has been to work the past 16 years of my life as a fisheries professional in Alaska. The past 3 years of working with other members of the EXCOM and the rest of the Chapter members has been extremely rewarding.
I would particularly like to thank two of the outstanding Chairs, Rod Simmons of our Environmental Concerns Committee, and Judy Gordon of the Cultural Diversity Committee. They are stepping down after many years of contributing to the Chapter as committee Chairs. Their contributions will help sustain the Chapter far into the future. There are many others who continue to contribute as committee Chairs and members of our 17 active committees. Please volunteer to help them out by contacting your new President, Peggy Merritt, and volunteering your support.
I've been given a lot of complements over the past few months, and I would like to thank all of you for your kindness. This profession has been very kind to me in Alaska, and serving as Chapter President has been an honor. Whatever has been accomplished, however, has not been due to me, but to the Chairs and members of the 17 committees, the Program Chairs at the meetings, and the many who have taken the time to give presentations and posters, and who have prepared publications of their work to share with the rest of us. Because of you, we all do our jobs a little better. I find that's what makes these fisheries jobs so rewarding, and working with all of you so much fun. Have a Happy New Year!
On October 11, 1996, President Clinton signed the reauthorization of the Magnuson Fishery Management and Conservation Act, now known as the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act. The Act contains important new provisions regarding "Essential Fish Habitat" (EFH) which it defines as "those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity." The Act authorizes and requires significant actions by federal agencies and regional Fishery Management Councils. For example, it requires that the Council's Fishery Management Plans minimize adverse effects on EFH caused by fishing, and identify other actions to encourage the conservation and enhancement of such habitat.
By April 1997, NMFS must establish guidelines to assist the Councils in identifying and describing EFH (including adverse impacts on EFH) and in considering actions to conserve and enhance EFH. The first Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) soliciting comments on the draft guidelines was issued on November 8, and the comment period ended December 9. Publication of the second ANPR is expected on December 24, with a comment period until February 7, 1997. The target date for publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register is March 3, 1997, with another comment period until April 2. The final rule is expected to be published April 11, 1997. You can get further information and make comments on the guidelines by calling NMFS in Juneau at 586-7235 or NMFS Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD, at (301)713-2325.
AFS 2000, a 5-year campaign to raise $1.25 million for the Publication Endowment Fund, electronic needs, and office space, has raised 40% of the $350,000 membership goal. To date, the Alaska Chapter has 26 pledges for a total of $3,430 or 47% of the Chapter goal. The funds generated from AFS 2000 will benefit you and all Chapter members. Thanks to those who have already contributed! I invite others to contribute to this success and to make the Alaska Chapter the first to reach its goal.
For more information and to join our Chapter's team effort, please call John Thedinga, the AFS 2000 Alaska Chapter Representative, at 789-6025 or e-mail John.Thedinga@noaa.gov.
News Release December 10, 1996
The Alaska Chapter of the American Fisheries Society is comprised of over 450 scientists, managers, educators, and business people dedicated to the conservation and wise use of aquatic resources. The Alaska Chapter relies on the expertise and diversity of its membership to provide impartial review of actions that will potentially affect Alaska's fishery resources.
The Alaska Chapter reviewed information provided by the Alaska Society of American Foresters concerning the spruce bark beetle infestation in Alaska forests, particularly in Southcentral Alaska. Although the infestation is extensive, we find no evidence of an impending environmental emergency with regard to fisheries and fish habitat. In addition, we are aware of no credible scientific literature that documents negative impacts of spruce bark beetle infestations on fisheries or fish habitat. On the contrary, historical data indicate that forests in Southcentral Alaska are subject to periodic, natural perturbations, such as beetle infestations. These infestations have apparently occurred on a 30-40 year cycle dating back at least 200 years.
The impacts of forest logging activities are of greater concern. Wide-scale timber removal is a high risk activity with regard to fishery resources. Watersheds that are crucial to the sport, subsistence, and commercial fisheries of Southcentral Alaska are proposed for wide-scale logging. These watersheds support both resident and anadromous fish populations. Natural deadfall is critical to the riparian-forest ecosystem, and large woody debris is important in maintaining stream stability and production. Activities such as road construction, riparian vegetation disturbances, stream crossing construction, and soil destabilization can significantly impact stream production. The lack of adequate field monitoring and the risk of major surface disturbances due to wide-scale timber removal increase the risk of habitat loss and long-term damage to the riparian ecosystems. It is imperative that sustainable forest management techniques be followed to ensure the health of fisheries production in Southcentral Alaska. The key for aquatic production is sustainability, both in terms of streambank stability and the periodic availability of large woody debris.
The Alaska Chapter urges that the economic, social, biological, and cultural values of the fisheries within Southcentral Alaska be weighed against the long-term impacts of wide-scale logging. Any logging activities should initially be small in scale with extensive monitoring of ecological costs and benefits. The Alaska Chapter of the American Fisheries Society remains concerned about the potential for long-term damage to the fishery resource values as a result of wide-scale logging and reforestation activities.
