Legislature(2005 - 2006)BUTROVICH 205

04/10/2006 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES


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03:34:36 PM Start
03:35:26 PM Confirmation Hearings
03:40:39 PM Board of Fisheries
03:47:46 PM Board of Game
03:59:59 PM Big Game Commercial Services Board
04:18:47 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ Confirmations: TELECONFERENCED
Big Game Commercial Services Board -
Roy Ashenfelter, Robert Mumford,
Leif Wilson, Ralph Anderson, Colin Brown,
Paul Johnson, Richard Rohrer, BJ Schmitz
Board of Fish -
Bonnie Williams
Board of Game -
Cliff Judkins, Richard Burley,
Paul Johnson
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
              SENATE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                         April 10, 2006                                                                                         
                           3:34 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Thomas Wagoner, Chair                                                                                                   
Senator Ralph Seekins, Vice Chair                                                                                               
Senator Fred Dyson                                                                                                              
Senator Bert Stedman                                                                                                            
Senator Kim Elton                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator Ben Stevens                                                                                                             
Senator Albert Kookesh                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Confirmation Hearings                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Big Game Commercial Services Board                                                                                            
     Roy Ashenfelter                                                                                                            
     Robert Mumford                                                                                                             
     Leif Wilson                                                                                                                
     Ralph Anderson                                                                                                             
     Colin Brown                                                                                                                
     Paul Johnson                                                                                                               
     Richard Rohrer                                                                                                             
     BJ Schmitz                                                                                                                 
     CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Board of Fisheries                                                                                                            
     Bonnie Williams                                                                                                            
     CONFIRMATION ADVANCED                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Board of Game                                                                                                                 
     Cliff Judkins                                                                                                              
     Richard Burley                                                                                                             
     Paul Johnson                                                                                                               
     CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
No previous action to record.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
BONNIE WILLIAMS                                                                                                                 
Fairbanks, AK                                                                                                                   
POSITION STATEMENT:  Appointee to the Board of Fisheries.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
DICK BISHOP                                                                                                                     
Fairbanks, AK                                                                                                                   
POSITION STATEMENT:  Supported the appointments of Bonnie                                                                     
Williams, Richard Burley, Cliff Judkins, and B.J. Schmitz.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
BYRON HALEY, President,                                                                                                         
Chitina Dipnetters Association                                                                                                  
Fairbanks, AK                                                                                                                   
POSITION STATEMENT:  Supported the appointment of Bonnie                                                                      
Williams, Richard Burley, Cliff Judkins, and BJ Schmitz.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CLIFF JUDKINS                                                                                                                   
Fairbanks, AK                                                                                                                   
POSITION STATEMENT:  Appointee to the Board of Game.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
RICHARD BURLEY                                                                                                                  
Fairbanks,                                                                                                                      
POSITION STATEMENT:  Appointee to the Board of Game.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
PAUL JOHNSON,                                                                                                                   
Unalakleet, AK                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Appointee to the Board of Game.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
RALPH ANDERSON,                                                                                                                 
Dillingham, AK                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  Appointee to the Big Game Commercial                                                                     
Services Board.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
COLIN BROWN                                                                                                                     
Galena, AK                                                                                                                      
POSITION STATEMENT:  Appointee to the Big Game Commercial                                                                     
Services Board.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
ROBERT D. MUMFORD                                                                                                               
Anchorage, AK                                                                                                                   
POSITION STATEMENT:  Appointee to the Big Game Commercial                                                                     
Services Board.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
BETTY JO SCHMITZ                                                                                                                
North Pole, AK                                                                                                                  
POSITION  STATEMENT:    Appointee  to  the  Big  Game  Commercial                                                             
Services Board.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
LEIF WILSON                                                                                                                     
Tok, AK                                                                                                                         
POSITION  STATEMENT:    Appointee  to  the  Big  Game  Commercial                                                             
Services Board.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
PAUL JOHNSON                                                                                                                    
Gull Cove, AK                                                                                                                   
POSITION  STATEMENT:    Appointee  to  the  Big  Game  Commercial                                                             
Services Board.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
RICHARD ROHRER                                                                                                                  
