HCS CSSB 77(RES) AM H: "An Act relating to the powers of the Board of Game and to intensive management of big game to achieve higher sustained yield for human harvest."
00HOUSE CS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 77(RES) am H 01 "An Act relating to the powers of the Board of Game and to intensive 02 management of big game to achieve higher sustained yield for human harvest." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. The legislature finds that providing for high 05 levels of harvest for human consumptive use in accordance with the sustained yield principle 06 is the highest and best use of identified big game prey populations in most areas of the state 07 and that the big game prey populations in these areas should be managed accordingly. 08 * Sec. 2. AS 16.05.255 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 09 (e) The Board of Game shall adopt regulations to provide for intensive 10 management programs to restore the abundance or productivity of identified big game 11 prey populations as necessary to achieve human consumptive use goals of the board 12 in an area where the board has determined that 13 (1) consumptive use of the big game prey population is a preferred use; 14 (2) depletion of the big game prey population or reduction of the
01 productivity of the big game prey population has occurred and may result in a 02 significant reduction in the allowable human harvest of the population; and 03 (3) enhancement of abundance or productivity of the big game prey 04 population is feasibly achievable utilizing recognized and prudent active management 05 techniques. 06 (f) The Board of Game may not significantly reduce the taking of an identified 07 big game prey population by adopting regulations relating to restrictions on harvest or 08 access to the population, or to management of the population by customary 09 adjustments in seasons, bag limits, open and closed areas, methods and means, or by 10 other customary means authorized under (a) of this section, unless the board has 11 adopted regulations, or has scheduled for adoption at the next regularly scheduled 12 meeting of the board regulations, that provide for intensive management to increase 13 the take of the population for human harvest consistent with (e) of this section. This 14 subsection does not apply if the board 15 (1) determines that intensive management would be 16 (A) ineffective, based on scientific information; or 17 (B) inappropriate due to land ownership patterns; or 18 (C) against the best interest of subsistence uses; or 19 (2) declares that a biological emergency exists and takes immediate 20 action to protect or maintain the big game prey population in conjunction with the 21 scheduling for adoption of those regulations that are necessary to implement (e) of this 22 section. 23 (g) In this section, 24 (1) "identified big game prey population" means a population of 25 ungulates that is identified by the Board of Game and that is important for providing 26 high levels of harvest for human consumptive use; 27 (2) "intensive management" means management of an identified big 28 game prey population to enhance, extend, and develop the population to maintain high 29 levels or provide for higher levels of human harvest, including control of predation and 30 prescribed or planned use of fire and other habitat improvement techniques.