The controversial Alaska Moose Federation says its financial support structure is "evolving" in the wake of the Legislature's refusal of $2.2 million in funding requests from the group. Best known for its salvage response to moose-vehicle collisions in Southcentral, the federation says funding requests for its more contentious habitat enhancement and orphan calf relocation efforts were rejected. From the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman:
If the federation expects to find funding from the state moving forward, it may need to show more concrete results from its orphan calf and diversionary feeding programs, said Rep. Eric Feige, who co-chairs the House Resources Committee.
"Carting the animals off the highway is a reasonable service," he said. "... As far as the rest, I'm not exactly sure what impact they've had and what their processes are."
In many cases, state funds are used to get an organization or program up and running, and it becomes more self-sufficient from there, Feige said. "No one should depend on the state forever," he said.
Anchorage