The Chitina Dipnetters Association Home Page

The Chitina Dipnetters Association
1002 Pioneer Road
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
To join send $10 to above address

STILL Customary and Traditional Fishers
no matter what the Commercial fish board says

For fish counts at Miles lake, hit the Sonar Fish Icon , click additional information, click in season Miles Lake sonar estimates, (Commercial)

CDA is creating a legal fund to challenge the State of Alaska, to allow any dipnetting boaters to launch their boats at O'brien Creek. Send your donation to Byron Haley, Legal fund, 102 Pioneer Road,

Since its inception in 1976, the Chitina Dipnetters Association (CDA) has advocated for a sustainable Copper River Salmon run and for the ability of Alaska residents to harvest salmon in the Chitina dipnet fishery. We have worked with the Governor, the legislature, state agencies and other interested parties, and have testified before the Alaska Board of Fisheries. These actions have resulted in these benefits to dipnetters:

At the CDA annual meeting in April, due to the continued inability of the State of Alaska to reestablish full public access to the Copper River at O’Brien Creek and the refusal of the Alaska Board of Fisheries to re-designate the Chitina dipnet fishery as a subsistence fishery (as was intended by the legislature when it passed the Alaska Subsistence Law), members voted to create a legal fund to get a legal opinion as to whether a lawsuit on these two issues is arguable and, if so, to proceed. CDA has amassed documentation on both issues and we feel that we have a strong case for both.

The CDA Board of Directors is sending this letter to all 2007 Chitina dipnet permit holders requesting support to initiate legal action. In 2004, due to the efforts of the CDA, the state legislature removed the $25 Chitina dipnet permit fee and we ask that you donate some of this $100 cumulative savings to our legal fund. If you feel, as we do, that the harvest priority afforded by subsistence designation and renewed full public access to the Copper River at O’Brien Creek is worth the fight to regain, then please donate what you can to get this legal action started.

For a donation of $25 or more, we will include a one-year $10 CDA membership. If you wish to donate to the legal fund or just become a member, send your check to the address below. Please indicate on your check whether it is for membership or the legal fund. If more funds come into the legal fund than needed, the excess may be used for other CDA activities, i.e., travel expenses.

We are also requesting that you include your email address or phone number so that we can contact you when dipnet issues require our collective voice. Such an issue is convincing the State to reopen the road from O’Brien Creek to Haley Creek for vehicle traffic.

CDA is a purely volunteer-run organization, and we are dedicated to the preservation of the dipnet fisheries in Alaska. Visit our website at www.chitnadipnetters.com (no second “i” in chitina).

Representative Scott Kawasaki
Alaska State House • District 9 • Fairbanks
State Capitol Rm 428
Juneau, Alaska 99801
907.465.3466
<http://www.akdemocrats.org/index.php?con_id=31>http://www.akdemocrats.org/index.php?con_id=31

Chitina Dipnetter Update 4/1/2008
Although I am unable to attend the Annual Meeting of the Chitina Dipnetters Association meeting on Saturday, I wanted to let you know about some issues here in the Capitol as best as I can tell. As always, please feel free to contact me directly if I am able to be of service to you in the future…thanks…sjk

1. The Road - The washouts I saw last year were impressive, but not impassable. I have met several times with DOT to open the road, but the claim is that it may cost $80 million. That seems like an inflated bill. An ATV trail seems like a compromise, but we are waiting for better numbers from administration on the potential cost.

2. The Right of Way – Any new road construction should involve owners of the adjacent lands, AHTNA and CNC. It’s a delicate situation that will involve the Governor, Legislature, user groups and owners to come to the table and negotiate. I recently spoke with an AHTNA representative and the Attorney General about the issue as well. My priority is for safe and open access for all Alaskans to one of the last great fisheries.

3. Last Year’s Money? – A total of $700K was reappropriated last year specifically for “Chitina dipnet access.” Last year, money was spent to place a foot bridge, build up the bank at O’Brien Creek, clear brush along the right of way and blade the parking area. According to DOT accounting, $87,306 has been spent to date, leaving a balance near $612K. A plan to build a small boat launch has been discussed, but not approved. My suggestion to DOT is to hold the money before a “real” plan is detailed and discussed to all groups and owners.

4. Capital budget request – A capital budget request may surface in the final 9 days of session to include some requests made by AHTNA and DOT to improve the parking lot, garbage and restroom facilities. Items are really moving too fast to track, but I’ll keep you posted.

