02/10/2023 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB10 | |
| Overview of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game | |
| Overview of the Division of Wildlife Conservation | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 10 | TELECONFERENCED | |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
February 10, 2023
3:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Click Bishop, Co-Chair
Senator Cathy Giessel, Co-Chair
Senator Bill Wielechowski, Vice Chair
Senator Scott Kawasaki
Senator James Kaufman
Senator Forrest Dunbar
Senator Matt Claman
MEMBERS ABSENT
All members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 10
"An Act providing for trapping licenses for active members of
the Alaska National Guard and military reserves without charge;
making sport fishing, hunting, and trapping permanent
identification cards available to certain disabled veterans
without charge; and providing for an effective date."
- MOVED SB 10 OUT OF COMMITTEE
OVERVIEW: ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME (ADF&G)
- HEARD
OVERVIEW: DIVISION OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 10
SHORT TITLE: HUNTING/TRAPPING/FISHING: DISABLED VETS
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) KIEHL
01/18/23 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/9/23
01/18/23 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/18/23 (S) RES
01/27/23 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
01/27/23 (S) Heard & Held
01/27/23 (S) MINUTE(RES)
02/10/23 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
MARK RICHARDS, Executive Director
Resident Hunters of Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 10.
DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented an overview of the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game and added to the overview of the
Division of Wildlife Conservation.
RYAN SCOTT, Assistant Director
Division of Wildlife Conservation
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented an overview of the Division of
Wildlife Conservation.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:30:48 PM
CO-CHAIR CLICK BISHOP called the Senate Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Wielechowski, Dunbar, Kaufman, Claman, Co-
Chair Giessel, and Co-Chair Bishop. Senator Kawasaki arrived
during the course of the meeting.
SB 10-HUNTING/TRAPPING/FISHING: DISABLED VETS
3:31:22 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO.
10 "An Act providing for trapping licenses for active members of
the Alaska National Guard and military reserves without charge;
making sport fishing, hunting, and trapping permanent
identification cards available to certain disabled veterans
without charge; and providing for an effective date."
3:31:47 PM
SENATOR KIEHL, District B, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau,
Alaska, sponsor of SB 10, introduced himself.
3:32:02 PM
CATHY SCHLINGHEYDE, Staff, Senator Jesse Kiehl, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, introduced herself.
3:32:07 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP stated that this was the second hearing and the
intention was to hear public testimony and look to the will of
the committee.
3:32:28 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP opened public testimony on SB 10.
3:32:58 PM
MARK RICHARDS, Executive Director, Resident Hunters of Alaska,
Fairbanks, Alaska, stated that he was representing over 3,200
members throughout the state in support of SB 10. He described
it as an oversight that trapping wasn't included in the original
legislation that granted a free hunting and fishing permanent ID
card to disabled veterans. He thanked Senator Kiehl for
introducing the bill to rectify the oversight. He noted that the
department previously indicated it did not believe this would
result in the loss of any revenue. The fiscal note is zero.
3:34:00 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP found no one else who wished to comment, and he
closed public testimony on SB 10.
3:34:23 PM
SENATOR GIESSEL moved to report SB 10, work order 33-LS0150\A,
from committee with individual recommendations and attached
fiscal note(s).
CO-CHAIR BISHOP found no objection and SB 10 was reported from
the Senate Resources Standing Committee.
3:34:43 PM
At ease
^Overview of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game
OVERVIEW OF THE ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
3:36:37 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP announced an overview of the Alaska Department
of Fish and Game (ADF&G).
3:37:19 PM
DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish and
Game (ADF&G), Juneau, Alaska, introduced himself.
3:37:22 PM
JOSEPH FELKL, Legislative Liaison, Alaska Department of Fish and
Game (ADF&G), Juneau, Alaska, introduced himself.
3:37:53 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG stated that compared to other states,
Alaska has a unique statutory and constitutional foundation for
fish and game management. Art. VIII of the state constitution
talks about natural resources and the sustained use principle.
Title 16 defines the functions of the commissioner. It reads:
(2) manage, protect, maintain, improve, and extend the
fish, game and aquatic plant resources of the state in
the interest of the economy and general well-being of
the state.
He said that is how the department provides for subsistence and
commercial fishing. He read the department's mission statement:
Mission Statement
To protect, maintain, and improve the fish, game, and
aquatic plant resources of the state, and manage their
uses and development in the best interest of the
economy and the well-being of the people of the state,
consistent with the sustained yield principle.
