Legislature(2007 - 2008)BUTROVICH 205

05/07/2007 04:00 PM Senate RESOURCES


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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
-- Time Change --
+ HB 87 CITIZEN ADVISORY COMM ON FEDERAL AREAS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 87(FIN)am Out of Committee
-- Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= HB 220 BAN COMPUTER-ASSISTED REMOTE HUNTING TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSHB 220(JUD) Out of Committee
-- Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= SB 57 MARINE PARKS ADDITIONS/HUNTING ALLOWED TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSB 57(RES) Out of Committee
-- Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= SJR 4 NATURAL GAS FOR STATE RESIDENTS TELECONFERENCED
Moved CSSJR 4(RES) Out of Committee
-- Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+= HJR 4 KENAI/KASILOF SUBSISTENCE PRIORITY TELECONFERENCED
Moved SCS CSHJR 4(RES) Out of Committee
-- Testimony <Time Limit May Be Set> --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
         SB  57-MARINE PARKS ADDITIONS/HUNTING ALLOWED                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
4:32:35 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR HUGGINS announced SB 57 to be up for consideration.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON, sponsor  of SB 57, said he would  speak to version                                                               
K and that  there were two changes in it.  One is substantive and                                                               
the  other  is  technical.  Section 2  in  the  previous  version                                                               
included redundant  language, providing for a  restriction to the                                                               
Department  of Fish  and Game  that was  already in  statute. The                                                               
substantive change  was the result  of changing the  boundary for                                                               
the  marine parks  to  the 10  fathoms from  20  fathoms. The  10                                                               
fathom boundary  is good for  the park system and  especially for                                                               
those who  are using  it because  the 10 fathom  line is  what is                                                               
delineated on  the marine  charts that  people use  in navigating                                                               
these areas.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
This  bill  is  supported  by  the  business  community  and  the                                                               
Territorial Sportsmen, which is  Southeast Alaska's premier group                                                               
that represents both sport hunters  and sport fishers. It is also                                                               
supported by  the only  in-holder in the  Marine Park  System. He                                                               
has heard of no opposition to the bill.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR HUGGINS  moved to  adopt version K  as a  working document.                                                               
There were no objections.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:36:15 PM                                                                                                                    
WAYNE  REGELIN,  Territorial   Sportsmen,  Inc.  (TSI),  strongly                                                               
supported  SB 57.  He said  it contains  important language  that                                                               
assures  that hunting,  fishing, and  trapping can  continue. TSI                                                               
has  a very  close  working relationship  with  the Marine  Parks                                                               
people in  Southeast Alaska  and its  volunteers have  built four                                                               
public  use cabins  on marine  parks. Costs  get reduced  further                                                               
through  business  donations  and   limited  support  comes  from                                                               
legislative  appropriations. In  addition  to recreational  uses,                                                               
these  cabins serve  as emergency  use for  all recreational  and                                                               
commercial  boaters.  The  user   fees  cover  the  four  cabins'                                                               
maintenance  costs and  since TSI  does most  of the  maintenance                                                               
voluntarily he thought expansion of  the marine park system would                                                               
provide  more places  for them  to  build public  use cabins  and                                                               
continue this program.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:38:28 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WAGONER  asked if the  10-fathom requirement  in Kachemak                                                               
Bay Marine Park was different.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. REGELIN replied  that he didn't know what  the boundaries are                                                               
there, but it's a much different program, not a state park.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WAGONER  said he was trying  to figure out why  the state                                                               
in  some cases  didn't have  a  standard criterion  like the  10-                                                               
fathom line.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:39:56 PM                                                                                                                    
ROD ARNO, Alaska Outdoor Council, supported SB 57.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
4:40:55 PM                                                                                                                    
MIKE  EBERHARDT, Superintendent  of Southeast  Area, Division  of                                                               
Parks  and Recreation,  Department  of  Natural Resources  (DNR),                                                               
said  the 10-fathom  boundary is  normally drawn  through aliquot                                                               
parks, which  is the way large  parcels of land are  described in                                                               
general.  The 10-fathom  line is  fairly new  in the  marine park                                                               
system  because  managing on  waters  is  not  the scope  of  his                                                               
statutory authority.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:42:09 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  wanted to clarify  section 2 where  it says                                                               
the "commissioner  may not prohibit fishing,  hunting or trapping                                                               
within a marine park  unit." He asked if there is  a crash in the                                                               
moose population, could that resource still be protected.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. EBERHARDT replied yes and  he would defer those situations to                                                               
the ADF&G.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GREEN asked  if lines 6 and  7 of section 2  in version A                                                               
that  identify the  commissioner of  DNR were  deleted since  she                                                               
didn't see it in version K.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON replied  that section 2 in version K  refers to the                                                               
commissioner  from  DNR. A  previous  version  had language  that                                                               
addressed the  ADF&G. That was  taken out because it  was already                                                               
covered in another part of AS 10.41.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:43:50 PM                                                                                                                    
GARY MILLER, Juneau State Parks  Advisory Board, supported SB 57.                                                               
He  said the  Board  asked that  this  legislation be  introduced                                                               
because of  the issues  already discussed.  He explained  that at                                                               
one  time, Shelter  Island was  owned  entirely by  the State  of                                                               
Alaska. The Division  of Mining, Land and  Water, which currently                                                               
manages the land,  divided part of the island up  and sold it and                                                               
now  it has  152  private lots.  He would  be  trespassing if  he                                                               
hunted, camped,  or picnicked on  these lands. He said  that both                                                               
Lincoln and  Shelter Islands  have good dear  hunting and  he has                                                               
hunted there  for years. SB 57  will keep these lands  open so he                                                               
could continue to hunt there.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:44:57 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  STEVENS moved  to pass  CS for  SB 57,  version K,  from                                                               
committee  with  individual   recommendations  and  the  attached                                                               
fiscal note.  There were  no objections  CSSB 57(RES)  moved from                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                

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