Legislature(2015 - 2016)BARNES 124
04/03/2015 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
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| Start | |
| Confirmation Hearing(s): Board of Fisheries | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
April 3, 2015
1:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Benjamin Nageak, Co-Chair
Representative Mike Hawker, Vice Chair
Representative Bob Herron
Representative Kurt Olson
Representative Paul Seaton
Representative Andy Josephson
Representative Geran Tarr
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative David Talerico, Co-Chair
Representative Craig Johnson
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Board of Fisheries
Robert Ruffner - Soldotna
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
ROBERT RUFFNER, Appointee
Board of Fisheries
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Fisheries.
MARTIN LUNDY
Southeast Alaska Seiners Association (SEAS)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries, as well as the
reappointment of Orville Huntington.
CRIS SOMERS
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
DAVID FRY
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
WES HUMBYRD
Homer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
DONALD JOHNSON
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
MARK RICHARDS, Chairman
Alaska Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
RYAN ASTALOS
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
MERRILL LAKE
Bethel, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
LESLIE MORTON, President
Kenai Watershed Forum
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
SCOTT ANAYA
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
STEVE VANEK
Ninilchik, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
JOHN MCCOMBS
Ninilchik, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
DENNIS RANDA
Kasilof, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
ED SCHMIDT, MD, Chairman
Kenai Area Fishermen's Coalition
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
BRIAN GABRIEL, Vice Mayor
City of Kenai
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
LISA GABRIEL
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
RICK KOCH, City Manager
City of Kenai
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of Robert Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:00:42 PM
CO-CHAIR BENJAMIN NAGEAK called the House Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. Representatives Herron,
Josephson, Olson, Seaton, Hawker, and Nageak were present at the
call to order. Representative Tarr arrived as the meeting was
in progress.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S): Board of Fisheries
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Board of Fisheries
1:01:36 PM
CO-CHAIR NAGEAK announced that the only order of business is the
confirmation hearing for the appointment of Robert Ruffner to
the Board of Fisheries.
1:02:15 PM
ROBERT RUFFNER, Appointee, Board of Fisheries, noted he lives
between the Kenai and Kasilof rivers and said he is humbled by
the support he has received and heard about for his appointment.
It is a tremendous responsibility to work on fisheries in the
state of Alaska and one that he is very eager to take on. He
has lived in Alaska since 1996 and is a geology graduate of the
University of Minnesota where almost all of his focus was on
river-related studies. He took some graduate work in numerical
modeling and statistical techniques, an important aspect that he
can bring to the Board of Fisheries. Upon moving to Soldotna he
received the opportunity to become the first employee of the
Kenai Watershed Forum and has worked there since 1997. He
recently spent some time in public service with the Kenai
Peninsula Borough Planning Commission and the Road Service Area
Board and found it to be a very rewarding experience.
MR. RUFFNER related his fishing experience in Alaska, saying
most of the fish he has harvested have been through the annual
personal use dip net fishery in the Kenai and Kasilof rivers.
He said he has caught all five species of salmon, trout, and
Dolly Varden by rod and reel throughout the state. Regarding
commercial fishing, he said he spent two days in the late 1990s
on a Cook Inlet gillnet boat, which was a good experience to
learn how that fishery operates.
MR. RUFFNER addressed why he wants to serve on the Board of
Fisheries, saying fishing is something he shared with his
grandfather and is now sharing with his own kids. Fishing is
deeply rooted in his family and is something he really likes and
wants to do. Having worked in conservation for fisheries for
nearly 20 years and having watched the Board of Fisheries, he
said he thinks the board is something he can do and make a
positive contribution to the state. Alaska is a big state with
diverse fisheries and he recognizes that this is a tremendous
responsibility. He said his interest is not just in Cook Inlet,
but across the state and he recognizes the uniqueness in the
different fisheries and how those need to be managed going
forward into the future.
1:07:28 PM
MR. RUFFNER discussed what he would have to offer as a board
member. He said that along with his personal use and sport
fishing experience, all of the sockeyes in his freezer came from
the Kenai River dip net fishery. He pointed out that his
background is in earth sciences, rivers, math, and statistics.
