03/08/2010 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB220 | |
| SJR27 | |
| SB274 | |
| SB208 | |
| SB144 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 220 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SJR 27 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 274 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 208 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 144 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
March 8, 2010
3:39 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Lesil McGuire, Co-Chair
Senator Bill Wielechowski, Co-Chair
Senator Charlie Huggins, Vice Chair
Senator Hollis French
Senator Bert Stedman
Senator Gary Stevens
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Thomas Wagoner
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 220
"An Act declaring a state energy policy; relating to energy
efficiency and alternative energy; establishing the energy
efficiency grant fund, an emerging energy technology fund, a
renewable energy production tax credit, and an energy use index;
and relating to a fuel purchasing cooperative, to energy codes
and efficiency standards, to energy conservation targets in
public buildings, to a state agency energy use reduction plan,
to the alternative energy revolving loan fund, and to the
renewable energy grant fund."
- MOVED CSSB 220(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 27
Urging the federal government to provide funding for domestic
seafood marketing and promotional activities.
- MOVED CSSJR 27(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE BILL NO. 274
"An Act naming the state fish hatchery on the Elmendorf Air
Force Base the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery."
- MOVED CSSB 274(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE BILL NO. 208
"An Act requiring the Department of Natural Resources to
evaluate current incentives and recommend additional incentives
that would increase gas exploration, development, and production
in the Cook Inlet sedimentary basin; and requiring the
Department of Natural Resources to evaluate the means by which
the department may explore for, purchase, and sell natural gas
from newly proved gas reserves in the Cook Inlet sedimentary
basin."
- MOVED CSSB 208(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE BILL NO. 144
"An Act relating to hunting permits and tag fees for musk oxen."
- MOVED SB 144 OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 220
SHORT TITLE: ENERGY EFFICIENCY/ ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
SPONSOR(s): RESOURCES
01/19/10 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/19/10 (S) RES, FIN
01/20/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
01/20/10 (S) Heard & Held
01/20/10 (S) MINUTE(RES)
01/21/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
01/21/10 (S) -- MEETING CANCELED --
01/25/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
01/25/10 (S) Heard & Held
01/25/10 (S) MINUTE(RES)
01/27/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
01/27/10 (S) Heard & Held
01/27/10 (S) MINUTE(RES)
02/03/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/03/10 (S) <Bill Hearing Postponed>
02/11/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/11/10 (S) <Bill Hearing Postponed to 2/15/10>
02/15/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/15/10 (S) Heard & Held
02/15/10 (S) MINUTE(RES)
02/17/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/17/10 (S) <Bill Hearing Canceled>
02/18/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/18/10 (S) Heard & Held
02/18/10 (S) MINUTE(RES)
02/22/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/22/10 (S) Heard & Held
02/22/10 (S) MINUTE(RES)
02/24/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/24/10 (S) Heard & Held
02/24/10 (S) MINUTE(RES)
02/25/10 (S) RES AT 4:00 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/25/10 (S) Scheduled But Not Heard
03/08/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
BILL: SJR 27
SHORT TITLE: FED. FUNDING: DOMESTIC SEAFOOD MARKETING
SPONSOR(s): EGAN
02/12/10 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/12/10 (S) RES
03/01/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
03/01/10 (S) Heard & Held
03/01/10 (S) MINUTE(RES)
03/08/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
BILL: SB 274
SHORT TITLE: WILLIAM JACK HERNANDEZ FISH HATCHERY
SPONSOR(s): DYSON
02/10/10 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/10/10 (S) RES
03/01/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
03/01/10 (S) Heard & Held
03/01/10 (S) MINUTE(RES)
03/08/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
BILL: SB 208
SHORT TITLE: DNR STUDY ON NATURAL GAS
SPONSOR(s): WIELECHOWSKI
01/19/10 (S) PREFILE RELEASED 1/8/10
01/19/10 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/19/10 (S) RES, FIN
02/08/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
02/08/10 (S) Heard & Held
02/08/10 (S) MINUTE(RES)
03/08/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
BILL: SB 144
SHORT TITLE: MUSK OXEN PERMITS
SPONSOR(s): OLSON
03/09/09 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/09/09 (S) RES, FIN
03/08/10 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
MICHELLE SYDEMAN
Staff to Senator Wielechowski
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on CSSB 220(RES) version D and on
SB 208.
