00CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 250(FIN)                                                                                       
01 "An Act relating to management of game and to the duties of the commissioner                                            
02 of fish and game."                                                                                                      
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04    * Section 1.  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.  The legislature finds that providing for high                                 
05 levels of harvest for human consumptive use, consistent with the sustained yield principle, is                          
06 the highest and best use of big game prey populations in most areas of the state and that big                           
07 game prey populations should be biologically managed for abundance.                                                     
08    * Sec. 2.  AS 16.05.255(g)(2) is amended to read:                                                                  
09   (2) "intensive management" means management of an identified big                                                     
10 game prey population  for sustained yield through active management measures  to                                      
11 enhance, extend, and develop the population to maintain high levels or provide for                                      
12 higher levels of human harvest, including control of predation and prescribed or                                        
13 planned use of fire and other habitat improvement techniques.                                                           
14    * Sec. 3.  AS 16.05.255(g) is amended by adding new paragraphs to read:                                            

01   (3)  "harvestable surplus" means the number of animals that is estimated                                             
02 to equal the number of offspring born in a game population during a year less                                           
03 population enhancement, when necessary, and the number of animals in the population                                     
04 that die from all causes, other than predation or human harvest, during that year;                                      
05   (4)  "high level of human harvest" means the opportunity with a high                                                 
06 probability of success for humans to harvest at least one-quarter of the harvestable                                    
07 surplus of a game population;                                                                                           
08   (5)  "sustained yield" means the achievement and maintenance in                                                      
09 perpetuity of a high level of human harvest of game, other than mammalian predators,                                    
10 on an annual or periodic basis.                                                                                         
11    * Sec. 4.  AS 16.05.255 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:                                             
12  (h)  The Board of Game shall establish population and harvest goals and                                               
13 seasons to manage identified big game prey populations to achieve a high level of                                       
14 human harvest.                                                                                                          
15    * Sec. 5.  AS 16.05.270 is amended to read:                                                                        
16  Sec. 16.05.270.  Delegation of authority to commissioner.   (a)   For the                                           
17 purpose of administering AS 16.05.251 and 16.05.255, each board may delegate                                            
18 authority to the commissioner to act  on  [IN] its behalf.                                                            
19   (b)  If a board delegates authority to the commissioner to act on its behalf,                                       
20 the commissioner shall cooperate with and assist the board by implementing                                              
21 regulations, management plans, and other management programs as requested by                                            
22 the board.                                                                                                             
23   (c)   If there is a conflict between the board and the commissioner on proposed                                    
24 regulations, public hearings shall be held concerning the issues in question.  If, after                                
25 the public hearings, the board and the commissioner continue to disagree, the issue                                     
26 shall be certified in writing by the board and the commissioner to the governor ,   who                               
27 shall make a decision.  The decision of the governor is final.