SB 68: "An Act relating to resident big game tags; relating to the authority of the Board of Game and of advisory committees of the Board of Fisheries and the Board of Game to effect emergency closures during established seasons; relating to antlerless moose seasons; and providing for an effective date."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 68 01 "An Act relating to resident big game tags; relating to the authority of the Board of 02 Game and of advisory committees of the Board of Fisheries and the Board of Game to 03 effect emergency closures during established seasons; relating to antlerless moose 04 seasons; and providing for an effective date." 05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 * Section 1. AS 16.05.260 is amended to read: 07 Sec. 16.05.260. Advisory committees. The Board of Fisheries and the Board 08 of Game may adopt regulations they consider advisable in accordance with AS 44.62 09 (Administrative Procedure Act) establishing, at places in the state designated by the 10 individual boards, advisory committees to be composed of persons well informed on 11 the fish or game resources of the locality. The boards shall set the number and terms of 12 each of the members of the advisory committees, shall delegate one member of each 13 committee as chair [CHAIRMAN], and shall give the chair [CHAIRMAN] authority 14 to hold public hearings on fish or game matters. Recommendations from the advisory
01 committees shall be forwarded to the appropriate board for [THEIR] consideration, 02 but, if the Board of Fisheries or the Board of Game chooses not to follow the 03 recommendations of the local advisory committee, the appropriate board shall inform 04 the appropriate advisory committee of this action and state the reasons for not 05 following the recommendations. Except for antlerless moose seasons subject to 06 AS 16.05.780, the [THE] commissioner shall delegate authority to advisory 07 committees for emergency closures during established seasons. The commissioner is 08 empowered to set aside and make null and void only opening of seasons set by the 09 advisory committees under this section. The appropriate board shall adopt the 10 necessary regulations governing these closures. 11 * Sec. 2. AS 16.05.340(a)(16) is amended to read: 12 (16) Resident big game tags 13 (A) Bear, brown or grizzly, each ......................................... 25 14 The Board of Game may [,] by regulation [EFFECTIVE FOR NOT MORE 15 THAN ONE YEAR,] eliminate the resident brown or grizzly bear tag and fee 16 for all or a portion of a game management unit. 17 (B) Musk oxen, each .......................................................... 500 18 However, the Board of Game may by regulation reduce or eliminate the 19 resident big game tag and fee for musk oxen for all or a portion of a game 20 management unit. 21 * Sec. 3. AS 16.05.780 is amended to read: 22 Sec. 16.05.780. Taking of antlerless moose prohibited. (a) The taking of 23 antlerless moose in any game management unit or subunit or a portion of a unit or 24 subunit is prohibited except that antlerless moose may be taken only under regulations 25 adopted under (b) of this section after 26 (1) the department recommends the season be opened in that unit or 27 subunit [YEAR,] based on biological evidence; [,] and 28 (2) a majority of active local advisory committees for that unit or 29 subunit have recommended an opening [FOR THAT YEAR,] after each has taken a 30 vote and a majority of the members of those committees have voted in the affirmative. 31 (b) Subject [PURSUANT] to (a) of this section, the board, in its regularly
01 scheduled [ANNUAL] game board meeting for a region, may adopt regulations for 02 the taking of antlerless moose in any game management unit or subunit in that region. 03 If the board adopts a regulation allowing the taking of antlerless moose in a game 04 management unit or subunit, the season or area may not be closed until the next 05 regularly scheduled game board meeting for the region [ANY YEAR]. 06 * Sec. 4. AS 16.05.780 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 07 (c) If an antlerless moose season is approved for a game management unit or 08 subunit under (a) of this section, and the department collects an application fee for 09 antlerless moose hunting in that unit or subunit, the advisory committee with 10 jurisdiction over that unit or subunit may not effect an emergency closure of that unit 11 or subunit to antlerless moose hunting for that season. 12 * Sec. 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2016.