Legislature(1993 - 1994)
04/19/1993 08:00 AM House RES
| Audio | Topic |
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
April 19, 1993
8:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bill Williams, Chairman
Representative Con Bunde
Representative Pat Carney
Representative John Davies
Representative Joe Green
Representative Jeannette James
Representative Eldon Mulder
Representative David Finkelstein
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Bill Hudson, Vice Chairman
OTHER LEGISLATORS PRESENT
Senator Robin Taylor
Senator Mike Miller
Representative Gene Therriault
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SB 43: "An Act relating to transplantation of elk."
CSSB 43 (FIN) (EFD FLD) HEARD AND HELD IN
COMMITTEE FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION
SB 46: "An Act relating to moose farming and relating to
game farming."
CSSB 46 (FIN) HEARD AND HELD IN COMMITTEE FOR
FURTHER CONSIDERATION
WITNESS REGISTER
Senator Robin Taylor
Alaska State Legislature
State Capitol, Room 30
Juneau, Alaska 99801-1182
Phone: 465-3873
Position Statement: Prime Sponsor, SB 43
David Kelleyhouse, Director
Division of Wildlife Conservation
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
P.O. Box 25526
Juneau, Alaska 99802-5526
Phone: 465-4190
Position Statement: Opposed SB 43
Senator Mike Miller
Alaska State Legislature
State Capitol, Room 423
Juneau, Alaska 99801-1182
Phone: 465-4976
Position Statement: Prime Sponsor, SB 46
Bill Ward
Ward Farms
Soldotna, Alaska
Phone: 262-5135
Position Statement: Objected to moose farming in Alaska
PREVIOUS ACTION
BILL: SB 43
SHORT TITLE: GRANTS TO TRANSPLANT ELK
BILL VERSION: CSSB 43(FIN)(EFD FLD)
SPONSOR(S): SENATOR(S) TAYLOR
TITLE: "An Act relating to transplantation of elk."
JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION
01/11/93 26 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
01/11/93 26 (S) RESOURCES, FINANCE
01/20/93 (S) RES AT 03:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM
205
01/20/93 (S) MINUTE(RES)
01/25/93 (S) RES AT 03:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM
205
01/25/93 (S) MINUTE(RES)
01/27/93 168 (S) RES RPT CS 2DP 4NR (NEW
TITLE)
01/27/93 168 (S) ZERO FN TO SB & CS PUBLISHED
(F&G)
03/05/93 (S) FIN AT 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE
518
03/08/93 656 (S) FIN RPT CS 3DP 4NR (NEW
TITLE)
03/08/93 656 (S) ZERO FN TO FIN CS (S.FIN/F&G)
03/09/93 (S) RLS AT 12:15 PM FAHRENKAMP ROOM
203
03/09/93 (S) MINUTE(RLS)
03/10/93 710 (S) RULES RPT 3 CALENDAR 1NR 3/10
03/10/93 711 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME
03/10/93 711 (S) FIN CS ADOPTED UNAN CONSENT
03/10/93 712 (S) AM NO 1 FAILED Y8 N11 E1
03/10/93 713 (S) AM NO 2 FAILED Y8 N11 E1
03/10/93 714 (S) ADVANCE TO 3RD READING FAILED
Y11 N8 E1
03/10/93 714 (S) THIRD READING 3/11/93 CALENDAR
03/11/93 750 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSB 43
(FIN)
03/11/93 750 (S) RETURN TO 2ND FOR AM 1 ADPTD
Y11 N8 E1
03/11/93 751 (S) AM NO 3 BY ADAMS FAILED Y8 N11
E1
03/11/93 752 (S) RETURN TO 2ND FOR AM 4 ADPTD
Y12 N7 E1
03/11/93 752 (S) AM NO 4 BY ADAMS FAILED Y8 N11
E1
03/11/93 753 (S) RETURN TO SECOND FOR AM 6 UNAN
CONSENT
03/11/93 753 (S) AM NO 6 BY ADAMS FAILED Y8 N11
E1
03/11/93 754 (S) AUTOMATICALLY IN THIRD READING
03/11/93 754 (S) PASSED Y12 N7 E1
03/11/93 755 (S) EFFECTIVE DATE FAILED Y12 N7 E1
03/11/93 755 (S) DUNCAN NOTICE OF
RECONSIDERATION
03/12/93 782 (S) RECON TAKEN UP - IN THIRD
READING
03/12/93 782 (S) PASSED ON RECONSIDERATION Y11
N8 E1
03/12/93 783 (S) EFFECTIVE DATE FAILED ON RECON
Y12 N7 E1
03/12/93 786 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
03/15/93 642 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
03/15/93 642 (H) RESOURCES, FINANCE
04/16/93 (H) MINUTE(RES)
04/19/93 (H) RES AT 08:00 AM CAPITOL 124
BILL: SB 46
SHORT TITLE: AUTHORIZE MOOSE FARMING
BILL VERSION: CSSB 46(FIN)
SPONSOR(S): SENATOR(S) MILLER,Frank,Pearce,Sharp,Taylor;
REPRESENTATIVE(S) Therriault
TITLE: "An Act relating to moose farming and relating to
game farming."