3:39:40 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG reviewed the department's three core
services, the first of which is management. The department
manages fish and game resources, provides hunting, fishing, and
trapping opportunities, and preserves the state's right to
manage its resources. Management also includes conserving and
improving habitat and access.
The department also has a program built around stock assessment
& research. This is the foundation for how resources are managed
and it includes the use of fish weirs, krill surveys, the fish
ticket database, sonars, aerial surveys, intensive management
assessments, and the genetics and pathology laboratories.
Customer Service & Public Involvement is the third core service.
This is where improvements are made to information and education
services and the processes of the boards of fish and game,
regulations, licensing and permitting. He noted that it is
unique to Alaska, that any resident can submit a proposal on how
they'd like to see fish and game resources managed. The
department also has an entire section devoted to getting people
involved in hunting and fishing.
3:42:36 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG stated that slides 4-5 and outline the
legislature's return on its investment in the department. He
paraphrased the following:
Return on Investment
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game turns a $240
million dollar investment (of which $65 million is GF)
into a return of over $12.5 billion.
Economic Value of Commercially Harvested Alaska
Seafood (2019)
• Directly employed 62,200 workers, more than any
other industry in Alaska
Largest private sector employer in Alaska
• Contributed $163.2 million in fish taxes, fees, and
self-assessments which help fund state, local and
federal government
• Alaska seafood contributed an annual average of $5.7
billion in economic output to the Alaska economy
• Alaska exported 2.2 billion pounds of seafood each
year, returning over $3 billion in new money into
the U.S. economy
Economic Value of Sport Fisheries
• 15,879 Jobs supported
• $246 million in taxes contributed (adjusted for
inflation, $298.64 million in 2019 dollars)
• $545 million in income provided (adjusted for
inflation, $661.63 million in 2019 dollars)
• $1.6 billion industry output (adjusted for
inflation, $1.950 billion in 2019 dollars)
Economic value of Wildlife
• More than 27,000 Jobs supported
• 1.4 billion in labor income (adjusted for inflation,
1.566 billion in 2019 dollars)
• 3.4 billion spent by hunters and wildlife viewers
(adjusted for inflation, 3.87 billion in 2019
dollars)
• $4.1 billion economic activity statewide
(adjusted for inflation, 4.59 billion in 2019
dollars)
Economic Value of Subsistence
• Replacement value of the wild food harvest of
communities outside non-subsistence areas is
estimated between $170-$340 million and $227-$454
million for all Alaska communities (2017)
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG opined that the legislature was
getting more than a simple return on its investment in the
department.
3:44:32 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed slide 7 and named and
described the duties of each member of the department's
leadership team. This team consists of the commissioner, two
deputy commissioners, an administrative services director, a
legislative liaison, a special assistant, one director each for
commercial fisheries, sport fish, and wildlife conservation, and
an executive director for each the Board of Game and the Board
of Fisheries who also oversee the 70-80 advisory committees
structured under these boards.
3:49:06 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP requested a map that shows the locations of the
advisory committees.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG agreed to provide the information and
noted there was a budget request to hold a joint board meeting
to decide the structure of the advisory committees.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG finished the discussion of the
leadership team with a description of the Habitat and
Subsistence Research sections. He noted that both lead positions
were vacant. He explained that he chose not to fill those
director positions at a $200,000 cost because the department
would have had a commensurate cut to the permitting or
subsistence research staff.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP commented that he'd talk to him about the
subsistence director in Finance.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG responded that the department was
going to lose $200,000 one way or the other and he thought it
was better to keep permitting biologists and subsistence
research staff as opposed to hiring a director who didn't do
that work.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG continued to explain that the
subsistence research section was defined in statute. It collects
research data that informs the boards of fish and game about
customary and traditional uses of fish and game and the amounts
necessary for subsistence. They participate in the board process
as decisions are made about commercial, sport, and other uses to
determine the impact on customary and traditional practices.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG noted the two affiliate organizations
housed within the department. One is the Commercial Fisheries
Entry Commission (CFEC) and the other is the Exxon Valdez Oil
Spill (EVOS) Trustee Council.