MIKE PAWLOWSKI
Staff to Senator McGuire
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Explained amendments to CSSB 220(RES)
version D.
SENATOR DENNIS EGAN
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SJR 27.
KURTIS GIBSON, Deputy Director
Division of Oil and Gas
Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 208.
TIM BENINTENDI
Staff to Senator Olson
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on SB 144 for the sponsor.
SENATOR DONALD OLSON
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, AK
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of SB 144.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:39:27 PM
CO-CHAIR LESIL MCGUIRE called the Senate Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 3:39 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Huggins, Stevens, Stedman, French,
Wielechowski, and McGuire.
SB 220-ENERGY EFFICIENCY/ ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
3:40:22 PM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE announced SB 220 to be up for consideration
[CSSB 220(RES), labeled 26-LS1197\D, Kane was before the
committee].
MICHELLE SYDEMAN, staff to Senator Wielechowski, reviewed that
the committee first took up SB 220 almost six weeks ago. She
said they had taken invited testimony from energy experts, and
staff has worked closely with all the agencies; the bill has had
many hearings. As result there were numerous changes. Five of
those main changes are that they adopted an amendment by Senator
Huggins that allows nuclear power in Alaska and they added a
section suggested by Senator Hoffman that expands the state's
heating assistance program for low income families when oil
prices are high and the state has a surplus. They also
incorporated language from Senator Stedman's SB 132 which
expands the purposes of Southeast Energy Fund and adopted an
amendment offered by Senator Dyson requiring the Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) to examine the
feasibility of powering vehicles in Alaska using compressed
natural gas. Finally, they added new language creating a new
loan fund for businesses seeking to make their facilities more
energy efficient or to incorporate renewable energy into their
operations. This idea was advanced by Senator Egan's office and
further developed by Senator McGuire's office. One additional
change was that they incorporated the Governor's SB 223 into
this bill and that authorizes AHFC to issue up to $250 million
in bonds to help the state, municipalities and school districts
to make their buildings more energy efficient. This revolving
loan fund should create an on-going revenue stream for the state
to help cities and schools cut their energy-related costs. She
said that they had a few more amendments and then the bill would
be ready for the committee's consideration.
3:43:23 PM
MIKE PAWLOWSKI, staff to Senator McGuire, said that several
small changes were made to version D after the amendments were
made to the previous version; some were clerical and some were
based on statements heard at the table. One example is on page
14, line 11, the Emerging Energy Technology Fund (EETF) section.
He explained that one of the discussions by Senator Wagoner was
that while having a degree in science or engineering is
appropriate, professional experience should be considered also.
Others were clerical cleanups, for example, saying the
department shall work with other state agencies in the
alternative energy section. Another change was on page 14, line
23. In the previous version they had the Alaska Energy Authority
on the board of the EETF, but since it is administering the fund
it didn't make sense for someone from it to also be on the
advisory committee. So they were replaced that position with the
Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA).
Other changes were small and clerical.
3:45:07 PM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE moved Amendment 1, labeled 26-LS1197\D.1.
26-LS1197\D.1
Kane
AMENDMENT 1
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR MCGUIRE
TO: CSSB 220(RES), Draft Version "D"
Page 20, line 27:
Delete "Alaska"
Insert "alternative"
Page 28, line 1:
Delete "AS 44.42.067(c)"
Insert "AS 44.42.067(d)"
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI objected for discussion purposes.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE said this amendment references alternative
energy.
MR. PAWLOWSKI added that Amendment 1 took on the Department of
Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED) business
loan program for energy efficiency and retitled it the Alaska
Energy Conservation Loan Fund. Since it was the Alternative
Energy Conservation Loan Fund, the reference in Section 27 had
to be changed to conform to the change language in an earlier
reference. So Amendment 1 is pure cleanup language.