While on the Board of Fisheries he wants to ensure to the extent
possible that data is used to inform the decisions made by the
board. This can be fisheries, economic, and social data, all of
which is information that helps inform decisions. He has a good
background in being able to look at and understand statistics
and understand when confidence is or is not had in those
numbers. He also has a good understanding and knowledge about
habitat from his work with the Kenai Watershed Forum. He
understands and believes strongly in Alaska's sustainable salmon
policies. The policies are well written and should be drawn
upon whenever possible. As an individual he likes to learn and
be challenged and being a board member would certainly fulfill
that need. He stressed that he has a strong commitment to
public service and the public process. The Board of Fisheries
is unique when looking at how fish and game are managed across
the U.S. It has a tremendous public process. In preparing for
this he learned there are 84 advisory committees across Alaska
with almost 900 people serving on those advisory committees.
They have the ability to provide a wealth of knowledge to the
seven members of the board. The public process that is used to
reach the final decisions the board makes is something he
believes very strongly in and he will do his due diligence to
listen to the public across the entire state.
1:10:38 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON related he has received letters of support
for Mr. Ruffner, but no one from his district has commented pro
or con on Mr. Ruffner's nomination. One person asked that Mr.
Ruffner not be supported due to interactions with the Kenai
Watershed Forum. Representative Herron requested Mr. Ruffner to
comment on this complaint.
MR. RUFFNER replied he is unaware of what that complaint is, but
said anyone who has stood for something is going to have some
enemies at some point in time. He stated he is very proud of
what he has stood for in working for the Kenai Watershed Forum.
The forum has done some really important work on the Kenai
Peninsula, some of which is related to water quality and
ensuring there is clean water for the fish. The forum started
the first systematic water quality study in the late 1990s for
the Kenai River. Lots of agencies have mandates and strategic
plans that suggest water quality should be watched, but the
forum was an organization that put a lot of people together in
the same room and came up with a plan to actually take some
water quality information. Some issues were found as a result
of that, one of which was the discovery in the mid-2000s of
gasoline from outboard motors. The forum did research and
numerical modeling to understand how that might be corrected,
and ultimately went with a clean motor technology that solved
the issue. The Kenai River now is in complete compliance with
state water quality standards for gasoline. The forum has done
a number of things like that and any time changes are made as a
result of science, he said, it is going to upset some people and
he understands that.
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON said one of [the Kenai Watershed Forum's]
publications is called "Stream Temperature Monitoring for Alaska
Salmon Streams." He requested Mr. Ruffner to comment on how
that publication could help him in his new endeavor.
MR. RUFFNER responded that when looking at the state water
quality standards one thing of concern across Southcentral and
Western Alaska is that temperatures are being exceeded for
salmon streams. There is no silver bullet or answers to help
correct that, but it is something that needs to be understood
because part of the board's decision making is understanding how
conditions are changing that may affect fish populations. If
some declines are seen the board will understand that one of the
things that may be going on is that there are warmer
temperatures than are suitable for fish and the board can take
that into consideration.
1:14:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE OLSON declared a conflict in that he has known
Mr. Ruffner for 18 years and has been involved with him on a
number of projects. He said Mr. Ruffner is being far too modest
when talking about the gasoline problem on the Kenai Peninsula,
noting that Mr. Ruffner was the first to identify the magnitude
of the gasoline and then found a solution to the problem. Mr.
Ruffner got grant money to buy back the two stroke engines over
an extended period of time. It was painless because everybody
didn't have to go buy a four stroke engine in one year. It
worked out quite well because now it is more quiet on the river,
there is less visible sheen, and it is much more practical.
Additionally, Mr. Ruffner spent a fair amount of time putting in
culverts in streams throughout the watershed. Mr. Ruffner had
the ability to do the culverts at about 40 percent of what the
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities could do them
for because he did them with volunteer labor. Mr. Ruffner has
helped people around the state on that. Mr. Ruffner shared both
his vision and his ability to get things done with other groups
around the Kenai Peninsula. Representative Olson said he was
extremely pleased when Mr. Ruffner's name was put forward and he
has received all positive letters but one about Mr. Ruffner.
