Can someone explain what's happening with trapping cabin permits? I'm pretty sure mine is up for renewal next year. Did they pass some legislation to make this renewal possible?

Stay tuned. There are a couple versions of new legislation that will make the TCCP program a bit smoother. Likelihood of one of them passing and being signed into law is good. Any of them will be an improvement; none solve ALL the problems.

You can view and follow them on the SoA (Legislature) website. Just search on "trapper cabins."

My personal (and somewhat subjective...!) advice is to wait until after the session to renew. Your new permit could be a better deal.

Pete

You can read the bills SB 139 and it has a hearing today in Senate Resources At 3:30. HB 125 will have a hearing at 1:30 tomorrow in House Finance.

I'm assuming your cabin is outside the refuge?

My cabin is a state trapping cabin permit.

SB 139 trap cabin bill has been cancelled today

Today (Thursday, May 4) is a hearing for HB 125 in House Finance.

My "trapline" for this Spring is going from legislative committee to legislative committee!

Pete

Kusco, If you have the time today you could call in and testify over the phone. Tell the committee how important it is for you to have a trapline cabin. Having a trapper from the bush would be very helpful. Call in number is 1-844-586-9085 Tell them you wish to testify on HB 125 in House Finance. Or if there is a Legislative Information Office, you can go there and they will help you. Or if anyone else that would like to tell the committee of the importance of your trap cabin. It would go a long way.

Is there a specific time to call in, are we able to email instead?

You can call in at 1:20- 1:25 for a personal testimony. Or you email the committee at. House.Finance@akleg.gov

House Finance passed HB 125 out and on yesterday, approving the fiscal note. With luck it will pass the House in a floor vote.

Soon we will need "prompting" for the Senate to take action.

Pete

Thanks for the heads up Pete. Please keep us in the loop. I would have called but I was in Juneau watching my daughter graduate from UAS.

Graduation was more important! pb

Our bill, HB 125 "Trapping Cabins on State Land," passed the Alaska House UNANIMOUSLY! 40-0!

A tribute to a lot of hard work and teamwork. Many thanks to ATA and their lobbyist Thor Stacey.

I should also note that our very own "Northway" from Trapperman, Rep Mike Cronk from the Upper Tanana region is now a genuine statewide trapping hero!

Now, before you get too excited, it ain't gonna pass the Senate this year. But we ARE on track to have it passed in the Senate next year (during the second half of this legislative session.) The chances of a bill being rejected by the Senate after unanimously passing in the House are slim. Hang in there trappers!


Pete

Sweet!!

Now, what do I do? Mine is due July 31st.

I would call your DNR person and ask them. They may extend your due date, pending the new changes.

I agree. Talk with DNR and negotiate possible changes. pb

Whatever the DNR person says I would get it by email so you have it in writing

Absolutely get any communication in writing. From my experience trapping cabin permits are a not popular with DNR. The cabin permit act was generated by trappers lobbying for cabin permits. It wasn’t the idea of the DNR so it’s not popular by the department!

