03/05/1998 08:02 AM House STA

SB 265 - MOOSE AS STATE MAMMAL                                                 
                                                                               
CHAIR JAMES announced the next order of business is, SB 265, "An               
Act designating the moose as the state land mammal," sponsored by              
Senator Torgerson.                                                             
                                                                               
Number 0008                                                                    
                                                                               
SENATOR JOHN TORGERSON, Alaska State Legislature, said he                      
introduced SB 265 on behalf of Kalifornisky (K-Beach) Elementary               
School in Soldotna.  One of the parents discovered Alaska did not              
have an identified land mammal as the official state mammal, Alaska            
does have a marine mammal.  He indicated that parent asked him to              
work with the students of K-Beach in naming a mammal as the land               
mammal.                                                                        
                                                                               
SENATOR TORGERSON mentioned the process began in October, the                  
faculty divided the students up into teams, each team took a                   
particular animal and researched it and then came together with                
their ideas, and had interaction with the state biologist.  The                
school then went to a primary vote, then they narrowed that down to            
four, and held a general election.  The final tally was the moose              
won by 230 votes, the wolfe had 97 votes, the brown bear had 57                
votes, and the wolverine had 28 votes.  He mentioned the school                
mascot is the caribou but the caribou did not make the final four.             
                                                                               
SENATOR TORGERSON pointed out the Kenai Peninsula Borough and the              
City of Soldotna provided several resolutions in favor of SB 265.              
The students are certainly learning the legislative process as well            
as other lessons in primary and general elections.  Senator                    
Torgerson said, "I believe we have on-line about 15 lobbyists from             
that school who would like to make a presentation to the committee             
to give you more insight on how they reached their decision."                  
                                                                               
Number 0081                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE AL VEZEY said, "Don't you think it would be a little            
more demographic, or democratic, if we narrowed this down to the               
moose being the state ungulate."                                               
                                                                               
SENATOR TORGERSON said the students are prepared to defend their               
selection of the moose over other species.                                     
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY said he was hoping he would explain how the               
caribou lost.  He indicated the caribou is his favorite mammal and             
ungulate, the animal that has provided a major part of the food                
chain in Alaska for hundreds of thousands of years and is symbolic             
of Alaska's Arctic culture.                                                    
                                                                               
SENATOR TORGERSON said he would again defer that to the students.              
                                                                               
Number 0121                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE FRED DYSON asked if there was any opposition in the             
Senate.                                                                        
                                                                               
SENATOR TORGERSON replied no.                                                  
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE MARK HODGINS jokingly replied to Representative                 
Vezey's question, he said the moose has a bigger constituency.                 
                                                                               
CHAIR JAMES noted for the record that both Representative Dyson and            
Ivan are present.                                                              
                                                                               
Number 0142                                                                    
                                                                               
ELYSE DEHLBOM, Fifth Grade student, K-Beach Elementary School,                 
testified via teleconference in support of SB 265.  She said,                  
"Honorable members of the House of Representatives, we represent               
the students of Kalifornisky Beach Elementary School, thank you for            
this opportunity to speak to you.  We're here today to explain our             
reasons for selecting the moose to be the official land mammal and             
to seek your support of SB 265."                                               
                                                                               
BLAKE GABRIEL, Fifth Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary              
School, was next to testify.  He said, "Since school began last                
fall, we have done extensive research on the mammals of Alaska.                
The moose became our top choice after a primary and general                    
election.  Several class representatives will now present some                 
pertinent facts for supporting the moose as the official land                  
mammal."                                                                       
                                                                               
JANELLE BROWN, First Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary              
School, was next to testify.  She said, "The species, a moose we               
see in Alaska, is not found in any other state in the United                   
States."                                                                       
                                                                               
ALEX STORY, Second Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary                
School, was next to testify.  He said, "The moose is gentle animal             
and cares for it's young for a full year."                                     
                                                                               
Number 0173                                                                    
                                                                               
ZACHARY LESLIE, First Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary             
School, was next to testify.  He said, "The moose does not harm                
other animals, it is an herbivore and eats only plants."                       
                                                                               
ASHLEY RABALAIS, Third Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary            
School, was next to testify.  She said, "The moose played an                   
important role in the early development of Alaska.  Professional               
hunters supplied moose meat to the early mining camps."                        
                                                                               