5. Dipnet Permits – I have heard discussions to bring back permits that were in place prior to 2003. Funds raised from the permits may be used for construction and management of the area and run by ADFG.

Although the Legislature is scheduled to convene a special session from June 3-July 4 in Juneau to deal with the TransCanada gasline application, I look forward to fishing soon afterward!

The Chitina Dipnetters Association requests while ;the Board of Fisheries is in Fairbanks for its Work Session in October 2008, that it holds another meeting either before or after the Work Session. The purpose of the other meeting would be to hear public testimony on proposals that will be discussed by the Board at its meeting in Cordova in December

We hope you will seriously consider our request, and ask the board to spend an extra day in Fairbanks.

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, Please let me introduce myself for those of you who I have not had the pleasure to meet. My name is Ken Federico and I have been hunting and fishing up here for over 30 years I never got involved with fish politics until last year when there was a proposal before the BOF to limit dipnetters to 3 fish a day. That is when I decided I could not sit on the sidelines any longer. Since that time I started the "South-Central Alaska dipnetters association",( 60,000 plus people benefit from dipnetting in South-Central alone) , was voted onto the Mat-Su Advisory Committee, and am a current member of the Kenai River Sportfishing Association and their fisheries committee. What my e-mail is about is the current re-appointments of Chair Morris and SE rep. Jensen. My position today only reflects the opinion of SCADA, Not the KRSA nor the Mat-su AC.
Last year, I started a petition for better representation on the Bof. I spent hundreds of hours collecting thousands of signatures. Bill Stoltze was kind enough to hand most of those petitions to the Governor a couple of weeks ago, with a few others from the Legislature, please see the attached letter. When I first heard that the Governor re-appointed both Morris and Jensen, I was livid. I sent a nasty-gram to two of Sarah's special assistants, Cora Crome and Kris perry. I have since apologized to them for my rhetoric but not for my message. Both Morris and Jensen have consistently voted only for commercial interests. Being on the Board is doing what is right for all involved, not one user group over another. These two apparently just don't get it. Please review the other attached letters and the e-mail below. This is just a sample of feedback I have been getting.
The word I get from the Capitol is these are the best that we have to choose from. With their voting record, I can't see how it can get any worse. It also comes to my attention that certain seats belong to certain areas of the state. I cannot find that in statute or regulation, though I could be wrong. Is this something that has been used by a number of administrations so we just keep doing it? Half the state population lives in Anchorage, so where is the fairness if the majority don't have a majority of seats? As of now I don't see one BOF member representing Anchorage, unless of course you consider Howard Delo. The Governor was right on when she appointed Delo, he votes for all users just not one interest or another. It looks like the new Juneau appointment, the retired economist will hopefully represent all user groups too.
In closing, I would like to use a statement made by BOF member Jensen, at the last UCI meeting. He said something to the affect that the way the Valley is growing, the only way they should be allocated more fish is only if they owned a limited entry permit. I think that sums it up; the mindset of both Jensen and Morris. So please read the attached letters and e-mail and you will see why these two members should not be confirmed by the Legislature. The Governor needs to reconsider these two seats and I am asking for your help to make that happen. Thank you for your time and feel free to call me or e-mail me if you want more feedback Again... Thank you Ken Federico 715-8363----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:sampson@acsalaska.net>Bruce R Morgan
To: <mailto:kenfederico@mtaonline.net>Ken Federico ; <mailto:surveyor@pobox.alaska.net>jim colver ; <mailto:steverunyan@yahoo.com>Steve Runyan ; <mailto:bigfish@mtaonline.net>Bruce Knowles ; <mailto:ricky@kenairiversportfishing.com>ricky@kenairiversportfishing.com ; <mailto:dgease@alaska.net>dennis gease ; <mailto:kathyday@gci.net>Kathy Day ; <mailto:paytonplace@gci.net>Tommy Payton
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 9:16 PM
Subject: Re: Message on Board of Fish

Ken Federico,
In reading Cora's response to your disappointment I cannot sit by and not respond; The simple answer to Cora's response is "Have you seen the decisions made by the current BOF"? Please don't try to snowball "us" by telling me there is balance in your system. I just sat on the Anchorage Advisory Board for a week in February preparing for the BOF meeting concerning the Cook Inlet Fishery. The Board of Fish did not even entertain the decisions of the participants of the Anchorage Advisory Board We wasted our time. The BOF did what they wanted to do, powering on with commercial fishing decisions while sticking a knife in the backs of the sport and personal use fishermen of Cook Inlet. They went as far as to close a rivers to sport fishing and extend the commercial fishing season in the same area (in particular the Alexander River).

