Legislature(2003 - 2004)
03/07/2003 01:05 PM House RES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HB 24-AGREEMENTS ON MANAGEMENT OF FISH AND GAME CO-CHAIR FATE announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 24, "An Act relating to intergovernmental agreements regarding management of fish or game." Number 0076 CO-CHAIR FATE noted that HB 24 had been heard on 3/5/03 and had been held for the purpose of hearing more public testimony. [Version S. labeled 23-LS0135\S, Utermohle, 3/4/03, had been adopted as a work draft.] Number 0156 REPRESENTATIVE MASEK turned attention to page 1, line 6, and she asked for clarification as to the type of board named in the bill. Number 0203 REPRESENTATIVE BRUCE WEYHRAUCH, Alaska State Legislature, speaking as one of the two sponsors of HB 24, said it was intended to be any board with management jurisdiction over fish and game resources [such as] the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). REPRESENTATIVE MASEK asked Representative Weyhrauch if he thought the language read well enough to reflect [that intention] in the bill. REPRESENTATIVE WEYHRAUCH said if the entity charged with developing that with the National Park Service (NPS) is going to come up with that kind of agreement, it's great to be broad enough to incorporate any of those entities - department or board - with management jurisdiction for the state over fish and game resources, so it would broad enough. He offered his belief that it was intended to be generally broad to incorporate that and "sweep it in." Number 0326 REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG asked for an overview of the [intention] of the bill and what the problems had been in the past. Number 0362 REPRESENTATIVE WEYHRAUCH discussed the area in question, which is about 600,000 marine acres in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve that are involved in a jurisdictional dispute between NPS [and the State of Alaska]. He mentioned the quite title for submerged lands, and management jurisdiction of the fisheries in those waters. Representative Weyhrauch said the United States Senate, through S. 501, had adopted a bill that required the state and the federal government to enter into co-management agreements on fisheries in the waters outside the park. He said this bill [HB 24] is intended to ensure that any co-management agreement between the State of Alaska and NPS is reviewed, because it is important [to assert] that the state did not cede its jurisdictional management rights over fisheries in those waters to NPS, so [the federal government] doesn't become the manager of Alaska's commercial fisheries. REPRESENTATIVE GATTO said Steven Griles, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior, indicated that there are more than 22,000 rivers, streams, and lakes in Alaska that may be navigable under applicable federal standards and that it was time that the federal government quit acting as if those waterways belong to it. REPRESENTATIVE GATTO expressed concerns about the federal [government's involvement in jurisdictional issues], but he noted he was in favor of the bill. CO-CHAIR FATE noted that it was a big concern to many committee members and was aired at the last meeting concerning HB 24. He said it's still a concern whether this bill has an effect on that particular aspect of navigable waters, although it is a needed piece of legislation. Number 0702 [Note: The bill packet also contained a nearly identical proposed sponsor substitute, Version 23-LS0135\Q, Utermohle, 2/21/03, which was never adopted. A motion to report Version Q, CSHB 24(RES) was inadvertently made.] REPRESENTATIVE HEINZE moved to report CSHB 24 [Version 23- LS0135\S, Utermohle, 3/4/03] out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 24(RES) was reported from the House Resources Standing Committee.
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