State: No laws broken when trooper set traps

WASILLA, Alaska — A longtime Alaska State Trooper didn’t break any laws by setting snares for coyote and fox on private property near Wasilla, a review found.

That’s because the area that the trooper and his trapping partner used to access the property wasn’t posted with no-trespassing signs, the agency said this week.

John Cyr, a trooper who works wildlife cases out of Palmer, and Rick Ellis set the snares on land that belongs to Ralph Kircher, who now lives in Auburn, Wash., The Anchorage Daily News reported.

Kircher says he opposes trapping for sport, and no one sought permission from him or the couple that leases his land for a gravel pit. The couple, Nicolene Jordan and husband Mark Loomis, filed a complaint Nov. 16 with the Department of Public Safety’s Office of Professional Standards.

A review by the troopers determined no laws were broken.

“If the land’s not posted, it may be trespassing in your mind, but it’s not criminal trespassing by Alaska statute,” said Alaska Wildlife Trooper Capt. Burke Waldron, who supervises Cyr.

The Fish and Game Department said it’s the responsibility of trappers to check with landowners after they acquire trapping licenses from the agency.

“We do hunting and fishing laws. As far as trespass laws, the state troopers would be enforcing those,” Fish and Game spokesman Ken Marsh said.

Jordan noted that there were no-trespassing signs at the front of the property, but not at the back near Colony High School. She said Cyr should have known the property was private and that he knew about the couple’s gravel operation, because she had sold him gravel previously.

Cyr didn’t return calls seeking comment, the newspaper said, but Ellis, his trapping partner, did.

Ellis, former president of the Alaska Frontier Trappers Association, said he and Cyr trapped in the same area last year because no signs were posted. Ellis said he’s 60 years old and disabled, so he looks for trapping sites he can access easily.

Ellis said his rights as a trapper were violated when the couple removed the snares from the property.

“If anybody broke the laws, they did,” he said. “Not me.”

Even if Cyr didn’t violate criminal trespass or state game laws, he may have disregarded state guidelines for ethical trapping practices, which urge trappers to get landowner permission.

“I was never contacted, and I would never allow that,” Kircher said.

Ellis, asked about the ethics of trapping without permission on private land, said the code was structured after the Lower 48 states, where notification is a legal requirement. Alaska, with huge amounts of unmarked property, is different.

“A lot of what would apply in the Lower 48 doesn’t apply up here,” he said. “If (Jordan) had made it known she didn’t want me on there, then certainly I would have honored that. But otherwise it’s fair game.”

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Everett
Judge sentences man, 73, for intending to have sex with ‘teen’ in Everett

The Arizona man sent explicit images to an agent posing as a 13-year-old. Investigators found images of child sexual abuse on his phone.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

State’s draft of climate action plan open for public comment

Residents can submit public comments or climate-related stories online through Aug. 22.

The Edmonds School Board discusses budget cuts during a school board meeting on Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds school board approves 2025-26 budget

After facing an estimated $8.5 million shortfall earlier in the year, the board passed a balanced budget Tuesday.

A wall diagram shows the “journey of the ballot” at the new Elections Center on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County Auditor: No need for feds to meddle with state or local elections

Garth Fell’s comments were in response to a report of Justice Department mulling criminal charges against election officials.

Edmonds Police Chief Loi Dawkins speaks after the city council approved her appointment on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds City Council confirms new police chief

Assistant Chief Loi Dawkins will begin in the role Aug. 1. She has more than 23 years of law enforcement experience, including three years in Edmonds.

The Edmonds City Council discuss the levy during a city council meeting on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds votes to place levy lid lift on the ballot

By a vote of 5-2, the council decided to put the $14.5 million property tax levy lid lift to voters in November.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.