CASEY FOSTER, Fifth Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary               
School, was next to testify.  He said, "The Athabaskan culture and             
some Eskimo cultures were dependent on moose for food, clothing and            
implements."                                                                   
                                                                               
REMINGTON WEST, Second Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary            
School, was next to testify.  He said, "Currently the moose is the             
most hunted animal in Alaska and provides 3.5 million pounds of                
meat to the people of Alaska yearly."                                          
                                                                               
JESSICA WIGGINS, Sixth Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary            
School, was next to testify.  She said, "The moose is found in 85              
percent of the state, from the Colville River on the North Slope to            
the Stikine River in the Southeast Panhandle."                                 
                                                                               
Number 0205                                                                    
                                                                               
CORTNI BROWN, Fifth Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary               
School, was next to testify.  She said, "Though thought a nuisance             
for the number of accidents on roadways and railways, the moose is             
not at fault as man has encroached on their original territory."               
                                                                               
AMANDA LESLIE, Fourth Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary             
School, was next to testify.  She said, "The current estimated                 
number of moose in Alaska is 170 thousand, they are abundant."                 
                                                                               
HANNA WEST, First Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary                 
School, was next to testify.  She said, "Most tourists expect to               
see a moose when visiting Alaska.  Many are happy to have their                
wishes fulfilled."                                                             
                                                                               
LANDON DOVER, Fourth Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary              
School, was next to testify.  He said, "Moose are a frequent                   
subject of tourism, tourists, photography and a factor in the                  
growing echotourism industry."                                                 
                                                                               
ALEXANDER WEST, Third Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary             
School, was next to testify.  He said, "If the moose becomes the               
state mammal we can expect to see an increase in products of the               
moose shown on them, like we now see the forget-me-not flowers.                
This could be an economic boost if promoted properly the moose can             
increase revenue for the tourism industry."                                    
                                                                               
BRIAN HIBBERD, Fifth Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary              
School, was next to testify.  He said, "During the process of                  
selecting an animal to be the state land mammal, we considered all             
the animals in the state.  We carefully researched the school's top            
choices, searching for the animal that best represents the state of            
Alaska.  Hopefully you will agree with us that the moose is an                 
excellent choice."                                                             
                                                                               
RYAN WALTON, Sixth Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary                
School was next to testify.  He said, "The Kenai Peninsula Borough             
Assembly and the Soldotna City Council have both passed resolutions            
supporting SB 265.  As you know the State Senate has also voted in             
favor of the bill, it is our hope that you will do the same and                
support the moose as Alaska's official state land mammal."                     
                                                                               
CLYDE FOLLEY, Sixth Grade Student, Kalifornisky Beach Elementary               
School was next to testify.  He said, "From all of us at                       
Kalifornisky Beach Elementary we thank you for this opportunity to             
speak to you and for your time and consideration of SB 265."                   
                                                                               
Number 0265                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE HODGINS made a motion to move SB 265 from committee             
with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note.                      
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY jokingly objected and suggested it be put in              
a subcommittee.                                                                
                                                                               
Number 0292                                                                    
                                                                               
SENATOR TORGERSON gave a brief overview of the student's testimony.            
He said, "Our students mentioned that the moose is abundant,                   
there's 170 thousand of them across the state, they cover 86                   
percent of the landmass, they're the number one food source, they              
have cultural ties to the indigenous people of the state of Alaska,            
they are a tourist attraction, and passage of this bill would be a             
huge economic development if selected.  I think those are the                  
reasons that came out on top of the caribou or other species."                 
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE DYSON said he has a bill coming through the                     
legislature that legalizes the farming of moose and caribou,                   
[laughter] which will make them even more valuable and hopefully               
plentiful in the state.  He said he will be delighted to have the              
students testify when his bill is up in a committee.  He indicated             
the Department of Fish and Game is mobilizing their forces to stop             
this bill.                                                                     
                                                                               
SENATOR TORGERSON said he would provide Representative Dyson the               
school's fax number and they can take it under advisement.                     
                                                                               
CHAIR JAMES asked if the objection was maintained.                             
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE VEZEY replied that he would like to vote on it.                 
                                                                               
Number 0318                                                                    
                                                                               
CHAIR JAMES requested a roll call.  All members voted in support of            
moving SB 265 out of the State Affairs Standing Committee.