Legislature(2005 - 2006)BUTROVICH 205
03/07/2005 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB103 | |
| SB110 | |
| HB76 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| = | SB 103 | ||
| = | SB 110 | ||
| + | HB 76 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HCR 2 | TELECONFERENCED | |
CSHB 76(FIN)AM-BIG GAME SERVICES & COMM. SERVICES BD
CHAIR THOMAS WAGONER announced CSHB 76(FIN)AM to be up for
consideration.
REPRESENTATIVE RALPH SAMUELS, sponsor, said it reestablishes the
Big Game Commercial Services Board. The former board sunsetted
in the early 90s and its duties were transferred to the Division
of Occupational Licensing.
A Legislative Budget and Audit report recommended that the board
be reestablished for consumer protection and to set ethical
standards for guides. This is supported by the Board of Game and
Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) and various user groups.
REPRESENTATIVE SAMUELS reviewed the changes from last year's
bill that didn't pass.
4:01:45 PM
Board membership went from two guides, two transporters, one
member appointed by the Board of Game, one private land holder
and one public member to two guides, two transporters, one Board
of Game appointee, two private land holders and two public
members. The thinking behind that is there is inherent conflict
between the transporters and the guides. The second change
requires the board to issue a license to someone who meets the
standards. Also, the original bill had a $1,000 fine in the
previous 12 months would have precluded someone from receiving
or renewing a guide or transport license and that was increased
to $2,000 - with the support of the Department of Public Safety
(DPS).
4:03:13 PM
SENATOR GUESS asked if this was the same membership as the
previous group that was sunsetted.
4:03:44 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SAMUELS replied that he didn't know, but the old
board had the perception that it was a bit of a good old boys
club. "If you knew somebody, you got certain privileges."
4:04:28 PM
SENATOR GUESS said she didn't see wildlife biologists in the
board and asked if they would come under public members.
REPRESENTATIVE SAMUELS replied the Board of Game would appoint
one member and that might be a biologist or a professional game
manager.
4:05:09 PM
SENATOR SEEKINS asked the definition of private landholder.
REPRESENTATIVE SAMUELS replied that probably means Native
Corporations with large tracts of land.
SENATOR STEDMAN said he thought it included all private
landholders.
REPRESENTATIVE SAMUELS replied that it does.
CHAIR WAGONER asked Mr. Robus if he could answer Senator Guess'
question.
4:06:59 PM
MATT ROBUS, Director, Division of Wildlife Conservation, replied
that even thought wildlife biologists are talked about as
advocating for the reinstitution of the board, they are not
actually included in the specification of who gets to sit on the
board.
4:07:45 PM
SENATOR GUESS responded that she wanted to know how this board
is different in its membership from the old one that sunsetted.
4:07:56 PM
MR. ROBUS replied that it's not much different. One of the
reasons he and the Board of Game are advocating for
reinstituting the Commercial Services Board is because it's a
complement to the biological work that the Board of Game does
with input from ADF&G. Without it, the component of wildlife
management that has to do with people management presented
problems that the board doesn't have the tools to solve. It
provides a needed function. Problems came up that couldn't be
addressed by altering bag limits and seasons et cetera. The
department and Board of Game both supported HB 76.
PAUL JOHNSON, Elfin Cove guide, supported HB 76. He said lots of
things are falling through the cracks without the old board. To
Senator Guess' question he said the prior board had nine members
- two guides, two transporters, two public members, one
commercial user, one private landholder and one Board of Game
member. The board did not take up biological issues and the
Board of Game member was a great liaison between the two boards.
4:11:23 PM
SENATOR SEEKINS asked how long he had been guiding.
MR. JOHNSON replied 30 years.
SENATOR SEEKINS asked when exclusive guides areas went away.
MR. JOHNSON replied that they went away in 1991 with the
Owsichek decision.
SENATOR SEEKINS asked if there are de facto reserved guide areas
in effect by landowners who have contracted exclusively with
certain guides.
MR. JOHNSON replied yes. He said there are large tracts of prime
federal lands that the National Park System, US Fish and
Wildlife and US Forest Service have contracted through a
concession process. Prior to Owsichek, once you had a use area,
you had it forever. That's why they called it the good old boys
club. A task force put together that eliminated the old guide
board and created the Commercial Services Board, but in the
middle of that process the Owsichek decision came down. The feds
hoped the state would pick up the ball as they have done on
their lands.
SENATOR SEEKINS asked from a guide's perspective, if there could
be some ethical concerns between private landowners who contract
with exclusive guides. He asked if he saw any conflict of
interest there.
MR. JOHNSON replied he was the chair of the former board and the
private landholders were more concerned with how they were going
to get their companies involved with their local people and with
just two guide members on the board he didn't foresee that being
a problem. However, he could see major benefits to the state as
a whole in getting those private landholders into commercial
utilization of the game if they choose.
I think the more they learn about the industry, the
more they may so choose. It's been a very effective
process in Canada, in Africa and obviously our state
is competing with those other countries.
4:15:29 PM
RICK THOMPSON, Regional Manager, Division of Mining, Land and
Water, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), supported HB 76.
4:16:13 PM
SENATOR BEN STEVENS moved CSHB 76(FIN)AM with individual
recommendations and attached fiscal note. There were no
objections and it was so ordered.
HB 76-BIG GAME SERVICES & COMM. SERVICES BD
SENATOR DYSON declared that he may have a conflict of interest
with HB 76.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|