3:52:00 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG reviewed the department's FY2023
Authorized Budget. He paraphrased the following:
FY2023 Authorized Budget
• 230,865.3 million
• 819 permanent full-time positions
• 598 permanent part-time positions
• 5 non-permanent position
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG conveyed that about one-third of the
budget comes from federal funds, about one-third is from
undesignated general funds (UGF), and one-third comes from
either designated general funds (DGF) or "other." He noted that
most of the department's "other" funding was from the fish and
game fund, which was created and protected in the constitution.
It is funded through the sale of hunting and sport fish licenses
and may only be used to benefit sport hunters and sport fishers.
Those monies are used for federal matches.
By component, the Division of Commercial Fisheries is the
largest, but the Division of Wildlife Conservation was catching
up quickly. The Division of Sport Fisheries is third largest and
is followed by Support Services. Subsistence and habitat are
both relatively small.
3:53:57 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN asked whether the department was having trouble
with recruitment and retention.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG replied the budget has grown but the
number of PCNs has remained relatively stable, which is causing
stress. Staff are being asked to do more work. The department
hired a company to do a survey of workforce development issues
and one thing that was clear is that the department will need
more PCNs if the budget increases.
SENATOR CLAMAN asked if there were vacancies in current
positions.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG answered yes and some of those vacant
positions are difficult to fill at the salary that's offered.
The department is looking at the things it can do to make
certain positions more attractive including telework so people
can live where housing is more affordable.
3:55:53 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI joined the committee.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed slide 8 and explained that
the Office of the Commissioner provides policy and oversight. It
has a budget of $1.2 million and six permanent fulltime
positions. The Office of the Commissioner directly participates
in the Pacific Salmon Commission, the North Pacific Fishery
Management Council, the Board of Fisheries, the Board of Game,
and it coordinates involvement in a range of other boards and
commissions.
3:57:08 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG discussed the Division of Commercial
Fisheries and its contribution to the department mission as
outlined on slides 9 and 10. The division manages subsistence,
commercial, and a section of the personal use fisheries
statewide by following the principles of sustained yield. The
division ensures conservation is based on sound science and
implements regulations to provide commercial fisheries
statewide. The budget is $82 million, half of which is UGF. He
noted the increase in federal monies in the budget the last
several years through the Pacific Salmon Treaty and other
programs. The designated general funds in the budget are
primarily from test fish receipts. The division is staffed with
301 permanent full-time positions and 387 permanent part-time
positions.
The major fisheries the division manages are salmon, herring,
shellfish, groundfish, dive fisheries, and personal
use/subsistence fisheries. The division houses five management
regions throughout the state. These are Southeast, Central,
Westward, Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim (AYK), and Statewide. Two
fisheries scientists are also housed in the division. One is for
salmon research and the other is for groundfish and crab
research. The genetics, pathology, and mark, tag, and age
laboratories do ground-breaking research and stock assessments
to inform fisheries management. Federal fisheries coordination
staff and Pacific Salmon Treaty staff as well as the statewide
aquaculture planning and permitting program are housed in the
division.
4:00:13 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG discussed the Division of Sport
Fisheries and its contribution to the department mission as
outlined on slides 11 and 12. The division manages sport and
recreational fisheries. It has a fisheries research program with
one scientist. The division oversees the two hatcheries in
Fairbanks and Anchorage. He noted that 85 percent of these
hatcheries were paid for with nonresident surcharge fees. The
division also operates the fish habitat program that is tasked
with restoration of habitats damaged due to urbanization. The
division runs a communication and outreach program that informs
the public about how and where to fish. The budget is about $51
million, there are 177 permanent full-time positions, and 128
permanent part-time positions. Most of the money for this
division is federal with match from fish and game bond funds.
The major fisheries in the Division of Sport Fish are salmon,
most freshwater fisheries, groundfish, and personal use
fisheries. The division primarily manages personal use fisheries
for the Upper Cook Inlet and Copper River. The division houses
management regions in Southeast, Southcentral, and the Interior;
sport fish hatchery operations; one chief fisheries scientist;
the department's Invasive Species Program; and the Sport Fish
Access Program, both motorized and non-motorized. The division
also houses the Dingell-Johnson Act program that requires 15-20
percent of the money collected go to providing increased access
opportunities for fishers statewide.
