The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-01-28
Wild Came Life VaIue
 to Alaska
FRANK DUFRESNE Alaska Game Warden

In his History of Alaska pub lished during the year of 1885 the noted historian Bancroft made one statement which struck a keynote regarding the importance of fur bearing animals in the early life of the Territory He said, Gall it science or patriotism, or progress, there is this to be said about the first Russian discoveries in Ameri- ca-little would have been heard of them for some time to come, if ever, had it not been for the beau- tiful furs brought back from Der ing Island and elsewhere But for these costly skins, each of which proclaimed in loudest strains the glories of Alaska, the Great Land, might long have rested, un- disturbed Ever since that year of TAI when the crews of Vitus Bering and Alexel Chirikof gath cred the first sea otter pelts from the Aleutian Islands and from the coast of the Gulf of Alaska, the peltries of furbearing animals have played an outstanding role in the settlement and development of AL aska. Not only did the catching of furs assure the first white pioneers of a good living in cash returns, but the furbearers also permitted people whose interest lay in other directions to earn their way as they explored the unknown land. Many important gold strikes are thus directly traced to the trap per-prospector Greeks and rivers now world famous for the wealth of yellow metal recovered in their beds were at one time chiefly val uable as trap lines. This condition, in a way, still holds good. Pros pecting and trapping for furbear- ing animals are still linked togeth- CT; cash returns from furs furnish the prospector with a grubstake with which he may continue his never-ending search for valuable mineral deposits.
 Since the Territory was purchas- ed from Russia sixty-seven years ago the total value of all furs shipped from Alaska has been near ly IT times greater than the entire purchase price of S7,200,000. The grand total is in excess of $l2O,- GOO 000, of which about one-half has been derived from the fur seal herds of the Pribilofs. From the smaller furbearers, the most im- portant varieties of which are bea- yer. red, cross, silver, blue and white foxes, m r e n, muskrat, mink, otter and lynx, taken by in- dividual trappers throughout the Territory, the receipts total S6o,- 481 ITO. Practically all of this lat ter sum has been expended direct ly in furthering development and colonization, in addition to which great quantities of furs have been used by the people for clothing during the rigorous winters which prevail in the greater part of the country
 The responsibility for the pro- lection of fur and game in Alaska rests with the Alaska Game Com mission, an organization function ing under the Bureau of Biologi- cal Survey. United States Depart ment of Agriculture, with a Game Commissioner appointed from each of the four Judicial Divisions. The policy is to permit the fur being utilized to the fullest extent con- sistent with maintaining the sup ply at a level wherein the various species are conserved in such num- bers as to guarantee the industry operating on a basis of perman- ency. Because of the wide differ ences in climatic conditions it has been necessary to create eight fur districts, each with slightly different open seasons on the fur bearers within its Boundaries. to insure the taking of only fully prime pelts. In general, these trap ping seasons extend from Novem- Der until June Since 1925 license fee of $2 has been required of resi- dent trappers, $50 for nonresidents, and $fo0 for alien trappers. At the present time there are 3,638 licens- ed trappers in the Territory.
 During the past several years the ranch raising of furbearers, mainly of silver and blue foxes, and mink has become a well establish ed business. At the present time there are BIO licensed fur farmers