03/21/2014 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB160 | |
| SB28 | |
| HB161 | |
| Adjourn |
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 28 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 161 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| = | SB 160 | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
March 21, 2014
3:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Cathy Giessel, Chair
Senator Fred Dyson, Vice Chair
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Click Bishop
Senator Anna Fairclough
Senator Hollis French
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Lesil McGuire
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 160
"An Act authorizing the commissioner of natural
resources to implement a hunting guide concession
program or otherwise limit the number of individuals
authorized to conduct big game commercial guiding on
state land."
- MOVED SB 160 OUT OF COMMITTEE
SENATE BILL NO. 28
"An Act relating to the sale of timber on state land;
establishing the Susitna State Forest; and providing
for an effective date."
- MOVED CSSB 28(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 161(RES)
"An Act relating to auctions or raffles for big game
harvest permits and to the selection of nonprofit
organizations to conduct auctions and raffles for the
Department of Fish and Game."
- HEARD & HELD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: SB 160
SHORT TITLE: DNR: HUNTING GUIDES, CONCESSION PROGRAM
SPONSOR(s): SENATOR(s) COGHILL
02/07/14 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
02/07/14 (S) RES, FIN
03/14/14 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
03/14/14 (S) <Bill Hearing Postponed>
03/17/14 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
03/17/14 (S) Heard & Held
03/17/14 (S) MINUTE(RES)
03/19/14 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
03/19/14 (S) Heard & Held
03/19/14 (S) MINUTE(RES)
03/21/14 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
BILL: SB 28
SHORT TITLE: SUSITNA STATE FOREST; SALE OF TIMBER
SPONSOR(s): RULES BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR
01/18/13 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/18/13 (S) RES, FIN
03/19/14 (S) RES WAIVED PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE,
RULE 23
03/21/14 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
BILL: HB 161
SHORT TITLE: AUCTIONS FOR BIG GAME HARVEST PERMITS
SPONSOR(s): GATTIS
03/11/13 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/11/13 (H) RES
04/10/13 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
04/10/13 (H) Heard & Held
04/10/13 (H) MINUTE(RES)
02/19/14 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
02/19/14 (H) Heard & Held
02/19/14 (H) MINUTE(RES)
02/24/14 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
02/24/14 (H) Moved CSHB 161(RES) Out of
Committee
02/24/14 (H) MINUTE(RES)
02/26/14 (H) RES RPT CS(RES) 5DP
02/26/14 (H) DP: JOHNSON, OLSON, SEATON,
SADDLER, FEIGE
03/03/14 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)
03/03/14 (H) VERSION: CSHB 161(RES)
03/05/14 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/05/14 (S) RES
03/21/14 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
CHAD HUTCHISON
Staff to Senator John Coghill
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on SB 160 for the
sponsor.
CLARK COX, Natural Resource Manager
Division of Mining, Land and Water
Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Explained SB 160.
CHRIS MAISCH, State Forester and Director
Division of Forestry
Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 28.
WAYNE NICHOLS, Professional Forester representing
himself
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 28.
NICK STEEN, Ruffed Grouse Society
Wasilla, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 28.
ERIN MCLARNEN, representing "the recreational users of
Alaska"
Willow, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 28.
RICK ROGERS, Executive Director
Resource Development Council (RDC)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 28.
ANDY ROGERS
Alaska Chamber of Commerce
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 28.
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN GATTIS
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HB 161.
DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Director
Division of Wildlife Conservation
Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on HB 161 and was
available for questions.
FORMER-SENATOR CON BUNDE, representing himself
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 161.
BRIAN JUDY, Alaska State Liaison
National Rifle Association (NRA)
Sacramento, California
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 161.
ELAINA SPRAKER, Clinic Director
Kenai Peninsula Women on Target/Teens on Target
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 161.
MIKE CRAWFORD, President
Alaska Kenai Peninsula Chapter, Safari Club
International
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 161.
MIKE TINKER
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Association
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 161.
DANA FALLUCCA-LINGOFELT, member, Board of Directors
Outdoor Heritage Foundation
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 161.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:30:41 PM
CHAIR CATHY GIESSEL called the Senate Resources
Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.
Present at the call to order were Senators Dyson,
French, Bishop, and Chair Giessel.
SB 160-DNR: HUNTING GUIDES, CONCESSION PROGRAM
3:31:24 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL announced SB 160 to be up for
consideration. She said the committee had received
letters both of support and opposition to it.
3:31:30 PM
CHAD HUTCHISON, staff to Senator John Coghill, Alaska
State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, said there were
compelling reasons to pass SB 160. It's good for the
resource and the resident hunters and, to a certain
extent, it stops BLM and the federal government from
filling the void if the state does not act.
