A bill with hidden costs for Alaska’s wildlife economy

A bill with hidden costs for Alaska’s wildlife economy

A bear hunts for salmon in Katmai National Park. (National Park Service photo)As an economist who has spent more than three decades quantifying Alaska’s resource-based industries, I have seen how our state’s abundant wildlife supports jobs in rural Alaska, brings in new dollars from non-resident visitors and helps fund conservation.  A piece of legislation billed as a technical cleanup has hidden costs for Alaska’s wildlife economy. House Bill 3…