04/17/2009 08:30 AM House RESOURCES

SJR  3-FIREARMS IN NATIONAL PARK                                                                                              
                                                                                                                              
8:34:44 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR NEUMAN announced  that the next order  of business would                                                               
be SENATE JOINT  RESOLUTION NO. 3, Relating  to carrying firearms                                                               
in national parks.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
DAVE  STANCLIFF, Staff,  Senator  Gene  Therriault, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, pointed out that SJR  3 had unanimous support in the                                                               
other body.   He said the  purpose of the resolution  is to bring                                                               
the National Park Service into  conformity with the U.S. Fish and                                                               
Wildlife  Service and  U.S.  Bureau of  Land  Management.   These                                                               
agencies have policies  that say whenever a state has  a law that                                                               
allows  the  carrying  of concealed  weapons,  then  a  concealed                                                               
weapon can also be carried on  Bureau of Land Management and Fish                                                               
and  Wildlife Service  lands.    The policy  was  put into  place                                                               
nationally by the Bush Administration.   He noted that Alaska has                                                               
75  percent of  the nation's  national park  system and  that the                                                               
national parks in  Alaska are somewhat unique with  regard to the                                                               
need for  personal protection.   The  resolution goes  further by                                                               
encouraging the Obama Administration to  allow open carry as well                                                               
as  concealed carry.   He  added that  HJR 33  is timely  because                                                               
forces are trying  to reverse the policy with a  lawsuit that was                                                               
filed on December 31, [2008].                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:37:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON, in  reference to page 1, line  8, said she                                                               
is unsure that there has ever been a case of rabies in Alaska.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON  responded that  a rabid  wolf pack  in northern                                                               
Alaska attacked  a team of  dogs.   In further response,  he said                                                               
rabies is rare, but it does happen.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE OLSON noted that there  has never been a rabid bat                                                               
in Alaska.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR NEUMAN  closed public testimony after  ascertaining that                                                               
no one wished to testify.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:40:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON  said he  understands the  concealed weapon                                                               
issue, but asked  whether discussions have occurred  in regard to                                                               
carrying  a hunting  weapon in  national parks  where hunting  is                                                               
prohibited  and the  possibility  that the  resolution could  add                                                               
fuel  to the  fire of  whether  the [National  Park Service]  can                                                               
regulate hunting.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. STANCLIFF  replied that this has  not come up as  any type of                                                               
conflict between  the resolution's policy and  the current policy                                                               
that allows  rural residents who are  qualified under subsistence                                                               
provisions to hunt in national  parks.  There are some allowances                                                               
in park  preserves that make  Alaska's national parks  unique, he                                                               
said,  but there  have been  no suggestions  or any  testimony in                                                               
opposition to SJR 3 that it would set up any type of conflicts.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  JOHNSON moved  to report  SJR 3  out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  zero  fiscal                                                               
note.   There being  no objection,  SJR 3  was reported  from the                                                               
House Resources Standing Committee.