Performance Details

Department of Fish and Game - Boards of Fisheries and Game

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Mission

The Boards Support Section facilitates an effective board and public process for the state's fish and wildlife regulatory system.

Core Services

• Ensure citizens participating in the fish and game regulatory process have clear and helpful information in advance to engage effectively.
• Provide and support an environment for board members to make effective decisions.

Mission Results

Core Services

A: The State's fishing, hunting, and trapping regulations are developed through a high level of effective citizen participation.  Details > TARGET #1: Increase the percent of adopted proposals by the boards.

A1: Ensure citizens participating in the fish and game regulatory process have clear and helpful information in advance to engage effectively.  Details > TARGET #1: Increase the number of public comments submitted during the regulatory meeting cycle. A2: Provide and support an environment for board members to make effective decisions.  Details > TARGET #1: Provide a sufficient amount of time for board members to address proposals.

Performance Detail

Target #1: Increase the percent of adopted proposals by the boards. Boards Proposals (Please note FY2021 no meetings were held due to COVID-19) Fiscal Year BOF Total Proposals BOG Total Proposals BOF Adopted Proposals BOG Adopted Proposals FY 2021 276 195 1 20 FY 2020 284 171 95 76 FY 2019 182 150 61 75 FY 2018 242 166 096 96 FY 2017 282 204 102 68 FY 2016 225 143 84 39 FY 2015 278 214 90 70 FY 2014 394 196 145 82 FY 2013 244 196 84 62 Analysis of results and challenges: Boards Support Section sets a goal of increasing the rate of proposal adoption by both boards. From FY18-FY20, the Board of Fisheries adopted an average 36 percent of its proposals and the Board of Game adopted an average of 40%. This includes proposals submitted by state and federal agencies, board generated proposals, and annual reauthorization proposals for the Board of Game. The Board of Fisheries takes up the same region, species, and uses on a three-year cycle. The regulatory topics of Board of Fisheries meetings were Prince William Sound finfish and shellfish, Southeast/Yakutat finfish and shellfish, and all other shellfish regions in the state. The Board of Game is also on a three-year cycle. The regulatory topics before the board during FY2021 were hunting and trapping regulations for the Central and Southwest regions, and Statewide regulations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, neither board conducted in-person meetings. Board meetings are long, intensely public events where the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak was deemed too great. As such, no substantive proposals were taken up by the boards. In a web conference meeting, the Board of Fisheries passed one proposal extending a sunset date in regulation for Southeast commercial salmon fisheries to allow the management plan to continue until the board could meet in person. The Board of Game adopted 20 proposals dealing mainly regarding antlerless moose reauthorizations around the state. These routine, annual reauthorizations are generally straightforward and were handled on web conference. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, performance measures in FY21 are not comparable to those of previous years.

Target #1: Increase the number of public comments submitted during the regulatory meeting cycle. Public Comments Submitted to Boards (Please note FY2021 no meetings were held due to COVID-19) Fiscal Year BOF Total Comments BOG Total Comments BOF per Proposals BOG per Proposals FY 2021 112 -93.06% 121 -89.18% 0 -100% 0 -100% FY 2020 1613 +3.73% 1118 +117.09% 5.75 -32.35% 6.5 +91.18% FY 2019 1555 -7.72% 515 -60.84% 8.5 +21.43% 3.4 -56.96% FY 2018 1685 +60.48% 1315 +72.57% 7 +89.19% 07.9 +113.51% FY 2017 1050 -13.22% 762 -0.52% 3.7 -31.48% 3.7 -31.48% FY 2016 1210 +24.87% 766 -7.04% 5.4 +54.29% 5.4 +42.11% FY 2015 969 -36.46% 824 +88.56% 3.5 -10.26% 3.8 +52% FY 2014 1525 +43.06% 437 -17.86% 3.9 -11.36% 2.5 -7.41% FY 2013 1066 532 4.4 2.7 Analysis of results and challenges: A goal of Boards Support Section is to continue to improve the channels of communication by the public to the boards. This has been achieved to some degree by improvements in an on-line comment system that has seen rapid growth in usage in the last few years. With each meeting cycle, the number of public comments is dependent on the status of the resources and its value to users, and the more contentious issues that occur with certain subjects. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, neither board meet in person to address the proposals before them. There were several administrative meetings to discuss the situation and comments were received in regard to these meetings. The majority of comments were related to the question of holding meetings and not about fish and game regulatory action. It is not applicable to compare comments received in FY21 with those received in normal years, and it is not applicable to compare them to the number of proposals given very few proposals were taken up by the boards.

Target #1: Provide a sufficient amount of time for board members to address proposals. Methodology: * Includes two days for the BOF work session and one teleconference, which are excluded in the number of proposals per day and included in the number of comments per day. ** Includes one day for the BOG work session and one teleconference, which are excluded in the number of proposals per day and included in the number of comments per day. Number of Proposals and Comments per Board Meeting Day (Please note FY2021 no meetings were held due to COVID-19) Fiscal Year BOF Meeting Days BOG Meeting Days BOF Comments/Mtg Day BOG Comments/Mtg Day BOF Proposals/Mtg Day BOG Proposals/Mtg Day FY 2021 0 -100% 0 -100% 0 -100% 0 -100% 0 -100% 0 -100% FY 2020 23 0% 18 +38.46% 70 +2.94% 62 +55% 14 +55.56% 10 -23.08% FY 2019 23 -11.54% 13 -31.58% 68 +4.62% 40 -42.03% 9 -10% 13 +18.18% FY 2018 26 -13.33% 19 +5.56% 65 +85.71% 69 +64.29% 10 0% 11 0% FY 2017 30 +11.11% 18 +63.64% 35 -22.22% 42 -40% 10 +11.11% 11 -21.43% FY 2016 27 +22.73% 11 -72.5% 45 +2.27% 70 +483.33% 9 -25% 14 +16.67% FY 2015 22 -35.29% 40 +122.22% 44 -2.22% 12 -50% 12 0% 12 +20% FY 2014 34 +30.77% 18 -5.26% 45 +9.76% 24 -20% 12 +33.33% 10 -9.09% FY 2013 26 19 41 30 9 11 Analysis of results and challenges: A final goal for Boards Support is to create an environment where board members have adequate time to review proposals, public input, and staff reports, and make informed and reasoned decisions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and it effectively halting the work of either board, these metrics are not applicable in FY21.

Current as of November 5, 2021