Legislature(1997 - 1998)
03/12/1997 03:45 PM Senate RES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SENATE RESOURCES COMMITTEE
March 12, 1997
3:45 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Rick Halford, Chairman
Senator Lyda Green, Vice Chairman
Senator Loren Leman
Senator Bert Sharp
Senator Robin Taylor
Senator Georgianna Lincoln
Senator John Torgerson
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
Confirmation Hearings
Board of Game
Mr. Gregory Streveler
P.O. Box 94
Gustavus, AK 99826
Mr. Michael Fleagle
P.O. Box 33
McGrath, AK 99627
Ms. Lori Quakenbush
P.O. Box 82391
Fairbanks, AK 99708
Ms. Nicole Whittington-Evans
HC02 Box 7019A
Palmer, AK 99645
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 97-18, SIDE A
Number 001
CHAIRMAN HALFORD called the Senate Resources Committee meeting to
order at 3:45 p.m. and said they would take up the confirmation
hearings for the Board of Game.
MR. GREGORY STREVELER said he had lived in Gustavus for 30 years
and his interest in the Board of Game started a few years ago when
he was asked by two former members if he wanted to throw his name
in the hat. He is willing to serve, he said, and he'd do his
darndest, if they confirm him. He has a long history as a hunter,
is trained and has worked as a biologist, and has been a private
consultant and teacher. He said he is a good listener and he
thinks he can bring that to the Board and find solutions that
everyone can live with.
He picked subsistence, predators, and Board of Game functions as
examples of how he thinks to discuss with the Committee.
He said he has watched how State prerogatives have been eroded by
what has gone on in the context of subsistence. He has come to the
conclusion that for other reasons, as well, we have to come to
grips with this issue. The way they have been dealing with it up
to now seems to have come to a dead-end. He said he is a supporter
of the State Constitution, but he would look at changing it as a
last resort when putting everything on the table.
Number 111
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked him if he believed the last person to lose
access to a wild food resource should be the person who needs it to
eat. MR. STREVELOR replied absolutely.
Regarding predators, he said, it doesn't make biological sense to
manage prey and not manage predators. He believes there are times
when we have to manage wolves. He said one area this is warranted
is the McGrath moose situation where there is a serious imbalance.
He said he would be willing to look at innovations regarding
predator control.
He said he has lived surrounded by a national park for 30 years and
is sensitive to the rights of public access. He thought he could
bring a real honest attempt to the Board of Game to accommodate
legitimate uses.
MR. STREVELOR said one of the biggest unresolved dilemmas for him
as a Board member is how do you square public sentiment on one hand
with biological data on the other if they bring you to different
conclusions.
Number 179
SENATOR LEMAN asked when he worked for Representative Peter Goll.
MR. STREVELOR replied that he filled in for someone for six weeks.
SENATOR LEMAN asked if he thought the same as Representative Goll
on wildlife issues. He replied that they agreed and disagreed and
asked if there was anything specific.
SENATOR LEMAN asked if, as a teacher, he developed his own
curriculum. He replied that he developed his own.
SENATOR LEMAN gave him a letter from Mr. Peter Shepherd opposing
his confirmation and asked him if he wanted to respond to it. His
opposition was based on the premise that he is ideologically
aligned with the biocentrist belief that man should keep his hands
off of natural systems. MR. STREVELOR said that didn't reflect his
views at all. He didn't see how human beings could live and use a
wildlife resource and not manipulate it.
SENATOR SHARP said he spoke with Mr. Strevelor earlier and he had
satisfied a lot of his questions then.
SENATOR LINCOLN said she applauded him for wanting to be on this
Board. She wanted to give him the opportunity to respond to
anything in the newspaper that might be incorrect about him.
She noted that he would not qualify for this position if there was
a law stating he had to have a hunting or trapping license for five
of the last seven years. MR. STREVELOR noted that had been
corrected and he has had a hunting license for the last seven years
straight. He said he wanted to clarify, also, that he is not "pro
fed" although he has worked for the Park Service. He worked for
them for 13 years and the reason he decided to quit was an evolving
unease with the way they related to local people.