3:32:33 PM
CLARK COX, Natural Resource Manager, Division of
Mining, Land and Water, Department of Natural Resources
(DNR), Anchorage, Alaska, said he had been involved
with this program since 2007 and that issuing land use
and commercial recreation permits is one of those
commercial use activities that they authorize and it's
their primary interaction with the big game guides.
MR. COX said they had heard a lot about how both boards
regulate the industry and it's important to note that
they both support development of the guide concession
program (GCP). He said the Board of Game can deal with
conflicts and issues as they relate to wildlife, but
it's difficult for them to deal with land use issues
and overcrowding. It can affect the number of hunters
in the field by reducing the overall hunting
opportunity but not by regulating spacial distribution;
only the DNR can do that.
He said the Big Game Commercial Services Board has
rules in statute limiting and regulating guides and
where they register, and any changes would have to be
done through legislative action.
3:34:19 PM
He touched on a couple of the primary comments the
committee had heard, the first being about how new guys
can get into the industry. He explained that the
primary difference between the full and the limited
concessions is the number of employees that each one
could employ. The full concession holders are allowed
to employ up to six assistant guides and the limited
are allowed to employ only one assistant guide. This
allows for the selected full concession holders to
offer more hunts, employ more staff, and operate a
larger business while the limited concessioners run
fewer hunts and smaller operations, and this gives them
a chance to be able to compete for a full concession at
some point in the future by gaining experience in an
area.
3:35:23 PM
MR. COX said another common comment they had heard was
about transferability, and they do understand the
desire to be able to sell and transfer these areas, but
the Owsichek decision made it very clear that that was
one of the primary faults of the prior system. The
common use clause in the Alaska Constitution also makes
that "a pretty steep hurdle to climb."
They heard a lot about how a GCP will or will not
benefit the Alaska resident hunter. It is designed to
benefit hunters by reducing the number of big game
guides in the more controversial areas, thus reducing
conflicts in the field, and increasing the quality of
the hunting opportunity and wildlife conservation.
Additionally, the whole concession concept is based on
the competitive nature of the applicants who will be
scored on a number of factors, including their history
of user conflicts and their strategies to avoid future
conflicts. The GCP seeks to award concessions to those
guides with cleaner histories in the field and in the
court room.
3:36:36 PM
He said they also heard that problems are only in
certain "hot" areas, and they agree. They talked about
addressing this by staggering areas so as to not impact
the whole state at once, but then they realized that
just dealing with small areas would push unselected
guides into other outlying areas and create problems
there.
They have heard from the very outset about transporters
and believe this group can be addressed after
conducting further research and evaluation with them.
They heard that implementing this program would reduce
the number of guides by 50 or 60 percent, so he
provided a graph showing the number of guides who
actually ran a hunt and the number of available
opportunities there would be should this program exist.
In addition, 44 million acres of private land in Alaska
is available to use.
MR. COX said they also heard that the application
process was simply a test for guides to hire someone to
prepare a fancy application to win an area, but DNR
wants the operation plan and commitments made therein
to be incorporated into the authorization that will be
evaluated annually to assure that concession holders
are operating consistent with the terms they were
granted.
In closing, Mr. Cox said, they heard from many parties,
both in support and not, that problems exist in the
guiding industry and in the field and that those issues
need to be addressed. This program would be an
additional tool for DNR, the Board of Game, and the Big
Game Commercial Services Board to use to address
industry issues. The mission of the program is to
encourage land stewardship, support wildlife
conservation, and to promote a healthy guiding industry
for the benefit of the people of Alaska. He said this
is their first crack at developing a program like this
and they are remaining flexible to make changes to it.
CHAIR GIESSEL said she was waiting for a quorum and set
SB 160 aside.
3:40:20 PM
At ease from 3:40:20 to 3:40:27 p.m.
3:40:27 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE joined the committee.
SENATOR DYSON moved SB 160, version 28-LS1399\A, from
committee to the next committee of referral with
attached fiscal notes and individual recommendations.
There were no objections and it was so ordered.
3:40:59 PM
At ease from 3:40 to 3:42 p.m.
SB 28-SUSITNA STATE FOREST; SALE OF TIMBER
3:42:25 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL announced SB 28 to be up for
consideration.
3:43:12 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL moved Amendment 1.
28-GS1741\A.1
Bullock
3/20/14
AMENDMENT 1
OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR GIESSEL
TO: SB 28
Page 2, line 11, following "chapter.":
Insert "The transportation objective for
the Susitna State Forest is to provide access
for timber management and multiple use within
the Susitna State Forest."
Page 7, line 14, through page 8, line 2:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following paragraphs accordingly.
Page 11, lines 12 - 23:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following paragraphs accordingly.