JRN-DATE JRN-PG ACTION
01/14/93 60 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
01/14/93 60 (S) RESOURCES, FINANCE
01/15/93 76 (S) COSPONSOR: LINCOLN
01/29/93 189 (S) COSPONSOR: SHARP
02/01/93 (S) RES AT 03:30 PM BUTROVICH ROOM
205
02/01/93 (S) MINUTE(RES)
02/03/93 (S) MINUTE(RES)
02/05/93 240 (S) RES RPT 4DP
02/05/93 240 (S) ZERO FISCAL NOTE (F&G)
02/17/93 (S) FIN AT 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE
518
03/01/93 (S) FIN AT 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE
518
03/03/93 588 (S) FIN RPT CS 5DP 1DNP NEW
TITLE
03/03/93 588 (S) FISCAL NOTE TO SB & CS (DNR)
03/03/93 588 (S) ZERO FNS TO CS (F&G, DEC)
03/09/93 (S) RLS AT 12:15 PM FAHRENKAMP
ROOM 203
03/09/93 (S) MINUTE(RLS)
03/10/93 710 (S) RULES RPT 3 CAL 1NR 3/10/93
03/10/93 714 (S) READ THE SECOND TIME
03/10/93 714 (S) FIN CS ADOPTED Y14 N5 E1
03/10/93 715 (S) AM NO 1 FAILED Y5 N14 E1
03/10/93 716 (S) AM NO 2 FAILED Y7 N12 E1
03/10/93 717 (S) AM NO 3 FAILED Y8 N11 E1
03/10/93 715 (S) AM NO 4 FAILED Y8 N11 E1
03/10/93 716 (S) ADVANCE TO 3RD READING FLD Y11
N8 E1
03/10/93 719 (S) THIRD READING 3/11 CALENDAR
03/10/93 723 (S) COSPONSOR: TAYLOR
03/11/93 755 (S) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSB
46(FIN)
03/11/93 755 (S) PASSED Y11 N8 E1
03/11/93 756 (S) ADAMS NOTICE OF
RECONSIDERATION
03/11/93 757 (S) COSPONSOR WITHDRAWN: LINCOLN
03/12/93 784 (S) RECON TAKEN UP - IN THIRD
READING
03/12/93 785 (S) PASSED ON RECONSIDERATION Y12
N7 E1
03/12/93 786 (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H)
03/15/93 642 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)
03/15/93 642 (H) RESOURCES, FINANCE
03/15/93 658 (H) CROSS SPONSOR(S): THERRIAULT
04/16/93 (H) MINUTE(RES)
04/19/93 (H) RES AT 08:00 AM CAPITOL 124
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 93-48, SIDE A
Number 000
The House Resources Committee was called to order by
Chairman Bill Williams at 8:25 a.m. Members present at the
call to order were Representatives Williams, Bunde, Carney,
Green, James, Finkelstein and Mulder. Members absent at the
call were Representatives Hudson and Davies.
