Legislature(2017 - 2018)BARNES 124
04/09/2018 06:30 PM House FISHERIES
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB199 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 199 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 199-FISH/WILDLIFE HABITAT PROTECTION; PERMITS
6:32:39 PM
CHAIR STUTES announced that the only order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 199, "An Act establishing general fish and
wildlife permits and major and minor anadromous fish habitat
permits for certain activities; establishing related penalties;
and relating to the protection of fish and game and fish and
game habitat." [Version M was before the committee.]
CHAIR STUTES continued public testimony on HB 199.
6:33:34 PM
HOWARD MOZEN said he was a schoolteacher but also a commercial
fisherman in Bristol Bay. He strongly supported that salmon
should be protected in Alaska. Since it was not possible to
control the ocean waters, the state would be well served to
protect fish habitat in fresh water streams. He spoke in
support of HB 199. His family and friends enjoy Alaska because
of the fish, including the areas they live in and for food.
6:35:10 PM
GRANT FAIRBANKS stated he was a 45-year-resident of Alaska
living on the Kuskokwim River. He has been involved in salmon
issues most of his life and has submitted proposals before the
Board of Fisheries (BOF). The BOF voted 7-0 in favor of his
proposal for a Tier II permit system for king salmon on the
Kuskokwim River due to the drastic decline in the watershed. He
stated that HB 199 was introduced by a petition signed by 40,000
Alaskans who believe the present laws that permit large-scale
mining projects do not adequately protect salmon streams in the
spawning areas. Alaska has some of the last wild salmon stocks
in the United States and current statutes and laws do not
properly protect the water quality, in-stream flow levels and
fish passage needed to support the sustainability of Alaska's
salmon.
6:36:22 PM
MR. FAIRBANKS emphasized promoting responsible development by
requiring projects must avoid or minimize adverse impacts to
fish habitat. Under current law, the Alaska Department of Fish
& Game (ADF&G) does not have the authority to say no to
irresponsible projects; however, Alaskans need its legislators
and state government to create accountability to ensure salmon
habitat is not sacrificed when large projects are developed. He
remarked:
Here in the Kuskokwim we are now watching a large
Canadian mining company in the final days of
permitting possibly being allowed to mine on a salmon
stream to the extent that during times the mine will
curtail the stream flow in winter.
MR. FAIRBANKS reminded members that 40,000 Alaskans fostered
this bill [by signing the ballot initiative] due to their
concern about improper development on or near salmon streams.
He cautioned that these Alaskans watch with great interest as
some legislators appear to work to "water down" the bill. He
offered his belief that true Alaskans would support salmon in
this legislation; that the public will note and support
legislators who value salmon over projects and corporations that
do not value salmon habitat.
6:37:55 PM
DAVE CANNON stated that he worked as a fish biologist, has lived
in Aniak for 20 years and previously lived in Bethel for four
years. He previously worked for the US Forest Service and the
US Fish & Wildlife service in the Lower 48 in Wyoming and Idaho.
He characterized his experience under the Threatened and
Endangered Species Act in the 1990s as "combat biology." He
remarked that death threats were not uncommon during that time,
while biologists tried to save the few remaining wild salmon in
the Salmon River. At the time an estimated 16 million
anadromous fish went up the Columbia River annually; however,
wild fish now comprised only 20 percent of the run. Even in the
best years less than 600,000 wild fish return to the Columbia
River, which he said was tremendously sad.
MR. CANNON said he was originally from Pennsylvania. Atlantic
salmon are now only found in a pittance of their original
habitat. He cautioned that a substantial downturn has occurred
in the Kuskokwim king salmon numbers although he believed the
fish habitat was currently intact. Throughout the state major
development projects have been proposed that would negatively
affect salmon and other fish, including the Susitna-Watana Dam,
Pebble Mine, and Chuitna Mine. Without rigorous habitat
measures it would be foolish to think that Alaska would not
experience the "death by 1,000 cuts" that has happened
elsewhere.
