OPINION: Alaska is good to us. Let’s return the favor.

It’s that time of year when Alaskans emerge from the long, dark winter and head eagerly into the great outdoors, ready to experience again the freedom and natural beauty for which our state is celebrated.

As we prepare for summer fishing, hiking, boating, camping, four-wheeling or sightseeing, Alaskans should be mindful of our responsibility to respect our common natural resources and recommit ourselves to being great stewards of the lands we love by keeping our state clean and litter-free this summer.

Alaskans pride themselves on doing things their own way. We “don’t care how they do it Outside,” and we’re proud of our reputation for taking good care of the special place we call home. Our reputation for pristine natural beauty supports a healthy lifestyle for ourselves, and a thriving visitor industry whose benefits extend statewide from Ketchikan to Utqiagvik.

But while most of us do our part to maintain high standards of outdoor care and cleanliness, the poor behavior of even a few can literally trash our glorious state. Too many of us have seen the evidence in too many places: piles of empty bottles or food wrappers, carelessly discarded fish carcasses, overflowing dumpsters, and the telltale wisps of toilet paper blowing in the roadside wind.

Simple practices like “pack it in, pack it out” make a world of difference when we are all sharing the facilities and public use areas.

As commissioners, we lead departments dedicated to fulfilling our constitutional responsibility to conserve and develop our state’s land, water, fish and wildlife for the common benefit of the people. As part of this mission, we are proud to support Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s “Unlocking Alaska” initiative, asserting state management authority over navigable waters and submerged lands, just as promised to Alaska at statehood. Alaskans can help strengthen this effort by making sure we know who owns the lands and waters where we are recreating and by being respectful users, whether the ownership is state, federal or private.

An example where we collectively need to do better is the popular Copper River dipnet fishery near Chitina. Those who drive the Copper River Highway to access the public salmon resource at the end find themselves on private land, most of it owned by Ahtna Inc., the Alaska Native regional corporation, and the Chitina Native Corp., the area village corporation. Having endured the damage caused by a few bad actors in the past, these private landowners are justified in charging fees to defray the costs of maintaining their land, cleaning up the trash and repairing damage, and in some cases restoring desecration of Alaska Native burial sites.

Such behavior has consequences, not just on a local or state level, but on the national stage as well. Our state is under national scrutiny, with important resource development vital to our state’s continued prosperity getting additional examination because of perceptions that Alaskans are not willing or able to protect our own environment. Alaskans misusing public and private land lend credibility to the claims of anti-development forces that we can’t be trusted to protect our own environment. They strengthen the case of those who want to impose federal authority to look over our shoulder to keep Alaska “clean.”

We are Alaskans. We respect our communities and love our land. It just takes a little consideration, a bit of thoughtfulness, and some preparation to be good stewards of public land and respectful visitors on private land. If you pack it in, pack it out. Leave the trail or campsite cleaner than you found it. Pick up after your pets. Be a good example of the kind of Alaska outdoorsman that you wish all visitors would be.

When we do, we demonstrate to ourselves and the world that we Alaskans care for our land and are more than capable of managing our common resources responsibly — without the federal government or outside special interests telling us how we should care for our own home.

John Boyle is commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. Jim Cockrell is the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Public Safety. Doug Vincent-Lang is commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game

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