CHAIRMAN BILL WILLIAMS announced that the meeting was being
held by teleconference with a number of sites statewide. He
said the committee would first consider SB 43, followed by
SB 46.
SB 43: GRANTS TO TRANSPLANT ELK
Number 080
SENATOR ROBIN TAYLOR, PRIME SPONSOR OF SB 43, referred
committee members to a written sponsor statement in members'
packets, and said that rather than read from that statement,
he would address his comments to respond to criticisms
raised regarding the bill. (A copy of the Senator's sponsor
statement may be found in the House Resources Committee
Room, Capitol Room 124, and after the adjournment of the
second session of the 18th Alaska State Legislature, in the
Legislative Reference Library.) During his remarks, his
legislative aide played video footage showing elk that had
previously been transplanted to Afognak Island.
SENATOR TAYLOR referred to the successful transplant of
bison in Delta Junction, which he described as a profitable
venture. Eight hundred people, he said, applied for bison
permits, with a $10 fee charged each applicant. He also
noted that the presence of bison had not endangered any
other species in the area.
Number 105
SENATOR TAYLOR, addressing the concerns raised by Alaska
Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) biologists, said that
the ADF&G had not conducted sufficient research to be able
to determine what effect elk would have. Specifically, he
said there were no conclusive studies of what the elk would
eat and how that would affect native deer populations. He
pointed out that in 1928 and 1929, the federal government
transplanted elk, and those elk populations were not
studied.
Number 224
SENATOR TAYLOR addressed additional issues of concern
related to the proposed elk transplant. Regarding the
potential for the spread of disease, he noted that elk
transplanted six years ago are healthy. He said that on
Afognak Island, there is no evidence that the presence of
elk has adversely affected deer populations. He also
refuted the argument that the transplant would result in a
small gene pool among the transplanted elk. He criticized
the ADF&G for its failure to fund and conduct studies on the
previously transplanted elk populations.
Number 313
SENATOR TAYLOR told the committee that the elk transplant
had the support of the Ketchikan, Sitka and Stikine
sportsmen's associations, who he said had gathered up to
1,200 names on petitions that showed their interest.
Regarding a previous elk transplant, Senator Taylor noted
that he had seen data in a doctoral thesis which, he said,
concluded that deer and elk have a symbiotic relationship,
and that the presence of elk actually has the effect of
giving deer a better chance of surviving predation.
Number 372
REPRESENTATIVE ELDON MULDER referred to the ADF&G fiscal
note related to SB 43. He commented that it seemed out of
line and asked Senator Taylor to respond.
Number 378
SENATOR TAYLOR replied that he would like to see the ADF&G
actually spend that much on elk research, but added that the
state cannot afford that with its other priorities. He
commented that the ADF&G should have spent more in the past
30 years. He added that the size of the fiscal note could
be an indication that the ADF&G is trying to "bury the
bill."
Number 410
REPRESENTATIVE MULDER asked what would be a more reasonable
estimate of the cost of the transplant.
SENATOR TAYLOR replied that the sportsmen's associations
would pay for the transplant as a volunteer effort. He
clarified that SB 43 only authorizes the transplant, and is
not intended to fund the transplant of elk.
Number 425
REPRESENTATIVE DAVID FINKELSTEIN remarked that the ADF&G
fiscal note included one million dollars for moving the
animals. Another $560,000 over six years was included in
the fiscal note for research, he commented. The question,
he added, was that assuming the associations wanted to pay
the million dollars, and if SB 43 has the power to override
the Board of Game, would anyone who has enough money be able
to do whatever they want with game in Alaska. He suggested
it would be a terrible precedent to set.
Number 458
SENATOR TAYLOR replied that the authorization by the
legislature would not allow anyone besides the ADF&G to
bring in wild game animals from outside the state. He noted
that the importation of game animals would still have to go
through the permitting process, the game would have to be
examined by doctors in both states, and would still be
subject to regulation by the ADF&G. He mentioned that,
according to Senator Fred Zharoff, there were suspicions
that approximately 70 elk had been run off a cliff three
years ago by an ADF&G helicopter.