Page 14, lines 14 - 19:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following paragraphs accordingly.
Page 17, lines 11 - 27:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following paragraphs accordingly.
Page 21, lines 3 - 19:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following paragraphs accordingly.
Page 24, line 22, through page 25, line 7:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following paragraphs accordingly.
Page 27, lines 11 - 22:
Delete all material.
Renumber the following paragraphs accordingly.
Page 32, line 8:
Delete "2013"
Insert "2014"
SENATOR FRENCH objected for discussion purposes.
CHAIR GIESSEL explained that this amendment adds intent
language on page 2 of the bill and removes certain
parcels from the Susitna State Forest. The intent
language states a transportation objective for the
forest to provide access for multiple use and timber
management, and then some segments are removed from the
State Forest.
CHRIS MAISCH, State Forester and Director, Division of
Forestry, Department of Natural Resources (DNR),
Anchorage, Alaska, explained that the proposed
amendment is based on the public process they had been
going through for this bill, comments by local
government and others about concerns with needing
additional lands close to communities for potential
expansion of them, particularly near the communities of
the City of Houston, Wasilla, and up along the east
corridor of the Parks Highway. This amendment would
delete parcels on the east side strip that run North-
South, a relatively narrow corridor; this would garner
additional support for this legislation.
The other item concerned access to the State Forest
similar to the intent that already exists in the Tanana
Valley State Forest that says all parts of the State
Forests over time will by accessed with a mixture of
all-season and winter roads.
SENATOR FRENCH asked him to summarize the general
geographic changes.
3:45:22 PM
MR. MAISCH said he could tell him the block names, but
not exactly which lines they were on the map. There are
four blocks; the first is the northern parcels (the
Talkeetna block on their map); the descriptions address
the Kashwitna parcel, the Willard Cash parcel, and the
Houston parcel.
SENATOR BISHOP asked if parcels on the east side of the
highway were being stricken and the State Forest would
be on the west side.
MR. MAISCH answered yes. The stricken lands still be
managed for forestry, because they are classified in
the Area Plan as forestry land. He said it would be
easier to change the potential uses of those lands when
the Area Plans are updated.
SENATOR FRENCH withdrew his objection.
CHAIR GIESSEL, finding no further objection, announced
that Amendment 1 was adopted. She invited Mr. Maisch to
go through the rest of the bill.
3:47:42 PM
MR. MAISCH continued to explain that there are two
parts to the bill; one is the State Forest portion,
which he would speak to first, and then the part of the
bill, which specifically addresses his timber sale
authorities.
He said the State of Alaska owns and manages 9.5
million acres in the Matanuska Valley and that two Area
Plans - the Matanuska/Susitna Area Plan and the
Southeast Susitna Area Plan - currently are identified
for that area and have both recently been updated.
Both are high-level allocations for different types of
uses for state-owned land; State Forest, recreation,
habitat, and disposal are some of the general
classifications. This proposal originally suggested
663,000 acres and 33 parcels, but with the amendment
the acreage drops down to 688,000 acres and 20 parcels.
He said the primary purpose of the State Forest, by
statute, is for timber management that allows other
multiple uses of the forest to continue. One of the key
concerns they heard in various public meetings and
other discussions with local governments was that they
wanted to be assured that the same type and same scale
of use would continue to occur on the State Forests,
and that is the case. In fact, they feel over time, as
additional access is developed that many uses of the
State Forest will benefit, particularly from a hunting
and habitat management standpoint, which is where many
of those comments came from.
3:49:51 PM
MR. MAISCH recapped that the primary use for the State
Forest is timber management consistent with multiple
use and sustained yield principles. It is governed by
the Alaska Forest Resources and Practices Act, which
also affects state, municipal, and private lands, and
which is primarily designed to protect fish habitat and
water quality. So, mandatory stream buffers are
required in harvest units with a large number of rivers
already having the recreation corridors along them
(that in the Valley are a quarter mile on each side of
the river).
He said the Forest Management Plan for the State Forest
must be completed within three years of the Forest
being established and that is has a very extensive
public process, including establishment of the Citizens
Advisory Committee to give advice on uses and any
potential conflicts that could develop. The Tanana
Forest already has an advisory committee, but not the
Southeast State Forest or the Haines State Forest,
because they are much smaller in size, and in the case
of the Southeast State Forest, very remote, so there
aren't a lot of different users using those lands.
MR. MAISCH said it was left up to their discretion as
to whether to establish that Citizen Advisory Committee
or not; it would have 12 members that would mirror the
Board of Forestry that has 9 members, but it would
represent a range of constituents, users - business and
local government in the Valley - and they would be
advisory and appointed by the Division of Forestry.
