Running on a clean-government platform, Palin defeated incumbent Governor Frank Murkowski in the Republican gubernatorial primary election in August.

[18] Palin's choice to replace Monegan, Charles M. Kopp, chief of the Kenai police department, took the position on July 11, 2008.

[24] On October 10, 2008, the Republican-dominated Alaska Legislative Council unanimously voted to release the Branchflower investigative report[25] which found that Sarah Palin abused her power as governor in the firing of Monegan.

[26] On November 3, 2008, the Alaska Personnel Board concluded that Palin had not violated ethics laws, essentially contradicting the findings of the Branchflower probe.

Palin has created a new sub-cabinet group of advisers to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within Alaska.

"[31] Shortly after taking office, Palin rescinded 35 appointments made by Murkowski in the last hours of his administration, including that of his former chief of staff James "Jim" Clark to the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority.

[citation needed] In March 2007, Palin presented the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) as the new legal vehicle for building a natural gas pipeline from the state's North Slope.

[41] In June 2008, Governor Sarah Palin asked the Legislature to give Alaskans a special one-time payment of $1,200 to help with the high costs of energy.

[citation needed] Additionally the Palin administration proposed the Alaska's Clear and Equitable Share (ACES), a plan to protect tax revenue to the state government from fluctuations in oil prices.

[45][46] In 2007, Palin supported the Alaska Department of Fish and Game policy allowing wolf hunting from helicopters as part of a predator control program intended to increase moose populations, which many rural Alaskans subsist on.

[47] In March 2007, Palin's office announced that a bounty of $150 per wolf would be paid to the 180 volunteer pilots and gunners, to offset fuel costs.

[51] In August, 2007, both lawmakers and Governor Palin approved appropriating $400,000 from the state treasury to explain the aerial hunting program to Alaskans.

[52][53] Alaskans had passed similar measures in 1996 and 2000, each time with a two-year limit; after they expired the state legislature allowed the Game Board to resume the program.

[57] Palin expressed her personal opinion as a private citizen against State Ballot Measure Four, known as Alaska's Clean Water Act, a week prior to a statewide election held August 26, 2008.

[60] Opponents pointed to existing state and federal environmental laws that already achieve the same health and wildlife protections requested under Measure Four.

They also claim that the Measure as written was open to interpretation which could drive stricter environmental standards that shut down all new, large metallurgic mines in Alaska.

Despite this potential redundancy, there are claims that the enforcement of mining industry environmental regulations in Alaska and nationwide are imperfect and pollution outside acceptable limits periodically occurs at existing sites to varying degrees.

Rick Steiner, a University professor of Alaska, sought the e-mail messages of the state scientists who had examined the effects of global warming on the bears, and was informed his request would cost $466,784 to process.

Through a federal records request Steiner was able to obtain the e-mails and he found that contrary to Palin's claims, the scientists supported the fact that the bears were in danger.

The rule is to prevent the polar bear's status from being used as a tool for imposing greenhouse gas limits; it exempts projects in all states except Alaska from undergoing review in relation to emissions.

[71] Recent research suggests that despite hunting controls beluga whales in Cook's Inlet remain severely depleted and at high risk of extinction.

[74][75] Palin followed through on a campaign promise to sell the Westwind II jet purchased (on a state government credit account, against the wishes of the Legislature) by the Murkowski administration for $2.7 million in 2005.

[76][77] She also canceled a contract for the construction of an 11-mile (18 km) gravel road outside Juneau to a mine, reversing a decision made in the closing days of the Murkowski administration.

[82] In response to criticism for taking the per diem, and for $43,490 in travel expenses for the times her family accompanied her on state business, the governor's staffers said that these practices were in line with state policy, that Palin's gubernatorial expenses were 80% below those of her predecessor, Frank Murkowski,[83] and that "many of the hundreds of invitations Palin receives include requests for her to bring her family, placing the definition of 'state business' with the party extending the invitation.

[88] On June 18, Palin replaced the entire membership of the BAC,[89] which then installed itself as the Creamery Board,[90] and voted to keep the dairy open for 90 days while reviewing options.

Members of the Alaskan congressional delegation, particularly Representative Don Young and Senator Ted Stevens, were the bridge's biggest advocates in Congress, and helped push for federal funding.

[101] She said in August 2006: "We need to come to the defense of Southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table like the bridge, and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that's so negative.

[103] According to Reuters, Palin's decision to cancel the bridge "earn[ed] her admirers from earmark critics and budget hawks from around the nation.

She resigned her governorship before filling a third vacancy, which was filled by incoming governor Sean Parnell with the appointment of Peter J. Maassen[108][109] Palin announced she was resigning her office due to the costs and distractions of battling ethics investigations, describing the "insane" amount of time and money that both she and the state of Alaska had expended responding to "frivolous" legal ethics complaints filed against her.

[113][114] On December 22, 2010, new rules governing Alaska executive branch ethics, stemming from Sarah Palin's tenure as governor, took effect: These include allowing for the state to pay legal costs for officials cleared of ethics violations; allowing for a family member of the governor or the lieutenant governor to travel at state cost in certain circumstances and allowing an immediate family member to use an official's state-issued cell phone or BlackBerry if the usage is limited or under monthly or unlimited plans.The Alaska Attorney General clarified several ethics rules, including those related to family travel.