Legislature(2007 - 2008)BUTROVICH 205
05/07/2007 04:00 PM Senate RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB87 | |
| HB220 | |
| SB57 | |
| SJR4 | |
| HJR4 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HB 87 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 220 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 57 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SJR 4 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HJR 4 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
CSHB 87(FIN)am-CITIZEN ADVISORY COMM ON FEDERAL AREAS
4:07:58 PM
CHAIR HUGGINS announced HB 87 to be up for consideration.
[Before the committee was CSHB 87(FIN)am.]
SUE STANCLIFF, staff to Representative Mike Kelly, sponsor of HB
87, explained that this is a bill about public access on federal
lands. She explained that the Citizen's Advisory Commission on
Federal Areas was established previously in 1981 and this
legislation reestablishes it.
4:08:53 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE KELLY explained that the Citizens Advisory
Commission on Federal Areas was started by Bettye Fahrenkamp in
1981 and it worked very well. It went away when oil was around
$9 a barrel. Its mission is to provide assistance to the public
affected by management on federal lands. The State of Alaska has
200 million to 230 million acres of this land.
CHAIR HUGGINS asked if there were natural enemies to this bill.
MS. STANCLIFF replied that none had been identified.
REPRESENTATIVE KELLY replied there were some concerns about
regional representation, but those were taken care of by putting
someone from each of the five regions on the commission. There
was also concern about its size, so membership was cut from 16
to 12 members. There were also concerns about keeping the fiscal
note down and office staff was decreased from 3 to 2 in that
regard. It's now a good bill.
4:11:00 PM
MS. STANCLIFF highlighted that this was a problem-solving
commission. She explained that ANILCA coordinators in both the
ADF&G and DNR represent the state's best interest, but this
commission was in charge of representing the citizens and when
it went away, citizens had minimal choices. Going to the
legislature was one choice, but it has limited expertise in
federal statutes, regulations and intent of congressional law.
People could go to the congressional delegation and to the
Secretary of the Interior, which they have also done, but those
possibilities can't be counted on because of changing
administrations.
4:13:25 PM
She said that even lands with no specific statutory conservation
restrictions are subject to steadily increasing administrative
designations and withdrawals that can result in reductions of
public uses. Those are just as prevalent today as they were 10
and 20 years ago. A state that has the massive federal land that
Alaska does needs this process.
MS. STANCLIFF said the commission was effective, for instance,
in developing the Kodiak plan that allowed cabins to remain on
the Refuge. Federal managers have a history of wanting to
eliminate trapping cabins, but the commission worked with the
trappers and they are now protected under ANILCA. The commission
was also effective in getting ANILCA boundaries actually mapped.
She said the Minerals Commission, the Fairbanks North Star
Borough, Alaska Miners Association, Kenai River Sport Fishing
Association and the Outdoor Council all support this
legislation.
4:14:49 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said the fiscal note seemed big for an
advisory commission and he asked if some of the duties could be
performed by DNR staff.
MS. STANCLIFF replied that the DNR is already providing mapping,
office space, computer assistance, and the commission only needs
two staff people. The fiscal note includes a little more for the
first year to get them set up.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked how much per diem people get.
MS. STANCLIFF replied the standard per diem rate and she didn't
know what that was.
CHAIR HUGGINS said this bill goes to the Finance Committee where
that issue could be dealt with. He pointed out that the number
of people on the commission went from 16 to 12 and their
geographical distribution makes sense.
4:16:56 PM
DICK MYLIUS, Director, Division of Mining, Land and Water,
Department of Natural Resources (DNR), supported HB 87. He said
the department is not in a position to advocate for individuals,
which this commission does. He said that DNR has one full-time
person that works on federal land use plans. Just keeping up
with planning and regulations is more than enough work for him,
so he is not able to take on the additional commission
responsibilities.
4:18:23 PM
TINA CUNNING, Special Assistant to the Commissioner on federal
issues, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), supported HB
87. She said that ADF&G has two people who work on federal
issues and their primary focus is protecting state authorities
on management of fish and game. She also said the department
doesn't have the staff to deal with individual issues.
ROD ARNO, Alaska Outdoor Council, said he supported CSHB 87
(FIN) am.
4:20:30 PM
SENATOR STEVENS moved to pass CSHB 87(FIN) am from committee
with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note. There
were no objections and it was so ordered.
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