4:02:58 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG discussed the Division of Wildlife
Conservation and its contribution to the department mission as
outlined on slides 13 and 14. The core services are to maintain
opportunities to hunt, trap, and view wildlife throughout the
state. The total budget is close to $64 million and there are
231 permanent full-time positions and 50 permanent part-time
positions. He noted that this division doesn't need a large
seasonal workforce. The budget is primarily funded with federal
dollars with department match and a small amount of UGF. The UGF
is critical because it funds examination of species that may be
listed under the Endangered Species Act. He cited an example of
the petition to list bumblebees in Alaska. When the division
looked into this, it found that the species was not in Alaska.
This work, which was funded with UGF, kept that species from
being listed in the state.
4:04:13 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP asked whether shooting ranges like the one in
Fairbanks that offers youth activities would fall under the
first bullet for core services.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG answered yes. He continued to explain
that the Division of Wildlife Conservations' major activities
are the management of hunting and trapping statewide, management
of special areas as directed by the legislature, and
participation in Board of Game processes. As currently
structured, the division houses management regions in Southeast,
Southcentral, Interior/Northeast Arctic, Central/Southwest, and
Western/Northwest Arctic, and one chief wildlife scientist. To
Co-Chair Bishop's question, he said the division houses the
Shooting Range Program statewide and specifically mentioned the
range in Juneau, the Rabbit Creek Range in Anchorage, and the
indoor range in Fairbanks. The division also houses the
ANILCA/State Defense Program, the Threatened, Endangered, and
Diversity Program, and the Marine Mammal Program.
4:07:26 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG turned his attention to the Habitat
Section and its contribution to the department mission. Its
major activities include Title 16 and special area permitting,
the cataloging of waters important for spawning, rearing, and
migration of anadromous fish, and having a liaison in the
Pipeline Office. It is a $6 million program with 37 full-time
biologists primarily doing permitting, two permanent part-time
positions, and one non-permanent position. This Section is
primarily funded with UGF. It's responsible for getting projects
in the water in a way that doesn't disrupt anadromous fish.
These are the people who look at dams and hydroelectric
facilities in anadromous waterways to ensure the fish aren't
disrupted. This section also houses management regions in
Southeast, Southcentral, and the Interior as well as area
offices in Palmer, Kenai, and Craig.
4:08:57 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG turned his attention to the
Subsistence Research Section. This body collects the information
to inform the customary and traditional practices and the
amounts that the state must protect under its constitutional
priority for subsistence. It has a budget of $6.1 million with
[19] permanent full-time positions, 22 permanent part-time
positions, and two non-permanent positions. This group reviews
the different proposals and informs the boards of fish and game
about the impact they will have on subsistence.
4:10:12 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG turned his attention to the Boards
Support Section. It has a $1.2 million budget and six full-time
positions. This group facilitates the board process and ensures
the public process where people can get involved. He noted the
difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic, and conveyed that
while business was conducted, it wasn't sufficiently involving
Alaskans in the regulatory process. In-person meetings are once
again the norm. The major activities include seven to ten in-
person, multi-day regulatory meetings each year with a very
involved and open public process. Two administrative staff and
two publication specialists support these meetings.
4:11:23 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG relayed that the Advisory Committee
Support Section has a budget of $0.6 million [and five permanent
part-time positions]. It is primarily funded with UGF money.
This section ensures that citizens and communities participating
in the fish and game regulatory process have information timely
so they're able to engage effectively. The advisory committees
(AC) are not department driven; they self-form and self-elect
members into the structure. For every board meeting, the
impacted ACs attend, testify, and help the board find solutions.
He said it's a good process for the voice of Alaskans to be
heard.
4:12:16 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG reviewed the Administrative Services
Section. It has a budget of $14.7 million, 39 permanent full-
time positions that deal with budget surpluses, information
technology services, capital construction, maintenance, office
space, and workforce development.
4:12:31 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG displayed slides 23 and 24 that
highlight some of what happened last year. He relayed the
following:
- All the subsistence fisheries were conducted. Early in the
pandemic the department made the choice that it would not shut
its fisheries or hunting. It wasn't easy for staff to be in the
field to manage the fisheries, but they did it. Communities
stepped up and found ways for processors to operate. Post COVID,
the subsistence, commercial, and sport fisheries and hunts are
vibrant.
- In-person Board of Fish and the Board of Game meetings have
resumed.
- Permit operations were timely.
- The department is actively involved in lawsuits defending the
state's right to manage its own resources.
