02/07/1996 09:37 AM House RES

 HB 313 - BIG GAME TAGS FOR WOLVES                                           
                                                                               
 Number 1481                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE OGAN said HB 313 was introduced as a management tool           
 to enable the Department of Fish and Game and the Board of Game to            
 manage predators in a way that would be acceptable to all parties.            
                                                                               
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE OGAN said the bill lowers the price of a wolf tag              
 for a nonresident from $175.00 to $10.00 and for a nonresident                
 alien from $250.00 to $15.00.  He said HB 313 will increase the               
 incidental take of wolves, it will allow the Board of Game to                 
 manage the resource by opening and closing the seasons and it is a            
 practical way to deal with the problem.                                       
                                                                               
 Number 1577                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE PETE KOTT asked if the effective date was still                
 valid.                                                                        
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE OGAN moved that the effective date be January 1,               
 1997.                                                                         
                                                                               
 Number 1607                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE IRENE NICHOLIA asked for the fiscal note.                      
                                                                               
 Number 1637                                                                   
                                                                               
 CO-CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS recalled that SB 81, intensive game                      
 management, passed from committee with a $75.0 fiscal note.  He               
 said HB 313 has a $42.5 fiscal note and he does not understand                
 where the committee is headed with this bill.                                 
                                                                               
 Number 1660                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE OGAN said there had been a tremendous amount of                
 money spent on failed management attempts in the past.  He felt HB
 provides a cost effective management tool.  There is another              
 bill that deals with wolf management that has a higher fiscal note            
 and it is prudent to pass this one as well and see which one the              
 public and  the legislature feel will be most appropriate.                    
                                                                               
 Number 1711                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE NICHOLIA said she wanted to hear from the Department           
 of Fish and Game before the committee took action on the bill.                
                                                                               
 Number 1742                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE DAVIES said his understanding was that the committee           
 was only going to hear HB 325 at today's meeting.  He said he would           
 also like to hear from the Department of Fish and Game.                       
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE AUSTERMAN said he also wanted to hear from the                 
 Department of Fish and Game how this bill interacts with the other            
 wolf management legislation.                                                  
                                                                               
 Number 1800                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE OGAN said he had no objection to holding the bill.