1:16:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON related that a few years back he attended
a few Kenai Watershed Forum meetings. He joined the forum
subsequent to seeing how those meetings were conducted and the
coordination among the different user groups concerned about
habitat and ensuring that fish were coming back for everyone.
He requested Mr. Ruffner to state how he would address aquatic
invasive species and their control.
MR. RUFFNER answered his conservation work has included a lot of
strategic thinking in figuring out where to get the best bang
for the buck, and one thing is to contain invasive species when
they are first noticed. There are a number of cases across the
state where an invasive species popped up and took off and
containment wasn't possible. That causes long-term problems and
in some cases it turns into an ongoing operating expense to just
try to control that problem species. Something [the Kenai
Watershed Forum] would like to see happen is that when a new
species shows up that will be detrimental to the state's
fisheries is that there be a way to contain it quickly. An
example on the Kenai Peninsula is elodea, a plant that has
appeared on some of the peninsula's lakes. It is relatively
expensive to knock back elodea, but the forum played a role in
the cooperative weed management program on the peninsula,
including raising some funding and research on how effective the
treatments have been. It seems the results are good on the
three lakes where elodea has appeared, and it is the role of the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to work on elodea.
Northern pike is the other invasive species seen on the Kenai
Peninsula, which has been around for a while and fortunately has
not spread, but when they do spread pike are very detrimental to
salmon and trout species. To that end, the Kenai Watershed
Forum has been assisting the Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G).
The forum has expertise at measuring water flow. The treatment
for pike is rotenone, a piscicide that kills fish, and to apply
rotenone ADF&G must know in detail how much water there is in
the streams in order to set the rates. At the end of the line
where the rotenone is applied, another buffer must be applied to
reduce the effects. So, the forum has been assisting ADF&G in
collecting that specific kind of water quality information and
setting that up for the department.
1:20:44 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER cited the question on the Board of
Fisheries application which states: "Could you or any member of
[your] family be affected financially by decisions to be made by
the board or commission for which you are applying?" He noted
Mr. Ruffner answered "yes" to this question. He then cited the
next question, "Please explain the potential financial benefit,"
to which Mr. Ruffner replied "no."
MR. RUFFNER responded he thinks that is a mistake in filling out
the electronic form and pressing the wrong button on the
application. Stating he is stepping down as the executive
director of the Kenai Watershed Forum sometime in June or July,
he said he doesn't see how he would have a financial conflict of
interest in serving on the Board of Fisheries.
REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER requested the record to show that the
response on the conflict of interest statement provided to the
committee is incorrect.
MR. RUFFNER confirmed the conflict of interest statement is
incorrect.
1:22:14 PM
REPRESENTATIVE OLSON disclosed he and his wife have been members
of the Kenai Watershed Forum for a number of years.
1:22:25 PM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON recalled he recently saw the video,
"The Breach," about salmon, dams, and related issues. The video
states that hundreds of years ago the North Atlantic was teeming
with salmon in Europe and the [North American] East Coast. The
West Coast [also once teemed with salmon] and now British
Columbia's Frasier River has had closures. He asked what can be
done in Alaska that is not currently being done to avoid
repeating that kind of history.
MR. RUFFNER responded that is a big question and Alaska, by and
large, has done a lot of things right. Alaska is blessed by its
geography and sparse population. One thing that really needs to
be paid attention to, in his opinion, is the small incremental
things that individuals do, more so than perhaps the big high-
profile projects. The big high-profile projects garner a lot of
attention, but it is those small, cumulative effects that add up
over time that are a little bit more insidious and people don't
recognize them when they are happening and they happen at a time
scale that's different than political responses happen to them.
He said those are the kinds of things his organization has paid
attention to and addressed.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON presumed Mr. Ruffner knows as much
about fish habitat as anybody on the board, but that Mr. Ruffner
will have a lot to learn about commercial fishing. He inquired
whether Mr. Ruffner will be able to learn quickly.
MR. RUFFNER responded he likes to be challenged and is excited
to learn about commercial fishing, as well as learning about the
various issues around the state. He said he has been studying
the issues around the state since applying for the board.
1:26:00 PM
CO-CHAIR NAGEAK opened public testimony on Mr. Ruffner's
appointment.