SENATOR SHARP read the definition of "game" from Webster's Second
Edition New World Dictionary as "wild birds or animals hunted for
sport or for use as food." He said that's what he thinks the
responsibility of the Board of Game is.
MR. STREVELOR said he felt in all honesty that they have a broader
mandate than just that.
SENATOR SHARP noted that the wolf sterilization program was
performed on just six pairs and it is being done in conjunction
with a severe wolf reduction program. He wondered how they
correlated the two programs and applauded them for trying a new
technique.
Number 331
SENATOR MACKIE said he supported Mr. Strevelor's confirmation,
because he has an ability to be open minded and has a good science
background. He noted in particular his work with Glacier Bay
National Park and keeping commercial fisheries there and in the
McGrath area where there is a 10 to 1 moose to wolf population
where it actually takes 30 - 40 to 1 wolf ratio in order to have
that herd sustain itself.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD thanked Mr. Strevelor for his comments and
announced Mr. Michael Fleagle would come before the Committee.
MR. MICHAEL FLEAGLE said he been McGrath for 17 or 18 years and has
been a life time rural Alaska resident and as such he understands
the importance of maintaining a healthy population of fish and game
resources for all Alaskans' use, particularly those residing in the
remote areas and who rely on the resource as a primary food source.
He believes in responsible predator management to maintain the
proper balance in our predator to prey ratios. Our State resource
managers have been able to accomplish this for over 35 years with
the private citizens being among the best of these managers until
the recent move to restrict harvest methods of predators.
He strongly believes in the public process system currently in
place to achieve these goals. He would like to see the State
resume responsibility for all fish and game management on all lands
in Alaska. He is opposed to game management by referendum or
public opinion from outside of Alaska and feels all efforts should
be made to return management duties to this State. We need to rely
more on the experience, oral traditions, and sound advice of people
who live in areas that will be affected by regulation changes.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked him what he thought would be the most
effective method, biologically and economically, of reducing wolf
populations in areas where there's obviously an overpopulation in
relation to prey species. MR.FLAEGLE replied that the most
efficient, cost effective, bringing the most benefit to most people
method is to allow the public to again take these wolves through
same-day airborne land and shoot practices which is not possible
currently. The next best choice would be to use the public through
public information trapping seminars such as what's happening in
the 40 Mile area.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if he would support or oppose a proposal to
outlaw private incentives for wolf harvest. MR. FLAEGLE responded
that he opposed any such proposal. The program going on with the
Alaska Trappers Association with the 40 Mile wolf reduction is a
great incentive because it benefits everybody.
SENATOR SHARP asked what he would do if a Federal Subsistence
Advisory Board requested the Board of Game to shut down an area to
general access by all Alaskans if the ADF&G had not established a
biological problem. MR. FLAEGLE replied that that would be outside
of the Board's jurisdiction to do that, as they are mandated to
manage the resources based on biological reasons.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD thanked Mr. Flaegle for his comments and announced
that Ms. Lori Quakenbush would come before the Committee.
MS. LORI QUAKENBUSH reviewed her resume' for the Committee. She
said she believes she has a good background for serving on the
Board. She is interested in the work it does as a 24-year Alaska
resident, as a hunter, and as a biologist. She believes one of her
roles would be to evaluate scientific information, the public
testimony, and make the best decisions she can for the resource and
the people of Alaska.
SENATOR TAYLOR asked for whom she had worked in Southeast Alaska.
MS. QUAKENBUSH replied that she had worked briefly in Sitka,
basically helping out with some humpback whale tagging work as a
volunteer. She doesn't have any other work experience in
Southeast; Kodiak would be the closest where she worked for ADF&G.
SENATOR LEMAN asked what the disturbance was to the ringed seals
she did published research on. MS. QUAKENBUSH replied that at the
time they were looking at possible disturbance by off-shore seismic
activity as a result of oil exploration and development in the
Beaufort Sea and Kotzebue Sound.
SENATOR LEMAN asked her to clarify her position on incompatible
uses. MS. QUAKENBUSH replied that the statement in her resume' was
a general statement, but she feels strongly that there are a lot of
hunters who also partake in nonconsumptive uses of the resource.
