Assessments DRAFT. (October 17, 2013)

Transcription

1 Assessments DRAFT (October 17, 2013)

2 Mischaracterization Perpetuated by Limited Media Outlets Articles used unauthentic & misleading photos falsely purporting to be U.S. EPA EPA Carries Out Armed Raid Of Alaskan Mine (09/12/13) EPA SWAT Team Raids Gold Miners in Alaska (09/05/13) EPA Sends Armed, Armored Squad To Alaska Gold Mines To Test Water Quality (09/05/13) SWAT Teams Used to Enforce Environmental Laws (09/25/13)

3 Armed EPA raid in Alaska sheds light on 70 fed agencies with armed divisions (09/16/13) -light-on-70-fed-agencies-with-armed-divisions/ EPA Sends SWAT Team To Alaskan Mine to Check Water Quality Wearing Body Armor And Jackets Emblazoned With POLICE (09/04/13) EPA raid on Alaska s gold miners triggers federal probe (09/12/13) sends swat team to alaskan mine to check water quality-wearing-body-armor-and-jackets-emblazoned-with-police Armed EPA Raid in Alaska Sheds Light on 70 Fed Agencies With Armed Divisions (09/15/13) thenattyconservative.com/tag/armed-epa-agents/ Article s Caption Reads: Armed EPA Agent

4 Obama-Nation: EPA Sends SWAT Team Alaska Environmental Crimes Task Force To Alaskan Mine to Check Water Quality surged out of the wilderness around remote (09/04/13) community wearing body armor, squad-size display of paramilitary force to check for dirty water? (09/03/13) Alaskan Town Terrorized by Federal Divisions (09/22/13) eserve-fighters-70-federal-agencies-armed-divisions/#axzz2hpz0lxny Gold miners near Chicken Cry foul over heavy-handedhanded EPA raids (09/15/13) /gold-miners-near-chicken-cry-foul

5 Actual Photos from Fortymile Mine Pollution Enforcement Initiative (August 19, 2013 August 22, 2013) ADEC Investigator BLM Ranger EPA Special Agent Interviewing miner. ADEC Investigator ADEC Criminal Investigator and BLM Ranger interviewing miners. BLM Ranger ADEC Criminal Investigator and BLM Ranger interviewing miner. EPA Special Agent making field contact.

6 Actual Photos from Fortymile Mine Pollution Enforcement Initiative (August 19, 2013 August 22, 2013) Investigators briefing between mine site visits, dressed in field investigative clothing. EPA Special Agent wearing ballistic vest & safety helmet while riding ATV to mine site. ADEC Criminal Investigator wearing ballistic vest & safety helmet while riding ATV to mine site. EPA Special Agent investigating mine site.

7 AWT Wildlife Enforcement Comparable to EPA Environmental Crimes Enforcement Ballistic Vest Firearm Alaska Wildlife Trooper writing tickets for salmon Poaching. (Trooper Times 09/05/07) Fortymile Investigation (2013) EPA Special Agent making investigative field notes. (2013) Rifle Wildlife Trooper patrolling bear bait stations. Nationalgeographic.com (2012) AWT Trooper seized salmon from boy fishing in closed waters (Trooper Times 2007) Fortymile Inv. (2013) Fortymile Investigation (2013) EPA Special Agent conducting environmental crime investigation. (2013) EPA Special Agent makes field contact with armed person. (2013)

8 Alaska State Troopers (AST) and Alaska Wildlife Troopers (AWT) Wear Ballistic Vests and Firearms when Interacting with Public Caption reads: Alaska State Troopers keep an eye on the beach. childventure.com/adventure-ak/dipnetting-the-kenai-river/ Caption reads: Alaska State Troopers fine dipnetters for fishing past 11:00PM. childventure.com/adventure-ak/dipnetting-the-kenai-river/ Alaska State Trooper wearing ballistic vest & firearm with children in class room. Photo from Alaska Wildlife Trooper s webpage, describing AWT s mission To protect Alaska s Natural Resources through Wildlife Enforcement.

9 Alaska Wildlife Troopers: Fishing Regulation Enforcement Initiatives are Conducted Wearing Standard LEO Safety Equipment (Including Ballistic Vests, Firearms & Tazers) Trooper Times (09/05/07) s/9.5.07%20sport%20fishing%20enforcement.pdf Alaska Wildlife Troopers Hit Alaskan Waters To address the enforcement needs of the [Bristol Bay] fishery, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers recruit numerous additional Troopers from around the state, resulting in the largest enforcement program conducted annually by the Department of Public Safety. Wildlife Troopers statewide came into Southcentral to assist in checking the fishing permits of thousands of fisherman hoping to catch the big one. AWT had 41 people involved in the effort, including troopers Patrol trucks, unmarked trucks, fixed wing aircraft, river boats and a helicopter were used by 14 Alaska Wildlife Troopers and Public Safety Technicians on a variety of patrols Some of the ticket receivers even pass on tips of where they saw other fisherman breaking the law. The special enforcement netted 416 resource related tickets ranging from taking fish in closed waters to not having a valid fishing license. This year, Alaska Wildlife Troopers made 4634 contacts with the public in their enforcement efforts across the state.

10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers: Begin Criminal Investigation Following Villager Reports of Illegal Fishing Alaska Wildlife Troopers Investigate Claims of Illegal Fishing on Yukon The Alaska Wildlife Troopers are in the process of conducting an investigation into reports of illegal subsistence fishing near the village of Marshall, located along the lower Yukon River. These reports came about in part from statements made to reporters by villagers. The reports allege that residents from Marshall participated in a king salmon harvest when the season was not opened. [AWT Director Colonel Gary Folger remarked] We will conduct an investigation and if it discloses criminal behavior occurred, we will present our findings to the District Attorney s Office for review. As with most fish and game violations, this type of crime is considered a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $5000 and/or one year in jail. The type of violation, prior criminal history and impact on the resource are all taken into account when sentencing occurs. Alaska DPS Press Release (06/30/09) Monitoring our natural resources is not an exact science. Whenever possible, we want to err on the side of sustaining our bounty for the future. IllegalFishingClaims pdf

11 Alaska Wildlife Troopers: Criminal Investigation Into Resource Violations Involving Unfair Competitive Advantage Alaska DPS Press Release (01/06/11) htt //d l k / i /d /P /2011/B k RangeBigGameViolations pdf Father, Son Plead Guilty to Big Game Guiding Violations in Brooks Range A father and son pleaded guilty in Anchorage District Court Tuesday to misdemeanor violations involving big game guiding in the Brooks Range in [The son] was convicted of taking his clients to hunt where he couldn t legally conduct hunts because the area was registered to his father [The father] was convicted of falsifying records that deceptively showed dhe guided dthese hunting trips. The [son] was essentially operating in six guide use areas by using his father s three areas as well as his own, giving him an unfair competitive advantage over other lawfully operating guide businesses.