FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 22, 1998

I am disappointed that the Alaska Legislature has adjourned without taking any action necessary to avoid the federal government taking responsibility for subsistence fishing in Alaska, as mandated by federal courts.

The Legislature's failure to put a curative constitutional amendment on the November ballot means that the subsistence management requirements of federal law must now be implemented by federal agencies. This will be done with regret, because the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture still strongly support the state reassuming this responsibility (the state having exercised it for nearly a decade until the state courts struck down the state program as inconsistent with the state constitution).

Three years ago the federal courts directed the United States to assume responsibility for managing subsistence fisheries in all navigable waters on and adjacent to federal conservation units and other reserved areas (national parks,

wildlife refuges, etc.) in Alaska. The Departments of the Interior and Agriculture have prepared regulations to accomplish that, but Congress put a moratorium on final regulations until December 1, 1998, in order to give the Alaska Legislature time to put a state constitutional amendment on the ballot that would allow the state to reassume managing subsistence fisheries consistent with federal law, and avoid a federal takeover.

Governor Knowles crafted a reasonable compromise package that would have included such a constitutional amendment, and the United States agreed to an extension of the moratorium if the Legislature acted to put that amendment on the November ballot. In special session yesterday, the Alaska Legislature failed to approve the amendment and adjourned.

This action leaves the U.S. no choice but to oppose any extension of the moratorium on final subsistence fishery management rules, and to move forward promptly to comply with the court order and assume subsistence fishery responsibility in and adjacent to federal conservation units.

Assuming this management authority requires appropriated funds. Secretary Glickman and I had written the Appropriation Committee chairs last month requesting $9.5 million for FY 1999 to implement the court order and the

regulations we are prepared to publish on December 1. This request takes on renewed importance following the failure of the Alaska Legislature to take necessary action.

-DOI-

 U.S. Department of the Interior