Legislature(2005 - 2006)CAPITOL 124
05/02/2006 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB501 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 501 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
May 2, 2006
1:01 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Jay Ramras, Co-Chair
Representative Ralph Samuels, Co-Chair
Representative Jim Elkins
Representative Carl Gatto
Representative Gabrielle LeDoux
Representative Paul Seaton
Representative Harry Crawford
Representative Mary Kapsner
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Kurt Olson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 501
"An Act relating to the possession of horns or antlers of big
game animals."
- MOVED CSHB 501(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 501
SHORT TITLE: POSSESSION OF BIG GAME HORNS OR ANTLERS
SPONSOR(S): RESOURCES
04/12/06 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
04/12/06 (H) RES
04/19/06 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
04/19/06 (H) Heard & Held
04/19/06 (H) MINUTE(RES)
04/20/06 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
04/20/06 (H) Scheduled But Not Heard
05/02/06 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124
WITNESS REGISTER
TIM BENINTENDI, Staff
to Representative Ralph Samuels
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 501 on behalf of the House
Resources Standing Committee.
REPRESENTATIVE ERIC CROFT
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 501.
MATT ROBUS, Director
Division of Wildlife Conservation
Alaska Department of Fish & Game
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 501.
ACTION NARRATIVE
CO-CHAIR RALPH SAMUELS called the House Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:01:52 PM. Representatives
Elkins, Ramras, LeDoux, Gatto, and Samuels were present at the
call to order. Representatives Crawford, Kapsner, and Seaton
arrived as the meeting was in progress.
HB 501-POSSESSION OF BIG GAME HORNS OR ANTLERS
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 501, "An Act relating to the possession of
horns or antlers of big game animals."
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS moved to adopt the committee substitute (CS) for
HB 501, labeled, 24-LS1839/Y, Kane, 5/1/06, as a work draft.
Hearing no objections, Version Y was before the committee.
TIM BENINTENDI, Staff to Representative Ralph Samuels, presented
the CS to the committee on behalf of the House Resources
Standing Committee. He said the bill evolved from HB 464, and
it creates the civil penalty of forfeiture of horns or antlers
if a hunter cannot prove that all possible meat has been
salvaged from his or her kill. This penalty is in addition to
current wanton waste laws, which require full salvage of the
meat, he said. The thrust of HB 501 is that enforcement
personnel will have greater ability to intervene in situations
where it may not be clear that wanton waste laws have been
violated. HB 501 clearly raises the deterrent factor in
circumstances where hunters wish to possess horns or antlers,
but might not be aggressive enough in salvaging game meat.
MR. BENINTENDI said the salient change in the CS is the addition
of subsection (d) to emphasize that the committee does not want
to reduce existing salvage laws. There are situations, spelled
out in law, where it is not possible to salvage all the meat, he
noted. The CS also makes two minor changes, he said. On page
1, line 12, the CS replaces "Board of Game in regulation" with
"law", at the request of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.
On line 14 "minimum amount of meat" is replaced by "salvage
requirement", a more common term, he noted.
1:05:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked about lines 5 and 8. One says
"minimum amount" and the other says "all edible meat". He said
that "all edible meat" is 100 percent of the animal and
unobtainable.
REPRESENTATIVE ERIC CROFT, Alaska State Legislature, said there
are two different terms because there are two different
concepts. "There is the general wanton waste concept that you
must take all edible meat. And that's just copied out of
AS16.30.010." He said there is a general obligation to get all
edible meat but not "scraping every little off." He stated that
the point of the bill is to empower the Board of Game to set the
minimum amounts with the penalty of forfeiting horns.
1:08:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO said that "all edible meat" doesn't allow a
hunter to leave behind "even a molecule."
MATT ROBUS, Director, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska
Department of Fish & Game, said "all salvageable meat" is
defined in regulation and doesn't mean "scraping every digit."
The definition for moose, for example, is the meat of the four
quarters above the hock and the meat of the neck, backbone and
ribs. He said it is an achievable standard that works well in
the field. There is a very high standard for proving the crime
of wanton waste, and this legislation would provide a lesser
penalty for a lesser crime. It gives the Board of Game a tool
in areas lacking ethical hunter behavior, he stated.
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked if leaving a carcass without the
quarters and neck but with meat on the ribs is a crime.
MR. ROBUS said it may be, and enforcement should be notified.
1:11:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO said rib meat probably won't be edible if a
hunter is days into the field.
MR. ROBUS said there have been many discussions between the
hunting community, the Board of Game, and ADF&G. In some parts
of the state the meat must be attached to the ribs, and it will
stay in good condition in that manner, he stated.
1:12:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO said some hunters use backpacks, and it is
a tough standard to meet.
CO-CHAIR SAMUELS said, "If you're not willing to take the rib
meat, don't take the horns." That's the point of the
legislation, he stated, and he added that the amount of meat
required to be salvaged has not been changed by this bill.
MR. ROBUS agreed. If a hunter is too far away, "you ought not
be pulling the trigger in the first place." In response to
Representative Gatto, he said law requires that the trophy is
brought out on the last trip if there is multiple trips.
1:14:18 PM
CO-CHAIR RAMRAS moved to report CSHB 501, labeled, 24-LS1839/Y,
Kane, 5/1/0, out of committee with individual recommendations
and the accompanying fiscal notes. Hearing no objections, CSHB
501(RES) moved out of the House Resources Standing Committee.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Resources Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:14 PM.
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