6:40:48 PM
JASMINE IEREMIA, Student, said she was 17-years-old. She
offered her belief that HB 199 would help protect salmon rights
and health for the future. She has been on boats since she was
12-years-old and worked on a seine vessel at 14-years-old
tendering crab, continuing on to fish for Dungeness crab and on
a seiner, seining for salmon. Her parents met in Petersburg
working at the cannery and eventually went on to seining
together. They got married on the fishing vessel (F/V) Rose
Woody, which was still a working fishing boat today. She
remarked that salmon is in every way a huge part of her life and
she does not want to imagine her life without salmon.
MS. IEREMIA highlighted that salmon was a renewable resource
used by Alaskans throughout the state for food, a way to earn a
living, and a way of life. The value of salmon in Alaska was
immeasurable, so she asked legislators to hold companies
accountable for the damage they have dealt to Alaska's waters
and to put a stop to similar issues in the future. It has been
nearly 60 years since the [permitting process under Title 16]
for salmon habitat has been updated. The world around us has
vastly changed. She did not see a future for small communities
like hers without viable and returning salmon populations. She
would like to be able to share her lifestyle with her children
and allow them to appreciate one of the most beautiful places
she has ever seen. This bill would help protect Alaska's waters
for her children, her grandchildren, and all future generations
of Alaskans. She thanked the committee for its work to protect
Alaska's waters, fish and culture.
6:42:50 PM
ALYSHYA QUINEYNE voiced her support for HB 199. She wanted to
elevate the issue in the Fairbanks and Interior Alaska area.
She offered her belief that this bill would provide a step
towards clear engagement, stronger protection, and more
responsibility, including fiscal, political, and social
responsibility. She supported giving agencies such as ADF&G,
better guidance and direction when surveying anadromous streams
and in engaging with communities statewide. She suggested that
resources in some communities have not been protected in some
instances. She would like to see consistency in efficiency,
responsibility, and community engagement happen in every
instance. With some work this bill could absolutely do that,
she said. She thanked the committee for its work on HB 199.
6:45:02 PM
JODE SPARKS, Student, Soldotna High School, said he was a senior
at Soldotna High School; that he resides in Sterling, and has
served as a student ambassador with the Soldotna Chamber of
Commerce. He wanted to testify today due to his desire for
stronger protections for salmon habitat. The revised bill does
not provide strong enough feedback for natural resources. He
stated that he has helped on the salmon initiative, gathering
about 42,000 Alaskans statewide signing the petition. He
offered his belief that most Alaskans support stronger and more
rigorous salmon habitat protection. He has learned at the
Soldotna Chamber of Commerce about economic drivers for his
town. In fact, the Kenai River runs right through town and the
City of Soldotna holds a "river festival" in the summer.
Soldotna and the Kenai Peninsula in general rely on tourism, he
said. According to the Kenai Economic Development district,
260,000 tourists visited the Kenai River in 2016, which
represents about four times the town's population. He noted
that fishing was the biggest draw for visitors. He heard prior
testifiers talk about how their lives were dependent on salmon.
Even though mines are miles from his town, he has felt affected
by the cultural and economic health [of Bristol Bay]. He
thanked the committee for making certain that salmon have been
at the forefront of the political discussion in Alaska.
6:47:06 PM
MALCOLM VANCE, Commercial Fisherman, spoke in full support of HB
199. He said he has commercially fished in Bristol Bay for 37
years, from cannery work to owning a boat and permit. He
characterized Bristol Bay as an amazing place that needed to be
preserved for generations to come. He related that he lives
more of a subsistence lifestyle during the winter. He said the
state has the ability to protect these waters, which he felt was
unprecedented in the 21st century. He urged members to pass HB
199.
6:48:27 PM
RITA GOODRICH stated she was a third-generation Alaskan. She
said that HB 199 in its current form removed the presumption of
anadromy from Alaska's waters, which leaves the vulnerable fish
of the state absurdly vulnerable to mining and development. She
said that to presume Alaska's waters did not contain anadromous
fish and were not vulnerable to development was to not know
Alaska's waters or the sensitivity of fish to the environment.
She urged members to restore the presumption of anadromy in HB
199.