- The department is actively involved in Endangered Species Act
(ESA) issues and takes it very seriously when the federal
government decides preemption of state management is necessary.
He cited the example of ringed seals being listed as threatened
based on a climate model that talks about a potential impact 60-
100 years in the future.
- The long awaited mobile application to improve services for
hunting and fishing in Alaska went live. Regulations can be
accessed on a cellphone in the field or on the water.
4:17:06 PM
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG spoke to the following issues and
concerns the department faces:
Federal intrusion into state management authority: He urged
the legislature to consider adding money to the budget to
fight for the state's authority to manage its fish and game
resources.
Reduced marine survivals of salmon and crab resulting in
restricted or closed fisheries: He conveyed that the
capital budget has a request to expand the Marine Sciences
Program to look at what's happening in the changing open
ocean and how that's affecting salmon.
Intercept and Bycatch: These are huge issues. The governor
created the bycatch taskforce to look at the question and
issue recommendations. The recommendations in that report
are being used to inform priorities at the North Pacific
Fisheries Management Council and the Board of Fish and to
design research projects going forward. He noted that
bycatch means catching a prohibited species such as in a
trawl fishery.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP advised that the committee would receive a
review of bycatch at some point.
COMMISSIIONER VINCENT-LANG explained that intercept refers
to intercepting important fish in a mixed-stock fishery.
This is an issue when subsistence needs aren't met. For
example, subsistence needs for chum salmon aren't being met
in the AYK drainage and those fish are being intercepted in
fisheries along the South Peninsula. The department needs
to understand how to minimize that intercept so it doesn't
impact subsistence users. The department has a research
program that collects genetic information to better inform
board decisions about intercept.
Poor winter survival affecting big game populations: Snow
depth has a large effect on moose and sheep populations,
and the department has found that climate change is making
it more difficult to conduct population surveys and get
accurate cow-bull ratios.
Food Security: This became an issue during the pandemic and
the task force that was formed to look at this made it
clear that many Alaskans depend highly on fish and game
resources. The department is looking at ways to expand food
security with wild animal populations to compensate for
potential supply chain interruptions.
Urban wildlife management issues: This is a growing
concern. This winter a polar bear killed a mother and child
in New Wales, a muskox gored an individual in Nome, Haines
has delt with wildlife problems, and moose and bears are an
issue in Anchorage. The department is trying to take a
strategic approach to address wildlife in urban areas where
public safety is a more important factor than hunting
opportunities.
Impacts from Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal
Protection Act: The department is receiving more requests
to look at incidental take statements. Polar bears are an
example. The US Fish and Wildlife Service changed its model
from observed takes of bears to one based on modeled
outputs of take. The department is analyzing the
assumptions of that model to ensure they're valid.
Non-finfish mariculture: The department contributed $25,000
to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Fund and is excited about the
economic opportunities this type of mariculture offers.
Invasive species: This is a growing issue. European green
crab have arrived in Metlakatla and the department is
working with the Metlakatla Indian Community to ensure they
don't expand further. With global shipping it's not
possible to prevent the arrival of invasive species, but
the spread can be controlled.
Recruitment and retention issues: This is something all
departments are facing and working with the governor's
office to find creative ways to address. He noted that many
technicians can earn more working at Burger King than doing
field work for ADF&G.
4:23:49 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR mentioned work in Anchorage to control the sale
and spread of mayday/European bird cherry trees. He asked, 1) if
it was a regulatory or statutory issue that the state wasn't
updating the list of invasive species quickly enough and 2) what
the best way was for concerned communities to interact with the
department.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG replied that ADF&G deals with species
affecting fish and game, DNR deals with invasive species through
the agriculture program, and DOTPF does hydroseeding on road
projects, hopefully with native seeds. He said it's a complex
issue and the department supported the legislation last year to
create an invasive species work group as a first step to
identify the different regulatory authorities and try to develop
a strategic approach to control invasive species.
4:25:38 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked him to speak to the interplay between the
number of positions in the research section, other divisions or
sections, and the budget items for Yukon Kuskokwim salmon that
were red-lined last year.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said the capital project he was aware
of that was vetoed was to look in-season at bycatch in the
Bering Sea trawl fishery. That study is premature until the
department can identify the unique genetic markers to make it
possible to determine the origin of chum salmon in Western
Alaska between the Kuskokwim River, Bristol Bay, the Yukon
River, and Norton Sound. It was just too early to spend that
money on that project.
