Sitka’s Fish & Game Advisory Committee will lose its leader this week. Heather Bauscher has served in the committee’s conservation seat for six years, with three years as chair. She’s stepping down and calling for others to consider running in this week’s elections (11-1-23).
Bauscher said she is proud of the work she’s done to amplify local voices and navigate layers of fisheries management. She remembered a particularly intense period in 2021, when the AC was sometimes meeting twice a week to address Board of Fish finfish and shellfish proposals.
“I think we broke the record on public meetings during that Board of Fish Southeast cycle,” she said. “We had more than 20 meetings.”
Bauscher was recognized as an ‘exemplary leader’ by the Board of Fish in 2022. She said she’s grateful to the committee for giving her a chance – first as an alternate, then as a full committee member, and finally as chair.
“I originally ended up involved because I was just a person in a corner with a notebook, trying to understand how it all worked, and there happened to be a seat open,” she said.
She said having diverse perspectives, including from younger Sitkans, is key to making change at the state level. She said interested Sitkans should consider running in Wednesday’s election, even if they don’t think they’re qualified.
“I’d say, if you’re interested in serving at all, in any capacity, you should just come to the meeting and see what happens,” she said.
The Sitka AC will hold its regular meeting and elections Wednesday (11-1-23) at the NSRAA building and online from 6 to 8:30pm.
