1998-07-15                     Senate Journal                      Page 4278
SB 250                                                                       
Message dated June 5 and received June 7, stating:                             
                                                                               
Dear President Miller:                                                         
                                                                               
Under the authority of art. II, sec. 15 of the Alaska Constitution, I          
am allowing the following bill to become law without my signature:             
                                                                               
HOUSE CS FOR CS FOR SENATE BILL NO.                                           
250(FIN) An Act relating to management of game,                                
to the fish and game fund and federal aid for                                  
restoration of wildlife and fish, and to the duties of                         
the commissioner of fish and game; and providing                               
for an effective date.                                                         
                                                                               
		Chapter 76, SLA 1998                                                         
		Effective Date: 7/1/99                                                       
                                                                               
The bill is unnecessary. The Board of Game has devoted a great deal            
of effort toward clarifying and implementing the intensive                     
management law previously adopted by the Legislature. The board,               
with input from Alaska citizens and Alaska's wildlife management               
experts, has long been recognized as the best entity to deal with              
specific management concerns and plans, and the board's case-by-               
case planning approach is more appropriate than the type of changes            
implied by this bill.                                                          

1998-07-15                     Senate Journal                      Page 4279
SB 250                                                                       
While the definitions, the over-emphasis on predatory control, and             
the disregard for non-game species all present problems for sound              
wildlife management, these provisions represent more a philosophical           
orientation rather than new prescriptive management mandates. The              
bill adds little to existing laws that already require intensive game          
management in certain circumstances. It is the Administration's                
reading of the bill that the Board of Game, acting on departmental             
information and advice, will retain ultimate authority for making              
management decisions which are in accord with sound science and                
the large body of current law governing fish and wildlife                      
management.                                                                    
                                                                               
For these reasons I have allowed the bill to become law without my             
signature.                                                                     
                                                                               
						Sincerely,                                                               
						/s/                                                                      
						Tony Knowles                                                             
						Governor