He continued to explain that all divisions have research
components and the number of those positions is probably larger
than the number in the management program. Research is feeding
information to the managers to make decisions. He estimated that
for commercial fisheries, somewhere between 50 and 60 percent of
those staff positions were associated with research.
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked if the existing budget had funding for
that research and if the information would be available before
the end of session this year.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG answered that the trawl industry is
managed by the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council
(NPFMC) and it is evaluating an opportunity to look at trawl
bycatch uses for chum salmon. The council has convened a task
force for this purpose composed of user groups involved in the
trawl industry, the Community Development Quota (CDQ) program,
and inriver users. They are currently defining what a problem
statement and a range of solutions look like, including the
potential for a chum salmon bycatch cap and measures the fleet
can take to reduce bycatch of coastal Western Alaska chum
salmon. That will be taken up for action at the April NPFMC
meeting.
SENATOR KAWASAKI clarified that he was asking whether anybody in
the state was currently doing the research to identify the
unique genetic markers that would make it possible to
distinguish the origin of chum salmon in Western Alaska between
the Kuskokwim River, Bristol Bay, the Yukon River, and Norton
Sound. He pointed out that the $5 million that would have gone
to that research could have been used over a series of years. He
wanted assurance that this wasn't destined to another task
force.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG replied that the ADF&G genetics lab
and the federal lab were trying to identify the stock origin of
those coastal Western Alaska fish. For some reason, chum salmon
seem to stray more and don't distinguish themselves like Chinook
salmon. The fall chum salmon run in the Yukon River is the only
exception. It is possible to distinguish between Pacific
Northwest hatchery chum salmon and Asian chum salmon in the
trawl fishery, but the only thing that can be determined about
the rest is that they're from coastal Western Alaska.
4:31:08 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked what could be done legislatively to
address the crashes in both salmon runs and the Bristol Bay crab
fishery
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG restated that the ocean is changing
and certain species are better at adapting than others. Cod and
pollack are doing fairly well in the warmer Bering Sea whereas
crab and chum salmon are not doing so well. Sockeye are
benefitting from warmer fresh water in lakes, but the fact that
they're returning smaller in size indicates they're stressed in
the ocean.
He said it's not clear what's happening in the ocean but the
Pacific Salmon Treaty Northern Fund and the North Pacific
Research Board will provide the first snapshot. The state
donated $1 million to the National Year of the Salmon initiative
and the department put people on NOAA and Canadian vessels in
the eastern and central Gulf of Alaska. They collected
information on salmon distribution in the ocean, what they were
eating, their general condition, and genetics to try to
determine where stocks were in the ocean. This information is
still being analyzed but information from that work should be
available next year. New surveys are also being designed to
replace the International Year of the Salmon 2019 initiative
since most of those programs have ended.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said it's important to recognize that
Alaska can't do this alone because it doesn't have the ships.
Federal partners are interested in modeling and using drones,
but the department is trying to convince them to keep their
ships on the water so the department can collect data and sample
fish to evaluate their condition and what they're eating.
SENATOR KAUFMAN asked if there was anything the legislature
could do to help the department get what it needs.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said any support the legislature can
provide to encourage NOAA to keep its vessels in Alaska doing
fishery surveys would be helpful.
SENATOR KAUFMAN asked if there was anything else.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG suggested supporting the marine
science program in the capital budget and providing critically
needed funds for statehood defense.
^Overview of the Division of Wildlife Conservation
OVERVIEW OF THE DIVISION OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
4:37:43 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP announced an overview of the Division of
Wildlife Conservation.
4:38:25 PM
RYAN SCOTT, Assistant Director, Division of Wildlife
Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G),
Juneau, Alaska, began the overview of the Division of Wildlife
Conservation by reviewing an outline of his talk.
MR. SCOTT stated that the graph on slide 2 is intended to
demonstrate how important Pittman-Robertson Funds are for the
division. He pointed out that in the last few years the
apportionment to the state rose quickly. Currently, this
represents about two-thirds of the division's budget. This
funding is expected to decline, but it's not clear when this
will start and what it will look like.
4:39:31 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked whether the state was doing
everything possible to maximize the receipt of Pittman-Robertson
Funds.
MR. SCOTT replied that the division was optimizing the receipt
of those funds.
