SCI Victorious in Alaska Federal Subsistence Hearing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 11, 2007
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Safari Club International is victorious in the latest battle over Alaska ’s Federal Subsistence program.
On May 10, 2007, the Federal Subsistence Board voted unanimously to designate 30 percent of the seats on every Regional Advisory Council to representatives of the recreational and commercial hunting and fishing interests.
The decision was made at a special public hearing to determine how to balance the membership of the councils in order to provide representation from groups other than subsistence users. This balance was mandated by previous court rulings and the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
SCI has been fighting this battle with the Federal Subsistence Board for nine years, ensuring that the recreational hunting and fishing community has been represented.
SCI’s litigators testified at the hearing, explaining that the only way the recreational hunting community could attain true representation on these councils is by the participation by sport hunters who share the interests of the sport hunting community.
The Board agreed with SCI’s position and will now issue a final rule on the membership balance plan.
SCI President Ralph Cunningham applauded the victory, saying, “After nine years of litigation, SCI was determined to make sure that our community continues to have the right to participate in the decisions that allocate Alaska ’s wildlife resources on federal lands. It is now up to our members in Alaska and to other Alaskan residents who enjoy recreational hunting and fishing to answer the call and to volunteer to sit on these councils in order to give voice to our interests.”
Contact:
Anna Seidman
Litigation Counsel
aseidman@sci-dc.org
(202) 543-8733
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SCI-First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI's 179 Chapters represent all 50 of the United States as well as 13 other countries. SCI's proactive leadership in a host of cooperative wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian programs, with the SCI Foundation and other conservation groups, research institutions and government agencies, empowers sportsmen to be contributing community members and participants in sound wildlife management and conservation. Visit www.safariclub.org or call (520) 620-1220 for more information.