The Wrangell area will be without an Alaska Wildlife Trooper for the foreseeable future, according to the state agency’s Juneau office. The vacancy was created by the transfer of Trooper Scott Bjork to the Juneau area earlier this month.
Citing budgetary constraints, head of Southeast Detachment Lieutenant Jon Streifel confirmed Monday the post will remain unfilled until the department knows what the upcoming budget will look like.
“It’s a new transition,” he said.
As the new legislative session convenes this week in Juneau, state legislators have a $3.5 billion budget deficit to address. Like other public departments, Streifel said AWF can expect to make cuts to its expenditures.
At the moment, Wrangell’s is the only extant post vacant in the Southeast area. In the meantime, Petersburg-based Trooper Cody Litster will help cover Wrangell’s area. In the past, Streifel said Bjork and Litster would cooperate in covering each other’s areas.
AWF is part of the Division of Public Safety, tasked specifically with protecting the state’s natural resources through wildlife enforcement. Troopers also participate in the department’s overall mission of enforcing criminal laws and participating in search and rescue operations.
“It’s not so challenging right now,” Streifel said, but the need for a Trooper may increase as the summer season gets closer.
“It’s my hope that we’re able to backfill that position,” he continued. Within the next month or so Streifel should have a better idea whether a replacement officer will be assigned to the area.
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