Gov. Mike Dunleavy is once again using his office to benefit a special interest. After meeting privately with a representative of the sellers and riders of jet skis, he has instructed the political bosses of the Department of Fish and Game to lift the longstanding ban on jet skis in the Kachemak Bay Critical Habitat Area. The CHA was created by the Legislature in 1974 to protect the fish and game in Kachemak Bay. The ban has been repeatedly reviewed by state biologists, who gave it unqualified support after careful study. When special interests tried to have the ban lifted in the past, the ban was also supported by a substantial majority of Alaskans who commented. This time, though, Dunleavy has greased the skids.
When the ban was instituted in 2000, the almost 2,000 public comments on the proposal ran 4-to-1 in favor of the ban. Opposition to jet skis was based on far more than their obvious incompatibility with one of the most beautiful and pristine places on the planet. Jet skis are uniquely detrimental to wildlife. The sea otters and porpoises, whales and seabirds have all adapted to the steady speed and course of traditional boats. The abrupt changes in direction and speed of jet skis make it impossible for animals to predict how to avoid them, whether they are being deliberately harassed or not. There are sound wildlife management reasons for the ban.
In 2017, Fish and Game studied the impact again and stated “…we feel there is no new information that would warrant rescinding the prohibition, and in fact the newer information highlights most of the concerns identified when the prohibition was adopted.” The public response was again overwhelmingly in favor of protecting the bay.
Dunleavy, according to a leaked email, instructed the department to issue the regulation. Rather than using someone with expertise in biology, wildlife management, or recreation to head up the “decision-making” process, Dunleavy turned to Rick Rydell (now Rick Green), a radio talk show host, as his “special assistant” on the project. Because of the overwhelming citizen’s opposition in the past, the administration chose to call for public comments over the holiday season, with the period originally set to close on Jan. 6, and to limit publicity to the minimal legal requirements. If you live in Homer, you may have heard of the proposed rule change, but if you are one of the thousands of Anchorage residents who enjoy the bay, you probably didn’t learn of it until Dec. 29, when the ADN broke the story.
The administration has now been forced to extend the comment period to Jan 21. If you have an opinion on this issue, you still have an opportunity to submit a comment to rick.green@alaska.gov with a subject of “Kachemak Jet Skis.”
— Will Rice
Eagle River
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