Alaskans Voice Opposition to Dunleavy Administration's Proposed Changes to Water Reservations System
Tuesday PM (SitNews) Juneau, Alaska - Tribes, fishermen and Alaskans have voiced extensive concerns over the Dunleavy Administration’s efforts to unduly restrict the rights of Alaskans in holding water reservations to protect our fisheries and water-dependent ways of life. Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources proposed major changes to the state’s water reservations systems to favor resource development over the protection of fisheries, recreation or municipal uses. The proposed changes are an attempt to silence Alaskans’ voices in protecting the waters that provide the food, culture, recreation, and income we depend on. The changes would continue to allow and prioritize industrial interests to hold water rights and take water from Alaskan streams, but would not allow Alaska Native Tribes, community organizations, individuals or even the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to hold the reservations that ensure vital waterways remain intact for future generations.