Sarah Palin to Esquire magazine:
"I want to fill my freezer with good, clean, healthy protein for my kids. That's what I was raised on. It is abundant and it is available here in Alaska, with caribou and moose and different game and lots of very, very healthy and delicious wild Alaskan seafood. That's what we eat. So that's why I hunt and why I fish."
Last Wednesday the Governor appointed the newest member of the Board of Game: Teresa Sager-Albaugh, a past president of the Alaska Outdoor Council, a federation of outdoors’ clubs and the official state association of the National Rifle Association, which has strong ties to the commercial hunting industry. Governor Palin has ignored repeated requests for diversity of representation, instead choosing to appoint a representative from the hunting and trapping community as the only new member to the Board of Game.
Wade Willis, Alaska Representative from Defenders of Wildlife, was somewhat frustrated: “Alaska wildlife should be managed for the benefit of all Alaskans, not only the minority of us who hunt. Despite repeated appeals from her constituents, Governor Palin did nothing to improve the Board of Game’s diversity of views with these appointments. We only want all views to be represented. Is that too much to ask?”
Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities.
There is no Native Alaska representation on the Board. There is no representation from the non-consumptive community and tourism industries.
“Diversifying representation on the Board of Game would add essential knowledge and understanding of issues other than hunting and trapping to a key decision-making body in the state. Unfortunately, Teresa Sager-Albaugh lacks the experience and knowledge to represent the broad interests of Alaska's citizens and tourism industry." Wade added.
The Board continues to cling to draconian wildlife management techniques and refuses to consider dealing with other causes of declines in game herds besides predators.
Poor wolves...