1:26:24 PM
MARTIN LUNDY, Southeast Alaska Seiners Association (SEAS), noted
that the Southeast Alaska Seiners Association (SEAS) is
comprised of more than 150 paying skipper and crew memberships
and 75 paying business members, representing the interests of
roughly 1,500 fishing men and women. He said SEAS is committed
to the protection of the resource that provides its means of
income and SEAS supports the appointment of Mr. Ruffner to the
Board of Fisheries as well as the reappointment of Mr. Orville
Huntington. Highly competent, focused, and intelligent people
are needed on the board and, based on the scientific educations
of Mr. Ruffner and Mr. Huntington, both will serve the Board of
Fisheries well. Mr. Ruffner has a solid background in science
and his service on the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission
has provided him with an intricate knowledge of fisheries and
fisheries issues important to the state. Mr. Ruffner has a
proven track record of working with varied stakeholders and a
prized perspective and approach for work with the Board of
Fisheries. Mr. Ruffner's experience and leadership with the
Kenai Watershed Forum is a striking example of dedication to
scientific research, the significance of habitat preservation,
and using analytical skills to move forward for the good of the
resource and those who harvest the resource. With such a solid
background, SEAS is confident that Mr. Ruffner will excel in his
new role on the Board of Fisheries. Mr. Lundy urged the
committee's support of Mr. Ruffner and Mr. Huntington.
1:29:07 PM
CRIS SOMERS said she has lived in Alaska since 1967 and has been
a commercial fisher since 1978. She urged the committee to
support Mr. Ruffner's nomination to the Board of Fisheries. She
said the board has been divided and divisive for far too long
and does not need more regional representation from people with
an agenda; rather, it needs someone who is all about the fish
and that defines Mr. Ruffner. Mr. Ruffner's expertise with
habitat makes him the ideal candidate and by all accounts he is
someone who can unite people and look at things from all sides.
It would be a refreshing change from boards who have in the past
dismissed her livelihood as recreation and injected politics
into the process. It is possible to have enough fish for
everyone with proper management and eliminate the fish wars.
1:30:10 PM
DAVID FRY stated he has been a commercial fisher all his life.
He urged the committee to vote to confirm Mr. Ruffner to the
Board of Fisheries. The board is badly in need of someone who
can unite all user groups in support of doing what is right for
the fish instead of the "gimmee, gimmee" that goes on now. This
board has become way too political and needs someone who will
help bring people together.
1:30:45 PM
WES HUMBYRD testified he has been an Alaska resident since 1971
and a commercial fisher in Alaska since 1966. He offered his
agreement with the previous witnesses that the Board of
Fisheries has been politically driven. He said Mr. Ruffner
would be a great advantage to the board because he would listen
to the scientific data before making any decisions, which has
long been needed on the Board of Fisheries. Mr. Humbyrd said
that over the years he probably hasn't missed any of the board
meetings and it would be really nice to see someone on the board
who is looking out for the fish instead of the political agenda.
1:31:42 PM
DONALD JOHNSON said he has hunted and fished in Alaska for about
30 years. He posited that people look for a Board of Fisheries
representative who knows what to do with regard to fisheries,
but maintained that Mr. Ruffner doesn't have much of a
background in that area and probably hasn't attended a single
Board of Fisheries meeting. He charged that Kenai Watershed
Forum board members are benefitting financially from each other.
He said many people support the forum because they believe in
water clarity and issues regarding the environment. Noting the
forum's board members represent commercial fishermen, sport
fishermen, scientists, environmental consultants, state
troopers, the Alaska Sealife Center, and conservation people, he
charged that these board members are financially interacting
with each other, but this is not stated on the forum's web site
or materials. People contributing funds to the organization
have no idea that the board members are financially interacting
with each other, he said. An environmental scientist could be
financially interacting with a set netter and it cannot be told
which one is which based upon the titles that are seen for the
board members, he alleged. They could all be set netters or all
could be environmental scientists and it would be unknown, but
the official words on the web site just list each person as what
the organization wants them to be. The board makes statements,
performs studies, and spends money in a public manner that
attempts to pick and choose causes, he contended, and the causes
have basically been on the Kenai River and studies on muddy
water, oil in the water, people throwing contaminants, and so
forth. Those studies are basically directed at public fishing
on the Kenai River. When asked why the forum doesn't address
the commercial fishing industry that is occupying the lower
Kenai River, the forum says that isn't part of the issue, he
purported. The representation is muddy and should be clarified,
and as executive director of such an organization Mr. Ruffner
should have been publishing the connections between the board
members, he said.