He said the Management Plan will address future
transportation planning, timber sales, and kind of all
the standard things one would like to see in a plan
about how they intend to manage that property.
3:51:05 PM
MR. MAISCH said there had been extensive public
outreach consisting of community meetings as part of
the Area Planning process where the State Forest
concept was discussed starting in 2009 and six open
houses across the Valley in that timeframe, in 2012
there were 12 public meetings in communities up and
down the Valley, and 10 meetings in 2013 including 2
webinars which tried to reach the remote areas of the
borough where people couldn't easily travel into the
community meetings. It was so successful that they plan
to continue those. They also had 11 different news
articles, radio stories, or other topics in the Valley
in publications statewide on the topic of the State
Forest. So, it has been well-vetted and discussed among
the different interest groups. They also recently
received support from the Matanuska Susitna Borough at
their Tuesday Assembly meeting with a vote of 6-1 for a
resolution in support of the State Forest concept.
Numerous other letters in the record do the same thing.
He paused for questions.
3:52:29 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE asked what the primary species is in
that area.
MR. MAISCH replied spruce and white birch for hard wood
and black cotton wood and cotton wood, and an
occasional tamarack and aspen.
SENATOR MICCICHE asked what the state practice is for
reforestation after harvest.
MR. MAISCH explained that three different regions in
the state are under the Forest Practices Act, which
requires reforestation of harvested lands within five
years; that's in a "free-to-grow" state, a seedling
that is essentially growing aggressively and vigorously
and not overtopped by vegetation and grass.
Finding no further questions on the forest portion of
the plan, she invited him to go on to the timber sale
provisions and authorities.
3:53:43 PM
MR. MAISCH said some background on the department's
authorities would help put into context what they are
trying to do with this change. Currently, the Division
of Forestry has five different statutes that allow it
to sell timber using different methodologies in Title
38.05.115 and .117. The sale method used most
frequently statewide is the competitive sale process in
.120; those are sealed bid or oral outcry sales offered
in their different area offices. They are competitive
with the sale going to the highest price.
A couple of other sales methods encourage local and
domestic manufacturing; in Southeast Alaska if they
offered all the timber sales by the .120 process, all
the logs would go to the round log export market,
because it is a much more valuable market against which
the domestic market cannot compete. So they have
developed other alternatives that still have a
competitive piece on the front end, but then allow them
to negotiate the sale. Mr. Maisch explained that they
tried to do just round-log export restrictions in the
late 70s and that case found its way all the way to the
U.S. Supreme Court where the state lost it, because
they were trying to regulate inter-state commerce,
which a state cannot do. That is where the other
authorities have sprung from: creative ways to
encourage domestic processing, create jobs and more of
an economy in the local communities.
The first one is ".115 authority," which are sales for
less than 500,000 board feet. Those typically go to a
small saw mill or firewood operator. The next one is
the ".117 authority," which is for salvage sales after
a fire, insect and disease, and wind throw. It is an
expedited process to get that wood to market as quickly
as possible to salvage some of its value. The ".118
sales" are the large negotiated sales for 20-25 years,
the topic of this legislation. And the ".123 sale,"
which is value-added sales for up to 10 years, are
meant to provide raw materials to mills and facilities
that add a high level of value to the product, like the
pellet mill in Fairbanks. A list of materials that
qualify for high-value production can be found in 11
AAC 71.055.
MR. MAISCH said that their ".118 authority" has three
criteria that have to be in place to use: the census
district that the proposal is in has to have a high
level of local unemployment, it has to have an under-
utilized annual allowable cut in the timber supply, and
it has to have under-utilized manufacturing capability
at the facility that would use it. All three of those
are hard to align especially the high unemployment
piece. This bill proposes to strike all three of those
clauses, and that would make it easier to use and be
consistent across the state.
One other thing SB 28 does is that currently the
language in that statute just refers to timber, and to
make that more inclusive and clear they added, "timber
and fiber" (meaning all types of wood products).
3:58:01 PM
SENATOR BISHOP commented that Mr. Maisch did a good
overview and really knows his timber.
SENATOR FRENCH asked if this is like former Senator
Linda Menard's proposed legislation.
MR. MAISCH answered yes; the forestry proposal is
essentially the same, but it didn't have the change to
the timber piece (.118).
3:58:53 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL opened public testimony.
3:59:03 PM
WAYNE NICHOLS, Professional Forester and member, Board
of Forestry and Society of American Foresters,
representing himself, Juneau, Alaska, supported SB 28.
He said compared to other states, the Alaska State
Forest has a lot of benefits, the primary one being
that it makes good management of it possible by well-
qualified professional people of which Mr. Maisch is
"an outstanding example." His staff also have other
disciplines that relate to it. Designation as a State
Forest enables investments like planting a tree, a 100-
year investment, instead of the land being subject to
being changed for some other use. It is also valuable
in that better roads and bridges can be built. Pruning
and thinning are also long-term investments.
