The war on science is winning. And I'm not talking about those who confuse weather and climate.
Nope. I'm frustrated with the continual election of candidates with a faith-based bias when it comes to policy that should rely on science. In a letter this week, Ed Fogels, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, informed his colleagues that the mission of the department had changed.
The new mission: "To responsibly develop Alaska's resources by making them available for maximum use and benefit consistent with the public interest."
There are a few issues with DNR's newfound mission. First, the mission they had wasn't broken.
It read, "The Mission Statement of the Department of Natural Resources is to develop, conserve, and enhance natural resources for present and future Alaskans."
That one was based in a little directive we call the Alaska Constitution.
"Sec. 44.37.020. Duties of department with respect to natural resources. (a) The Department of Natural Resources shall administer the state program for the conservation and development of natural resources, including forests, parks, and recreational areas, land, water, agriculture, soil conservation, and minerals including petroleum and natural gas, but excluding commercial fisheries, sport fish, game, and fur-bearing animals in their natural state."
It's ironic to have self-identified conservatives continually ignore conservation. Their drive to use up Alaska's resources like we're in some sort of race is reckless with Alaska's economy and future development.
I realize cherry picking is common in the Parnell administration but the Alaska Constitution is not a Sunday buffet from which departments get to pick and choose what they'll put on their mission plate. This behavior isn't limited to one department; it's pervasive throughout the Parnell administration.
Cronyism abounds and seems to be passed down from Republican governor to Republican governor. Sarah Palin created a position for Corey Rossi in 2009 because he was so blatantly unqualified to be commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game that even she didn't dare do it.
In 2010, Parnell appointed Rossi as director of wildlife conservation. In addition to lacking the scientific credentials for even that job, Rossi also lacked the ethical credentials, which explains why he's facing 12 criminal charges for illegal hunting.
This week on "Moore Up North," Craig Medred reported that Rossi and a former head and a current head of the game board got in trouble on a little "subsistence" hunt in Nome. Apparently, unable to go on a legal trophy hunt for musk ox, the trio of Alaska game managers decided they would turn a subsistence hunt into a trophy hunt. Rossi, Bob Bell and Cliff Judkins were caught by a Fish and Game biologist in Nome with trophy horns that were supposed to have been destroyed as a condition of the subsistence permit.
Their "Don't you know who we are?" attitude was met by a courageous state employee who did his job and enforced the law regardless of the consequences. The trio thought their positions would enable them to ignore the rules set up for everyone else. Cliff Judkins is the current chair of the Board of Game. On the game board's 2012 agenda is a rule change that will allow Judkins, Bell and Rossi to legally bring home the horns from their next musk ox hunt. All that's needed is a rubber stamp from the Board of Cronies.
The commissioner of Fish and Game, Cora Campbell, found out that Rossi was being questioned in a criminal investigation in early December. Her response was to do exactly nothing. She didn't ask him a single question about what was up. Instead, she acted like nothing had happened and kept him on the job until formal charges were made. And when she accepted Rossi's resignation, she thanked him for his years of service and explained to staff he was leaving for personal reasons.
Pathetic.
Anti-predator control public testimony at BOG meetings has dwindled. Why? Because crony appointments have turned the BOG into the Board of Predators. Alaskans can see that the game is fixed.
The abuses and blatant disregard of science and ethics are top down in Alaska. The "what can I get for my service" mentality didn't end with Palin's reality show and book tour. Parnell's repeated calls for an oil tax giveaway have set the tone; ignore the constitution and get what you can for yourself and your friends.
Vic Fischer, one of the authors of the Alaska Constitution, has called for the impeachment of Parnell for repeatedly violating his oath of office.
Alaska's executive branch has become a grown-up version of "Lord of the Flies." I didn't catch the name of the biologist in Nome but I'd like to thank him. I'll take integrity and science over what's-in-it-for-me, faith-based cronyism any and every day of the week.
Shannyn Moore can be heard weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on KOAN 1020 AM/95.5 FM radio. Her weekly TV show can be seen Saturdays and Sundays at 3 p.m. on KYUR Channel 13.
SHANNYN MOORE
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