As a hunter, she does a lot of wildlife watching and talks to a lot
of hunters who enjoy taking their family and their kids places to
view wildlife that doesn't include hunting.
SENATOR LEMAN commended her for writing so many papers and said he
would like to read some of them.
SENATOR SHARP noted that most of her research was on sea mammals
which the State has no management control over. He asked if her
wildlife degree focused more on sea critters. MS. QUAKENBUSH
replied that her Bachelor's Degree in Wildlife Management focused
on game management and terrestrial animals and birds. Her Masters
work was in biology and some of the focus of that was on marine
species.
Number 502
SENATOR LINCOLN noted that Ms. Quakenbush did not hold a license in
'93 and '94 and would not qualify if legislation passed requiring
a hunting license for five-years prior and asked her to explain why
she didn't have a license then. MS. QUAKENBUSH explained that she
had a license in 1989 and was lucky enough to get drawn for a sheep
permit that year and she went sheep hunting while she was pregnant.
In 1990 she had a baby and in 1991 she had an infant so she didn't
buy a license in either of those years. She bought one in 1992,
but not in 1993 or 94 because she was raising her son and it was
difficult to get out. She has had a hunting license in 1995 and 96
and has one now in 97.
SENATOR LINCOLN asked if she believed one must kill game in order
to be a good Board member. MS. QUAKENBUSH said that shouldn't be
a requirement and there are lots of good people who live in Alaska
who don't hunt and who have good experiences that would serve the
Board well.
MS. QUAKENBUSH said she thought predator control is a tool that can
be used by wildlife managers in certain situations. She didn't see
it as a panacea and it wouldn't work in every case. She thought it
should be used carefully.
SENATOR TAYLOR asked her to comment on the McGrath 19C effort to
enhance predator control. MS. QUAKENBUSH said that situation was
certainly one where predator control could be used effectively.
She thought they should carefully watch the prey population they
are trying to increase, because some areas won't support more moose
no matter how much predator control you do.
SENATOR TAYLOR asked her if she supported a management scheme which
would result in abundance of both ungulate population and their
predator species. MS. QUAKENBUSH replied she would definitely
support that.
SENATOR TAYLOR asked if she would make certain a predator pit
problem was addressed if it was, in fact, the problem. He noted
that he had been in one valley and recorded 250 moose annually
every single fall and he was in the valley this fall and in the
same period of time he saw 28. He did not see a single yearling
animal nor a single calf in an 11-day period and there were plenty
of predators around. MS. QUAKENBUSH said she personally would like
to look carefully at the habitat because it could still undergo
succession and late successional stages are less productive for
moose habitat.
SENATOR TAYLOR asked if she was familiar with what methods ADF&G
uses for predator or prey populations in given areas. MS.
QUAKENBUSH replied yes. SENATOR TAYLOR asked if she thought they
were scientifically accurate. MS. QUAKENBUSH replied she didn't
know if accurate was a good term, but the results were a balance
between the amount of time and the technique used. They are
adequate in some situations; in others it's just the best they can
do.
Number 570
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked what kinds of predator control would she
consider justified within the bounds of biological efficiency and
economic cost. MS. QUAKENBUSH replied they would consider what the
public thinks, what exactly the funding is, what the situation is,
and it's accessibility. CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if there were any
methods she thought were totally unacceptable. MS. QUAKENBUSH said
she didn't believe there were any methods that were unacceptable,
but she knows that there are people who do and she needs to listen
to those people.
SENATOR SHARP said the area of 19C had seen considerable ADF&G
studies, both of moose and wolf surveys and have established in the
last three years the fact that the moose population per square mile
is the lowest ever recorded on the North American Continent and the
wolf/moose ratio is one of the highest ever recorded - eight times
higher than what seemed prudent to the biologist to allow the herd
to recover. The Department recommended intensive predator
reduction and commissioned a $40,000....