For further information contact Peggy Merritt, President, Alaska Chapter, American Fisheries Society, 1300 College Rd, Fairbanks Alaska 99701. Phone (907)459-7296, Fax (907)456-2259.
Aquatic Education
Pat Holmes, Chair
This year the committee completed reformatting our Directory of Fisheries and Aquatic Educators and placed it on the Chapter's Home Page [ed. note: to be available shortly]. This will help us with our major objective of facilitating networking for our members. The Chair received help on this project from Jeff Adams (USFWS) and Dana Schmidt.
Our other project for the year was "Alaskanizing" the
British Columbia "Salmon in the Classroom" Intermediate
Curriculum. This project is being led by Fritz Kraus (ADF&G).
Fritz has been using AFS and ADF&G staff to work on redrafting
this exciting fisheries education curriculum. He projects that
it will be completed next year.
Arctic Fish Symposium
Alex Wertheimer, Chair
The Proceedings of the Symposium on Fish Ecology in Arctic North America held in 1992 at the UAF campus in Fairbanks will be published in late 1996 as Number 19 in the AFS Symposium Series, thanks to the persistence of editor Jim Reynolds and the perseverance of the contributing authors. A total of 34 manuscripts (1,028 pages) have been accepted for publication and are in final editing at the AFS editorial office. Upon publication, National AFS will bill the Chapter for $30,000 to subsidize final publication costs. The AFS Publication Office will store, sell, and distribute copies of the book. Income from the book will go first to recover any additional publication costs, and remaining income will be shared 50:50 between National AFS and the Alaska Chapter. This is the first formal published proceedings of a symposium organized and supported by the Alaska Chapter, and successfully completes the objectives of this committee.
Continuing Education
Jill Follett and Pat Hansen, Co-Chairs
Mike Millard left Alaska, and Pat Hansen took over as Co-Chair of the committee. Two courses were held this year. The first, a mark-recapture workshop co-sponsored by ADF&G, was held in February in Anchorage. Dr. Dave Bernard and Pat Hansen were the instructors, and it was attended by 28 people. The second course, Applications of Recruitment Models to Fisheries Data, was held in October and was attended by 30 people. The instructors were Drs. James Geaghan and Barry Moser of Louisiana State University. A technical writing workshop was to be held in Fairbanks but had to be canceled due to the instructor's illness. A second session of this workshop is scheduled for February 1997 in Anchorage.
Cultural Diversity
Judy Gordon, Outgoing Chair
During the past year, the Committee continued to concentrate efforts on fund raising for its travel awards. Brenda Wright, Chapter SecretaryTreasurer, has established a certificate of deposit to maintain funds until the first award is bestowed. The Western Division reviewed the Committee's request for financial assistance and approved funding of $1,000. The Chapter EXCOM approved matching funds, for a total contribution of $2,000. In addition, the Committee organized the Chapter's 1996 Annual Meeting Raffle. All after-cost proceeds from the raffle will be added to funds for travel awards. Currently, the Committee is looking for a new Chair. This person's responsibilities will include a report to the Western Division before June 19 itemizing the use of their grant.
Electronics Communications
Norma Jean Sands, Chair
This is a new committee established by our President at the last Chapter Annual Meeting. The main purpose of this committee is to maintain and keep current the Chapter web site on the Internet. This past year, the pages of the web site have been standardized to achieve cohesion and identity between pages, links have been established between relevant topics among the pages, each newsletter has been made available on our web site, and information about training courses and meetings have been posted. Soon to be done are adding the Bylaws and the Directory of Fisheries and Aquatic Educators completed by the Education Committee and reformatting the Procedures Manual to a more user-friendly electronic style. This committee is also interested in hearing what members would like to see on our web site. The web site address is http:\\www.alaska.net\~fishak\ and the email address for sending comments about and contributions to the web site is fishak@alaska.net.
Environmental Concerns
Bill Bechtol and Rod Simmons, Co-Chairs
The Environmental Concerns Committee (ECC) actively monitored the reauthorization of the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act. In March 1996, the Chapter sent a letter to the Alaska delegation generally supporting the draft definitions in S. 39 but stressing that biological issues should be the primary concern in fisheries management with an emphasis on longterm, sustainable yield. The Chapter supported the concept of harvest preferences, or other incentives, for low bycatch gears or for specific vessels within gear groups. The Act was passed unanimously by the Senate in September 1996.
The ECC helped draft an issues statement for consideration by Alaska Lt. Governor Fran Ulmer in her presentation to a sustainable fisheries meeting. The Chapter stressed considerations for the entire life history of salmon, particularly the importance of spawning and juvenile habitat to total population production.
The ECC continued to monitor reauthorizations of the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. Both reauthorizations were stalled in subcommittees, largely as a result of political battles over rights of private property owners.
The ECC monitored developments in timber legislation. Rapid legislative and agency changes made changes in both state and federal timber harvest programs difficult to follow. Recently, the ECC has worked to address the extensive existing and proposed logging of the Kenai Peninsula and other areas in Alaska in response to spruce bark beetle infestations. The Chapter is not opposed to logging but supports forest practices that do not compromise the health of aquatic resources.
