Taking a break from the normal run of bad budgetary news, Gov. Bill Walker and four members of the Alaska Legislature held a press conference to announce some good news: The U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s 8-0 ruling in favor of an Alaska moose hunter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a good day,\u201d Gov. Walker said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in the case Sturgeon v. Frost, which pitted an Alaska man against the National Park Service.<\/p>\n
At issue was who had jurisdiction over rivers running through national preserves and parks: the state or the federal government.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court declined to decide that core issue, but it still sided with John Sturgeon, the Alaska hunter, and ordered the U.S. 9th Circuit of Appeals to reconsider its decision in favor of the Park Service.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court opinion stated that \u201cAlaska is often the exception, not the rule\u201d when it comes to federal regulation, something Alaska\u2019s public officials have stated for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve said Alaska is unique,\u201d Walker said. \u201cYou can\u2019t take a broad brush \u2026 and include Alaska in it.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the court\u2019s decision is limited, the governor and lawmakers said they hope it will be an example for future cases in which federal and state interests conflict.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this is going to be a precedent for us in many years to come,\u201d said Sen. John Coghill, R-North Pole.<\/p>\n
Rep. Craig Johnson, R-Anchorage, said that while the decision was good news, it\u2019s important to view it in context. <\/p>\n
He provided an analogy to sports: \u201cThis is like the first game in a very long season. \u2026 You celebrate today, but you prepare for the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n
U.S. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, also looked to sports for an analogy, but chose boxing. \u201cToday\u2019s ruling wasn\u2019t the KO punch we were looking for in our fight against the massive overreach of the National Park Service, but it was a small victory for Alaska and the unique relationship we share with the federal government,\u201d he wrote in a statement.<\/p>\n
Democrats also had positive things to say about the decision. In a press release Tuesday, Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, said, \u201cI am pleased by the common sense, unanimous decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in the Sturgeon v. Frost case. \u2026 It is a victory for those living a subsistence lifestyle, hunters, and fishermen across Alaska.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 9th Circuit, the largest appeals court in the United States, is the conduit for federal cases coming out of Alaska but has a reputation for liberal decisions and having those decisions overturned by the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
The Western Governors\u2019 Association and Alaska\u2019s Congressional delegation have joined the national call for splitting the 9th Circuit and creating a 10th Circuit to handle demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat has not gained legs much,\u201d Walker said, \u201cbut we would certainly support that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 Contact reporter James Brooks at james.k.brooks@juneauempire.com or 419-7732.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"