I remember having a monthly ATA meeting many years back and had a representative from both DNR and the BLM. The whole of the meeting was access to trapping cabin permits and I remember the uproar from the membership when the BLM rep stated that they wanted us to have trapping cabins and the ease of getting a permit. That was total BS and should have been tarred and feathered before releasing the rep from the meeting. The DNR said similar statements with the crowd staying quiet as there were several cabin permit holders in the crowd.
A couple years after this,I found myself in the situation in applying for a Trapping Cabin Permit on an existing trapping cabin with a permit. I was buying a trapline from a trapper that held the permit for his cabin that he built on the trapline. The Trapline Cabin Permit is nontransferable so I had to apply for the permit. It wasn't that big of an ordeal as I had been trapping and predator hunting in the area for many years prior and knew most of the land owners and users in the area. Back then 2009, the person in charge was Stu Paychek, a former trapper himself out of the Brooks Range. It was a pleasure to come in and file the bi-annual paperwork due for the permit holder. I did it annually just to safe. When Stu retired, we won't talk about his replacement. Mom said if you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all. 9 years go by pretty fast and it's time for my renewal which for some reason you could not renew but had to reapply. Some more BS in the fine print but I was scared to fight in fear of loosing my permit. The permit is good for 10 years but due to the poor relationship with the DNR rep, I decided to apply a year early for safety reasons. This was a smart move and due to the conflict of interest with the local DNR rep, the sent my case down to Anchorage DNR. I thought this was great. They kind of drug their feet and beat around the bush a lot. I never did get a clear answer on why I had to reapply for the permit in which I already held for 9 years. It took all of that year to get the paperwork approved before getting my new permit. I ended up with the permit in my hand a month late so it was a good thing I applied a year early.
Fast forward to two weeks ago. I ran into DNR to file my last years required paperwork for the permit. This includes things like trapping license, fur receipts, and such paperwork to show you have been trapping. Like I said before, it is required bi-annually but I do it annually to be sure with my poor memory. The secretary puts me at a table and said she will go get the new person uncharge of the Trapping Cabin Permits who I had never met. 15 minute later, this young man came out and without introducing himself goes on to tell me that he cannot find anything on my new Permit. Anyone who knows me, knows I have no filter and the fact that he didn't introduce himself or put out his hand started this morning of bad. He asked if I had a current copy of the new Permit with me. I told him to get into his little computer and find it as I handed him my paperwork to be copied and filed. 15 minutes later he comes back out and said we are all good. When all said and done he says " Mr Pederson, you don't have to come in here to file your paperwork, you can email this stuff in bi-annually." I said it used to be a pleasure to come in here and turn the paperwork in person. Talk trapping, the outdoors, share some stories and pics with the person in your position. I see those days are long gone. I am pretty sure this young person however he or she identifies is not a hunter or trapper nor our friend.
I feel for the next generations that want to trap and get these kind of permits. If our new younger generations don't support , join and participate in their local and National Trappers Associations, this way of life is soon lost.

Stu Paychek...........that's a blast from the past. Can't remember if I ever met him but remember the name!

Lots of folks on here know that I worked in the Land Office (Div of Mining, Land and Water) at DNR for over 30 years. There were good times and bad, but here is a quick story that will explain what JR and others are up against...

For many years I managed the "front counter" (Public Information Section) in the Norther Regional Office off Airport Way here in Fairbanks. I tried to be helpful and always had glowing evaluations. But one year I was called into the Regional Manager's office and stood at attention while I was lectured. The RM and assistant told me that I was being moved off the front counter and back into a cubicle somewhere deep in the bowels of the bureaucracy. I was told that the reason for the move is that I was being "too helpful" and that I "needed to remember that I worked for the STATE and NOT those people coming through the front door!"

That came as a surprise to me, since I considered the Alaskans coming through the front door to be whom I actually worked for. I thought my job was to use the statutes, regulations and policies to actually get citizens what they requested. Turns out, according to the managers, I was instead supposed to comb through the statutes, regulations and policies to find reasons to DENY applications.

That did not sit well with me. It was the moment in my career when I knew I had "irreconcilable differences" with my bosses. I poked around for a few days and found a way to transfer over to Div of Forestry (still within DNR) where I worked until my retirement.

I did not make a very good bureaucrat.....!

Pete

I have no horror stories regarding my state permit. The last renewal,got hit with a 400 dollar application fee. That was a shocker, but affordable. My nps trapping cabin permit process resulted in a lot of effort for no permit.



The state ones come with arbitrary rules that appear to be aimed at people who want to use thier cabins for other recreational purposes.

Dave,

One of the provisions in the new legislation is a standardized (much lower than $400!) application fee.

Pete

Interesting. My last renewal had a $100 application fee and a $500 permit fee. And yes, some new rules like can’t use it or camp within 5 miles during moose season. Otherwise they were easy to work with.

I bought my cabin from another trapper in 2012. Stu Paychek was the cabin permit guy and he just let me run on the other guys permit till 2015 and then apply for mine. Everything was seamless and went great. He checked with the other trapper to make sure I wasn’t trying anything tricky. Since then I’ve emailed my evidence of use in every year. I did notice this year my email was forwarded to a new person and got a reply from someone different than the previous few years. Mine expires 25 so will probably start that paperwork this winter.

BTW, Stu's last name is Pechek! Sure miss having him there at DNR. Common sense guy and a trapper himself.

A few years ago he went nuts and ran for Don Young's seat in Congress, but other than that he's a common sense guy!

Pete