TAPE 97-18, SIDE B
allowing the Division of Subsistence to go out and do a survey of
the residents and over 80% wanted aggressive predator control
immediately. Some respondents thought something should be done and
very few thought nothing should be done. He asked with that
scenario if she thought it would be prudent to address the predator
problem in an aggressive manner. MS. QUAKENBUSH said that there
was another component of the public that wasn't considered in this
scenario and it would depend on that somewhat, as well. SENATOR
SHARP asked if that was the Anchorage population, the non-users.
MS. QUAKENBUSH said she thought the non-users of the resources of
Alaska should have a voice as well.
SENATOR LINCOLN followed up saying that she thought Ms. Quakenbush
meant what they would want every Board member to do, regardless of
what Board they serve on, which is listen to all sides of the
public. MS. QUAKENBUSH replied that was correct.
SENATOR TAYLOR remarked that all of the costs and expenses of this
Board and all the protocols they recommend to the Department are
paid for by that consumptive user group and it sounded like she
said if all the biology information indicated that predators were
a problem, she would disregard what she believed to be appropriate
biological treatment for a herd and instead would leave it up to
whomever wrote the most letters from outside the area. MS.
QUAKENBUSH responded that she didn't say that at all; she said she
would weigh the biology heavily and it would also be her
responsibility to listen to what the local people had to say, and
would also listen to other people who have an opinion on this
issue. She wouldn't check first to see if they have hunting
licenses or not. He asked her what role the overall public opinion
plays in her process of making a decision. She replied if there is
public testimony that is overwhelmingly negative for some action
the Board might want to take, they could look at possible creative
solutions to make things work better for both sides.
SENATOR TAYLOR said he had a hard time understanding what one of
those consensus building, let's make everybody happy kind of things
might be, because he foresaw her facing difficult decisions in the
future. He used the example of leaving her in charge of his
cowherd for 10 years and coming back to find that wolves or disease
had decimated his herd and each time it happened she had held a
public hearing to decide whether or not all the neighbors liked
whatever treatment she was proposing. He thought if he came back,
he might "can" her and find a biologist to run the herd.
MS. QUAKENBUSH said she didn't think she should could make her
position clearer. She said she saw her role on the Board was to
evaluate the scientific information and the public testimony and
make the best decision she can for the resource and the people of
Alaska.
Number 512
SENATOR LINCOLN read to them how Board members are selected. "It
says the Governor shall appoint each member on the basis of
interest in public affairs, good judgement, knowledge, and ability
in the field of action of the Board with a view to providing
diversity of interests and points of view in the membership." What
she hears very clearly from Ms. Quakenbush is that she is going to
listen to all of the biological data and testimony that the general
public has a right to provide the Board. Then, based on all of
that, and the debate amongst the Board, make a decision.
SENATOR SHARP asked if she would try to separate Alaskan's
testimony and non-Alaskan's testimony. MS. QUAKENBUSH replied she
would certainly weigh that.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if there were no federal or State law on the
books dealing with subsistence, what would a law she write on that
issue say. MS. QUAKENBUSH said she didn't think that question was
relative to her position on the Board. She said she would work
under the existing Constitution and the existing laws as written
now.
SENATOR LEMAN suggested she call Jim Reardon in Homer, a former
member of the Board and talk to him how he dealt with it on the
Board.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if she thought the 1980 legislation on
ANILCA was positive or negative in terms of the overall status of
Alaskan game harvest, use, and management. MS. QUAKENBUSH replied
that she thought it was positive.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD thanked her for her testimony and announced Ms.
Nicole Whittington-Evans to come before the Committee.
Number 353
MS. NICOLE WHITTINGTON-EVANS said she is interested in serving on
the Board of Game because of her knowledge and background in
conservation, recreation, and tourism and her ability to apply this
experience to help resolve wildlife policy issues. She is a
consensus builder and works constructively as a team member. Like
the majority of Alaskans, she does not hunt, but does not oppose
hunting. Like most people in Alaska she cares about wildlife. Her
participation in the Board process will broaden the diversity
currently reflected on the Board, and diversity in the long run is
helpful to the Board.