MS. GOODRICH told members that she recently spent time at her
aunt's farm in Vermont, where the culture of family farming
reminded her of the culture of commercial fishing in Alaska.
She stated that she loves her Alaska community of Sitka and she
wanted to understand the farming history in Vermont. In the
1980s Vermont farmers saw their property taxes soar and the non-
profit Rural Vermont was formed, an organization that went on to
reform Vermont's tax system based on the productive value of
land rather than the potential for development. The victory in
rural Vermont has been incredible and farms have been protected
legislatively, she said. She emphasized that Alaska must view
its land and water for the production value and not the
potential development value, just as Vermont has done. Vermont
has not acquiesced to industrial farming, mining, and
development, subdivisions of farmlands, strip malls, and
billboards. Alaska cannot maintain its status as the last
bastion of commercial, sport, and subsistence salmon fishing on
earth if Alaska does not do the same.
6:50:53 PM
ERIC JORDAN, Owner, I Gotta Salmon, stated he has a fishing
business in Sitka. As a lifelong Alaskan he has been a
commercial troll fisherman since the 1950s. He has been
involved in fishery politics since he was a child, when his
father practiced his speech in favor of statehood in the 1950s.
He has previously served on the Board of Fisheries and currently
serves as an elected representative of two fishing groups.
MR. JORDAN related that the State of Alaska was literally
founded to protect its salmon resources from the corporate
canned salmon interests. The state has done remarkably well in
rebuilding its salmon resource and empowering fishermen to
control salmon enhancement programs. He emphasized the need to
be constantly vigilant and upgrade Alaska's salmon protections.
MR. JORDAN said he still commercial fished salmon, that his sons
commercially fish and his grandchildren are interested in
fishing. He urged members to update salmon protections by
strengthening this vital bill for his future, for his sons and
for his grandchildren and future generations.
6:52:31 PM
JEREMY PRICE, Alaska State Director, Americans for Prosperity,
spoke in opposition to HB 199. He reminded members that Alaska
is a frontier state and it must build roads, bridges, pipelines,
and infrastructure to access its resources. He stated he has
been working on these issues in Washington D.C. for nine years.
He cautioned that Alaska cannot "put a shovel in the ground"
without triggering a full-blown environmental impact statement
(EIS). This comes with millions of dollars in expenditures from
the resource developer for permits, he said. He characterized
HB 199 as a regulatory nightmare that would only add to project
costs.
MR. PRICE offered his belief that any time a federal agency
issued a decision or determination that the environmental
community disagrees with it has resulted in lawsuits. This type
of legislation would only invite further litigation and harms
Alaskans and businesses seeking to develop resources, he said.
He pointed out some costly projects waiting to be built,
including the Knik Arm Bridge, the Port of Anchorage, and Ambler
Road. He wondered how much more money it would cost if HB 199
were to pass.
MR. PRICE pointed to one of the most egregious things in HB 199,
which was that the permit could be rescinded retroactively. He
asked how the bill provides protection for the private sector.
In closing, he reiterated his opposition to HB 199. He urged
members to vote against it.
6:54:41 PM
AUSTIN RICE, Student, Mt. Edgecumbe High School, stated he has
been salmon fishing ever since he could hold a pole. He
advocated for increasing salmon management in streams and stated
its importance. He emphasized the importance of salmon to his
family and his culture; that he wanted to see salmon to be
around for future generations. He would love one day to show
his future children how to fly fish in the same streams he once
fished.
6:55:42 PM
SAM SNYDER said he appreciated the sponsor's efforts in the past
two years on this bill. He said he was a little disappointed to
see the new version was "watered down" from the robust attempt
to comprehensively update fish habitat permitting laws. Mr.