REPRESENTATIVE FINKELSTEIN again suggested that by granting
the legislative authorization for the transfer of elk now,
it would have the result of superceding the authority of the
Board of Game, not just in this instance, but by
establishing that policy for the future.
Number 491
SENATOR TAYLOR reiterated that he did not believe SB 43
would override the gatekeepers' role, which is the role of
the ADF&G.
Number 496
REPRESENTATIVE MULDER suggested it was fully within the
scope of the legislature to give direction to the ADF&G and
the Board of Game. He said it was a question of whether to
expand the state's resources or leave things at the status
quo. Referring to the fiscal note, he said it calls for elk
transplants to four locations in Southeast. He noted that
the back-up material in members' packets indicated the ADF&G
Commissioner Rosier's statements that elk had been
inadvertently introduced to Zarembo Island and Prince of
Wales. He asked Senator Taylor whether any documentation
supported that claim.
SENATOR TAYLOR replied that it appeared elk had reached
other islands than those they had been transplanted to
because they are good swimmers. He indicated that the ADF&G
policy seems to be to shoot those that migrate to other
islands.
Number 522
REPRESENTATIVE PAT CARNEY asked Senator Taylor to elaborate
on comments he had made twice regarding the ADF&G shooting
elk.
Number 525
SENATOR TAYLOR referred to a resolution he said was, in
part, drafted by someone from the ADF&G, which was placed
before the Board of Game. The resolution was initiated, he
said, by people from Ketchikan who had seen the success of
past elk transplants and wanted to have a drawing for a
permit to hunt one elk. The resolution was submitted to the
Board of Game through the local advisory board, he
explained. Somehow, he said, that was changed into a
resolution calling for an open hunting season on any elk
found anyplace other than Zarembo or Etolin Islands, without
restrictions on sex, season, or number.
Number 550
SENATOR TAYLOR explained that he contacted the chairman of
the Board of Game and asked how the ADF&G would regulate
where elk was being hunted and he did not receive a
satisfactory answer. He suggested the result of such a hunt
opening would be to eliminate every elk in Southeast Alaska.
The board reversed that policy, he said, after objections.
Number 570
REPRESENTATIVE FINKELSTEIN, referring to SB 43, asked
whether the language is written so as to make the transplant
mandatory or discretionary. He pointed to the use of the
word "shall," and recommended the committee hear from the
Division of Legal Services on the matter.
Number 580
CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS raised the issue to Senator Taylor of the
legislative budget cutting process. He remarked that it
usually is the case that field services and personnel are
cut, and said that the Senate had cut the budget for the
ADF&G significantly. Regarding Senator Taylor's comments
that the ADF&G had not adequately studied the elk previously
transplanted, Chairman Williams suggested that the ADF&G has
not had funding to do this research. In Ketchikan, he said,
only one field person in the ADF&G is assigned to cover a
large amount of land. He asked Senator Taylor if the cuts
in the ADF&G budget could relate to poor research of the
elk.
Number 600
SENATOR TAYLOR said he would not suggest that. He did not
know how the ADF&G established its priorities, or why the
elk had not been studied. Regarding Representative
Finkelstein's comments on the mandatory nature of the
language in SB 43, he explained that the use of "shall"
gives direction to the ADF&G and the Board of Game to
authorize the elk, and reiterated that the actual transplant
would be a volunteer effort.
Number 620
REPRESENTATIVE CON BUNDE asked Senator Taylor to comment on
how elk would fit in the subsistence issue, and also whether
there was a sufficient elk population in the Lower 48 to
justify the transplant.
Number 628
SENATOR TAYLOR replied that elk could not be subsistence
hunted in Southeast because that would not meet the
traditional use guidelines. He raised the point that if the
elk population impacted the native deer population, which is
subsistence-use game, that would be another question.
Regarding the question about Lower 48 elk populations, he
had been assured there were sufficient numbers, particularly
in Oregon, from which the elk would come.
REPRESENTATIVE BUNDE noted that there was subsistence
hunting for bison, which are not traditional use animals.
He suggested this approach be looked into.
SENATOR TAYLOR commented that in the future subsistence use
might include elk, and he would not have any problem with
that as long as there was sound management of the game.