She said she started working in Alaska in the 1980s as a wilderness
guide. Since moving to Alaska permanently five years ago, she has
worked hard on wildlife issues, both in the conservation community
and as a member of the Anchorage Fish and Game Advisory Committee
which unanimously supported her appointment to the Board of Game.
As a non-hunter she works constructively to take into account all
information before them regarding the issues. She said her
participation helped elevate the Committee's level of credibility
with the broad percentage of the public.
As a board member of the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism
Association she recognizes that tourism is not only a growing part
of our economy, but that tourism and Alaskans, whose jobs depend on
tourism, should be included in the State's wildlife policy
decisions. The attempt to characterize her as anti-hunting is
blatantly wrong. She has a record of voting in favor of increased
hunting and trapping opportunities with the Anchorage Fish and Game
Advisory Committee and her work on the 40 Mile Team was aimed at
restoring the herd and increasing hunting opportunities throughout
the herd's range.
Her background in conservation, recreation, and tourism will not
work against the hunting community, but will bring diversity and a
more in-depth perspective to wildlife policy issues facing the
State.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked her when she first came to Alaska. She
answered in 1984 and she moved here permanently in 1992. SENATOR
HALFORD asked her if there was a reason that ADF&G records would
show that she bought a non-resident fishing license in 1994. MS.
WHITTINGTON-EVANS replied that that needed to be checked, but if it
happened the reason is because she was working for the National
Outdoor Leadership School, based in Palmer, teaching a wilderness
skills and backpacking course which involved fishing as part of the
curriculum. All of the instructors' fishing license were purchased
for them by the school and they were also purchased for the
students. The forms were filled out by the coordinator of the
course who checked non-resident, because most of the staff and
students were non-residents.
She said she had called the Director of the Palmer branch of this
school to clarify this with him and he is willing to take
responsibility for this error and offered to help clarify any
questions they would have about her residency.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if a license requires a signature by the
individual who is applying for the license. MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS
said that is right and explained that she signed it, but didn't
fill it out which is probably why it escaped her knowledge.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked her if she was a full time resident at that
time. MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS replied that she was.
SENATOR LEMAN asked what the Fish and Game Watchable Wildlife
Committee did when she was on their Board of Directors. MS.
WHITTINGTON-EVANS explained that this is a committee that was put
together by ADF&G that included a number of different user groups
and interests to help further create positive watchable wildlife
experiences and opportunities for all Alaskans and for people
visiting Alaska.
SENATOR LEMAN asked if she was involved in the challenges at McNeil
River and the conflicts with the Paint River fish ladder. MS.
WHITTINGTON-EVANS replied that none of those issues were addressed
by that committee.
SENATOR LEMAN asked her to explain the Alaska Rainforest Campaign.
MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS replied that it is primarily a national
conservation organization that has representation in Alaska. She
had worked primarily as a community organizer for the campaign
regarding forestry issues in southcentral Alaska on Prince William
Sound and on the Kenai Peninsula.
Number 353
SENATOR LEMAN asked which hunting and native organizations she
worked with as Executive Director of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance
and what issues did she work on. MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS responded
that she had communications with organizations such as Friends of
the McNeil and Alaskans For Fair Chase(hunting organization). She
attended meetings and helped get input into a number of different
projects with the Tanana Chiefs. She doesn't remember a lot of
specifics of the meetings or what agenda items they were dealing
with.
SENATOR LEMAN asked her if she had ever worked with any group,
including the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, that was involved with the
lawsuits against Cook Inlet Aquaculture and the efforts to expand
into the Paint River system. MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS explained that
she was not involved with the Paint River lawsuit and when she was
hired that issue was already resolved. She repeated that she had
nothing to do with that lawsuit. She also had nothing to do with
the McNeil issue when she was with the Alliance.
SENATOR LEMAN asked her how she advised students to minimize
attacks by bears and what were her views of "in defense of life and
property." MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS replied she taught people to put
kitchens at least 200 feet away from where the sleeping areas are
under most circumstances and to try as hard as they could to keep
any food smells off of their clothes, to proceeded through terrain
in groups of four or more so as not to have a single person walking
through bear country and being surprised, and to make noise when
traveling through alder brush and other areas where visibility
might be poor.