I'm wondering what the current administration is going to decide once they allow the commercial interests to catch and kill the last fish swimming? I wonder how they are going to regulate the sport and person use fishing person's then? When it's too late! Our Anchorage Advisory Board spent hours with The Alaska Department of Fish and Game to come up with decisions that made biological sense to our Fish and Game Department. We didn't care if it helped or hurt sport fishing, person use fishing, or commercial fishing, we voted for what made biological sense with the information provided. Look at the supported proposal's submitted by the Anchorage Advisory Board concerning the Cook Inlet Fishery. Then look at the decisions made by the BOF.........the Anchorage Advisory Board was supposed to help the BOF gain knowledge on the subject area, instead they got kicked in the teeth by the BOF. What a waste of time for the members on the Advisory Committee.

We do not have balance on the board and the appointments made by our Governor will just continue with the same skewed decision making. I think Governor Palin should excuse herself from any BOF appointments as she has commercial ties. How can her opinion be un-biased?

Bottom line;
The Governor and Cora Crone's thought processes are flawed. It's not my opinion, it's a fact and being proven by your current BOF.

The only hope we have is if SB284 passes and forces the BOF to have balance, lets see if our Governor supports that bill?

Sincerely,

Bruce Morgan
Anchorage Advisory Committee Member
Anchorage, Alaska

We did not have much success in convincing DOT (Steve Titus) to do work on the road from O’brien Creek to Haley Creek. He stated that there is no money and no word from the Governors Office or the Legislature to do anything on the road.

At our last Board of Directors meeting we agreed for now to press to get DOT to make the road a safe 4 wheeler (ATV) trail using some or all of the $600,000 to make this happen. Our main goal is still to see the road open once again for vehicle traffic, but as a temporary fix at least give dipnetters a safe ATV trail to their fishing spots in the canyon. The bridge DOT put in at O’Brien Cr. in 2007 will only allow an ATV to pass thus preventing vehicles from trying to access an upgraded trail.

Mr. Titus was not receptive to DOT doing any work on the road between the 2 creeks, even if only an upgraded ATV trail. We were surprised that he took such a negative stance on this idea.

If anything is to get done I guess it is now up to the Legislature and or the Governor to give DOT direction in this matter. We most likely will need a bill next session dealing with the road issue. We were hoping that you and the rest of the Interior Delegation could put some kind of pressure on DOT to use the rest of what is left of the $700,000 as it was intended for use on access.

Other ideas thrown out at our Board meeting included using some of the money to gravel the clearing DOT did along the side of the right of way prior to O’Brien Creek, clearing that is inadequate for parking and camping, because of all the shredded tree stumps and limbs and bare silt ground. Using some of the money for a boat launch at O’Brien Creek in the corner below the bluff, where the still existing public access meets the Copper River, was a valid project, but would only make the limited public parking at O’Brien Creek that much worse if you add in boat trailers. Relating to this matter we as The Board of The Chitina Dipnetters Assoc. feel moving the center line of the right of way back to the original center line of the old railroad tressle instead of center line of the bridge and getting a legitimate ordinary high water mark determination would solve the public parking problem.

We now have a new dipnetters group representing South Central Alaska. Their name is “The South Central Alaska Dipnetters Assoc.” Ken Federico, founder, can be reached at POB 873641, Wasilla, Ak.99607. They are from the Mat/Su area and will be watching over dipnetting issues for the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers.

Last years problems are still are still on the docket and hopefully we can make progress in 2008 to solve them .