4:40:08 PM
MR. SCOTT displayed a chart of the FY09 through FY22 sales of
resident and nonresident hunting and trapping licenses as well
as nonresident big game locking tags. It clearly demonstrates
that nonresident license and tag sales represent a huge
contribution to the fish and game fund. The resident
contribution has been stable over this timeframe with a small
but noticeable increase during the pandemic. He directed
attention to the CY2022 data points on the right side of the
slide and noted that the big game locking tag sales reflect that
big game hunting in Alaska is world-renowned. It read:
Resident: CY2022 ~62,000 Hunting, Trapping,
Combination Licenses ($2.8M)
Nonresident: CY 2022 ~18,000 Hunting, Combination
Licenses ($2.6M)
Nonresident: CY 2022 ~15,400 Big Game Locking Tags
($8.8M)
MR. SCOTT displayed slide 4 and explained that last year the
division received a CIP for statewide wildlife game surveys. The
division is in the process of preparing the five-year federal
grant. He discussed the following allocations:
FY2023 State Wildlife Game Surveys CIP:
• Obligating $9.3 Million towards survey and
inventory through regional grants
• Obligated $1.5 Million towards photocensus
equipment in support of surveys
• Obligating $1.1M for data management in support
of surveys
• Obligating $2.5M for equipment in support of
surveys
• Obligating $1.6M for storage of survey aircraft
in Nome or Kotzebue
He reported that several years ago the division was asked to
compile a list of the surveys that would be completed on an
annual basis or every two to three years. In the spring of 2022,
34 surveys were outstanding statewide and 13 of those were
completed by that fall; 12 of the remaining surveys are within
the survey window and expected to be completed; and 9 surveys
from the list were not completed. The factors contributing to
that include weather, biological factors, and pilot and aircraft
availability.
4:47:56 PM
MR. SCOTT displayed a list of reports categorized as wildlife
technical publications and wildlife external publications. He
directed attention to the URL at the bottom of the slide for the
full reports.
MR. SCOTT displayed slide 6 and stated that part of what the
division does is intensive management. He said the next few
slides lay out the statutes and regulations that guide the
division and provide information about when and why certain work
is done.
4:48:56 PM
MR. SCOTT advanced to slide 7, Understanding Predator
Management. He explained that it provides basic information
about the use of an intensive management plan. He turned to
slide 8 and relayed that it depicts the division's intensive
management website. He directed attention to the table at the
bottom that identifies the game units with predator control
programs that are Active, Inactive, Expired, and Other. He noted
there was a new control program for Unit 17 to help the
Mulchatna caribou herd. He also anticipated looking at the 40-
Mile caribou herd and the 40-Mile country for intensive
management and expanded predator control. Through the Board of
Game the division recently reauthorized five intensive
management plans that will be used on an as-needed basis.
COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG added that the statute that guides
intensive management includes developing the plan, presenting it
to the Board of Game for approval, and implementing the plan
following the strict standards that comply with the department's
internal intensive management science plan. The Board of Game
periodically reviews these science-based plans and reauthorizes
them if they're working. He cited the example of the intensive
management plan with predator control for the Mulchatna caribou
herd that is infected with the disease called brucellosis. The
population of caribou in the area is very low and the predator
population is high. Predator control won't resolve the disease
but it will reduce predation of the animals that survive
brucellosis.
4:52:05 PM
MR. SCOTT directed attention to the table on slide 9 that
provides a broad overview of the number of resident and
nonresident hunts, the harvests, and the rates of success. He
said the harvest numbers show that residents are taking more
game than nonresidents. He noted that the data was aggregated
and doesn't reflect the fact that harvest and success rates vary
greatly by species, hunt, and location. He offered to follow up
if there were hunt-specific questions. He also pointed out that
the data near the bottom of the table for statewide antlerless
moose hunts show that the lion's share of the hunts and harvest
were by residents and that the success rates were very good. He
stated that these hunts are used primarily to maintain moose
populations to protect habitat, allow harvests along
transportation corridors for public safety purposes, and to
provide more harvest opportunities for residents to get food. He
noted that nonresidents may participate but only three people
did and just one took an animal.
4:54:05 PM
MR. SCOTT directed attention to slides 10 and 11, Regional and
Statewide Highlights. He made the following observations about a
species or two per region.