The second change in Amendment 1 corrects the repeal of a wrong
subsection. It relates to new construction meeting energy
efficiency standards, but they wanted to repeal the reporting
requirements in AS 44.42.067(c) and (d). This can be found on
page 19, line 21.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI removed his objection to Amendment 1.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE found no further objections and Amendment 1 was
adopted.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE moved Amendment 2.
26-LS1197\D.2
Kane
AMENDMENT 2
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR MCGUIRE
TO: CSSB 220(RES), Draft Version "D"
Page 13, line 16, following "projects;":
Insert "(2) amounts deposited under (f) of this
section;"
Renumber the following paragraph accordingly.
Page 13, line 22:
Delete "(f)"
Insert "(g)"
Page 14, line 1:
Delete "(f)"
Insert "(g)"
Page 14, line 8:
Delete "(f)"
Insert "(g)"
Page 14, following line 9:
Insert a new subsection to read:
"(f) As a condition of all grants awarded under
this section, the authority shall require that the
grantee pay to the authority a fair and reasonable
return to the fund, as determined by the authority,
from the revenue, economic value, or profits derived
by the grantee from the grant project. The authority
shall deposit the amounts received under this
subsection into the fund. To secure payment of sums
owed to the authority under a grant agreement, the
authority may own and take a security interest in
patents, copyrights, and other intellectual property."
Reletter the following bill subsections accordingly.
Page 14, line 24:
Delete "(f)"
Insert "(g)"
Page 14, lines 27 - 28:
Delete "(f)(4), (f)(5), or (f)(6)"
Insert "(g)(4), (g)(5), or (g)(6)"
Page 14, line 30:
Delete "(f)(4), (f)(5), or (f)(6)"
Insert "(g)(4), (g)(5), or (g)(6)"
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI objected for discussion purposes.
MR. PAWLOWSKI explained that Amendment 2 applies to Section 18
on page 13-15 of the bill, the Emerging Energy Technology Fund.
Lines 1-18 of the amendment are conforming languages. The
substance of the amendment was from line 18 through page 2, line
3. A question was raised in working with the department about
giving these grants to technology development and what happens
if this technology becomes wildly successful and a private
sector entrepreneur makes a lot of money out of it. This is old
language that existed in the Alaska Science and Technology Fund
where grants had conditions to provide a return to the state in
the event that a grant was successful. This language gives the
department some flexibility to put conditions on grants so that
they can function in a way that returns money to the fund for
future use and to endow future activities. They are still
working with the department to a degree on the language, but it
is very open and permissive.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE remarked that in Washington D.C. she was part
of a discussion that revealed the Department of Energy (DOE) has
an Emerging Technology Fund similar to this. They took a bet on
the technology that involves refracking that has led to the
shale extractions and as a result returns from that have set up
a pretty healthy loan fund for future technologies.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI removed his objection to Amendment 2.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE found no further objections and therefore
Amendment 2 was adopted.
3:49:57 PM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE moved to adopt Amendment 3.
26-LS1197\D.3
Kane
AMENDMENT 3
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR MCGUIRE
TO: CSSB 220(RES), Draft Version "D"
Page 16, line 31, following "$30,000,000":
Insert "for each project"
Page 17, line 16:
Insert a new paragraph to read:
"(3) "project" means a plant, works,
system, or facility, together with related or
necessary facilities and appurtenances, including a
divided or undivided interest in or a right to the
capacity of a power project or project, that is used
or is useful for the purpose of renewable energy
production;"
Renumber the following paragraph accordingly.