SENATOR DYSON thanked him for his service.
4:03:20 PM
NICK STEEN, Ruffed Grouse Society, Wasilla, Alaska,
supported SB 28. He said the president of the
Southcentral Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society, Dr.
Michael Fuller, recently contacted several members of
the legislature expressing opposition to SB 28 as
written. He explained that they enthusiastically
support the concept of a State Forest, however the
accelerated development in the Alaska Bowl and the
Matanuska Susitna Valley is transforming the character
of the area into an urban sprawl. A forest would
preserve public lands and resources for effective
forest management that promotes economic use of the
forest resources, enhancement of wildlife habitat close
to major population areas, and maintenance a large
block of land for public recreation. Their concern is
the fractured nature of the proposed boundaries, and
Dr. Fuller asked him to express his and the Chapter's
conditional support of SB 28.
Their Chapter has been working during the development
of the Susitna Matanuska Area Plan (SMAP) to establish
a State Forest on all unencumbered state land west of
the Susitna River between the Beluga River and the
south boundary of the Denali State and National Parks
draining into the Susitna River. They oppose the SMAP
as developed since it has designated a series of non-
contiguous lands for forest management interspersed
with land designated as mining or for disposal as
recreation and agriculture. This hampers effective
forest management and restricts public and multiple
use.
SB 28 perpetuates this approach by identifying only the
land designated for forest management by the SMAP as a
Susitna Forest. It does not address the issues of
access for effective forest management, uniform
regulations for total area management, boundary
identification for recreational use, and the loss of
public access for recreational purposes by transferring
land to private ownership. However, there is
insufficient time in their mind in the legislative
session to make the major changes needed to fix these
issues. Therefore, they feel that getting the Forest
established is critical and would like to support the
current bill, but ask their help in making it more
effective by considering modifications to the
boundaries in future legislation and directing the DNR
to suspend implementation of any land disposal programs
in the SMAP west of the Susitna River until their
concerns are addressed.
SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH joined the committee.
4:06:41 PM
ERIN MCLARNEN, member, Board of Forestry, representing
"the recreational users of Alaska", Willow, Alaska,
supported SB 28. She also personally supported the
Susitna State Forest. Not only would it create jobs and
stimulate the economy over time, but it would guarantee
all users a place to recreate.
MS. MCLARNEN said she is a 17-year long-distance dog
musher and frequently uses state forest lands for
training her dogs. These are her favorite runs for
their access and the roads created during harvest, and
she wanted more users to have those same opportunities.
She said the local Willow dog mushers have formed a
strong relationship with the Division of Forestry and
DNR, as well as the logging operators. In September
they all come together to talk about their harvest
plans for roads and then the mushers overlap their
trails onto that. A lot of the operators will actually
reroute their trails during harvest times so that those
training grounds won't be lost, actually suspending
harvest for two days for a 100-mile kids' dog race on
their trail system.
4:09:04 PM
RICK ROGERS, Executive Director, Resource Development
Council (RDC), Anchorage, Alaska, said he is also a
certified forester that had performed forestry on and
off throughout Alaska since 1981 and supported SB 28.
It represents the state committing a long-term land
base to promote long-term sustainable forestry
practices.
He said LNG is speed dating compared to forestry,
because forestry is an extremely long-term commitment.
Forest rotations in Alaska can span from 60 to 100-plus
years. So, if they are going to do the job right and
encourage long-term forest productivity and encourage
the private sector to invest in what it takes to
harvest and process that timber to generate jobs and
create wealth in our communities, then we need to
commit the land base so they know that state is
committed and that the land is going to be available.
The lands in question are already being managed for
forestry, and this bill makes it official.
MR. ROGERS also noted there were over 3 million acres
of other legislatively-designated lands for things like
parks, refuges and public use areas throughout the Mat-
Su area and a designated working State Forest is needed
to balance that out. He said this isn't a new
experiment in Alaska that already has the Tanana Valley
State Forest, the Haines State Forest, and the
Southeast State Forest, and they are all good models
from which to build one in the Susitna Valley.
He noted that Mr. Steen encouraged some future look at
boundaries and that historically the Tanana Forest has
had at least one, and maybe several, modifications over
its history. So nothing keeps them from improving on
the boundaries that are presented today. He hadn't
looked at the amendments in detail, but would give
deference to the committee and DNR for working with the
local community. If they can gain support by reducing
some of those areas, perhaps they could be considered
in the future for adding to the State Forest at a later
date.
MR. ROGERS summarized that this bill represents a long-
term commitment to good forest management and the
private sector is likely to respond favorably to that.