1:37:16 PM
MARK RICHARDS, Chairman, Alaska Backcountry Hunters and Anglers,
offered his organization's strong support for Mr. Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries. He cited Mr. Ruffner's
extensive background with fisheries habitat and conservation
issues associated with his work in founding and growing the
Kenai Watershed Forum as the reason for this support. He said
Mr. Ruffner knows the Board of Fisheries process and the issues
that come before the board and will make informed decisions
based on what is best for the resource using the best available
science and data. Mr. Ruffner has experience with the various
user groups and their representatives and is respectful, fair,
and willing to listen to all sides. While some may want someone
with specific ties to a certain user group, Mr. Ruffner cannot
really be tied to any particular group except the one group
whose main concern is the health of the resource and the
sustainability of Alaska's fish stocks. Regarding concern about
there not being a representative on the board from Anchorage,
Mr. Richards noted there is no statute requiring that Board of
Fisheries members must reside in a certain geographic location
or community in order to serve. Most important is that all the
board members represent all Alaskans, not just those in the
community in which a board member lives. He said Mr. Ruffner
will fairly represent all Alaskans and the committee should
forward his name.
1:39:07 PM
RYAN ASTALOS, a sport fisher, spoke in favor of Mr. Ruffner's
appointment to the Board of Fisheries. He said Mr. Ruffner,
through his work at the Kenai Watershed Forum, has a proven
track record of forming partnerships and alliances with state,
local, and federal governments, industry partners, and other
interest groups working for healthy and vital salmon and trout
populations on the Kenai Peninsula. He stated that Mr. Ruffner
will do a good job on the board.
1:40:00 PM
MERRILL LAKE supported Mr. Ruffner's appointment to the Board of
Fisheries, saying Mr. Ruffner's work sets a great example for
all Alaskans on what can be achieved when an organization works
to benefit fish habitat which, in turn, benefits all user
groups. He said Mr. Ruffner has a proven track record of
forming partnerships and alliances with state and federal
governments, industry partners, and most importantly, local
government and other interest groups working for a healthy and
vital salmon and trout population on the Kenai Peninsula.
1:41:24 PM
LESLIE MORTON, President, Kenai Watershed Forum, noted that Mr.
Ruffner is the executive director of the Kenai Watershed Forum.
She said the forum's mission statement is to work together for
healthy watersheds on the Kenai Peninsula. The forum's three-
part program includes restoration, research, and education. The
forum works to restore and repair conditions that threaten the
long-term health of watersheds and fish habitats. The forum has
a terrific youth education program that reaches thousands of
students. The forum maintains a comprehensive research program
to provide quality data associated with the watersheds. The
forum has always strived to have a mix of user groups
represented on its board of directors so it can best serve the
community and meet its mission of working together. The forum's
board is currently comprised of two commercial fishers, two
sports fishers, and herself - a school teacher and dip netter
with no financial interest in commercial fishing. The forum has
other educators, small business owners, and contractors on its
board and at no time has there been a majority of commercial
fishermen on the board. As executive director of the Kenai
Watershed Forum, Mr. Ruffner has dedicated his professional, and
much of his personal, life to improving the quality of fish
habitat. She said Mr. Ruffner's integrity and commitment are
outstanding, and he is not at all one-sided and is actively
involved in many aspects of the community where he is well
respected beyond fish issues. For example, Mr. Ruffner was the
2008 Soldotna Chamber of Commerce Person of the Year. Most
importantly, after years of working with Mr. Ruffner she can say
that his willingness to reserve judgement and listen carefully
to all sides of an argument before coming to a decision make him
well suited to serve on the Board of Fisheries.
