Big turnout for Fish and Game Advisory elections(AK)

ktuu.com ^ | 5 January, 2009 | Ashton Goodell

[marktwain]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Environmentalists and hunting advocates fought Tuesday night for control of the Anchorage Fish and Game Advisory Committee.

It's one of the most influential in the state and offers advice to the Board of Fisheries on local issues, but the vote could polarize the committee.

The last time the public turned out in numbers like this is was last summer during the debate on the gay rights ordinance.

A lot of the same players showed up Tuesday, but this time around it's about politicking and gerrymandering to turn an election.

One long line can speak volumes, and this one was twisted and packed with people shouting words like "democracy" and "representation."

Conservationists claim pro-gun groups are coming in from the Valley to influence the Anchorage Fish and Board Advisory Committee election.

"At first I thought how can that be and then I talked to a number of other people that have been involved with it and they said that's exactly what happened last time; a bunch of people from the Valley came in and tried to load their people onto the committee," said conservationist Rick Steiner.

The Anchorage Second Amendment Task Force says that's a loaded argument, and says environmental groups are trying to limit who can vote.

"We are not loading anything from Wasilla. We sent out a message to all of our members and our members are all over the state. I don't think you're going to find too many people driving too far for this vote," said George Hines, a member of the Task Force.

But other organizations like the Conservative Patriots group tried to influence the election by handing out literature calling on gun rights activists to sway the results.

[marktwain]

My understanding is that enviromental wackos tried to take over the committee, but the word got out, and they don't like it.