Number 652
CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS announced that the committee would next
hear public testimony.
DAVID KELLEYHOUSE, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF WILDLIFE
CONSERVATION, ADF&G, told the committee that he was upset by
Senator Taylor's allegations. He assured the committee that
the ADF&G boasts the finest professional biologists. He
said that the ADF&G's concerns over introduction of an
exotic species to Southeast are valid. He said those
concerns are based on the experiences of other northwestern
states, and referred to a behavioral study on competition
and dominance in elk and deer populations. He said that
there should be more studies before elk are introduced, and
suggested that the 1987 transplant of elk may have been a
mistake.
Number 690
MR. KELLEYHOUSE, referring to Senator Taylor's comments that
the ADF&G had failed to adequately study elk populations,
said that because elk densities are so low in Southeast, the
ADF&G has not been able to study the food habits as
conclusively as they would like. He recommended that elk
not be transplanted until such information can be
quantified. On Afognak Island, he said, deer and elk have
crashed over 50% in the past four years. He said an area
biologist with twenty years experience had determined that
there is competition between deer and elk on Afognak Island.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE reported that the biologist felt it would be
a mistake to introduce elk to increase hunting
opportunities, because deer would outproduce elk for hunting
purposes ten to one. He noted that approximately three to
four deer can be harvested per square mile per year,
compared to one-third of an elk. Hunter success between the
two species he said, is about 85% for deer and 15% for elk.
He also mentioned that there is no wolf predation on Afognak
Island, which is a reason both elk and deer have prospered
on the island. The presence of an alternative prey species,
he explained, will change the balance.
TAPE 93-48, SIDE B
Number 000
MR. KELLEYHOUSE told the committee that he would not have
opposed the introduction of bison and musk ox to Alaska
because those species were determined to have been native
species in the past. Regarding the allegation that the
ADF&G helicopters had run 70 elk off a cliff, he called the
charge untrue and unsubstantiated. The ADF&G feels, he said
that more time is needed to study the Etolin transplant
before it is implemented.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE referred to the Board of Game, and said the
board's actions were consistent with a management plan
drafted in 1986, which said that the elk would be put on
Etolin Island and any elk that ventured off that island
would be captured and put back on the island or a hunting
season would be opened to prevent the elk from spreading to
other parts of Southeast. He acknowledged that elk
disburses widely, and noted that the ADF&G's policy is that
if that turns out to be injurious to native species, the elk
should be contained to one island.
Number 044
REPRESENTATIVE CARNEY asked Mr. Kelleyhouse to explain the
competition for forage among the deer and elk populations on
Afognak Island.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE said that in any place where deer and elk
coexist, deer will outnumber elk. He noted, however, that
where elk has been introduced, there has been a documented
decline in the abundance of deer.
REPRESENTATIVE CARNEY asked how those facts relate to
regulations proposed by the Board of Game to have an open
season on elk.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE explained that the regulation was taken off
the books by the board within three days of its passage.
The management plan, he said, called for increasing the elk
on Etolin Island to 250 before instituting a harvest, and
providing that the elk would not leave Etolin Island. It
was not intended to eliminate elk on Etolin or Zarembo
Islands, he added.
REPRESENTATIVE JOE GREEN asked whether data had been
gathered on how the elk and deer interact in areas in the
Lower 48 where they share a habitat area.
Number 098
MR. KELLEYHOUSE clarified that the species of deer in
Southeast, the Sitka black-tailed deer, is a different
species than the deer that share habitat with elk in the
Lower 48. He described the eating patterns of deer and elk
in the Lower 48, with deer as browsers and elk as grazers.
The eating patterns here are different, he said, and elk and
deer would share the same food source with more overlap. He
noted that the presence of predator species would also play
a role.
Number 130
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked whether there were instances
where both deer and elk coexist without predators.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE replied that this was the case on Afognak
Island. He added that the ADF&G was concerned with the
effects of deep snows and competition in a limited area for
the same forage.
