Anchorage Assembly weighs air gun exception for licensed wildlife controllers

Licensed nuisance wildlife controllers could legally use air rifles and air pistols inside Anchorage under a proposed ordinance before the Anchorage Municipal Assembly, where discharging those weapons anywhere in the municipality is currently a class B misdemeanor. Under the existing code, a conviction also carries firearm forfeiture to the municipality, and if the discharge of a firearm occurs from a vehicle, a court may order forfeiture of the defendant's interest in the vehicle as well — though the forfeiture provisions reference "firearm" specifically, leaving the precise application to air rifles and air pistols a matter of the code's broader construction.

AO No. 2026-88, introduced by Assembly Member Zac Johnson, prepared by the Department of Law, and reviewed by Assembly Legal Services, would amend Anchorage Municipal Code section 8.25.030 to allow holders of a state nuisance wild animal control license to discharge air rifles and air pistols while performing duties permitted under that license. The ordinance was read June 9 and takes effect immediately upon passage.

Current Code and the Proposed Exception

Under current code, discharging or flourishing an air rifle or air pistol anywhere in the municipality is a class B misdemeanor, with narrow exceptions for lawful hunting areas, established shooting ranges, and licensed gunsmith premises. The proposed fourth exception applies only to individuals licensed under Alaska Statute 16.05.340 and 5 AAC 92.420, a credential the state restricts to qualified individuals with demonstrated backgrounds in nuisance wildlife control. The exception is operative only while the licensee is performing duties permitted by that license.

State wildlife regulations already recognize air rifles as a lawful method of take for certain species, including deleterious exotic wildlife where authorized under 5 AAC 92, and state officials treat shooting as a last resort in urban wildlife conflict. Johnson's memorandum to the Assembly reflects that framing. "The methodology implemented for nuisance wildlife control is tightly regulated, with shooting being the last option for a necessary take," the memo says. "In these situations, the State has determined use of an air rifle or air pistol is an appropriate method to manage nuisance wildlife."

The Anchorage Police Department has formally expressed support for the amendment. "The Anchorage Police Department is supportive of this amendment," Johnson's memo states. The ordinance carries no private-sector economic impact, and local government costs are estimated below $30,000, exempting it from a formal fiscal summary under AMC 2.30.053B.1.