04/11/2014 08:30 AM House FINANCE

HOUSE BILL NO. 89                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the rapid response to, and control                                                                     
     of, aquatic invasive species and establishing the                                                                          
     aquatic invasive species response fund."                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:34:36 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Neuman MOVED  to  ADOPT  the proposed  committee                                                                    
substitute  for  HB  89, Work  Draft  28-LS0339\P  (Bullard,                                                                    
4/9/14).                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze OBJECTED for the purpose of discussion.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
DANIEL   GEORGE,   STAFF,   REPRESENTATIVE   BILL   STOLTZE,                                                                    
explained the changes in the CS.  He relayed that on Page 2,                                                                    
lines 26 and 27, the  words "shall provide reasonable notice                                                                    
to affected property owners" had  been added to the bill for                                                                    
the sake  of clarity. He furthered  that on Page 3,  lines 5                                                                    
and 6, "aquatic evasive species"  had been specified to mean                                                                    
Northern  Pike,  didemnum  tunicate,  European  green  crab,                                                                    
spartina,  crayfish, or  another  organism  introduced to  a                                                                    
marine or  freshwater ecosystem  to which  it is  not native                                                                    
and  whose  introduction  causes,  or is  likely  to  cause,                                                                    
economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:37:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHARLIE   SWANTON,  DIRECTOR,   DIVISION   OF  SPORT   FISH,                                                                    
DEPARTMENT OF  FISH AND GAME, testified  that the department                                                                    
was supportive of the changes.                                                                                                  
Representative   Guttenberg  wondered   if  there   was  any                                                                    
location in the state where Northern Pike was native.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Swanton replied  by and large was  a general description                                                                    
on the north side of the Alaska Range.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Guttenberg asked  for verification  that the                                                                    
department would  not be  going after  Northern Pike  in its                                                                    
natural habitat. Mr. Swanton replied in the affirmative.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative Costello  asked if  Elodea was  considered an                                                                    
aquatic  invasive  species  under   the  bill.  Mr.  Swanton                                                                    
answered in the affirmative.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Austerman  noted  that  in  the  past  moving  the                                                                    
Geoduck  from  Southeast Alaska  to  Kachemak  Bay had  been                                                                    
considered by  the department as moving  an invasive species                                                                    
and legislation  had been required  to overcome  that label.                                                                    
He asked if  "or another organism" could refer  to a similar                                                                    
situation.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Swanton answered that the  species listed in the CS were                                                                    
believed by a  broad array of people as  posing the greatest                                                                    
risk. He said that the language was not all encompassing.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:40:08 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Austerman hesitated  to include  the language  "or                                                                    
another organism" in the bill.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative Gara took issue  with the language pertaining                                                                    
to economic and environmental harm.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Gara  asked  whether  the  invasive  species                                                                    
listed in  the original  bill had been  included in  the CS.                                                                    
Mr. Swanton replied in the affirmative.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Gara wondered  if the  method of  removal of                                                                    
the species could include non-chemical means.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
BEN  MULLIGAN, SPECIAL  ASSISTANT,  DEPARTMENT  OF FISH  AND                                                                    
GAME, pointed to page 2, line 21:                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     In  responding  under  (b)  of   this  section  to  the                                                                    
     occurrence of freshwater  aquatic invasive species, the                                                                    
     department  shall respond  in  a  manner determined  to                                                                    
     cause the  least harm  to noninvasive  fish populations                                                                    
     that are used for recreational, personal use,                                                                              
     commercial, or subsistence purposes                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Mulligan  elaborated that the department  would chose an                                                                    
option that would get rid  of the invasive species and cause                                                                    
the least harm to resident populations.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Neuman  wondered if  the bill  would look  at the                                                                    
issue of species interfering with  the migration patterns of                                                                    
salmon.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Swanton  replied that it  did not speak directly  to the                                                                    
issue. He  assured the committee  that the  department would                                                                    
pay attention to  the issue of range  extensions, which were                                                                    
typical after long periods of geological time.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Neuman   spoke  of   the  pike   eradication  of                                                                    
Alexander  Creek. He  asked whether  the  bill would  expand                                                                    
similar  operations  in  the northern  district  where  pike                                                                    
seemed to be expanding further into salmon tributaries.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Swanton   replied  that  he  was   unsure  whether  the                                                                    
legislation  would expand  the operation.  He said  that the                                                                    
department  planned  to  move  forward  with  a  variety  of                                                                    
projects to control of eradicate pike.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
8:47:19 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Gara wondered  whether the  department would                                                                    
opt for non-action if the balance favored non-action.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Swanton answered  that non-action would be  on the table                                                                    
in  terms of  evaluation  before any  aggressive action  was                                                                    
taken.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze WITHDREW  his  OBJECTION.  There being  NO                                                                    
further OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:49:24 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:54:08 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
HB 89 was HEARD and HELD in committee for further                                                                               
consideration.