Page 30, following line 12:
Insert a new bill section to read:
"* Sec. 51. The uncodified law of the State of
Alaska is amended by adding a new section to read:
EXHAUSTION OF UNUSED RENEWABLE ENERGY REFUNDABLE
TAX CREDITS. Notwithstanding the repeal of
AS 43.98.040 by sec. 43 of this Act, an unused portion
of a tax credit acquired under AS 43.98.040, enacted
by sec. 21 of this Act, may be carried forward until
exhausted, except that the unused portion of the tax
credit may not be carried forward to tax years
beginning after December 31, 2023."
Renumber the following bill section accordingly.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI objected for discussion purposes.
MR. PAWLOWSKI explained that Amendment 3 came out of work with
the Department of Revenue (DOR). In the previous work on this
production tax credit there had been a degree of concern about
how big the liability to the state could be. That has been
approached in several different directions. It was based on the
15 percent of the electricity sold, but then also 10 percent of
the capital expenditures. A way was found to get at Senator
Stedman's concern about limiting a Susitna-style hydro project
that would cost in the range of $4.5 billion so the investor
wouldn't get a $450 million credit. They tried to design a cap
that mirrors what the equity would look like in a project of
that size and they came up with $30 million. So, the cap exists
in the current version at $30 million, but it was per person.
Working with staff and the DOR they really felt it should be per
project. So on page 1, lines 1-2, of the amendment "for each
project" was inserted. The amendment then inserts a definition
of project.
Another way they approached the issue of the liability to the
state is to provide a sunset in 2018 for the production tax
credits. But sunsetting it early required transition language
since tax credits are accrued over the first five years a
project produces energy. Section 51 on page 1, lines 15-23, of
the amendment are really about how to transition once the
renewable project comes on line just before the sunset period.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI removed his objection.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE found no further objection, and, therefore,
Amendment 3 was adopted. She asked for further comments.
MR. PAWLOWSKI directed members to a summary sheet about fiscal
notes for the bill that they received yesterday afternoon.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE said most of the bill concerns incentives and
policy shifts that don't involve a lot of money. So the total
fiscal note is $1.281 million.
She noted that the committee heard support all across the board
from the communities, although one criticism she did hear three
times is that it doesn't deal solely with renewable energy, but
rather alternative energy and fossil fuel based energy in a
variety of places (the Bulk Fuel Loan and power cost
equalization (PCE). Nuclear has been added as an alternative
fuel source, so people refer to it as renewable, but the "real
nuclear guys" refer to it as alternative.
3:54:58 PM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked what kind of energy hydro is called in the
bill.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE said renewable. She said they had directed the
federal government to this definition in their resolutions as
recently as this week when she was in D.C. She thanked the
committee "for a labor of love," Michelle and Fish for all their
hours of work and dedication, and the administration for heeding
the call to assemble a team that has been working with them, as
well as the House of Representatives, Chair Edgmon and his
staff, so that the bills mirror one another.
SENATOR HUGGINS gave credit to her and Senator Wielechowski for
the broad travels of a group of people that really did some
yeoman work. It's important to realize that what they are doing
today had a thumbprint from people in communities across the
state.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI commented that when they talked to Senator
Stevens about this bill last year he wondered if they would ever
get a product; and here it is. It is a product of one of the
more open and transparent processes he has seen in this
legislature. He thanked staff, staff in other offices and the
administration. He thought the state would get tremendous bang
for its buck out of this bill.
3:59:05 PM
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI moved to report CSSB 220(RES) as amended
from committee with individual recommendations and attached
fiscal note(s). There were no objections and it was so ordered.
SJR 27-FED. FUNDING: DOMESTIC SEAFOOD MARKETING
4:00:12 PM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE announced SJR 27 to be up for consideration.
[CSSJR 27(RES) was before the committee]
SENATOR DENNIS EGAN, sponsor of SJR 27, said this is a proposal
for national seafood marketing. The resolution communicates to
the Obama Administration, the Alaska Congressional delegation
the Legislature's support for using a portion of federal
revenues generated from duties on imported seafood and fish
products for marketing American seafood including that harvested
in the State of Alaska.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE thanked him for bringing this up. She said no
amendments had been proposed. She closed public testimony.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI moved to report SJR 27 as amended from
committee with individual recommendations and attached zero
fiscal note. There were no objections and so CSSJR 27(RES) moved
from committee.
