Governor Mike Dunleavy's administration released a proposed budget for FY 2021 on Dec. 11. Total revenues for the state of Alaska would be about $8.77 million, and expenditures at $10.18 million.
A press release from the governor's office highlights a few items of interest with the budget, such as fully funding K-12 education and the court system, as well as providing for a full PFD payment. This new budget would also fund 15 new State Trooper positions, and increases general fund spending on the department of corrections and Pioneer Homes by 17.4 percent and 18.3 percent, respectively.
"This budget sets priorities," the governor's press release reads. "But these aren't just my priorities, these are the things folks across Alaska told me, and told you over the past year. This budget recognizes the need for a broader conversation with Alaskans and the Legislature about what we desire from our state government."
One area of the government that is seeing cuts, under the proposed budget, is the Department of Fish and Game. According to a press release from Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang, the 2021 budget for Fish and Game has been reduced by $820,000. This cut is being made by three main eliminations from the budget: The Southeast Alaska Red King Crab assessment, state support for the Bering Sea juvenile salmon trawl survey, and the closure of the Wrangell Fish and Game office. According to the press release, Vincent-Lang supports the proposed budget, though he adds that they are exploring other means of funding for these cut items.
Tom Kowalske, assistant fisheries manager for the Wrangell office, pointed out that this was a preliminary budget the governor has proposed. There were many steps to go through and things were subject to change, depending on the state legislature. The Wrangell office directly employs two people, he said, himself and a program technician. Should the office close, Kowalske said that his position would be moved to Petersburg but the technician position would be cut.
"All of the departments had to provide to the governor a 15 percent reduction," Kowalske said. "This was the Department of Fish and Game's answer."
Rick Green, with the Department of Fish and Game, explained that Wrangell's office is the only one on the chopping block. The department did a statewide property assessment exercise earlier this year, Green said, and the commissioner is confident that they can continue their mission of wildlife and fish management without an office in Wrangell. Green added that there was already a lot of "cross-pollination" with the nearby Petersburg office, which would take over local management of the area.
"They're kind of already linked," said Paul Saomone, biologist with the Petersburg office, about the two offices.
Salomone said that from a management standpoint it would not be too difficult for Petersburg to handle the closure of the Wrangell office. Wrangell already operates as a satellite to their office, he said, and they coordinate a lot already. The biggest change from the proposed closure would be Wrangell residents losing direct contact with the Department of Fish and Game. A lot of what Fish and Game does can be found online, such as licensing and filing hunt reports. Day-to-day operations could run through the Petersburg office, Salomone said, but the loss of direct contact for Wrangell residents would be a big change. Kowalske agreed that a lot of what Fish and Game does can be completed online, but pointed out that many people come to the office in person anyway.
For Mayor Steve Prysunka, this talk about closing the Wrangell office is just another of several steps the state has taken to "centralize" operations away from the city. About 10 years ago the state decided to centralize OCS operations out of Petersburg, instead of giving Wrangell their own OCS officer. Later on, the community health nurse got centralized, too, as well as Wrangell's magistrate. None of these have been good for Wrangell, he said, and he wants to fight any further steps of taking operations out of town. He said he was very unhappy about this potential closure.
"Now they want to take our Fish and Game office and ship the job over to Petersburg," Prysunka said. "We're not a bedroom community of Petersburg, we're not the 'burbs of Petersburg, we're an independent community. This is ridiculous ... The problem with this sort of stuff is it's a slippery slope. What's next, our airport?"
Prysunka said that he will be speaking with State Representative Dan Ortiz against the office closure, as well as just about anybody who will listen. More information about the governor's proposed budget can be found online at http://www.gov.alaska.gov under the newsroom tab. Fish and Game can be found at http://www.adfg.alaska.gov.
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