AK HJR50

Urges U.S. Congress to reject S. 1535 and H.R. 3381, the Protect America's Wildlife Act of 2009, which would restrict aerial hunting to federal and state wildlife agency employees only.

States that the proposed federal legislation would inhibit Alaska's ability to use civilian contractors in its Department of Fish and Game predator control program, particularly for managing wolf populations.

Claims Alaska's aerial wolf control program has successfully increased southern Alaska Peninsula caribou herd calf survival from less than 1 percent to 40 percent and increased herd numbers from 500 to 700-750.

Asserts that hunters harvest only 4-5 percent of moose and caribou deaths annually, while wolf and bear predation accounts for 70-80 percent of caribou deaths, and contends intensive management occurs on less than 10 percent of state land.

Argues decisions on wildlife management practices should be determined by individual states under the Tenth Amendment rather than by the federal government.