Kodiak, AK                                                                                                                      
POSITION  STATEMENT:    Appointee  to  the  Big  Game  Commercial                                                             
Services Board.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  THOMAS  WAGONER  called   the  Senate  Resources  Standing                                                             
Committee meeting to  order at 3:34:36 PM.  Present were Senators                                                             
Stedman, Seekins, Dyson, Elton and Chair Wagoner.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
                     ^CONFIRMATION HEARINGS                                                                                 
                                                                                                                              
3:35:26 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WAGONER  announced that the  committee would hear  from the                                                               
governor's appointees  to the  following boards  who were  up for                                                               
confirmation.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
^BOARD OF FISHERIES                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
BONNIE  WILLIAMS,  appointee  to  the  Board  of  Fisheries  from                                                               
Fairbanks, said  she applied  to serve on  the board  because she                                                               
understood there was  need for a public member  from the Interior                                                               
to  represent sport,  personal use  and subsistence  fishing. She                                                               
recapped her resume and said that  if confirmed her goal would be                                                               
to insure  a healthy, strong  fishery through all Alaska  for all                                                               
user groups.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SEEKINS said Ms. Williams has  been a good friend. She is                                                               
a  person  of  thorough  inquiry and  he  feels  confident  about                                                               
entrusting the allocation of the state's resources to her.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON  asked if  she had  been involved  with any  of the                                                               
Copper River personal use issues.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MS. WILLIAMS replied no; she has  followed them, but had not been                                                               
personally involved.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:40:39 PM                                                                                                                    
DICK  BISHOP,   Fairbanks,  speaking   for  himself,   urged  the                                                               
committee to confirm  Ms. Williams. He said he  is impressed with                                                               
her integrity, commitment to and interest in public service.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:43:28 PM                                                                                                                    
BYRON   HALEY,   President,   Chitina   Dipnetters   Association,                                                               
Fairbanks, stated  support for Ms.  Williams' appointment  to the                                                               
Board of Fisheries.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WAGONER  found  no  further   questions  and  thanked  Ms.                                                               
Williams for volunteering for the job.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SEEKINS  moved to forward  Ms. Williams name to  the full                                                               
body for consideration.  This does not reflect the  intent of any                                                               
of the members to vote for or against the appointee.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER found no objection and it was so ordered.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
^BOARD OF GAME                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CLIFF JUDKINS,  appointee to the  Board of Game,  Fairbanks, said                                                               
he has served for three years  and is willing to continue to work                                                               
to solve problems such as balancing predator control.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:47:46 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WAGONER found no questions  and thanked Mr. Judkins for his                                                               
work on the Board of Game.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
RICHARD BURLEY, appointee  to the Board of  Game, Fairbanks, said                                                               
he has  served for six  years and  has applied for  an additional                                                               
term. He has had a long interest in wildlife management.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SEEKINS said Mr. Burley  has been a close personal friend                                                               
and flight instructor. He gave him the highest recommendation.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
DICK  BISHOP, supported  the confirmation  of Mr.  Burley to  the                                                               
Board  of Game  and cited  his  depth of  experience in  wildlife                                                               
management.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER  thanked Mr.  Burley for taking  the time  to serve                                                               
and said his name would be forwarded.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:52:12 PM                                                                                                                    
PAUL JOHNSON,  appointee to the  Board of Game,  Unalakleet, said                                                               
he  has  been  a  life-long  resident of  rural  Alaska.  He  has                                                               
gathered and  hunted all  his life  and has  a great  interest in                                                               
game issues. He recapped his resume  and said he would use common                                                               
sense to  evaluate facts  and data when  making decisions  on the                                                               
Board of Game.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  DYSON asked  if  he  went to  Covenant  High School  and                                                               
thanked him for serving.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. JOHNSON replied yes.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER thanked  Mr. Johnson for volunteering  to serve and                                                               
said his name would be forwarded.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:56:14 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  SEEKINS  moved  to  forward  the  names  Cliff  Judkins,                                                               
Richard  Burley   and  Paul   Johnson  to   the  full   body  for                                                               
consideration .  This does not reflect  the intent of any  of the                                                               
members to vote for or against the appointees.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER found no objection and it was so ordered.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:57:47 PM                                                                                                                    
^BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
RALPH  ANDERSON, appointee  to the  Big Game  Commercial Services                                                               
Board, Dillingham, said  he is a lifelong resident  of Alaska and                                                               
has been  a subsistence hunter  and commercial fisherman  most of                                                               
his life.  He related  his qualifications and  said he  wanted to                                                               
serve on the board.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER thanked  Mr. Anderson for his  willingness to serve                                                               
