Cotten Unanimous Choice for ADF&G Commissioner

Jay Barrett/KMXT

Acting Fish and Game Commissioner Sam Cotten was the odds on favorite to be hired for as permanent head of the department, but he became a shoe-in (this) Wednesday morning when the joint boards of Fish and Game voted against interviewing three other candidates, Roland Maw, Zachary Hill, and Matt Moore. 

After an hour-and-a-half interview the boards voted unanimously to forward Cotten’s name to Governor Bill Walker for consideration.

There were several queries about the dual management in Alaska due to a disagreement with the federal government over a rural preference, and Cotten made his position clear that Alaska’s constitution does not allow for a rural preference for subsistence like federal law does.

Another question put the political appointee who runs a biological science-based agency on the spot. He was asked how much influence the administration should have on resource management decisions, and replied, “You’d be naive to say that politics never gets involved in fish and game issues, but it’d be my goal to preserve a science-based process.”

And given the ongoing “brain-drain” of fish and game’s biologists, the joint board wanted to know how Cotten might stem the outflow, especiall now that the state is in a fiscal spiral. He said he couldn’t promise to pay employees more, but that as commissioner he’ll make sure there’s respect and a good work environment.

Cotten replaces Cora Campbell, who has since taken a job with a CDQ group based out of Nome.