It is consistent with the state's constitutional
mandate to manage these resources sustainably for the
long term benefit of Alaskans.
4:13:34 PM
ANDY ROGERS, Alaska Chamber of Commerce, Anchorage,
Alaska, supported SB 28. He liked the 100-plus year
commitment and thought it was an opportunity for the
state to be a good steward of its resources and to
ensure long-term economic stability with the potential
for growth.
4:16:19 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL, finding no further comments, closed
public testimony and moved conceptual Amendment 2. She
explained that this management plan would not be as
well written as the one for the Tanana State Forest,
but adding the following language from that plan to
page 32, line 2, would resolved that:
(e) The wildlife management objective of the
Susitna State Forest is the production of
wildlife for a high level of sustained yield
for human use through habitat improvement
techniques to the extent consistent with the
primary purpose of a state forest under AS
41.17.20.
CHAIR GIESSEL explained that this amendment would
maximize the area for wildlife management and not just
for timber management.
SENATOR FRENCH objected for discussion purposes and
said he preferred to see the amendment in the bill and
to have enough time for consideration of it.
CHAIR GIESSEL responded that it goes to the Finance
Committee next.
SENATOR FRENCH withdrew his objection.
4:19:22 PM
MR. MAISCH said he supported the conceptual amendment
and that its language is currently in AS 41.17.400 (e)
for the Tanana Valley State Forest.
SENATOR BISHOP said that should go a long way to make
the Ruffed Grouse people, who would hunt grouse there,
a lot happier.
MR. MAISCH said he hoped so, too; they are serious
about habitat and forest management that really go
hand-in-hand.
CHAIR GIESSEL announced that Amendment 2 was adopted.
MR. MAISCH summarized that this is a statement about
long-term commitment and a sustainable resource that
can be managed to help Alaska's communities. It's about
the "the triple bottom line" of society, environment,
and the economy. When done right it can get good
results for the people of the state.
4:21:18 PM
SENATOR DYSON moved to report SB 28, version 28-
GS1741\A, as amended, from committee to the next
committee of referral with attached fiscal notes and
individual recommendations. There were no objections
and CSSB 28(RES) passed from the Senate Resources Standing
Committee.
4:21:50 PM
At ease from 4:21 to 4:23 p.m.
HB 161-AUCTIONS FOR BIG GAME HARVEST PERMITS
4:23:32 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL announced HB 161 to be up for
consideration.
4:23:43 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN GATTIS, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of HB 161, said the bill
updates the governor's license program. This is an
economic process for the Alaska Department of Fish and
Game (ADF&G) to generate funds for management of the
state's wildlife resources. The department may donate
permits to non-profit organizations that are
incorporated in Alaska to hold big game permit auctions
or raffles. The sale of relatively few permits can
generate a large amount of money to fund the
department's conservation and protection efforts.
She explained that the governor's license program was
created in 1997 and since 2009 it has generated over
$450,000 to the Fish and Game Fund. The department can
issue up to 40 permits under HB 161; statute currently
allows up to 19 permits. Putting the numbers in
perspective, the department is issuing over 4,000
permits for big game species for 2014/15, and
historically around half of the available permits are
issued and of that half, 46 percent are utilized in a
hunt. This means that around 25 percent of the total
permits issued were actually used.
HB 161 has two sections that list permits available for
donation for raffle or auction just like the current
statute does: section 1 gives 100 percent of the
proceeds to a non-profit under the stipulation that
they use the generated funds to promote education in
outdoor traditions. This section permits up to 4 Etolin
Island elk, 1 bison, and 1 Dall sheep. The elk and the
bison are in statute already; the sheep permit is 1
additional under this bill.
Section 2 of the bill has permits for 2 Dall sheep and
two bison. These are already in statute. HB 161
increases the number of permits from 2 to 4 for musk
ox, brown or grizzly bear, moose, caribou, and wolf,
and adds 4 permits each for black bear, goat, and elk.
It also increases the percentage of revenues a non-
profit can keep from 10 percent to 30 percent. This is
necessary to incentivize groups to participate. The
entirety of the money that goes to the non-profit has
to be spent on outdoor education and conservation
projects in a manner approved by the department.
REPRESENTATIVE GATTIS explained that at 10 percent some
of the raffling groups were leaving permits on the
table and said that there was a certain cost to doing
business and if they could get 30 percent to do what
they would like to do under the department rules that
would make more sense. As the program is written now,
the group retains 10 percent of the proceeds and they
can spend it any way they want so long as it isn't for
political gain, which means that it can't be used for
referendums, initiatives, or to give to any candidate
to run.
