For good and for bad, king salmon runs around Petersburg are coming in as forecast so far this year. Anglers have only been allowed to keep chinook salmon in a limited few areas with hatchery kings for the first part of this month.
Wildlife
Petersburg sees brief influx of March flies in May
March flies occasionally emerge in big swarms. They’re likely around in other years, one bug enthusiast says, but aren’t as noticeable in smaller concentrations.
Investigation closes on Kuskokwim gray whale killing
A letter closes the investigation into the gray whale killed last summer on the Kuskokwim River. The final enforcement outcome was a slap on the wrist nine months after the whale swam up the river.
Arctic tern eggs destroyed in Mendenhall Lake nesting colony ‘wipeout’
U.S. Forest Service officials believe someone entered a closed, roped-off area with a dog and destroyed 18 eggs in seven nests.
Utqiaġvik weighs in on the proposed gas and oil lease plan for ANWR
In a departure from the meetings in Fairbanks and Anchorage, the primary focus of the meeting in Utqiaġvik was the details that should be considered as development moves forward, rather than whether or not it should happen.
Hundreds of protesters turn out against ANWR coastal plain exploration
Most of those who showed up for a Bureau of Land Management meeting in Fairbanks opposed the plan to open ANWR. They said it would disrupt caribou calving season and harm subsistence, culture and environment.
Petersburg teen fined $3,000 for intentionally running down deer
Alaska State Troopers say the 17-year-old boy on Tuesday pleaded guilty to harassing game and taking game with a motorized vehicle.
American Bald Eagle Foundation opens aviary for unguided public visits
Visitor access to the aviaries used to be much more restricted. Now the enclosures are being reorganized so visitors can observe them.
Trump admin sets crosshairs on Park Service predator rule
The Trump administration is trying change National Park Service policy to lift Obama-era bans on certain predator hunting practices, including bear baiting, taking wolves during the denning season and shining a spotlight into dens to shoot black bears.
Alaska dive fishermen plead for relief from sea otters
Sea otters have come back from the brink of extinction along Alaska’s Panhandle, but fishermen who dive for crab and other shellfish are seeking relief from their voracious appetites.