Legislature(2003 - 2004)
02/19/2003 08:35 AM House FSH
Audio | Topic |
---|
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES February 19, 2003 8:35 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Paul Seaton, Chair Representative Peggy Wilson, Vice Chair Representative Pete Kott Representative Ralph Samuels Representative Ethan Berkowitz Representative David Guttenberg MEMBERS ABSENT Representative Cheryll Heinze COMMITTEE CALENDAR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 6 Extending the termination date of the Joint Legislative Salmon Industry Task Force until 2005. - MOVED CSHCR 6(FSH) OUT OF COMMITTEE OVERVIEW: ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH & GAME, SUBSISTENCE DIVISION, BY MARY C. PETE, DIRECTOR - HEARD PREVIOUS ACTION BILL: HCR 6 SHORT TITLE: EXTEND JT LEG SALMON INDUSTRY TASK FORCE SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) STEVENS Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action 02/07/03 0147 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 02/07/03 0147 (H) FSH, FIN 02/10/03 0171 (H) COSPONSOR(S): MORGAN 02/19/03 (H) FN1: ZERO (LEG) 02/19/03 (H) FSH AT 8:30 AM CAPITOL 124 WITNESS REGISTER CHERYL SUTTON, Staff to the Joint Legislative Salmon Industry Task Force Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on HCR 6, providing an explanation of the proposed CS. MARY C. PETE, Director Division of Subsistence Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Provided an overview of the ADF&G, Division of Subsistence. ACTION NARRATIVE TAPE 03-8, SIDE A Number 0001 CHAIR PAUL SEATON called the House Special Committee on Fisheries meeting to order at 8:35 a.m. Members present at the call to order were Representatives Seaton, Wilson, Samuels, Guttenberg, and Berkowitz. Representative Kott arrived while the meeting was in progress. HCR 6-EXTEND JT LEG SALMON INDUSTRY TASK FORCE Number 0036 CHAIR SEATON announced the first order of business would be consideration of HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 6, "Extending the termination date of the Joint Legislative Salmon Industry Task Force until 2005." Number 0074 REPRESENTATIVE WILSON moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HCR 6, Version 23-LS0516\H, Utermohle, 2/12/03, as a work draft. There being no objection, Version H was before the committee. Number 0163 CHERYL SUTTON, Staff to the Joint Legislative Salmon Industry Task Force, Alaska State Legislature, explained that the proposed CS for HCR 6 contains essentially three changes. She said the first change is to provide for an extension of one year instead of two years, a change that would extend through the adjournment of the [second] regular session of the Twenty-Third Alaska State Legislature. Ms. Sutton said that in addition, the proposed committee substitute adds funding language for appropriations through the Legislative Council, which clarifies the funding stream. She said this addition is for clarification, as the task force has worked this way in the past. She said there is a zero fiscal note, so additional money will not be needed to continue the work. Number 0269 REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ noted that some legislators who had been on the task force would no longer be available to fill those positions, and he asked if there had been any indication of who might be interested in taking their places. MS. SUTTON said that discussion had not taken place as of yet, but stated that if the task force were extended, the legislative members of the task force would have that discussion. Number 0337 REPRESENTATIVE BERKOWITZ moved to report CSHCR 6, Version 23- LS0516\H, Utermohle, 2/12/03, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. There being no objection, CSHCR 6(FSH) was reported from the House Special Committee on Fisheries. OVERVIEW: ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH & GAME, SUBSISTENCE DIVISION, BY MARY C. PETE, DIRECTOR TAPE 03-8, SIDE(S) A & B [The overview begins at number 0375 on Side A.] CHAIR SEATON announced that the next order of business would be the Overview: Alaska Department of Fish & Game Subsistence Division, by Mary C. Pete, Director. [Committee members present were Representatives Seaton, Wilson, Kott, Samuels, Guttenberg, and Berkowitz.] Summary of Information MARY C. PETE, Director, Division of Subsistence, Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G), referred to information provided in the committee packet and explained that the subsistence section was made into a division in 1980, is the social science research arm of ADF&G, and is used primarily to aid the Board of Fisheries and the Board of Game to implement the Alaska subsistence law. The division compiles existing information on hunting and fishing from harvest records, but its main contribution to fish and game management and subsistence is derived from