2000-02-09                     Senate Journal                      Page 2238
SB 258                                                                       
SENATE BILL NO. 258 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                              
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                          
                                                                               
An Act relating to registration for commercial set                            
gillnet fishing sites; relating to leases for shore                            
fisheries development; and providing for an effective                          
date.                                                                          
                                                                               
was read the first time and referred to the Resources and Finance              
Committees.                                                                    
                                                                               
Zero fiscal notes published today from Department of Natural                   
Resources, Department of Fish and Game.                                        
                                                                               
Governors transmittal letter dated February 8:                                 
                                                                               
Dear President Pearce:                                                         
                                                                               
The current land leasing program for commercial set gillnet fishing            
sites carries considerable cost for the Department of Natural                  
Resources (department). In meeting restraints caused by recent budget          
cuts, this bill I transmit today replaces the shore fisheries leasing          
program with a self-executing registration system.                             
                                                                               
                                                                               

2000-02-09                     Senate Journal                      Page 2239
SB 258                                                                       
A registrant is entitled to a revocable, noncompensable use privilege          
for the site, with priority over other commercial set gillnet fishers          
who have not registered that site. The department would provide a              
system for recording site registration, but would not evaluate                 
individual registrations or resolve conflicts between registrants              
regarding the priority of their use privileges for a particular site.          
Instead, conflicts would be resolved by the courts or by any other             
lawful means. The bill provides for a transition from the existing             
lease program to the registration system.                                      
                                                                               
To register a site, a person must hold a valid salmon set gillnet              
limited entry permit for the fishery, mark the site with the fisher's          
name and limited entry permit number, submit a completed form                  
with precise coordinates of the location of the fishing net, and pay           
a registration fee to be established by the department.                        
                                                                               
When more than one valid registration is filed for a particular site           
during its first three years of registration, priority use would be            
determined by:                                                                 
	Length of time each registrant has been set gillnet fishing in               
the area;                                                                      
	Proximity of the registrant's past fishing sites to the                      
registered sites, and;                                                         
	Present ability of the registrants to use the site to its                    
maximum potential for commercial set gillnet fishing.                          
                                                                               
The department would retain authority to process and issue leases for          
shore fisheries lease applications accepted and filed before the               
effective date of the Act. Existing shore fisheries lessees could              
register the site under the new system before the expiration of their          
lease.                                                                         
                                                                               
I urge your prompt and favorable action on this measure.                       
                                                                               
					Sincerely,                                                                
					/s/                                                                       
					Tony Knowles                                                              
					Governor