Dear Alaskans, hope your summer is starting well.
We are the Chitina Dipnetters Association and are
writing this to bring to your attention a serious
problem. The legislature recently provided funding for
access for Alaskans and their families to their
resources at the
Chitina Personal Use Fishery (dipnetting) to the tune
of over $700,000. However somewhere between the
legislatures'
funding and their intent, and given the practical need
to
re-open access for Alaskans to their Resources is a
'washout' of will and effort by the State yet to be
bridged,
leaving thousands of Alaskans and their families
stranded on the wrong side of their resources.
In 2006 over 7,000 Alaskans received permits to
dipnet at Chitina, providing food, culture, and a
"green" activity for themselves and their families.
Last fall record rainfall(the same rains which shut
down the Richardson Highway for weeks) caused new
problems on the Chitina Road. The rains of last fall
left the road undriveable beyond O'Brien Creek.(DOT
has done a good amount of work this year up to and
including at
O'Brien Creek but no further) The CDA seeks to
re-opened
the road beyond O'Brien Creek, allowing for Alaskans
to access
their most productive salmon dipnetting areas at
Chitina.
For those unfamiliar with Chitina, the Copper
River, and the art of dipnetting, beyond O'Brien Creek
the Copper River narrows into a canyon, which
increases the current and forces the migrating
salmon to seek the easiest way up river by going
nearest
the shore, among eddies and backwashes, and out of the
overwhelming current. Fortunately they are within
reach of dipnetter's long handled dipnets.
Alaskans seeking those salmon must be able to get
to the canyon and as the canyon forces the Copper
River into a narrower and stronger current it also
gives the Chitina Road large areas of
steep up sloop loaded with loose rock and silt. The
record rains of last fall brought down some of this
onto the road. We have the confidence in the
personnel
at DOT to do the work needed to provide safe seasonal
access. At this point vehicle access
to all of the Canyon and the most productive
dipnetting areas is being denied to Alaskan's and
their
families.
We at CDA reject the argument that it is a task
beyond DOT's ability or funding to re-open this road
to seasonal access for Alaskans and their families.
The position given by DOT that it would take
millions of dollars to fix any number of areas is
based on a misleading or erroneously applied premise.
By using standards more applicable to Lower 48 urban
Interstates than to a seasonally used "Pioneer" road
here in Alaska, does give a pie in the sky cost
estimate. After 20 years of neglect, in the early
90's DOT was
ordered to open this same road that was in a similar
condition. It took a crew of
three two days to provide passable access.
A final point CDA wishes to refute is that of
liability, another given reason for the lack of effort
beyond O'Brien Creek. The state has extensive Right of
Way throughout the state, and on many of these the
state has from time to time done some work
or "dropped a blade" for rough road repair. Mining
roads are a good example of extensive state Right of
Way's and yet minimally maintained and useable public
access. Risk is not absent at any point on any road,
especially in Alaska, and Chitina's situation is
already found regularly throughout our
rugged State and accepted by Alaskans.
We at CDA can only wonder why the recent funded
intent of the Legislature and
Governor to re-open access for Alaskans and their
families to their resources at Chitina has failed.
Alaskans now stranded from their resources seek
for the Administration of Governor Sarah Palin to
provide direction and motivation to bridge this
'washout' of will and action by the State.

Hello CDA Board Members,

Sorry there’s been no update for awhile, so here’s a fresh one.

On Tuesday, May 8, I followed Steve Titus, Director Northern Region DOT and Howard Thies to O’Brien Creek. They outlined the work they planned on doing within state property. They will put the old bridge back in, but only make it wide enough for 4-wheelers. They say this is a temporary fix. They said they have no plans to do any work past O’Brien creek toward Haley Creek.

I called Rep. Mike Kelly’s office yesterday; they said the $60,000 extra that was put into the $700,000 came from Mike Kelly’s district fund because DOT said that would pay for at least opening the road to Haley Creek for 4-wheelers. Needless to say, they weren’t happy when I told them what DOT said. Steve and Howard acknowledged they don’t think the road will ever be fixed without mega millions.

The work at O’Brien Creek, if done like they said, will be a tremendous improvement. I requested they send a surveyor immediately so they know exactly where they can work to make sure they utilize all our right-of-way, including removing trees. They said when done with O’Brien Creek they will dress up the right-of-way between Dry and Fox Creek with turnouts and some camping. Nothing was said about a boat launch at the bridge.

I assure you, I will be on their heels every step of the way.

At this point, I am at a loss of what to do on the road from O’Brien Creek to Haley Creek. I need help and suggestions on how to proceed.

Sincerely,
Mark Hem
VP CDA

P.S. I’m taking pictures every step of the way.