Cannon effectively articulated the adverse impact on salmon
fisheries in the Lower 48 and he cautioned against doing so in
Alaska. He acknowledged that the Americans for Prosperity
expressed concern over added project costs; however, he said
what needed to be considered was that the voices the committee
has heard indicate that Alaska's salmon fisheries were
immeasurably invaluable to the state. These salmon and
fisheries provide jobs, economic benefits, cultural aspects and
heritage to Alaskans. He encouraged the state to take a
precautionary principled approach, to be forward thinking and
not suddenly realize that Alaska was millions or trillions of
dollars in the hole to restore its fisheries. He urged members
to take active measures now and update Alaska's outdated laws to
ensure that Alaska does not go down the same path [as those in
the Lower 48]. He said appreciated HB 199 and fully supported
it; however, he would like to see critical pieces reinstated in
the bill, including public process, the anadromous waters
presumption and strengthening the mitigation standards.
6:57:45 PM
WYCHE FORD, General Manager, Fluor Alaska, Inc., stated he was a
40-year resident of Alaska. He spoke in opposition to HB 199.
He characterized it as a piece of legislation looking for a
problem to solve. He offered his belief that the current
regulatory framework was adequate to protect Alaska's salmon
resources and has stood up well over time. He did not think
this was the time for the state to put in place additional
bureaucracy and cost in state government to oversee another
complicated permitting plan. He said it sends the wrong message
to those outside the state looking to invest in Alaska. He
remarked on the photograph of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
(TAPS), which [indisc.] over 800 streams and waterways. He
noted the regulatory burden required to build such a pipeline as
is currently being contemplated with the Alaska LNG project
[Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas] project. He said this would send
the wrong message to outside investors the state would like to
attract to make the project possible. He urged members to
consider the current system was adequate to protect Alaska's
valuable salmon resource.
6:59:12 PM
CHRISTINE WOLL provided a brief personal history, such that she
works as a fish biologist, holds a master's degree in Fisheries
from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), and has lived in
Alaska since 2009. She stated she has conducted biological
field work on small headwater streams on salmon systems,
spending five summers sampling pristine salmon steams on the
Tokiak, Nushagak, and Kvichak watersheds in Bristol Bay and four
summers on Prince of Wales Island watersheds. When people think
about Alaska's salmon streams, they often visualize fishing for
adult salmon on large rivers; however, she has spent the
majority of her work on tiny, wadable streams, sometimes as
narrow as a meter across sampling for juvenile Coho salmon. She
estimated she has sampled on over 300 miles of varied salmon
habitat, including beaver ponds, glacier streams and streams
coming right off the mountainside. She remarked that if a
stream was wet, connected to the ocean and not above a
waterfall, it has baby salmon in it.
MS. WOLL stated that on Prince of Wales Island she saw firsthand
how historic logging practices and building roads has impacted
these same types of streams. While many still have salmon, it
was obvious to the eye that streams like these simply do not
produce as many salmon fry. She has worked on projects costing
millions of dollars, many of them federal, whose purpose was to
add miles of streams to the Anadromous Waters Catalog and to
restore streams to provide better fish habitat. This was not a
cost-effective way to ensure that salmon streams have the
protection they need to provide all the benefits that robust
salmon populations provide our society, she said. She urged
members to continue the efforts to ensure that Alaska's fish
habitat decision-making processes were being based on science
and allow for adequate habitat protections for all of the tiny
streams that she promised have fish in them.
7:01:38 PM
KEVIN DURLING stated that the systems in place with the
Department of Natural Resources, Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation, and other state agencies have the
strength to support good water quality and to maintain Alaska's
fisheries in a solid basis going forward. He related his
understanding that the bill would add costs to any projects, not
just big projects, but small subdivisions in Anchorage, Kenai,
or Soldotna. He suggested that Alaska needed to specifically
identify protection it was attempting to provide and amend
current regulations to protect salmon rather than to undergo a
comprehensive rewrite that would overregulate a system that
seemed to be working quite well.
7:03:07 PM
REBECCA LOGAN, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alaska Support
Industry Alliance (The Alliance), spoke on behalf of the 500
members and 25,000 employees represented by the Alliance. She
highlighted reasons for the opposition, first, that it does not
achieve the stated goals of the sponsor statement, which was to
create efficiency and predictability in permitting and
enforcement. She offered her belief that the committee has
heard overwhelmingly from the business community that they were
concerned it did the exact opposite.
