The Alaska Board of Game is the state's leading regulatory authority with regards to wildlife management— they are charged with making allocative and regulatory decisions that affect wildlife across the state. The board has seven members, each appointed by the governor for a three year term. Each member must be confirmed by a joint session of the state legislature. The State of Alaska’s regulations include mandates to provide for multiple uses of our wildlife resources, including non-consumptive uses such as wildlife viewing.
Unfortunately, in recent years the Board of Game’s representation has become less diversified and less representative of all wildlife users. The focus has strongly shifted to representing the interests of a few consumptive users, such as sport hunters, guides and trappers, while virtually eliminating a voice for Alaska Natives and non-consumptive users, such as wildlife viewers, despite the fact that wildlife viewing brings a greater socio-economic benefit to the state than hunting (in 2011, wildlife viewing activities supported over $2.7 billion dollars in economic activity in Alaska). AWA advocates for fair representation on the Board of Game, to include representatives from all Alaskans— not just a select few.
Learn more about our work on Board of Game issues
