My environmental coming-of-age story is really a tale of naïve pig-headedness, laced with equal parts ignorance, blessed only by the best of intentions. I try to remember this whenever I get to feeling pretty good about releasing some nice fish, which may or may not swim off to die anyway but almost certainly did not enjoy being pulled around by its face.

Nearly every step of the way - from a gangly kid avoiding chores and acting with appalling insensitivity towards the plight of the whitefish in eastern Montana to present, still gangly and avoiding chores though a marginally better citizen - I've been behind the curve. Conservationist ethics evolve and I try to catch up (and try not to act like I've been there all along).

I'll have another chance in the coming year, as on January 1, 2012, felt-soled wading products will become a relic of the past in Alaska. This is designed to guard against the spread of aquatic invasive species in the state's freshwater lakes, rivers and streams. The ban was adopted by the Alaska Board of Fisheries in March of 2010, making us the first state in the nation to adopt such a comprehensive felt-sole regulation (Vermont has a ban going into effect in April of this year, although adopted later than Alaska's; Maryland is set to follow with similar regulations shortly). In Alaska, the ban was initially proposed by Trout Unlimited, who also suggested phasing out the felt soles over a period of two years, which should help limit the impact on anglers.

“The board should be commended for taking this proactive step to end the use of felt-soled boots and waders in Alaska, which are a significant source of transmission of invasive species,” said Mark Kaelke, Trout Unlimited (TU) Southeast Alaska Project Director. Growing scientific evidence suggests that felt, which helps as much as anything when trying to wade across slick rocks and boulders, is also a vehicle for noxious microorganisms that hitch rides to new waters and disrupt ecosystems. These aquatic invasive species have devastated fisheries and municipal water systems in many countries, and in other parts of the United States. In those locales, enormous amounts of money and time have been spent working to eradicate them from the infected waterways - in fact, the yearly economic impact of invasive species in the United States is estimated at $133.6 billion.

Although Alaska's waterways are relatively free of invasive species, TU expects that without proactive measures and increased awareness of potential problems, it is simply a matter of time before invasion occurs.

“The Board of Fisheries' action will command attention far beyond Alaska,” said Dave Kumlien, executive director of the Montana-based Whirling Disease Foundation. “By taking this important step, Alaska becomes the first state in the nation to ban the use of felt-soled wading products. That sends an important signal."

Montana is one of the states that has spent some money trying to defeat invasive species, most notably Whirling Disease. However, it's a single-celled organism Didymosphenia geminata, or didymo (also known as rock snot) that has done a lot of the heavy lifting in prompting the calls for a ban on felt soles.

Didymo is native to high-altitude waters of Europe and Asia but found its way to British Columbia and then at least 16 US states. Scientists say that it headed south and east, crossing the Rocky Mountains on its way to the East Coast. Unfortunately, it's also been found in two streams in the Juneau area, and not coincidentally, this is not the first time the state Board of Fisheries has felt compelled to act in regards to invasive species. In 2009, in response to a proposal by Juneau Trout Unlimited chapter member, Mark Vinsel, the board agreed to ban the use of felt-soled waders and boots in southeast Alaska's freshwater as of January 1, 2011. The start date for the Southeast ban has now been extended until January 1, 2012, when the measure takes effect statewide.

To help, many retail manufacturers have supported a transition away from the production of felt-soled wading products. Orvis reports its boot lineup to now be 80% rubber-soled, a change that's come about in the past two years, while Montana-based Simms Fishing Company has eliminated felt-soled boots altogether. Others, like Patagonia, Chota and Korkers, all are offering non-absorbent-soled wading boots in their new lineups. At present, several have committed to producing only non-felt products in the future as well.

In the end, this measure almost certainly isn't a cure-all - invasive species are getting rides on other pieces of equipment, too. Taking just the footwear into consideration, for instance, how about the laces?

Still, it's a good idea, a proactive step to keeping Alaska as free as possible from the kind of problems that have had wicked consequences in other states. A lot of fishing travelers visit the state each year, and it's good to know we'll all be working together to keep our freshwater ecosystems as healthy as ever.