SB 274-WILLIAM JACK HERNANDEZ FISH HATCHERY
4:03:15 PM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE announced SB 274 to be up for consideration.
[CSSB 274(RES) was before the committee]. She stated that the
committee took a lot of testimony on it last week. Finding no
further discussion, she closed public testimony.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI moved to report SB 274 as amended from
committee with individual recommendations and attached zero
fiscal note. There were no objections and, therefore, CSSB
274(RES) moved from committee.
SB 208-DNR STUDY ON NATURAL GAS
4:04:01 PM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE announced SB 208 to be up for consideration.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI moved to adopt version C, [CSSB 208(RES)
26-LS1235\C, Bullock]. There were no objections and it was so
ordered.
4:04:38 PM
MICHELLE SYDEMAN, staff to Senator Wielechowski, explained that
subsection (3) that called for the Department of Natural
Resources and the (DNR)Department of Revenue (DOR) to determine
the cost, feasibility and a proposed organizational structure
for a new state entity that would take a more active role in the
exploration, development and marketing of gas from Cook Inlet
was removed after Senator Stedman raised concerns about it.
In (2) on page 3, line 6, "or proposals" was added to a
requirement that DNR and DOR identify and evaluate and recommend
additional incentives or "other proposals" that might increase
exploration for and production of gas in Cook Inlet.
The third change was to the date for completion of this work by
the DNR and DOR from November 1, 2010, to December 1, 2010. The
intent of this bill is to provide the Legislature with an
analysis of its options for increasing Cook Inlet gas production
before the start of next session. An immediate effective date
was added for the bill giving the department the full seven
months in which to do this analysis.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE asked if they envisioned a process for
selecting individuals who would help the state carry out this
task.
MS. SYDEMAN answered that there are two options: the DOR already
has some petroleum economists they would be willing to devote to
this time permitting and outside consultants, if needed, for
which a $200,000 fiscal note was provided. An existing Gaffney
Kline contract could be amended to include this work, as well.
There were concerns with putting an RFP out and having that work
accomplished by the start of the next legislative session.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE said she was glad of the bill that could help
trigger oil and gas development in Cook Inlet. She knew the RCA
not approving contracts has been a part of it, and Cook Inlet
had had incentives, but exploration is not happening. They have
heard the Basin is expensive and that gas storage might play a
role, but everybody is drilling in Texas and Canada. She asked
if anyone wanted to testify.
SENATOR HUGGINS asked what would be happening in lieu of this
bill and how would the Legislature know about it and why isn't
it already happening.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI agreed and said this bill is more out of
frustration than anything else with development in Cook Inlet.
This should be occurring right now and he didn't know why it
hasn't.
4:10:23 PM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE asked if DNR would like to respond to Senator
Huggins' point. What is being done from the DNR perspective to
look at lack of development in Cook Inlet and how might that be
carried out?
KURTIS GIBSON, Deputy Director, Division of Oil and Gas,
Department of Natural Resources (DNR), answered that he sees the
bill is a positive approach to trying to resolve the complex
issue of motivating explorers in the Cook Inlet basin to bring
on additional reserves. He said he supported SB 208. In December
they released a report that detailed the results of their
analysis of remaining reserves for the five major producing
fields in the Cook Inlet. From the division's perspective, they
welcome the opportunity to expand their charge and examine not
just what is the appropriate incentive for explorers but what
can be done to tighten up what is a structurally unsound market.
It's a step in the right direction.
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE said she was talking to Mark Myers, Gas
Pipeline Office, DNR, and her point was seeing the Division of
Oil and Gas take a leadership role on some of these issues: Cook
Inlet, Nenana Basin, Gubik, the issue of delivering in-state gas
to Alaskans, developing a value-added natural gas industry, and
those kinds of things. They would go a long way in taking the
focus off of the AGIA war which process is proceeding on its own
merit.