community-based studies in which socioeconomic research is conducted. The division has been instrumental in assisting the boards by defining subsistence needs so that opportunities for other uses such as commercial or personal use can be provided for, as well. Information gathered is also used for land-use planning and development. MS. PETE told the committee that the division is composed of 28 full-time staff, 10 seasonal staff, and approximately 60-70 subsistence monitors who work on special projects in any given year, primarily in coastal communities. There are four field offices and three regional offices, and the staff is composed of either field researchers who work in the communities throughout the state or computer and research analysts who maintain the division's sizable databases. Subsistence research includes but is not limited to: harvest monitoring and species-specific studies, community profiles, collaborative research, and marine mammal studies. Included on the distribution list for such information are universities, resource-management agencies, communities, and government agencies. MS. PETE explained that since October 1999, when the federal subsistence program began managing its fisheries, the division has become the lead agency in coordinating the state and federal subsistence programs. Ms. Pete referred to information in the committee packet, "Subsistence in Alaska: A Year 2000 Update," and explained that in state law, there are subsistence and non- subsistence use areas - defined in federal law as urban and rural areas; according to the graph in Figure 1, in 1999, Alaska's population by area was 80 percent urban and 20 percent rural. She noted that there is a difference between state and federal definitions of subsistence. MS. PETE continued her presentation by responding to questions from the committee pertaining to the same handout while reviewing Figure 2, "Percent of Households Participating in Subsistence Activities in Rural Areas"; Figure 3, "Composition of Subsistence Harvest by Rural Residents"; Figure 4, "Who Harvests Fish and Game? Resource Harvests by Use in Alaska"; Figure 5, "Wild Food Harvests in Alaska by Area, 1990s"; Figure 6, "Wild Food Harvests in Alaska: Nutritional and Replacement Values"; and Figure 7, "Angoon Deer Harvest Areas." MS. PETE responded to the question, "How does customary and traditional use modify the ability of people to hunt and fish, in a subsistence context?" by referring to eight criteria in state regulation that help the board to determine if customary and traditional usage is being met. Ms. Pete said that to determine whether an area is a subsistence use area, the joint boards ask a basic question such as, "If there were no subsistence use, would this community still exist?" She confirmed that it is a myth that subsistence means that anyone living in rural Alaska "can go anywhere and do anything." Ms. Pete mentioned that although the state does not use population as the defining factor, the federal program has been grappling with how to determine rural versus non-rural areas and has determined that communities of populations of 2,500 or less are rural, communities of 7,000 or more are non-rural, and communities in between have no presumption, in which case, characteristics need to be looked at to make a determination. MS. PETE responded to a question from the committee regarding the division's input and interaction in the permitting processes, currently being conducted by the Division of Habitat and Restoration. She said that if subsistence areas are involved, the Division of Subsistence provides pertinent information via its database. In response to a question asking for clarification about the AIDEA [Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority] dividend receipts, she answered that last year, the division received over $1 million dollars in general funds to implement the state subsistence law, but last year the legislature replaced the general fund monies with AIDEA monies; she noted that "it would be great to receive the general fund dollars again." ANNOUNCEMENTS There were no announcements during the overview portion. COMMITTEE ACTION The committee took no action during the overview portion. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business before the committee, the House Special Committee on Fisheries meeting was adjourned at 9:30 a.m. NOTE: The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were taken. A copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by contacting the House Records Office at State Capitol, Room 3, Juneau, Alaska 99801 (mailing address), (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the second session of the Twenty-Third Alaska State Legislature this information may be obtained by contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.
Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
---|