Number 155
REPRESENTATIVE BUNDE was most familiar with the elk found on
the Olympic Peninsula, where there was abundant old growth
timber similar to the habitat found in Southeast Alaska. He
asked whether there were any comparison studies of the two
areas.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE replied that the Olympic Peninsula habitat
was similar, but not exactly the same as Southeast's. He
called Vancouver Island more similar in habitat to
Southeast. He added that much of the research material the
ADF&G has received has been from the British Columbia
government.
Number 168
REPRESENTATIVE BUNDE asked whether the Columbia black-tailed
deer was native to Vancouver Island.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE replied in the affirmative, and said that
the Columbia black-tailed deer has different food habits
from the Sitka black-tailed deer.
REPRESENTATIVE CARNEY asked why the ADF&G had not done more
studies of the previously transplanted elk.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE replied that because there are so few
animals and the island is so big, there is little impact
from competition for food. He said the ADF&G had done
limited monitoring of radio collars to track the
disbursement of the animals on Etolin. Afognak would be a
better site, he added. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
had given the ADF&G several thousand dollars to study elk on
Afognak Island, and the ADF&G, he said, was negotiating with
the foundation on whether to use the money there or on
Etolin. He noted that it was a matter of priorities, and
that the ADF&G does not have a large research staff.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE explained that research biologists' primary
duties are to enumerate the animals to set hunting seasons,
and said that in that regard, they have focussed their
efforts on native species. The situation on Etolin, he
said, had not developed to the point where any definitive
answers could be derived from the research. Problems might
not develop for nearly 30 years, he added. Reports from
other jurisdictions indicate that the ADF&G's concerns are
valid, he added.
Number 213
REPRESENTATIVE CARNEY asked whether it would be possible, if
the elk population got out of balance because of
competition, that hunting regulations could be used to
control the situation.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE replied that elk are difficult to hunt,
particularly in areas of heavy timber cover. Once the elk
are introduced to the system, they are not easy to take out,
he concluded.
Number 227
REPRESENTATIVE MULDER asked whether the Board of Game had
ever adopted the policy that was drafted.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE replied that the board had passed a
resolution. The bottom line, he said, was that elk should
be maintained on Etolin Island and prevented from spreading
to other islands and the mainland. The resolution came from
the Board of Game itself, and not through the ADF&G, he
explained.
REPRESENTATIVE MULDER asked whether the policy on which the
resolution was based was in existence at the time the elk
had been transplanted to Etolin.
Number 258
MR. KELLEYHOUSE replied that in 1986, there were provisions
in the plan that elk would be maintained on Etolin Island.
The policy was not anything new, he assured the committee.
REPRESENTATIVE MULDER concurred with Representative Carney
that an elk hunting permit would be a highly sought-after
permit.
Number 271
REPRESENTATIVE FINKELSTEIN asked if the legislature had ever
taken action like the one in SB 43, other than in the case
of elk.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE was not aware of any specific action except
for the 1987 elk transplant. In that instance, he added,
the transplant was carried out over the objections of the
ADF&G.
Number 296
REPRESENTATIVE BUNDE had mixed feelings on the issue. He
agreed with Mr. Kelleyhouse that elk are difficult to hunt,
and added that he had been in Ketchikan in the 1960's when
elk had been transplanted and they had all been killed. He
asked whether the legislators could get copies of any
studies done on the elk/deer issue. Regarding the crash of
deer populations on Afognak Island, he asked about the
reasons for that, and how hunting bag limits were affected
by the decline in population.
Number 320
MR. KELLEYHOUSE told Representative Bunde that a series of
severe winters with heavy snow cover reduced the elk
population from 1500 to 800. Regarding the bag limits on
deer during that period, he said he would provide that
information to the committee.
Number 336
REPRESENTATIVE JEANNETTE JAMES was surprised that someone
from the ADF&G would not know the answers to all of the
committee's questions. She knew that deer and elk do not
eat the same things. She asked why populations could not be
controlled through intensive management.
Number 368
MR. KELLEYHOUSE responded that the ADF&G does have a general
knowledge of the issues raised, but does not have all of the
specific information in every instance. Because of low
densities in the elk population, he said that there have not
been the demand for such detailed information. He
reiterated that the eating patterns of deer in Southeast
Alaska are different from those of deer that coexist in elk
habitat areas in the Lower 48. He said that the discussion
related to SB 43 would initiate further research, and
stressed that the ADF&G opposes SB 43.