MR. GIBSON said they know and stand ready to assist in any way
they can.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI moved to report CSSB 208(RES), version C
from committee with individual recommendations and attached
fiscal note(s). There were no objections and it was so ordered.
SB 144-MUSK OXEN PERMITS
4:15:24 PM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE announced SB 144 to be up for consideration.
4:16:01 PM
TIM BENINTENDI, staff to Senator Olson, sponsor of SB 144,
explained that the primary objective of SB 144 is to authorize a
second permit hunt for residents and subsistence hunters for the
taking of musk oxen in Alaska. It would double the chances of
taking an animal but it would not change the bag limit, which is
currently one animal per year, either a bull or cow. Nonresident
hunters would not qualify. If a hunter did not harvest a musk ox
under their first permit, a second permit could be issued upon
application for another chance in a different hunting area or a
different game unit. Musk oxen are the only game animals in
Alaska to which the one permit restriction still applies.
There are four game management units where these animals are
found in Alaska: Unit 18 on both Nunivak and Nelson Islands,
Units 22 and 23 on the Seward Peninsula and Northwest Alaska,
and Unit 26 in the northeast. The wild musk oxen population in
Alaska is currently estimated to be about 4400 and annually 325-
350 are available for harvest.
Wildlife biologists and regulators within the Alaska Department
of Fish and Game (ADF&G) have determined that the health of the
herd and the size of the state's herd is well passed the
threshold for expanding opportunities for Alaskan hunters. State
biologists estimate that a nominal number of additional permits
would be issued under this bill and perhaps 25 more animals
might be harvested annually.
Under SB 144 the Board of Game would have the authority to
reduce or eliminate subsistence tag and fee requirements, and
the department could issue subsistence permits beyond the
current calendar year basis to accommodate seasons which
straddle two calendar years. For example, there is a season that
runs from August 1 to March 15. A year would change from a
calendar year to a regulatory year, which is July 1 - June 30.
If passed this legislative session, the new provisions would be
in place for the season beginning August of this year. SB 144
has a zero fiscal note and has the support of the department and
the hunting community in Northwest Alaska. It includes the
Northern and Southern Norton Sound Advisory Committees and the
Seward Peninsula Musk Ox Cooperators Group. They have found no
opposition to the bill.
4:18:42 PM
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked the rationale behind the prohibition
of going out more than once.
MR. BENINTENDI answered that it's due to game population size.
All other species are under a multiple permit basis and now that
the department is comfortable with the herd's numbers, musk ox
can be brought into that dynamic.
4:19:23 PM
SENATOR HUGGINS asked if there is a priority between resident
and subsistence hunters.
MR. BENINTENDI said that getting a permit depends on the date of
application.
SENATOR HUGGINS said some states have incentives whereby the
governor would have a musk ox tag that he could use as a funding
raising mechanism to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. Had
he had any discussions along that line?
MR. BENINTENDI answered no.
4:20:44 PM
SENATOR OLSON, sponsor of SB 144, said the bill was brought to
him by the local fish and game personnel who noticed confusion
amongst the harvesters. There is no difference between residents
and subsistence users. It's whoever comes first. Once the quota
is filled they would close the season. Because of that confusion
people are worried about getting their guns confiscated, going
to jail and having those kinds of penalties. This would make the
law a lot clearer.
He said that one of the reasons there is a difference between
other big game animals and musk ox is that musk ox, like
reindeer, were imported. The ones on the Seward Peninsula came
from Nunivak and the ones in Nunivak originally came from Canada
and Greenland. The government has an interest in maintaining
those populations because they invested money to get them into
different areas. Right now the stocks on the Seward Peninsula,
especially, have gotten to the level where they could sustain a
harvest.
4:22:05 PM
SENATOR STEDMAN joined the committee.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI moved to report SB 144 from committee with
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There
were no objections and it was so ordered.
4:23:30 PM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE found no further business to come before the
committee and adjourned the meeting at 4:23 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|