Relief for Fall flooding along the Yukon
Anonymous Bloggers first reported of the flooding which occurred in the village of Nunam Iqua...adding just one more challenge to a group of people who ALREADY wondered how they will eat and heat their homes for the entire winter. But how to help? The food drive run by Ann Strongheart last year would no longer be an option as Ann is now living with her babies in Ugashik (far-Western Alaska).
So Ann and friends came up with a brilliant solution...adopt-a-family! If you click the link for Anonymous Bloggers above, you will see how to join-up and help a family in need. In an additional post (that has the most adorable picture of new-baby Glenna at Thanksgiving) Ann discusses additional ways to help if you are unable to adopt a family by yourself.
Important Alaska game issues decided this week
I have received a number of emails regarding the importance of this upcoming meeting:
Meeting: Anchorage Fish & Game Advisory Committee
Time: 6:30 pm
Date: December 1, Tuesday
Location: Rabbit Creek Rifle Range-go South on the New Seward Highway, past Klatt Road and down the hill. When you get to the very beginning of Potters Marsh, before or at entry for the boardwalk, on the right is the Rabbit Creek Rifle Range. Go to the north building at the end of the parking lot.
There are a number of issues on which the public can provide testimony. One of the emails I received provided a list of suggested talking points to four of the issues:
Denali Buffer Zone:
1. The Denali wolves are an invaluable economic and scientific resource. Denali provides one of the few last remaining rare places on earth that 450,000 visitors a year have an opportunity to see wolves in the wild. The economic importance of each of these animals for viewing purposes is worth millions of dollars compared to the $250.00 from a pelt, that is received by benefits a single individual. The wolves are an incredible economic resource. The more wolves people see, the greater the stories they take back home and the more likely they are to return, or convince other to go.
2. There are only three to four local trappers outside of the park that are impacting the Denali population. These people have other areas to go that they can trap in and they have other economic sources. One of the trappers professional life as a National Park biologist is in direct conflict of interest with the trapper using inside information of collared wolves behavior and movement.
3. The Denali wolves are the longest studied group of wolves in science. They have been observed for 80 years for predator/prey relationships and social population research. To destabilize these packs decimates a scientific opportunity unparalleled and not available elsewhere.
4. Wolves in the park are seen and reported in summer with snares around their head, necks or legs. These suffering animals, gross and swollen, suffering and gruesome are seen by tourists. This sight makes the State of Alaska complicit. This is the story, and the photograph taken home by the park visitor of their "natural, wild, outdoor communing with nature" experience.
5. The non-consumptive visitors and tourists contribute and financially support the consumptive hunters. When you trap and snare the Denali wolves, you snare and trap the proverbial golden goose. Your killing the money that is supporting hunting.
HB 227 - An Act establishing the Holitna Basin Hunting Trapping Fishing Reserve
1. I do not support this legislation.
2. This act liberalizes predator control with consumptive use only in mind and with no plan or science whatsoever.
3. This act focuses on human consumption only and does not manage resources for the "common usage".
4. This becomes a special use area which excludes others.
5. Legislation to liberalize harvest methods along the haul road - allowing ORV use.
Liberalized Methods and Means on the Haul Road
1. I do not support this because it will turn the Haul Road into what the Denali Road looks like now.
2. The damage that will occur to the high tundra will be extensive.
3. The high tundra due to the cold will be so slow, in the extreme arctic environment, there will be no rebound.
4. Besides the increased hunting preasure, increased traffic, noise, people, snowmobiles, the damage to the tundra (moose and caribou food)will further diminish the moose-caribou population.
5. There will be significant user-group conflict.
Nonresident hunting of prey populations in predator control areas.
1. I do not support any non-resident hunting of prey populations in any predator control area.
The website for the Board of Game can be found at: http://www.boards.adfg.state.a...
Campaign to elect an out LGBT in Alaska
Christopher Constant is holding a fundraiser towards a campaign to get an LGBT elected in Alaska...and that LGBT may not be him! His unorthodox "campaign" got the attention of the dreaded Alaska Ear. It seems that he's also encouraging AK Family Council's homophobe-in-cheif Jim Minnery to show up.
Chris explains this all on a Facebook page:
Date: Monday, November 30, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Mad Myrna's 503 East 5th Avenue, Anchorage
Please come support the effort to organize a campaign to elect an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender Alaskan elected official. To the best knowledge of everyone I know, Alaska has never elected an OUT gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender candidate elected to public office. NOW IS THE TIME.
I (Christopher Constant) have been invited and given a scholarship to the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute's candidate and campaign training coupled with the 25th annual LGBT International Leadership Conference in San Francisco, Dec 2 - Dec 6, 2009.
I was awarded a $1,200 scholarship for the training. I have invested my own treasure substantially. I am hoping you can come and share a small bit of your treasure to help cover the rest of the cost. I could use your help.
People have asked what seat I am planning to run for. This effort is bigger than me. It is about electing a candidate. It may be me, but I have no plans in the next two years of running. Instead, I intend to take the time to organize so that when 2012 rolls around, the effort has more chance of success.
http://www.glli.org/training/c...
http://www.victoryfund.org/fil...
I have consulted with APOC and because this campaign is neither connected with a specific candidate nor a specific piece of legislation, I don't have to say "Paid for by" anybody.
I think that supporting Chris in this is an excellent idea and long overdue and if Chris chooses not to run, I've got some wonderful folks in mind! |