She thought it was critical to defend life and property under
certain circumstances. She said if her life were threatened and
she had the opportunity, she would kill the bear; and she would do
that to save other people's lives.
SENATOR LEMAN asked her if she had known Dick DeLac of Bird Creek.
MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS said she hadn't known him.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if her current employment was with the
Alaska Center For the Environment. She said that was correct.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if the Western Gulf Coordinator and the
Alaska Rainforest Campaign were two subsets of the Alaska Center
For The Environment that represent on-going employment. She
answered yes. CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if she intended to maintain
the employment at the same time as serving as a member of the Board
of Game. She replied that at this time she would. CHAIRMAN
HALFORD asked her if she didn't see that as a conflict. She
answered that she didn't.
SENATOR SHARP said there have been several instances since 1986
ADF&G and the Board of Game have offered certain predator controls.
He asked if she was the Executive Director or a member of the
Alaska Wildlife Alliance and the Alaska Center For The Environment
when they participated in lawsuits against the State and the Board
in the Gordon Haber suit in 1993 and in the land and shoot lawsuit
in 1994. MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS answered that she was not the
Director of the Alliance or a member of the Alaska Center For The
Environment when those lawsuits were filed. In fact, she resigned
from the Alaska Wildlife Alliance in March 1993.
SENATOR SHARP asked when in 1995 did she become a participating
member of the Fish and Game Advisory Committee and how many
meetings has she attended since becoming a member. She replied
that the elections were held in 1995 and she has not counted the
number of meetings she has been to, but in general, you can count
on needing to be present at 16 meetings per year. This does not
include subcommittee meetings which she also participates in. They
generally occur every month or every other month whenever the
specific issues come up. In two years of involvement she has been
to 32 - 40 meetings.
SENATOR SHARP asked if it was correct that she had never harvested
a game animal for personal use, but did not object to it. She
replied that is correct.
Number 122
SENATOR TAYLOR asked if her job with the Alaska Center For The
Environment was a full time job. She replied that it is. SENATOR
TAYLOR asked if her degree, Master of Science in Environmental
Studies, was a liberal arts degree. She replied that it is a
Master of Science degree and is an interdisciplinary program. She
explained that she took biology, wildlife biology, and ecology
courses at the University of Montana.
SENATOR TAYLOR asked her what time she has spent in Southeast
Alaska. She replied not a great deal, sorry to say. She said she
had spent a couple of days in Juneau and Sitka, but had never done
any wilderness trips.
SENATOR TAYLOR noted the numerous articles she had written on the
Tongass National Forest in light of the fact that she hadn't
visited it and asked if she has a strong personal agenda. She
replied that she has a strong commitment to conservation and
conservation of wildlife and habitat resources. She feels that she
is representing a majority of Alaskans opinions who believe that
wildlife habitat and resources should be protected for future
generations. She added that she had flown over the Tongass and had
seen activities that have educated her about previous management
actions on the forest. SENATOR TAYLOR remarked that seeing us from
3,000 feet at 150 miles per hour probably didn't give her quite the
perspective that we have on the ground, but it seemed that is was
sufficient for her to draw a lot of very strong conclusions. It's
unfortunate that she didn't find out any of the facts before she
drew those conclusions. He asked her if she thought she could
honestly bring an open mind to the Board. She replied that she
did. Regarding his comment that she hadn't spent time finding out
the facts, she said it was unfortunate that she hadn't spent more
time here, but she talked to people who live in Southeast Alaska
and have spent a lot of time researching the facts as they are
presented through scientific data and other information and she
does not feel that her conclusions have been based on any whim, but
have been fairly thought through.
TAPE 97-19, SIDE A
Number 001
As far as being an open minded Board member, she feels she has
obtained much information and insight into the problems concerning
the State on wildlife resource issues. She has tried hard to
review scientific data and listen to the public and make the best
decisions that she could on the Advisory Committee in her votes.
She said she would do the same on the Board of Game.