1:43:37 PM
SCOTT ANAYA stated he has been fishing on the Kenai Peninsula
for nearly all of his adult life and, in that time, synonymous
with health salmon populations on the Kenai Peninsula is Robert
Ruffner. Mr. Ruffner has done a lot to keep salmon healthy,
with the key point being salmon, not a user group or specific
type of fisher. He said he supports Mr. Ruffner's appointment
because Mr. Ruffner will put salmon and Alaska first.
1:44:36 PM
STEVE VANEK said he has been in Alaska since 1964 and has been a
commercial fisher since 1965. He spoke in favor of Mr.
Ruffner's appointment to the Board of Fisheries, saying a
habitat person is needed on the board. The loss of habitat has
led to the demise of salmon worldwide. Not enough emphasis has
been put on habitat in the past and Mr. Ruffner will bring that
to the forefront. The current Board of Fisheries voted
unanimously not to limit the number of clams harvested on the
west side of Cook Inlet, even after the east side was closed and
even after the local advisory committees all expressed the need
to have limits on those clams. This is crisis management at its
worst, he said, so he is happy to hear Mr. Ruffner's recognition
of the value of local advisory committees.
1:46:01 PM
JOHN MCCOMBS testified he has been from Ninilchik for about 40
years. He said he did not know before last month that Mr.
Ruffner is a dip netter, but he did know of Mr. Ruffner's
accomplishments as boss at the Kenai Watershed Forum. Mr.
Ruffner worked on culverts and water quality and made the case
for having four stroke outboard motors on the Kenai River, he
related. Mr. Ruffner is a leading steward of Kenai River
habitat and there is need for a skilled habitat person on the
Board of Fisheries. Therefore, Mr. McCombs said, he endorses
Mr. Ruffner for the Board of Fisheries without reservation.
1:46:50 PM
DENNIS RANDA noted he has lived in the Clam Gulch area for about
four years and has been a fishing guide on the Kenai River and
active in resource and fisheries management for most of 30
years. He said he has known Mr. Ruffner for 18 years and while
he and Mr. Ruffner haven't agreed on everything, they do see
things quite a lot the same and he is hoping the committee will
advance Mr. Ruffner's name. He said he is looking forward to
seeing the changes that someone like Mr. Ruffner can bring to a
management agency like the Board of Fisheries.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON understood Mr. Randa is a sport fishing
guide on the Kenai River.
MR. RANDA replied yes.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON asked whether Mr. Randa has lots of
colleagues that he knows by first name.
MR. RANDA replied he knows a few.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON inquired whether Mr. Randa has a sense
for how his colleagues feel about Mr. Ruffner's appointment.
MR. RANDA answered he has had a mixed response from the guides
he knows and has spoken to. He said he is disappointed in many
of his fellow fishing guides and how they see management of the
resource and how that fits in with their priorities in life.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON requested Mr. Randa to expound about
which issues get discussed about the health of the river and how
to manage the river.
MR. RANDA replied he wishes that they were discussed!
1:49:15 PM
ED SCHMIDT, MD, Chairman, Kenai Area Fishermen's Coalition,
testified he is a retired surgeon. He stated his organization
represents "Joe Fisherman" - all people who fish on the Kenai
Peninsula wherever they may live. His organization includes
avid dip netters, sport fishers, and river ecologists and the
board is composed mainly of retired state and federal fisheries
biologists. He said he personally is an avid fly fisher who
first visited the Kenai River in 1988 when he caught a world
record fly rod salmon. He longs for the day when the Kenai
River returns to health to produce world records of all species
of salmon. He gets his red salmon from the personal use fishery
and frequently has friends from Anchorage stay with him when
they are down dip netting. He said he understands how important
the personal use fishery is to Joe Fisherman. The best possible
science is needed to manage this river for all user groups. A
scientist is someone who uses impeccable logic to analyze the
best available data. As a surgeon he had to strive to maintain
that standard. When new data became available or results were
not perfect, he had to modify his procedures accordingly. From
a lifetime of training he recognizes and celebrates good
practical scientists. Mr. Ruffner is an excellent scientist,
Dr. Schmidt said, and his thorough, inclusive, and community-
centered work at the Kenai Watershed Forum demonstrates both his
knowledge and understanding of all fishing issues on the Kenai
Peninsula. Because of this, Mr. Ruffner is very well qualified
to examine fish issues anywhere in the state. There cannot
possibly be a better candidate for the Board of Fisheries. Mr.