With HB 161, a group actually retains 0 percent of the
proceeds and it is required to spend the entirety on
department-approved programs. Permits occupied by the
governor's license program are taken out of the draw
hunt. The program does not take permits directly from
Alaskan hunters. She explained that when a resident
hunter enters into the drawing for most hunts that
person has the same chance of winning a permit as a
non-resident hunter. Further, she said, this bill does
not allow for out-of-season special hunts in closed
areas and it does not allow for helicopters and other
advantages to be used in tracking and hunting or
transporting big game. If a permit is donated to a non-
profit under this program and the permit does not sell,
it is reentered into the drawing pool or, if it's late
in the season, sold over the counter. These sales are
mainly to resident hunters.
REPRESENTATIVE GATTIS said she and her staff have
worked closely with the department as well as a large
number of sporting groups to create the bill to benefit
hunters and to ensure that the department has continued
funding to manage this valuable resource well into the
future.
CHAIR GIESSEL asked if her staff had anything to add.
4:29:47 PM
REID HARRIS, Staff to Representative Gattis, Alaska
State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, answered no.
4:29:56 PM
DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Director, Division of Wildlife
Conservation, Department of Natural Resources (DNR),
explained that HB 161 is an attempt to manage the
governor's tag program in a more efficient and
effective manner. Basically, they realized that if they
give a greater percentage of these program receipts
from the governor's tag program to a private non-profit
to keep, the hope is that a rising tide will lift all
ships including the contribution back to the
department. But most importantly, it forms really
foundational partnerships with the conservation
community in that they get to keep 30 percent of the
proceeds, which is focused on providing conservation
education programs that ensures a future foundation of
hunters and fishers across the state. They have to do
those projects in partnership with the department's
approval. Overall, this program would benefit the
department and the conservation community by ensuring
there is a steady source of funding for outdoor
education and conservation programs.
4:31:22 PM
SENATOR BISHOP asked if helicopters are going to be
allowed for harvest of sheep.
MR. VINCNENT-LANG answered no; the intention is to
basically put the same conditions as the Board of Game
puts on these hunts for these species in those areas.
4:32:24 PM
FORMER-SENATOR CON BUNDE, representing himself,
Anchorage, Alaska, supported HB 161. He related that he
was the original author of the governor's TAGS bill. He
had the good fortune of knowing some hunting
"philanthropists" who return substantial financial
support to the sport, and the TAGS program was a
vehicle to do that. It met some resistance, but has
been generally accepted as a good idea and it has
worked very well in other states. But like all
legislation, after some trial and error and time it can
stand some tweaking and he supported that and HB 161.
He said the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
and its management of the state's hunting opportunities
are supported by license fees and various taxes.
Expanding TAGS in this manner will provide needed
support for the ADF&G. He was personally aware that the
original proposal to give 10 percent to these non-
profits that promote outdoor education was not adequate
to meet their cost of doing business and have enough
left over to have any significant impact on their
program.
4:36:28 PM
BRIAN JUDY, Alaska State Liaison, National Rifle
Association (NRA), Sacramento, California, supported HB
161. It is a win-win for Alaska non-profits and Alaska
sportsmen and women. It increases from 19 to 42 the
number of permits available for auction, which should
generate more money for department and non-profits to
use for education in outdoor traditions and
conservation, and wildlife protection programs in
partnership with the department. This bill won't
benefit NRA, but it could potentially benefit the
Friends of the NRA non-profit program. Examples of some
of the programs that have received their money in past
are the Used Shotgun League, Small Game Hunting
Clinics, Scholastic Clay Target Program, the Women on
Target Program, the Youth Education Summit, and the
Becoming an Outdoors Woman Program.
4:38:45 PM
ELAINA SPRAKER, Clinic Director, Kenai Peninsula Women
on Target/Teens on Target, Kenai, Alaska, supported HB
161. She said their program started about six years ago
when they took 8-10 teenage girls and trained them in
firearms which included shotgun, pistol and rifle. From
there, the mothers wanted to also learn firearm
training and that is what inspired the Women on Target
Program, which is in its fourth year. She related the
successes of clinic activities. She supported HB 161
because it will make these programs doable. Women are
charged $35 to join these clinics and they will shoot
up to $900 worth of ammo per clinic.
SENATOR MICCICHE thanked her for all the program did
for his 18 year old.
4:41:38 PM
MIKE CRAWFORD, President, Alaska Kenai Peninsula
Chapter of Safari Club International, Soldotna, Alaska,
supported HB 161. He said of the Club has 200 chapters
worldwide and two of them are in Alaska. He related
that these two are both award-winning and are
considered leaders. He said the national part of Safari
Club International spent over $1 million in last year's
ADF&G projects that included Kenai moose research,
chronic wasting disease on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Brown
Bear studies, and the reintroduction of the wood bison.
