Alaska Board of Fisheries to Meet in Homer, November 30–December 3, 2016 on Lower Cook Inlet Finfish
— ADF&G Press Release

Sam Cotten, Commissioner
P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, Alaska 99811-5526


Press Release: November 2, 2016

Contact: Glenn Haight, (907) 465-6095

Alaska Board of Fisheries to Meet in Homer, November 30–December 3, 2016 on Lower Cook Inlet Finfish

The Alaska Board of Fisheries (board) will meet November 30–December 3, 2016, at the Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center, 95 Sterling Highway, Homer, Alaska. During this four-day public meeting, the board will meet to consider 47 proposals regarding Lower Cook Inlet finfish submitted by the general public, fishing organizations, local Fish and Game Advisory Committees, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

In addition to submitting written public comments, the board invites the public to give oral public testimony during the meeting beginning November 30. Any person intending to testify must sign up at the meeting site. The tentative deadline for signing up is 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 30. Public testimony will continue until members of the public who signed up before the deadline and are present have been given an opportunity to testify.

All portions of the meeting are open to the public and a live audio stream is intended to be available on the board's website at www.boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov. Documents submitted to the board are intended to be posted online throughout the meeting. Copies of advanced meeting materials, including the agenda and roadmap, are available from Boards Support Section, 907-465-4110, or online at: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.meetinginfo.

The board encourages the public to submit written comments on specific proposals. See http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=process.comments for details on public comment. Public comments submitted by November 15 will be included in the board's workbook before the meeting. After November 15, written public comments are limited to 10 single-sided or 5 double-sided pages in length from any one individual or group. These comments are recorded as record copies and inserted in board member workbooks at the beginning of the meeting, and accepted throughout the board meeting.

During the meeting, written public comments from any one individual or group may be submitted by hand delivery at any time if 22 copies are provided. Once proposal deliberations begin, the board will ONLY accept written public comments not more than five single-sided pages, or the equivalent double-sided pages. The board may relax this requirement if specific information is requested by the board requiring more pages than allowed under this standard.

As a practical matter, comments submitted after the board begins deliberations on relevant proposals are likely to receive less consideration than comments submitted earlier. Individuals not in attendance can submit written comments by fax to (907) 465-6094.

SPECIAL MEETING: The board's committees on Habitat and Legislation are meeting jointly starting at 6:00 p.m. November 29, at the Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center, to review a non-regulatory proposal seeking the board recommend the Legislature enact portions of the board's Sustainable Salmon Fisheries Policy (5 AAC 39.222) in Alaska Statute 16 for use in issuing habitat permits. The joint committee is providing a limited testimony opportunity at the beginning of the meeting. Those wishing to provide testimony must sign up by 6:15 p.m. the evening of the meeting. The committees may limit the length of testimony depending on the number of people wishing to testify. The committees request testimony be succinct and address issues germane to the purpose of the meeting. In particular, the committees would like to hear:

  • What elements of the Sustainable Salmon Fisheries Policies should be put into Title 16 to guide habitat permitting?
  • What situations have arisen in the past through the state's permitting system that harmed salmon habitat?
  • Short of seeking legislative change, what other changes could be made to remedy this request?