MS. LOGAN said secondly, the bill would have unintended
consequences, such as ones expressed in the letter from the
Alaska Power Authority, who have concerns about future
hydroelectric projects and ones already permitted that could be
affected by retroactivity. She said such retroactivity could
adversely affect ratepayers at a time when the state faced a
recession. Third, she highlighted the potential effects on
Alaska's economy, when Alaska has the highest unemployment in
the nation and has lost thousands of the best jobs due to
uncertainly in the permitting process and development process.
She said delay leads to no jobs. In closing, she stated for
those reasons and many more, the Alliance opposed HB 199.
7:04:58 PM
THOMAS EMERSON, Commercial Fisherman, stated he grew up in
Juneau and works as a third-generation commercial salmon
troller. He related that since he bought a boat three years ago
his livelihood has forevermore been tied to the future and
health of salmon stocks. He hoped the opportunities he has
experienced as a commercial fisherman will continue to be there
for him going forward and for others who might follow in his
footsteps. He remarked that he and his crewmembers often opine
about what lucky farmers they are with this self-planting field;
that all they needed to do was to harvest responsibly to keep
reaping the salmon rewards.
MR. EMERSON offered his belief that HB 199 was a good step in
that direction, in fact, he would go even further to say that
some of the protections outlined in the [Stand for Salmon]
ballot measure would be appropriate to add. Alaska has a deep
societal interest in guarding against profit maximization of
private developers in order to protect this public resource.
This bill would be good to ensure that fish resource will be
here for generations to come, he said.
7:06:35 PM
MALENA MARVIN, Co-Owner, School House Fish Company, stated that
she and her fianc? run the business and he has participated in
fisheries as a commercial salmon troller and commercial
longliner, as well as having participated in the commercial sea
cucumber guide fishery and herring roe on kelp fishery. Like
people in Petersburg, his family also depended on clean water,
salmon, and other fish species to make their living. She
pointed out that Ms. Logan stated that the business community
was not in favor of the bill; however, as a business owner she
differed with that opinion. She offered her belief that she was
one of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of fish-based businesses
that support HB 199. She agreed with some testifiers who
supported adding language back into the bill. She related that
she personally collected 150 signatures for the [Stand for
Salmon] ballot initiative in Petersburg. She found people were
overwhelmingly supportive of the measure, spanning conservative
and liberal political views and all walks of life. In
particular, people who moved to Alaska from places where salmon
were extinct hold especially strong convictions, she said. She
recalled that Jeremy Price talked about development and big
projects. She would like to see Alaskans develop a win-win
attitude and alter - a little bit - how development occurs in
areas with salmon habitat and keep salmon in mind. She offered
her belief it was possible to keep people working in the trades;
that Alaska should not pit its industries against one another.
She said that HB 199 could help support us in doing that and
Alaskans should work together and make it work. In closing, she
reiterated her support for HB 199.
7:08:58 PM
CLAIRE SANCHEZ stated she works for 4-H. She thanked the
committee for giving Alaskans a voice in the permitting process
in HB 199 and for its work to protect Alaska's salmon for future
generations. She remarked that salmon has been tied to this
land for thousands of years, which has been essential to local
culture, vital to the community, provided sustenance, and it has
supported the economy. Living in a fishing community has
allowed Sitka to create the lunch program called "Fish to
Schools," where local fishermen donate salmon to feed students
in the Sitka School District. She offered her belief that
Alaska needs strong state laws to put Alaskans in charge of
sustaining its thriving salmon economy and a way of life for
present and future generations.
7:10:03 PM
NELLI WILLIAMS, Director, Alaska Program, Trout Unlimited (TU),
stated that she was the mother of two Alaskans and an avid
angler. As director of the Trout Unlimited, Alaska Program, she
spoke on behalf of more than a 1,000 sportsmen and sportswomen
across Alaska. She thanked the Chair for her work on this
difficult conversation. Protecting fish habitat does not just
help fish but it has supported businesses and families
throughout Alaska that depend on salmon, trout, and other fish
for fun, food, and income.