The Chitina Dipnetters Assoc. Board of Directors has been diligently working with Interior Delegation Legislators to appropriate money to repair damage caused by the southcentral Alaska flooding in Oct. 2006. We have requested a replacement bridge at O’Brien Creek, of similar size to handle 4WD trucks and suvs, and an opening up of the landslides that block access to the fishery. Below is a copy of a letter, that has been sent to Gov. Palins’ office and legislators of the Interior, stating CDAs’ position on road access to the dipnet fishery. At this time it is imperative that individual dipnetters contact the governors office and their legislators to request/demand that acccess to the Chitina Personal Use Dipnet Fishery be re-opened before it is lost altogether. For dipnetters from southcentral Alaska, the CDA Board will immediately start a campaign to educate your legislators on this issue so they have some pre-knowledge upon receiving your letters/faxes/emails. Be sure you send a message to Governor Palin.

To help get your point across we have included below info on numbers of dipnet permits issued by communities, pertinent topics that you can use in your message, a list of State Senators and Representatives with phone and fax numbers as well as a template for an email address to a Senator or Representative.

There were approx. 9,000 Chitina dipnet permits issued in 2006 and if a good percentage of those dipnetters join in this campaign, we have a good chance of seeing our historic access to this fishery restored.

Email Template
Senator_John_Doe@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_John_Doe@legis.state.ak.us
Sarah_Palin@gov.state.ak.us
Pertinent Topics
1. Importance of dipnet caught Copper River salmon to you and your family
2. How many years dipnetting
3. Importance of access to Woods Canyon between O’brien Cr. and Haley Cr. for best dipnetting spots.
4. 2/3 rds. of the land access to the fishery is no longer passable because of landslides
5. Importance of being able to drive a vehicle (truck,suv) between O’brien and Haley Creeks not only for dipnetters but also for tourists visiting the Chitina area.
6. By leaving the road blocked a large user group, namely those that only have a highway vehicle, are denied access.

The Chitina Dipnetters Assoc. (CDA) at its’ March 21, 2007 Board of Directors meeting established a position relating to the flood damage and access problems within the Chitina Personal Use Dipnet Fishery (CPUDF) boundaries.
The CDA position calls for re-establishing 4 wheel drive type vehicle (trucks,suv) access from Chitina to Haley Creek.
To make this position become a reality, Alaska Department of Transportation (DOT) would need to replace the washed out bridge at O’Brien Creek by either re-using the existing steel structure from the washed out bridge or replacing it with one of comparable size. In addition the various land slides between O’Brien Cr. and Haley Cr., after years of neglect by the state, need to be opened up to allow for a 4WD type vehicle (trucks,suv) to traverse the Copper River Hwy. without getting stuck. We ask not for a permanent repair to the slide areas, but only a goat trail type road to continue on to public access dipnet fishing sites.

Approximately 9,000 CPUDF permits are issued each year to Alaska residents throughout the state and voting districts. CDA has been informed that the direction DOT is headed is to replace the bridge at O’Brien Cr. with one only wide enough to handle the passage of 4 wheeler ATVs and do nothing about the slides. What of the many Alaskans who dipnet at Chitina but do not own a 4 wheeler? Are they now to walk the miles to get to their favorite dipnet sites?

As in the recent past, with a few pieces of equipment, DOT could make our position a reality. DOT northern region maintenance officials agreed they could do the work if requested from the State Administration and monies were made available to accomplish the task. For the State to impair Alaskans' opportunity to augment food supplies from these common property public resources by not reclaiming suitable access would be irresponsible.

The economic and food gathering value of the CPUDF to the state has to be protected. Approx. 100,000 sockeye salmon averaging 6lbs. each are harvested by Chitina dipnetters each year. At a conservative price of $3/lb. this equates to $1,800,000. This figure increases greatly when income to businesses in and along the route to Chitina is included. If in their travels to Chitina each permit holder spent $100 this also equates to an additional approx. $1,000,000.

We sincerely request that you make every effort to re-establish the road to Haley Cr. by the June 2007 opening of the Chitina Personal Use Dipnet Fishery.

Thankyou,
Chitina Dipnetters Assoc.
email contact cderrickak@netscape.net
1002 Pioneer Rd.
Fairbanks, Ak 99701-2818
Ph. 907-456-4426

Click on Contact Lists & Publications, then Legislative Districts, and finally Legislator Contact List, pages 1 and 2, for phone/fax numbers of Senators and Representatives.

Updated Photos & Graphic of the mother of all fishwheels at Chitina Click Here

Old Counter

37,320

Since June 1998

You are the

to visit this site since September 2000 Please visit often

PLEASE

Sign My Guestbook

View My Guestbook