Region I Southeast: Sitka black-tailed deer are the primary game
species in this region and approximately 10,000 are harvested
each year. The bag limits and season dates vary depending on the
area. The populations are high and increasing in some areas,
largely due to mild winters. The division recently worked
through three federal subsistence board proposals for Sitka
black-tail deer in Game Management Unit (GMU) 4 and none were
adopted. They would have restricted access for non-federally
qualified hunters even though deer populations are high.
Region II Southcentral: Dall sheep populations have declined 40-
70 percent depending on the area. Snow depth is less a factor
than rain layered between snowfalls that make it difficult for
the animals to forage. Management continues to be full curl
horn, ram only regulations, although some sheep hunts allow less
than full curl. The department has launched multiple studies
that focus on survival, growth, and health of seed populations
statewide.
Region III Interior and Northeast Arctic: The information about
Dall sheep in Region II is applicable to the Interior. Over the
last several winters, about 20 percent of the moose population
in the Fairbanks area and about 30 percent of the Delta bison
have been lost. As a result, antlerless moose hunts in the
Fairbanks area were not held this year and will not be held next
year. Delta bison hunts were bull only, the hunt periods were
reorganized, and the take per period was limited. Even so, about
61 bulls and 2 cows were taken. Interestingly, even with winter
mortality, the population is within the best population
objective. The concerns last year about bison on private
property and grazing near the highway did not materialize this
year. The department had received very few complaints.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP commented that he hadn't gotten any calls this
year.
MR. SCOTT continued.
Region IV Central and Southwest: Both the Nelchina and Mulchatna
caribou herds are in decline. As mentioned earlier, the
Mulchatna herd is infected with brucellosis. Calf rates in both
herds are very low and the number of cows delivering calves is
also low. The Nelchina herd has declined about 40 percent the
last several years and the calf numbers are low. Portions of GMU
13 are under intensive management and that's likely to be
expanded. The Mulchatna population is about 12,000, which is a
six percent decline from last year. Interestingly, of the two
unique calving areas, the problems are centered on the western
portion of Unit 17. The intensive management efforts will be
focused in that area. An existing program is for wolves and that
will be expanded to include bears this spring. The notion is to
increase survival rates in the most vulnerable first week of
life.
5:00:28 PM
Region V Western and Northwest Arctic: The Western Arctic
caribou herd that is popular statewide, has declined to about
64,000 from 188,000 last year. Notably, adult survival in this
herd is low so reproduction is lagging the other demographics of
the herd. The rate of collared females that deliver calves is
also low compared to expectations in an ungulate population.
Work is underway to understand the reasons. Numerous Board of
Game proposals are expected in coming weeks to limit harvest of
this herd for all users. Restrictions are in place now and the
federal subsistence board has closed areas to non-federally
qualified hunters. Residents in the area are preparing to
approach the Board to propose additional changes to ameliorate
the situation.
Statewide: Hunting opportunities have been expanded to help
people put food in their freezers and on the table. Surveillance
of disease will continue, including for brucellosis in the
Mulchatna caribou herd, highly pathogenic avian influenza,
winter tick that is moving toward Alaska from Canada, and
rabies.
5:03:30 PM
MR. SCOTT offered to answer questions.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP thanked him for the overview.
SENATOR KAWASAKI mentioned cultural permits for particular user
groups and asked about the process for approval.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP mentioned potlatch permits.
MR. SCOTT replied there are a variety including potlatch and
traditional funerary permits. He said those are primarily for
feeding people and the department generally requests
notification about when and where the cultural group wants to
hunt so there can be a conversation about the hunting rules for
the particular area. Cultural education permits require an
application and are intended to allow the take of game animals
to perpetuate a cultural tradition. The department requests a
curriculum prior to those hunts and a report afterwards about
such things as the number of participants and what the hide was
used for. Moose, caribou, and deer are the primary species for
these permits.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP thanked Commissioner Vincent-Lang and Mr. Scott
for the presentations.
5:06:34 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Co-Chair Bishop adjourned the Senate Resources Standing
Committee meeting at 5:06 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Presentation - ADFG Dept. Overview 2.10.23.pdf |
SRES 2/10/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| Presentation - ADFG Game Overview 2.10.23.pdf |
SRES 2/10/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| SB 10 Support Letters Through 02.09.2023.pdf |
SRES 2/10/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 10 |