Tom Carpenter
Board Member · Alaska Board of Fisheries
19 articles · 12 transcripts · 9 clips
Affiliations
Fish board plans a second vote on Cook Inlet drift limits that never took effect
The fish board voted in March to rein in Cook Inlet's drift fleet. The rules never took effect, and now it'll vote on them again, likely in January.

Fish board agrees to reconsider Area M salmon limits the state voided in May
“To me, new information is not something that was thrown out by somebody at the Department of Law.”

Alaska Board of Fisheries picks Bethel and Dillingham for 2028 regional finfish meetings
“My experience in Bristol Bay in the winter is that there's very little open.”

Fish board member found in ethics violation makes the order public before Area M vote
The state found fish board member Curt Chamberlain's ethics disclosure incomplete and voided five Area M rules. He released the order Wednesday and disputes it.

Fish board adds eight Upper Cook Inlet king stocks and Little Susitna coho to concern list
The fish board added eight Upper Cook Inlet king runs and Little Susitna coho to its worry list, bringing the inlet's troubled king stocks to 13.

Alaska Board of Fisheries urged to add a second vote on the final text of fishing rules
Alaska fishing rules become law before the board sees their final text. The Department of Law wants a second vote on it, after 30 days of public comment.

Trawl briefing leaves state board asking about its own waters
“it was a pretty clear understanding, at least from myself, that the board may not be as informed as it should be in regards to some of the nuances surrounding trawl fisheries”

Board of Fisheries committee to take up remote testimony and process changes Oct. 21
A Board of Fisheries committee meets Oct. 21 on remote testimony and process recommendations. Its chair has "struggled with" virtual participation.

Board of Fisheries committee weighs how to let the public weigh in on last-minute rewrites
“heard more people complain about things happening at the very last minute and then brought up in the morning where they didn't feel like they had the ability to get with a board member or in front of the board and comment about the substantive changes that have been made”

Fish and Game proposes flagging struggling salmon runs a year earlier so the public can weigh in
“really an impossible task”

Fishery managers will meet on trawl seafloor contact, with no power to recommend
The Board of Fisheries took 51 seconds on three trawl proposals. Its follow-up meeting can't recommend anything and won't take testimony by phone.

Fish board committee to review Traditional Knowledge report process Sept. 25
Fish board members will review how Traditional Knowledge reports are handled Sept. 25. The notice proposes no change to Traditional Knowledge's place in regulation.

Mat-Su Planning Commission to schedule Eagle River annexation presentation
Mat-Su Planning Commission scheduled a presentation on annexing Chugiak and Eagle River from Anchorage, a preliminary step that does not endorse the idea or require a vote by the Borough Assembly.

Mat-Su Planning Commission backs multifamily code overhaul
Mat-Su Planning Commission backed a tiered multifamily code allowing homeowners to add mother-in-law suites without permits. • Larger projects must meet new drainage, fire access, and road standards, including 100-foot building setbacks from roads. • The Assembly must approve the ordinance before the new rules take effect.

Board Sets Fish Wheel Rules, Recovery Goals for Yukon Salmon
Alaska's Board of Fisheries set fish wheel standards and recovery goals for depleted Yukon River salmon, requiring five consecutive years of meeting escapement targets before stocks can be delisted.

Board restricts Cook Inlet drift gillnet fishery to protect coho salmon
Alaska's Board of Fisheries voted Friday to restrict Cook Inlet drift gillnet fishing to protect coho salmon, limiting the fleet to two 12-hour windows per week and a 2-mile buffer from shore.

Board of Fisheries Opens Statewide Meeting With Stock Concern Action Plans
The Alaska Board of Fisheries met March 17 to weigh management plans for struggling Western Alaska salmon stocks.

Board Chair Survives Ethics Challenge Over Village Corporation Ties
The Board of Fisheries voted 6-0 to let Chair Marit Carlson-Van Dort vote on Area M proposals despite questions about her corporate ties.

Chignik King Salmon Meets Escapement Goal After Six-Year Drought
Chignik River king salmon hit the escapement goal in 2025 for the first time since 2019, but the state is still weighing whether to ease the fishing restrictions that helped the recovery.
