Senator Josh Revak

Intensive Management Repeal and Charitable Gaming

Greetings! My name is Josh Revak, and I am the state Senator for part of South Anchorage. I’m a combat veteran and life-long hunter. Hunting is a staple of Alaskan culture and essential to the lives of many Alaskans. Hunters have a deep appreciation for our resources by putting us in direct contact with the natural world. Getting the next generation passionate about hunting passes on this sacred tradition of conservation and responsible use of our land and resources. I’m proud to be an advocate of the outdoors with you.

This year, the hunting community faced several unique and significant challenges. Alaskans have a long history of living close to the land and relying on big game populations. It is crucially important that these wildlife populations be carefully maintained throughout our state so that future generations can continue to provide food for their families, carrying on this great Alaskan tradition.

The Board of Game’s Intensive Game Management Program does the critical work of maintaining sustainable big game populations across Alaska. But, as some of you know, its future was uncertain at the beginning of this year.

To tackle this problem, I passed a bill this session which protects the program’s funding ($4 million per year) so it can continue its crucial wildlife conservation efforts that ensure bountiful moose, caribou, and deer populations across Alaska for Alaskan families.

The COVID-19 pandemic also presented unique challenges for the hunting communities of Alaska. Among these was the problem of fundraising for non-profits like APHA. As the pandemic decimated in-person event attendance, I heard from several charities looking to take advantage of online charitable gaming to reach their fundraising needs. Unfortunately, several state statutes created overburdensome barriers for these non-profits.

I was proud to advocate for more reasonable online gaming statute by introducing an amendment fixing this issue through the middle of next year. With a huge effort on the part of APHA and my office, we were able to get it across the finish line quickly, allowing fundraising efforts to continue uninterrupted.

To those outside of the hunting community, both of these problems may seem minor. However, they have enormous effects on the hunting issues we all care about. I could not be more thankful for people like you and organizations like the Alaska Professional Hunters Association who dedicate their time to advocating for us on these critical issues. Please continue to reach out. My door is always open, 907-269-0222 and at Sen.Joshua. Revak@akleg.gov.

Blessings,

Josh Revak Alaska State Senator