03/29/2000 03:15 PM Senate RES

           HB 114-REPEAL PROHIBITION ANTLERLESS MOOSE                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN HALFORD announced HB 114 to be up for consideration.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. ED GRASSER, Aide to Representative Beverly Masek, explained                                                                 
that this is kind of an inflammatory issue.  Most of the advisory                                                               
committees in the State "chewed them out" because it took all their                                                             
power away.  Representative Masek decided that an outright repeal                                                               
of AS 16.05.780 wasn't the right way to go.  They discussed the                                                                 
issue with several advisory committees and the Department and                                                                   
decided to change the way the current law works.  The new language                                                              
would create a situation where the advisory committees would have                                                               
to act in the positive to prevent the Board from reauthorizing a                                                                
cow moose hunt which involves a lot of time and expense.  Usually,                                                              
the Board just rubber stamps what the advisory committee sends                                                                  
them.  Right now the Department has to go out with the area                                                                     
biologists and round up all the advisory committees in an area                                                                  
where an anterless moose hunt is taking place, get permission to                                                                
continue it, and bring that information to the Board to act on the                                                              
reauthorization.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Advisory committees made it real clear that they didn't want to                                                                 
give up that power.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR moved to adopt the committee substitute.  There were                                                             
no objections and it was so ordered.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MACKIE said there was a letter from Commissioner Rue,                                                                   
ADF&G, supporting the original HB 114 and asked if he supported the                                                             
CS.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER answered that he thought that was the case, though,                                                                 
they would have to check with the Department.  They were trying to                                                              
reduce the costs involved with this reauthorization every year.  He                                                             
thought it would be good to include language that makes it clear                                                                
that the reauthorizations only takes place in the area for which                                                                
the Board is meeting.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. MATT ROBUS, Deputy Director, Division of Wildlife Conservation,                                                             
supported the outright repeal of the prohibition in the original                                                                
version.  However, the Department introduced language similar to                                                                
what's in the CS a couple of years ago and agree that it is an                                                                  
appropriate way to go.  One conceptual change he would like to see                                                              
that would further reduce the costs involved in the reauthorization                                                             
process would be to word this so that it took on the same two year                                                              
region by region cycle the Board of Game meetings now do.                                                                       
Presently, every spring they have a meeting of the Board of Game in                                                             
either Anchorage and Fairbanks.  Staff and advisory committees from                                                             
throughout the State that have antlerless moose hunts in their area                                                             
have to go through the motions of reviewing the status of the herd                                                              
and decide whether they want to go forth with this hunt for another                                                             
year.  This means they bring staff from regions around the State to                                                             
the meetings and those costs could be done away with if they                                                                    
adopted the same cycle.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. DICK BISHOP, Alaska Outdoor Council, supported HB 114. The                                                                  
statute from 25 years ago has fallen into disuse and become a                                                                   
burden.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR asked about a clause saying if no one sends them                                                                 
anything, you can do what you want.  But if a majority of the local                                                             
advisory board objects, then you may not adopt.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER explained that this is how it's been happening for the                                                              
last 30 years except for one or two occasions when the Department                                                               
had to go out to places and have the advisory committee hold a                                                                  
meeting.  A lot of times they forget or just don't get around to                                                                
it.  The way the current statute reads, if they don't have a                                                                    
meeting, they can't have a cow moose hunt.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN HALFORD said they would hold this bill pending                                                                         
enlightenment from the sponsor.