Number 385
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES remarked on the challenge involved in
hunting elk, and suggested that the state might encourage
elk populations for the benefit of sports hunters.
MR. KELLEYHOUSE noted that Alaska has 14 natively occurring
species of big game animals. He added that he himself has
been a big game hunter all his life. The scientific
evidence, however, suggests that the introduction of elk
could, in the long term, diminish hunting opportunities
rather than expand them.
Number 399
CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS noted that there were 15 to 20 people
waiting to testify on SB 43, and he wished to move on to
public testimony. He apologized to those at teleconference
sites and said there would not be time to hear all testimony
at this meeting.
SENATOR TAYLOR clarified that the management plan to which
Mr. Kelleyhouse had referred had never been formally
adopted. He also wanted to see the studies to which Mr.
Kelleyhouse had referred. He called it incredible that the
ADF&G had been unable to manage elk herds in Southeast
Alaska if they grew too large in size. Regarding the crash
of the elk population from 1,500 to 800 on Afognak Island
due to winterkill, he suggested that this was not a
reasonable explanation or a good example of the ADF&G's
management of game.
SENATOR TAYLOR remarked that even after the crash of deer
populations on Afognak Island, the hunting bag limits
remained the same. The main reason for having harvest
tickets for up to six deer, he said, was because the ADF&G
had allowed the herds to grow so large they were fearful of
large winter kills.
Number 445
CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS told those assembled that the committee
was out of time for testimony on SB 43, and would next
consider SB 46.
SB 46: AUTHORIZE MOOSE FARMING
Number 454
SENATOR MIKE MILLER, PRIME SPONSOR OF SB 46, told the
committee that similar legislation had been introduced in
the 1992 legislative session. The bill would provide for
the development of moose farming in Alaska, is intended to
expand economic development opportunities, and would also
include caribou. The bill transfers regulatory powers to
the ADF&G, the Department of Natural Resources, and the
Department of Environmental Conservation.
REPRESENTATIVE CARNEY asked why caribou had been added, but
not reindeer.
Number 498
SENATOR MILLER said this was in keeping with federal
regulations which govern reindeer.
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked if the concept included hunting
as is done with bison in the Interior, or would it strictly
call for farming in corralled areas.
Number 505
SENATOR MILLER replied that a variety of ways were provided
for under the provisions of SB 46. These included farming
the animals for slaughter, and that idea could be expanded
to the Native corporations farming moose to meet village
needs. He said that regulations would ensure everything was
done properly.
Number 522
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked if that would create a more
difficult oversight to prevent poaching.
Number 527
SENATOR MILLER stressed that regulations regarding sale of
moose meat would create a reporting system which would
reduce that risk.
Number 535
BILL WARD, WARD FARMS OF SOLDOTNA, told the committee that
he had a background in game farming, having raised elk on
the Kenai peninsula since 1990. He noted that he currently
raises 57 head of elk. He described the background of the
statute authorizing elk farming. He commented that SB 46
provides for good game management by regulating the
industry.
Number 650
MR. WARD noted that objections to game farming based on the
threat of disease in the animals were unfounded. He said
that the oversight of the state veterinarian would prevent
that. Regarding the threat of escapement, he said
regulations provide for adequate fencing. He also noted
that threats of poaching have not materialized. He objected
to the tactics of those who oppose the farming of wild game
species.
TAPE 93-49, SIDE A
Number 000
MR. WARD concluded his remarks by stating that he did not
believe moose farming would be unsustainable, but said that
caribou would be supportable and was a valid potential
industry.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Number 042
CHAIRMAN WILLIAMS announced that the committee would have to
discontinue testimony because of time constraints. He
announced that the committee planned to meet on Wednesday,
April 21, 1993, at 8:00 a.m., to consider SB 77 and SB 132.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the House
Resources Committee, Chairman Williams adjourned the meeting
at 9:55 a.m.
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