Ruffner is the best possible choice for making the best possible
decisions in an open and inclusive process.
1:51:25 PM
BRIAN GABRIEL, Vice Mayor, City of Kenai, reported that at its
April 1, 2015, meeting the Kenai City Council unanimously passed
Resolution No. 2015-14 supporting the appointment of Mr. Ruffner
to the Board of Fisheries. He read the resolution into the
committee meeting record. The resolution noted the City of
Kenai is a fishing community and that commercial, sport,
personal use, and subsistence fisheries take place within the
city's municipal boundaries and shore-based fish processing
facilities are located within the city's municipal boundaries.
The resolution also noted it is vitally important that members
of the Board of Fisheries manage fishery resources and habitat
for the benefit of all present and future Alaskans. It further
stated that Mr. Ruffner has demonstrated exemplary leadership in
building consensus among widely diverse user groups and his
training as a scientist and statistician provides the basis for
sound decision-making based on scientific analysis.
1:53:00 PM
LISA GABRIEL noted she has lived in the Kenai area for over 52
years and during that time she has been a sport, personal use,
and commercial fisher, all of which she still participates in
today. She expressed her support for Mr. Ruffner's confirmation
to the Board of Fisheries. Based upon her personal experience
in the board's process and her interaction with board members,
she said she thinks Mr. Ruffner will bring a needed balance to
the process not based on his home address but on his knowledge
of fish and their habitat. She said Mr. Ruffner will be an
asset to the Board of Fisheries for all areas in the state. She
urged the committee members to support his confirmation.
1:54:49 PM
RICK KOCH, City Manager, City of Kenai, stated that within the
City of Kenai's municipal boundaries is a vibrant personal sport
fishing community benefitting most Alaskans. Also within the
municipal boundaries is a commercially guided sport fishing
industry consisting of hundreds of professional guides. During
the three week personal use or dip net fishery, the shores and
waters at the mouth of the Kenai River are filled with as many
as 15,000 people in a single day. Subsistence fisheries also
takes place with the City of Kenai. The City of Kenai was, in
large part, spawned by the robust commercial fisheries of Cook
Inlet and it is the home port to many commercial fishing boats
and five commercial fish processing facilities. His intention
in telling the aforementioned is to let the committee know that
all the residents of the City of Kenai and the surrounding
central peninsula area are intimately involved with fishing
issues and have skin in the game. The Kenai City Council
unanimously passed Resolution No. 2015-14 strongly supporting
Mr. Ruffner's appointment to the Board of Fisheries. Mr.
Ruffner's professional accomplishments as executive director of
the Kenai Watershed Forum is impressive. The city has worked
with Mr. Ruffner on a number of fishery and fishery-related
issues. For example, Mr. Ruffner provided the wisdom,
foresight, and leadership to solve the hydrocarbon water quality
issue in the Kenai River. The river had been listed as an
impaired water body by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), but Mr. Ruffner's leadership resulted in the Kenai River
being removed from the EPA's impaired water body listing in two
years. This required his bringing together for a common purpose
the City of Kenai, City of Soldotna, the borough, state
agencies, and various user groups. Mr. Koch related that he has
attended many meetings where a wide range of fishery interests
are represented and without exception, Mr. Ruffner's goals have
been based on what is in the best interest of the resource, not
an industry, not a specific user group, and not one based in a
geographical interest, and this is what the framers of Alaska's
constitution envisioned when creating the board process.
1:57:54 PM
CO-CHAIR NAGEAK closed public testimony after ascertaining no
one else wished to testify.
1:58:48 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HAWKER noted that forwarding the name of any
individual to the joint legislative session for confirmation is
not a commitment by any member of the committee to vote for or
against that individual. He moved to forward the name of Mr.
Robert Ruffner to a joint legislative session for the purpose of
his confirmation to the Board of Fisheries. There being no
objection, Mr. Ruffner's name was forwarded.
The committee took an at-ease from 1:59 p.m. to 2:01 p.m.
2:00:43 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Resources Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 2:01 p.m.