Some of the things they have supported are the Alaska
Outdoor Heritage Foundation, National Archery in the
Schools Program, the Women on Target and Teens on
Target, and other youth-shooting sports. They also give
a $4,000 college scholarship each year. They have a
very successful and popular women's and kid's pheasant
hunt every fall where sportsmanship and gun safety is
taught.
MR. CRAWFORD said they are good at raising funds to
fulfill their mission and understand the need for funds
for conservation of our wildlife. They are not being
greedy but want to further conservation of wildlife
working with ADF&G on their projects.
MR. CRAWFORD said that recently a Tok sheep tag sold
for over $160,000; these funds will go a long way for
ADF&G. This bill will not eliminate other organizations
that now qualify to get these tags.
4:44:12 PM
MIKE TINKER, Alaska Wildlife Conservation Association,
Fairbanks, Alaska, supported HB 161. He related their
fish and wildlife conservation issues saying that some
of their products resulted in the passage of Alaska's
intensive management law that got Alaskans out of the
competition business for the last moose and into
producing more wildlife for their use, and most
recently a clarification on the use of the referendum
process for allocation where they hope to get the state
out of wolf and anti-hunting type of referendums.
MR. TINKER said the Association also fights some of the
battles that government cannot fight from the
standpoint of anti-hunters who use Alaska management
principles to raise money for their various causes.
They do not have any problem with the concept of
raising more money for the ADF&G or for spending in
some of the ways this proposal focuses on.
Attracting people by offering them more money is a
pipedream, he said, and money earmarked for education
programs can't be matched by the federal Robertson
Pitman Funds. So, that might not be getting to the
desired intent of putting money where the department
would like it to go next. A consistent approach to fund
raising for the department needs to be worked on by the
department, the boards, the public and the legislature.
MR. TINKER said he hears the legislature voicing
support for additional funds for the ADF&G, but they
are a little concerned when the department says this
program won't cost anything. Putting these agreements
together will have administrative and management costs.
So, the cost of HB 161 is not zero. He urged caution
and having at least another hearing for more input.
In the sectional analysis, Mr. Tinker said number 4
says "the donation program will be healthier as its
appeal has been broadened," but he doubted that
offering 42 permits versus 19 would broaden appeal.
4:51:02 PM
SENATOR BISHOP asked for his written comments to be
forwarded to the committee.
MR. TINKER said he would be glad to prepare those
comments.
4:52:02 PM
DANA FALLUCCA-LINGOFELT, member, Board of Directors,
Outdoor Heritage Foundation, Anchorage, Alaska,
supported HB 161. It is an important component in
funding outdoor education opportunities for Alaskans.
Funds generated from the governor's license proceeds
will directly provide opportunities to more Alaskans to
become educated ethical users of the state's natural
resources.
She had participated in the Becoming an Outdoor Woman's
(BOW) workshop, hunter information and training
clinics, and had earned her hunter education mother
loader certifications through the ADF&G. She said the
department's program sponsored in conjunction with
organizations such as the Ruffed Grouse Society, Rocky
Mountain Elk Foundation, Alaska Bow Hunters
Association, Safari Club, National Rifle Association
(NRA), and the Outdoor Heritage Foundation have
provided ladies liker her the knowledge and the
confidence to spot and stalk big game, fly fish in the
best rivers on Earth, shoot proficiently with a variety
of firearms and archery equipment, survive out in the
Alaskan wilderness, the skills to field dress and care
for her own animals, and how to cook it up on a
campfire built by her.
In addition to developing a deep appreciation for the
science and biologists that keep it all in balance, as
a result of these programs she said she had become a
purchaser of fishing, trapping, and hunting licenses
and tags, all of which contribute to revenues to the
ADF&G. She had personally contributed over $47,000 to
the Alaskan economy since taking her first BOW workshop
in 2004.
Countless women have told her that these programs have
changed their lives. Many use their education and
skills to teach their own sons and daughters the joys
of outdoor pursuits. She volunteers to teach outdoor
skills at the workshops. Alaskan educational
opportunities supported by the Governor's license
proceeds would include outdoor use camps in Fairbanks
and Anchorage, the National Archery in the Schools
Program statewide, Becoming an Outdoor Woman, and
fishing clinics for ladies and families, small and big
game hunting clinics, and additional certification
programs to address Alaskan hunters' needs. She
believes that outdoor education produces caring,
conservationists and responsible users of Alaskan
resources ensuring everyone's enjoyment for generations
to come.
4:55:00 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL stated that she would hold HB 161 in
committee and keep public testimony open.
4:55:53 PM
At ease from 4:55 to 4:56 p.m.
4:57:09 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL adjourned the Senate Resources Standing
Committee meeting at 4:57 p.m.