MS. WILLIAMS referenced the Trout Unlimited letter of April 4,
2018, signed by 20 businesses, that she submitted to the
committee. She reported that in the sport fishing industry
alone, salmon and fishing opportunities has supported 1,500
businesses and nearly 2,500 Alaska resident fishing guides, not
including the auxiliary businesses that benefit from this
industry throughout Alaska. She related that tourism creates a
$4.8 billion industry in Alaska and is responsible for 43,000
jobs. She said protecting fish habitat was deeply personal and
for her, like many Alaskans, some of the best made memories have
been made on a river bank or gravel bar. She related a
scenario, that two years ago her son Nathan, as a four-year-old,
pulled in a giant sockeye salmon on his "Spiderman" fishing rod
and although it was hard, he pulled it in all by himself. Two
years later, when they are on the river and pass by the gravel
bar, he will always remark about catching his favorite fish at
that spot. She showed the committee a drawing her son made,
which he titled "Alaska is Where you Help Salmon." She does not
want Nathan's generation to look back on 2018 as a time when
Alaska decided to "throw salmon under the bus" in pursuit of
short-term gains. Notably, the Pebble Mine has been one of
those decisions Alaska still faces, but right now the fish
habitat laws are "nothing but a straw house that could crumble."
In closing, she acknowledged that Alaska needs mines, roads, and
other resource development; however, Alaska does not need to
operate under a law that functionally says that mines, roads,
and other resource development is all Alaska needs.
7:13:20 PM
ALANNAH HURLEY, Commercial Fisherman, provided a brief personal
history, stating that she was a Yupik woman born and raised at
Clark's Point in Bristol Bay. She has worked as a commercial
setnet fisherman for the last 22 years as a fourth-generation
commercial setnetter. She commented that her great-grandmother
moved to Dillingham from the Y-K Delta [Yukon-Kuskokwim] at the
birth of the commercial fishery in Bristol Bay. She spoke in
full support of strengthening salmon protection. She said that
Alaskans were living the reality of the necessity for this
update [to Title 16]. She characterized the Pebble Mine as a
mining project that has loomed over Bristol Bay and held people
hostage for over a decade. Now the federal permit has been
fast-tracked and if the permit is processed by the US Army Corps
of Engineers (USACE) published timeline, [it would adversely
impact Bristol Bay]. She brought up the mine to highlight the
need for HB 199, which would provide increased protection for
salmon. She reiterated the need to update the law to protect
salmon habitat.
MS. HURLEY echoed earlier remarks that requested the committee
return the bill to its pervious robust language. She said the
future of the last and greatest sockeye salmon run depends on
work like this. Without Alaskans and for legislators taking on
this responsibility it was scary to think about Alaska's future
without salmon. In closing, she spoke in full support of HB
199.
7:16:05 PM
DAVID LISI, Fishing Guide, stated he has a fishing guide
business in Cooper Landing. He stated [HB 199] offered Alaskans
a great opportunity to be heard. He marveled at the number of
signatures that have been gathered in support of something that
most Alaskans are in favor of: protecting salmon habitat. He
recalled that Cripple Creek king salmon have pretty much become
extinct because of development on the creek. He spoke in
support of the updates to salmon habitat protection [in HB 199],
which he believed were long overdue. It was more important than
ever, considering that corporations have spent nearly $1 million
to oppose the bill. In fact, the opposition has put interests
of foreign and non-Alaskan business profits over Alaskans and
the state would be saddled with the cost of restoring its
fisheries -- over corporations that have pretty much left the
state with profits. He wondered why the business community
would be opposed the bill. He cautioned that the [business
community] would be held accountable for damaging salmon streams
and not just strip the state of profits and resources. He
offered his belief was not very prudent to rush projects through
during a time with high unemployment rates and a sluggish
economy. He thought [development projects] were foolish reasons
to oppose the bill. That opposition strengthens his rationale
for supporting the bill since seemed that a lot of corporations
were in opposition to HB 199 for quick profits. In closing, he
spoke in support of the bill.