SENATOR TAYLOR said he disagreed with her statements in the
publications before him. He asked if her attitude about life and
property would remain the same with wolves as with bears, who were
not going to kill an individual, but kill all the food the
individual and their family need for the winter. MS. WHITTINGTON-
EVANS replied that all of the issues deserve a lot of review.
Science and public testimony have to be a part. It's her
understanding that wolves do not eat all of the food that would be
available for residents of Alaska. They eat a certain percentage
of prey populations. The two situations he has described are
different, but she would do what is best given the scientific
information and the potential for prey to increase and the capacity
of the habitat to support an increase, and she would look very
closely at what the impacts of the predator populations are on the
prey species. If those impacts are detrimental to the livelihood
of the prey population, she would think long and hard about going
forward with predator control. There are situations where she
could support that. One is in the 40 Mile where she has already
proven she is willing to work with the caribou herd in order to
increase hunting opportunity for the residents and others in its
original range.
SENATOR TAYLOR asked her what her recommendation was on the 40
Mile. She answered that she supported the entire management
package that included looking into non-lethal control of predators
and a reduction in harvest levels by hunters among a number of
other things. By non-lethal she meant sterilization.
SENATOR TAYLOR asked her hypothetically if she would shoot a bear
that was approaching her tethered dog or her neighbor's dog. She
replied it would help her in this process, if he could tell her why
this question, in particular, is important for a potential Board of
Game candidate. SENATOR TAYLOR replied that bear populations are
very important to him and he wanted to know how she would treat
them. She agreed with him that bear/human interactions in urban
areas are serious conflicts. She thought situations when a bear
may be killed or not are determined as the occasion arises. It
would be difficult for her to know how she would respond. She said
she and her husband have four dogs, they ski tour a lot, two of the
dogs are chained outside to their houses.
SENATOR LINCOLN asked how many months she served as Executive
Director of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and why did she resign.
MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS replied that she was there for 10 months and
primarily she resign due to internal strife within the
organization. She thought one has to balance personal ethics and
reason with any agency one might work for. She was able to do that
for a majority of the time she was there. She was not able to do
that on every issue that came before them. While she was there,
the primary mission she had was to represent non-consumptive use
and she felt at times the organization wasn't able to be as broad
she would have liked in that arena.
SENATOR LINCOLN asked her as a member of the Anchorage Fish and
Game Advisory Committee if she had ever been the deciding vote on
any of the issues or been the lone vote. She replied that she
could not remember being either one of those, but they had gone
through 1,200 - 1,500 proposals since she arrived.
SENATOR LINCOLN noted a letter of support from John Laurent. Among
other things it said that she and Ms. Quakenbush represent
viewpoints that have long been overlooked in the past when
appointments have been made to the Board of Game and that Ms.
Whittington-Evans is the only non-consumptive user. She asked her
how she reacts on the Fish and Game Advisory Council when some
controversial issues come up for hunting and trapping.
MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS responded that she is not a hunter, but she
is not opposed to hunting and has thought long and hard about these
issues. She very strongly supports the concept of obtaining food
from the resources available immediately surrounding us such as
moose, caribou, fish, and vegetables grown in the garden. She
believes that we are ultimately all consumptive users and obtaining
food from our surroundings when there is a consistent supply to
support this is the most energy efficient, least impacting way to
live. She said this is important especially in Alaska because the
energy toll is very high to ship foods from other parts of the
world.
SENATOR LINCOLN asked her what her plans were for staying in
Alaska. She responded that she and her husband just purchased a 40
acre property in Palmer. They plan on building a home there and
are currently living on the property in an A-frame with no running
water. They plan on making this their home and living in Alaska
for a long time. She said she moved here because she loves the
State. She wants to do what is best for the long term health of
wildlife habitat and our generations to come.
She said when she was with the Alaska Wildlife Alliance she
realized that it heightened controversy among game and wildlife
management issues and she strongly believes that what needs to be
done is to work together in this State and have all interest groups
represented to create positive solutions. The only way to do that
is to get everyone to the table together. Continuing to polarize
these issues will not get us anywhere.