and said his name would be forwarded.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:59:59 PM                                                                                                                    
COLIN  BROWN,  appointee  to the  Big  Game  Commercial  Services                                                               
Board, Galena, related his personal  and professional history. He                                                               
has  done wildlife  survey work  and has  watched the  decline of                                                               
wildlife resources for the  last 10 years. A lot of  it is due to                                                               
the  unethical  behavior  of  those  involved  in  the  big  game                                                               
commercial  services  industry. He  would  like  to do  something                                                               
about that, which is why he would  like to serve on the board. He                                                               
would like to put a good reputation back into the industry.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER  thanked Mr. Brown  for taking time to  testify and                                                               
said his name would be forwarded.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
ROBERT D. MUMFORD, appointee to  the Big Game Commercial Services                                                               
Board, Anchorage,  said he was  honored to be considered  for the                                                               
board. He  spent about  20 years  in public  safety in  the state                                                               
most of  which was in  fish and  wildlife protection. He  said he                                                               
wanted  to bring  a law  enforcement  perspective and  a dose  of                                                               
common sense to the board.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER thanked Mr. Mumford  for volunteering to serve. His                                                               
name would be forwarded for confirmation consideration.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:03:59 PM                                                                                                                    
BETTY JO SCHMITZ,  appointee to the Big  Game Commercial Services                                                               
Board, North  Pole, related  she has  a degree  in biology  and a                                                               
masters in intercultural studies.  Previously she worked with the                                                               
U.S.  Fish   and  Wildlife  Service   and  is  now   involved  in                                                               
introducing women to  various aspects of the  outdoors. She hunts                                                               
personally  and  is interested  in  subsistence  issues and  game                                                               
management. She  views the  hunting industry as  a vital  part of                                                               
the state's economy.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER thanked Ms. Schmitz for volunteering her time.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:05:10 PM                                                                                                                    
DICK BISHOP  said he has known  Ms. Schmitz and her  family for a                                                               
number  of  years. She  has  a  great  background in  the  Alaska                                                               
outdoors and her wealth of  experience and perspective will be of                                                               
great service to the board.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER  apologized for  not calling on  him to  testify on                                                               
Mr. Judkins' appointment.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR.  BISHOP said  that's  okay; he  approved  of the  committee's                                                               
decision.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WAGONER told  Ms. Schmitz  her name  would be  forward for                                                               
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:07:29 PM                                                                                                                    
LEIF  WILSON,  appointee  to the  Big  Game  Commercial  Services                                                               
Board, Tok, related his personal  and professional background and                                                               
said  he has  been involved  in the  guide or  transport industry                                                               
most of his life.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER thanked Mr. Wilson for volunteering to serve.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER  announced that Roy Ashenfelter  from Nome resigned                                                               
from the Big Game Commercial  Services Board effective 3/1/06. He                                                               
had served as  a member since 7/24/05 and took  action as a board                                                               
member so it is necessary to have his name confirmed.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:11:42 PM                                                                                                                    
PAUL  JOHNSON,  appointee to  the  Big  Game Commercial  Services                                                               
Board,  Gull Cove,  said  he  was born  and  raised in  Southeast                                                               
Alaska and has been a guide  for 30 years. He has enjoyed working                                                               
with the board members.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER said he appreciates his past service.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON said  he and Mr. Johnson attended  UAF together and                                                               
he couldn't think of a better person to serve on the board.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER  echoed Senator Elton's  remarks and said  his name                                                               
would be forwarded.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:14:21 PM                                                                                                                    
RICHARD  ROHRER, appointee  to the  Big Game  Commercial Services                                                               
Board,  Kodiak, said  he has  lived in  Kodiak for  37 years  and                                                               
makes his  primary livelihood from  guiding. He said he  is happy                                                               
to serve if confirmed.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WAGONER thanked  him for  testifying today  and for  doing                                                               
this job.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WAGONER  announced that  Ted  Spraker  was unavailable  to                                                               
testify today,  but he would represent  the Board of Game  on the                                                               
Big Game  Commercial Services  Board. He said  he had  no trouble                                                               
forwarding his name; he is to a good Kenai guy.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:17:03 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR SEEKINS  moved to  forward the  names of  Ralph Anderson,                                                               
Colin Brown, Robert  Mumford, Betty Jo Schmitz,  Leif Wilson, Roy                                                               
Ashenfelter,  Paul Johnson,  Richard Rohrer,  and Ted  Spraker to                                                               
the  full  body  for  confirmation to  the  Big  Game  Commercial                                                               
Services Board.  This does not reflect  the intent of any  of the                                                               
members to vote for or against the appointees.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER found no objection and it was so ordered.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
There being  no further  business to  come before  the committee,                                                               
Chair Wagoner adjourned the meeting at 4:18:47 PM.                                                                            

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