Homer Alaska - News

According to a criminal complaint filed Sept. 1, on June 8 Vigue is alleged to have dumped logs, stumps and other debris into the Anchor River while a group of Alaska Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Fish and Wildlife employees worked on the Fish and Game weir and a Fish and Wildlife screw trap just upstream of the Old Sterling Highway bridge on the Anchor River. The state weir counts salmon heading upstream while the federal screw trap counts salmon moving downstream. Trooper Michael Henry alleged that the debris floated toward seven people working near the weir and screwtrap. One worker said if the debris had hit him he could have suffered broken bones or drowned, Henry wrote. No one was actually injured.

Vigue and another man also confronted one worker clearing debris out of the screwtrap. Henry said the worker told him a man later identified as Vigue screamed at the worker, saying the weir obstructed salmon and was responsible for poor salmon runs. The worker got Vigue's license plate, and troopers identified Vigue as a suspect based on motor vehicle records.

Henry interviewed Vigue and alleged that Vigue said he thought it was against federal law for Fish and Game to block the flow of salmon up the river. Henry said Vigue told him he "planned to go down to the weir with pepper spray and zip ties and start making some citizens arrests." The other man was not involved in putting debris in the Anchor River, Henry said Vigue told him.

A summons has been issued against Vigue on the charges, but not a warrant for his arrest.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.