Number 300
SENATOR LINCOLN read from a letter written by Mr. Bob Churchill,
Chairman, Anchorage Fish and Game Advisory Committee, stating that
the most disturbing allegation is that Ms. Evans is anti hunting
and trapping and based on the two years he has worked with her on
the AC, nothing could be further from the truth. She has been an
active and productive participant in the deliberations on all
issues including consumptive use of fish and game, trapping
included. She has consistently voted for increased opportunity for
hunting and trapping when it's supported from a biological
perspective. She brings a great deal of credibility with those
individuals in the environmental community.
This is a time when hunters and trappers are becoming a smaller
part of the population and we need to begin building bridges with
all major groups that actively use our fish and game resources, not
walls.
SENATOR SHARP asked who is the employer of Mr. Churchill. MS.
WHITTINGTON-EVANS said he works with the postal service. She
didn't think he was associated with any of the non consumptive
groups they talked about earlier. She couldn't say for sure.
SENATOR LINCOLN submitted for the record a letter stating that,
"Our Committee voted unanimously to endorse Nicole Evans to be on
the Board of Game in our Advisory meeting of February 18."
SENATOR GREEN asked if the work she did at the University of
Montana was as a resident student. MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS replied
yes. SENATOR GREEN asked about the number of hours in the program.
She replied that it was a three-year program and she entered the
program in 1989 and finished her course work prior to moving to
Alaska. She wrote her professional paper once she was in Alaska.
She analyzed the 1992 wolf control plan that was proposed by the
State.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if they could get copies of it. She replied
that she could provide copies and added it was a 200 page document.
Number 316
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if she agreed that fish and game management
issues should be left to the professional boards and not get into
the political arena. She replied that she thought public comment
was very important to the board process. She asked for
clarification of what he meant by political.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD explained that he thought it was intended, but
during the time he has been here the boards try to isolate
individual fisheries and game management decisions from the direct
influence of the political process. He has always felt that was a
good policy, although there were times when constituent pressure
encourages one to do otherwise. He asked what was her philosophy
regarding the constitutional and statutory framework of fish and
game management in the State of Alaska. MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS said
she agreed with him in general that the board process should remain
outside of the political process.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked what her feelings were towards management by
initiative. She replied that in general she opposes management by
initiative. She feels they should thoroughly review scientific
information and hold the public processes to work with the people
of the State to come up with the best solutions for any given
situation.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked her how she voted on a certain initiative
and she replied that she has a right to privacy there. He replied
that the question was did her employer support the initiative and
did she, as an employee, actively work on the initiative. She
replied that she didn't at all. She clarified that she has not
been involved with wildlife policy decisions - the few that there
are at the Alaska Center for the Environment. In general they do
not take positions on wildlife issues; they don't have any staff
member devoted to working on wildlife. The Alaska Center for the
Environment did not take a position on the initiative.
SENATOR SHARP said he was glad to hear she was going to remain in
Alaska and that she obviously enjoyed the country.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked how long she had been in the Palmer area.
She replied that they moved to Palmer in June when they purchased
the property, but through working with the National Outdoor
Leadership School prior to living there as a permanent resident,
she spent a long time in Palmer.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD questioned how she could live in Palmer and work
on the Anchorage Fish and Game Advisory Committee. She explained
that she lived in Bird Creek when she was elected to it and she is
just fulfilling her three-year term prior to moving to the Mat-Su
Committee.
SENATOR LINCOLN asked if there was time for public comment.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD noted that the meeting today was by invitation and
asked if anyone in the room wanted to testify. SENATOR LINCOLN
said she wanted to know if there was intention to have later
testimony so people could be notified. MR. BRETT HUBER, aide to
Chairman Halford, explained that people were notified they could
submit written testimony.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD said they have their standard letter confirmation
applicants which doesn't imply acceptance, rejection, or any
commitment. MS. WHITTINGTON-EVANS asked if he wanted just the
recommendations that came out of her professional paper because it
was so lengthy. He asked her to send just one copy of her paper
and the summary and they would send it back. He then adjourned the
meeting at 5:35p.m.
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