The ECC continues to research conservation information on the Internet and solicit members to track environmental issues. Interested Chapter members should contact Bill Bechtol (2358191; e-mail billb@fishgame.state.ak.us).
Fish Key
Bill Wilson, Chair
The Committee continued to administer and oversee our contractor, Point Stephens Research Associates, in completing the Annotated Keys to the Fishes of Alaska. Great progress was made in 1996, and the project is on schedule. Funds spent since November 1995 are $46,200. For more information, contact Bill Wilson (562-3339) or Lyman Thorsteinson (206-220-4614).
Habitat Restoration
K Koski, Chair
All but one of the papers for the Habitat Restoration Symposium held in Girdwood in September 1994 have been edited and formatted by Point Stephens Press and are ready for printing by EPA. Printing has been delayed because a short introduction and one paper still need final editing.
International Relations
Mark Stopha, Chair
The Committee sent a letter to the Volunteer in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (VOCA) in Washington, D.C., to inform the organization of the Chapter's pool of expertise for overseas fisheries assistance. In 1996, information was publicized through Oncorhynchus and the Chapter's Home Page for overseas volunteer work through VOCA, and applications were made available. Seven responses were received, and applications were sent to each. Dan Rosenberg, a retired ADF&G fish culturist most recently at Snettisham hatchery, worked 3 weeks in Belarus in November 1995 assessing fish farming and tourist recreational fishing potential. He is now considering a stint in Egypt to provide advice and instruction on setting up an aquaculture water quality laboratory. Communication with VOCA needs improvement, as word of the Egypt position was received through the Chair's colleague in Delaware, not through the parent organization.
Current activities include a followup letter to VOCA reiterating our Chapter's available expertise and the member interest in working overseas. The Chair is also working with the AFS International Fisheries Section to coordinate worldwide email communication.
Past Presidents Committee
Charles Meacham, Chair
The Committee met for the third time at the Chapter's 1995 Annual Meeting in Wasilla. The Committee's procedures manual was completed by Bill Wilson with the help of several other past presidents. New business centered around the growing complexity of the Chapter's activities and how the Committee could be most useful. Comments were offered regarding 1) the need for a more formal audit process, since the Chapter's financial transactions had grown significantly; 2) the value to the Chapter of an editorial committee; 3) the need for a "future projects" group, with the possibility that such planning could be done by the Past Presidents Committee; 4) the value of a strong "continuing education" presence by the Chapter; and 5) offering the Committee's services to address requests from the Governor's Office and the Legislature.
The Chapter was asked by the Lieutenant Governor to suggest names of nonresidents with fishery expertise for nomination to the board of directors of the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation. The committee assisted the EXCOM with this task and hand-delivered names of five candidates to the Lieutenant Governor. Visits were made to the Senate and House Resources Committee Chairs and to the Governor's Office on behalf of the Chapter President offering Chapter help on fisheries-related issues. No requests were forthcoming.
Resolutions and Bylaws
Dennis Tol, Chair
No resolutions were submitted to the Committee during the past year. A proposal has been made to the Committee, through the Chapter President, to expand the Chapter's Secretary-Treasurer position because of an accumulation of duties beyond the abilities of one person. A couple of options have merit: 1) A second elected position could be added to work with the Secretary-Treasurer, both serving staggered 2-year terms; 2) The existing position could be split, resulting in elected positions for a Secretary and a Treasurer; and 3) An ad hoc committee of one or two could be appointed by the President to serve under and assist the Secretary-Treasurer. The first two options would require a modification of the Chapter Bylaws approved by a two-thirds majority of the membership. These options would also require the Bylaws to be modified again if the duties declined and the extra elected position was no longer needed. The third option requires no administrative adjustments.
Stocks At Risk
Alex Wertheimer, Chair
The survey of the status of salmonid stocks was an enormous undertaking in Alaska because of the immense size of the resource. Perhaps more overwhelming was the recognition that data exist for only a small percentage of the state's salmonid populations. In October 1996, the manuscript "Evaluation of Escapements of Pacific Salmon and Steelhead in Southeast Alaska" was published in Fisheries, and a summary of the article was published in the Fall Oncorhynchus. The Fisheries article was accompanied by the report from the North Pacific International Chapter, "Status of Anadromous Salmon and Trout in British Columbia and Yukon," as well as two essays on salmon management from Canadian and Alaskan perspectives.
Publication of the final report accomplishes the major objective
of this Committee. However, the Committee should remain intact
for another year to respond to enquiries about the publication
and to finish documenting data sources.
Wally Noerenburg Award
Bill Arvey, Chair
Nominations were solicited at the November 1995 Annual Meeting in Wasilla and via announcement in Oncorhynchus. Deadline for receiving nominations was July 31, 1996. No nominations were received, and therefore no candidates were put forth for consideration by the committee in 1996. Chapter president Dana Schmidt ordered the plaque for the 1995 award recipient, Ken Roberson, and it was delivered to Glenallen in September 1996. Since Ken Roberson had been away from town for some time, the plaque has not been formally delivered as of November 13, 1996.