Jet boat used by Silvis to transport unlawfully taken game, hunters and gear into and out of the preserve/NPS

An Idaho man who illegally guided moose and bear hunts in Noatak National Preserve in Alaska in violation of the Lacey Act was sentenced to six months of home confinement and handed a $20,000 fine by a federal judge.

Paul Silvis, 52, of Nampa, Idaho, also was given five years of supervised release following his six months of home confinement, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Alaska. He also was directed to perform 200 hours of community service, to reimburse two clients their deposits for hunts not provided, and required to write an article in a hunting periodical about his illegal activities.

And Silvis, who in October 2019 had entered guilty pleas to two violations of the Lacey Act, has been banned from any further hunting in the state of Alaska.

The Noatak National Preserve is a six-million-acre unit of the NPS located entirely north of the Arctic Circle, and is one of the largest designated wilderness areas in the United States. Centered on the Noatak River, the preserve is also one of North America’s largest mountain-ringed river basins, with an intact ecosystem and a wide array of Arctic flora and fauna, including free-ranging populations of grizzly bears and caribou. The Noatak is classified as a national wild and scenic river, and is popular with adventure travelers, river runners, fishermen and hunters. The preserve is also the traditional homeland and hunting area for the Inupiaq people of Northwest Alaska.

Working from a field contact made by Alaska Wildlife Troopers in 2013 and 2014, special agents from the National Park Service joined the case in 2015. Their investigation revealed that from 2009 through 2014, Silvis conducted an illegal hunting guide operation for clients from Idaho, Utah, Montana, and several other states in previous years. These clients did not possess all the appropriate permits, tags, or complete the required Alaska hunt reporting requirements.

Many of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game hunt records were submitted with false information by Silvis who operated under the name “Orion Outfitters," according to a Park Service release. In addition, Silvis transported these illegally taken game animals across state lines.  

Repeatedly violating state and federal laws, Silvis, in 2013 and 2014, was paid well over $121,500 for illegally guided/outfitted hunts for bear and moose in the Noatak National Preserve, the release stated. In order to lawfully hunt brown bears within the preserve, a non-resident hunter is required to contract with a licensed Alaska big game guide or be within second degree of kindred to an Alaska resident per state law.

The Noatak National Preserve falls within the Alaska game management unit 23. With few exceptions, for a non-resident hunter to legally hunt brown bear and moose in unit 23, they must apply for a draw permit from ADF&G, in addition to purchasing a locking tag. Silvis would obtain the clients' information prior to the hunt and purchase airfare, lodging, Alaska hunting licenses, locking tags, as well as a general season hunting tag for moose. During the execution of a search warrant at Silvis’ residence in August of 2015, seized as evidence were several of his clients' documents that were still in the envelopes from ADF&G. Silvis would complete and submit the hunt/harvest records to ADF&G with false information, the release said, adding that many of the moose harvested were not reported to ADF&G. 

Silvis and a former colleague also created a scheme to illegally obtain two Alaska brown bear tags, according to the investigation.  Silvis and his former colleague declared themselves brothers-in-law and would obtain two brown bear tags, one by the Alaska resident and one by Silvis claiming to be the brother-in-law. The investigation was never able to prove the former colleague of Silvis ever became an actual Alaska resident per hunting regulations.

Silvis accessed the Noatak Preserve by using a Jetcraft 2175 Extreme Shallow jet boat he bought new and sent from Idaho to the village of Kotzebue. Silvis used the jet boat to haul supplies and his camp equipment from storage locations in Kotzebue and the village of Noatak to his hunting camp up the Noatak River. Silvis would set-up the travel for his clients to fly commercially to the village of Noatak where he would pick them up in the jet boat and transport them to his camp. Silvis used the jet boat to transport the hunters up and down the river to different hunting locations and at times would hunt from the boat. After harvesting big game, Silvis transported the hunters and the game in the jet boat back to camp, on to Noatak, and sometimes all the way back to Kotzebue.

After completing the hunts, Silvis would cache some of his camp equipment and gear on state or federal lands and haul the rest back to Noatak. Some gear along with the bear hides and skulls and moose antlers would be transported back to Kotzebue.

Interviews of clients revealed that Silvis would hand the clients a plastic bag once in camp with their license and hunting documents. Some clients told investigators they were asked to hand over the plastic bag at the end of the hunting trip.

The complexity of the case required special agents, Alaska Wildlife troopers, and Idaho Department of Fish and Game investigators to collaborate across geographic and jurisdictional boundaries. During the investigation, troopers served one state search warrant and special agents served three federal search warrants, in addition to other federal processes. The investigation uncovered eight brown bears and four moose that were illegally taken within hunting seasons of 2012, 2013, and 2014. Information developed during the investigation revealed that other co-conspirators and clients were suspected of illegally harvesting animals prior to 2012.

“We are stewards of some of the most impressive and important protected areas left on the planet," said Joel Hard, National Park Service deputy regional director. "This case was successful because of the team work put forth by the Alaska Wildlife troopers and NPS special agents along with assistance and expertise from US Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the great work of the US Attorney’s Office in Alaska and in Boise, Idaho."