7:18:27 PM
ANNA GODDUHN spoke in support of HB 199. She joined prior
testifiers who stated that protections for salmon were long
overdue. She characterized Washington D.C. as being an out of
control railroad, such that Alaska needed to develop its own
rules, so it has something to say when projects are being
imposed from [the Lower 48.] She remarked that it stunned her
that there were no requirements to minimize adverse effects from
any development project. It seemed like the easiest place to
start. She said she thought it was very unfortunate that the
proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 199 [Version M]
removed that language; but she understood that it might be
necessary. She acknowledged that she did not know the
legislators' job well enough to know. She urged members to take
the strongest measures possible because this is not about money,
but about food on the table for tens of thousands of Alaskan
families.
7:20:19 PM
JONATHAN WOOD offered his belief that it was essential the state
protect our wild salmon fisheries, which would not be possible
unless the current laws are updated. He offered his belief that
HB 199 was an attempt to do so, but he did not think [Version M]
goes nearly far enough. Public participation throughout the
permitting process and a simplified two-tier system were steps
in the right direction, but more should be done. Alaskans
deserve a strong state law that demands accountability in
development projects and does not sacrifice vital salmon habitat
to short sighted and irresponsible development.
7:21:22 PM
JOE SCHLINGER spoke in opposition to HB 199. He offered his
belief that Alaska needed to be "open for business" in the
stated and this bill would kill any resource development for
mining gold and other minerals. Although he was not a mining
expert, he knew for a fact that the $150 million project at Port
MacKenzie has been idle for ten years awaiting shipping coal,
gold, and other resources to the port. He lamented that the
legislature has done nothing to move this project forward.
7:22:48 PM
REBECCA KNIGHT, as a 43-year-resident of Petersburg, said she
began [commercial] salmon fishing with her husband forty years
ago. Her family's livelihood still depended upon salmon,
including her two sons who were essentially raised on a boat.
She expressed concern for her two grandchildren's future. She
offered her belief that intact salmon habitat was Alaska's most
important resource. She spoke in support of HB 199 with the
caveat that the proof of anadromy clause should be reinserted.
Not only were Alaska's streams important, but the class IV
headwaters also needed protection. She explained that these
headwaters contribute to salmon livelihood. She related that
the commercial fishing industry was going through difficult
times. She recalled earlier testimony by a salmon troller who
said things were looking bad. "People are starting to get
worried," she said. With respect to uncertainty in other
industries, she attested to the uncertainty commercial salmon
fisherman face right now. Knowing that habitat would be
protected was very important. As a retired Alaska Department of
Fish & Game (ADF&G) employee, she offered her belief that
politics played a major role in decision making in the strength
of enforcement for salmon habitat protections.
7:25:01 PM
MIKE MANN, Commercial Fisherman, stated his support for HB 199.
In response to those who said that HB 199 was not ideal, and it
would adversely affect the economy, he said the "bad habitats"
were responsible and the economy would continue to suffer.
During the time he began fishing with his uncles in 1953
commercial fish and the salmon industry was big business in
Alaska. He stressed the importance to assure that commercial
salmon fishing would continue. During that time Alaska did not
have the numbers of people it does today, and it seemed that
reason people came to Alaska was to enjoy salmon fishing and
salmon numbers increased with the state's salmon habitat
protections. In recent times, more people have been willing to
reduce the salmon industry. Salmon was the reason for
statehood. In the 1960s fishermen were taxed more. In closing,
he offered his support for HB 199 to help Alaska.
7:28:49 PM
JIM SYKES, speaking on behalf of himself, said he also serves on
the Mat-Su Borough Assembly and the Mat-Su Borough Fish and
Wildlife Commission. He offered his support for HB 199. He
offered his belief that the robust language should be restored.
He reported that 8 of 14 streams in the Mat-Su were streams of
concern. This meant that these streams were having difficulty
in maintaining sustainability. Nearly half the Mat-Su Borough
consisted of wetlands, much of which drains into the Susitna-
Yenta system. The state has been working very hard to try to
restore the system to the vibrant, healthy system it was 30
years ago. He recalled that most people fish for kings and
[sockeye] salmon and in the fall for [Coho] salmon. He said if
the state was successful in restoring the salmon habitat it
would mean more fish for commercial fishermen and dipnetters in
the [Cook] Inlet. He acknowledged that he and his wife depend
on the personal use dipnet fishery. He noted many testifiers
discussed provisions, but it was particularly critical to the
Mat-Su region to return to stable healthy streams. In closing
he said, "For us, salmon is food and salmon is life and we need
to support that. I think HB 199 is a good step in that
direction."
