03/19/2007 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

HB 165-BIG GAME GUIDES AND TRANSPORTERS                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:05:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR GATTO announced  that the first order  of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO.  165,  "An Act  relating  to providing  field                                                               
accommodations for big game hunters."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:06:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RICK   METZGER   began   by    informing   the   committee   that                                                               
Representative  LeDoux  sponsored  HB  165  in  response  to  his                                                               
urging.  He  related that the language of HB  165 was unanimously                                                               
approved by the Big Game Commercial Services Board.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:07:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DICK  ROHRER, Member,  Big Game  Commercial Services  Board, said                                                               
that he concurs with everything  that Mr. Metzger said during the                                                               
first  hearing of  HB 165.   He  related that  Mr. Metzger  first                                                               
brought his  concerns to the  Big Game Commercial  Services Board                                                               
in December  2006.   At that meeting  all necessary  parties were                                                               
gathered in  the same place to  agree on what was  needed for Mr.                                                               
Metzger  to  rent  his  cabin.     It  was  determined  that  the                                                               
transporter license did not exactly  fit what Mr. Metzger desired                                                               
and that the Big Game  Commercial Services Board could not change                                                               
a  regulation as  it  needed to  be  a statutory  change.   At  a                                                               
[later] teleconference  it was determined  that the  simplest way                                                               
to address the situation was  through an exemption from the Guide                                                               
Transporter  statute requirements  for  those who  own a  private                                                               
cabin, lodge, or house that is located in the field.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:10:15 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RICK ELLINGSON, Commercial Fisherman,  related his support for HB
.  Mr. Ellingson  opined that it is tough to  make a living in                                                               
rural Alaska.   He further  opined that the [original]  ruling by                                                               
the Big  Game Commercial  Services Board did  not make  sense and                                                               
thus he  said he was encouraged  with the introduction of  HB 165                                                               
as it will put Mr. Metzger and a few others back in business.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:11:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PETE  HANNAH  informed  the  committee   that  he  is  a  private                                                               
landowner in Kodiak who supports HB 165.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:12:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR GATTO, upon  determining no one else  wished to testify,                                                               
closed public testimony.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:12:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON  moved to  report HB 165  out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  the  accompanying fiscal  notes.                                                               
There being no objection, it was so ordered.