7:30:47 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 7:31 p.m. to 8:14 p.m.
8:14:45 PM
BENJAMIN TIMBY stated he has lived in Alaska since he finished
high school in Colorado. He has been commercial fishing and
working construction for the past ten years. He moved to Alaska
because of the pristine wilderness, clean water and subsistence
lifestyle. He appreciated the things that were central to all
Alaskans while still understanding the needs of industry and the
pressures of that. He offered his belief that it was time to
update Alaska's outdated enforcement and environmental
safeguards. He pointed out several environmental disasters,
including the Mount Polley mine disaster and the Tulsequah River
mining metals leaching into the Taku River. He cautioned that
if Pebble Mine were to happen it could be disastrous and
irreparable [to Bristol Bay salmon]. He acknowledged that
mining methods have changed in the last 60 years, so it was an
appropriate time to update the [statutes] to make certain Alaska
does not destroy its most important resource - "our way of life
and our subsistence."
MR. TIMBY stated that HB 199 has weaker language and he
preferred the "Stand for Salmon" ballot initiative language;
however, whatever can be done to make progress on this issue
would mean a lot to him and many other Alaskans.
8:17:00 PM
KATIE LLOYD stated she grew up in the Midwest and loves angling.
She stated that coming from Lake Erie she was aware of what can
happen without adequate fish habitat protection. It was often a
joke that people who valued their lives would not eat the fish
from Lake Erie. Her family participated in catch and release
fishing. She recalled the Cuyahoga River fire in 1969 due to
chemical pollution. She has seen the [fish habitat] decimation
in the Lower 48 and how careless industry has been despite the
promises industry makes. As a lifelong fisher, she moved to
Alaska three years ago from Colorado because of the fishing.
She said fishing represented a way of life in Alaska; it feeds
her family and has created valuable jobs across the state. She
offered her belief that Alaska was smarter and better and will
make the right choice and update Alaska's salmon habitat
protections. She did not want to have to tell her kids how
Alaskans once fished in pristine waters but not to eat the
chemically-laden fish or that Bristol Bay caught fire due to
chemicals. Instead, she wanted to be able to continue this way
of life that has been around for thousands of years. In
closing, she said, "Protect what you love; and it will always
continue to give back."
8:19:38 PM
MATT BOLINE said he works as a fishing guide who moved to Juneau
from Minnesota 14 years ago. He also runs a small fishing
operation, which he does not own; however, it provides about 20
seasonal jobs to locals. His family subsists on salmon, fishing
and enjoying the wilderness when they can, he said. He said
that having a healthy salmon habitat throughout Alaska was
important to him, his family, his employees, and the guests they
take out fishing. Alaskans have shown over time the importance
of salmon to them. He expressed concern when he reads about how
corporations, such as British Petroleum, have contributed
hundreds of thousands of dollars against the "Stand for Salmon"
initiative. He offered his belief that the corporation was
spreading lies about who has been collecting signatures and who
makes money from salmon. He pointed out that he and his
employees were locals, the money they earn stays in Alaska, the
salmon stays in the freezer and provides food for their dinners.
8:21:41 PM
YEMI KNIGHT stated she was a student who would like to work in
the field of conservation. As someone who was originally from
Barbados, she offered an international perspective, which was
that when people think about Alaska it was synonymously linked
to salmon. She expressed concern that some people were not
taking the value of salmon seriously. She viewed salmon as
intrinsically important, noting it has helped stabilize Alaska's
economy. She said salmon was really important to her. She
thanked the committee for helping protect salmon for future
generations.
8:23:09 PM
The committee took an at-ease from 8:23 p.m. to 8:29 p.m.
8:29:19 PM
[HB 199 was held over.]