05/06/2025 01:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

        HB  79-NAMING VIC FISCHER SHOUP BAY MARINE PARK                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:10:03 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE CHAIR DUNBAR reconvened the meeting and announced the                                                                      
consideration of HOUSE BILL NO. 79 "An Act naming the Vic                                                                       
Fischer Shoup Bay State Marine Park."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:10:24 PM                                                                                                                    
COURTNEY OWEN, Staff, Representative Zack Fields, Alaska State                                                                  
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, delivered a presentation titled HB
: Vic Fischer Shoup Bay State Marine Park.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:10:43 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. OWEN moved to slide 1, Vic Fischer Shoup Bay State Marine                                                                   
Park:                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
            Vic Fischer Shoup Bay State Marine Park                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     In 1983,  Vic Fischer's SB  128 passed establishing  the                                                                   
     first 13 State  Marine Parks, including Shoup  Bay State                                                                   
     Marine Park.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     There  are currently  49 State  Marine  Parks in  Alaska                                                                   
     that  were established  to  maintain natural,  cultural,                                                                   
     and   scenic   values;  maintain   fish   and   wildlife                                                                   
     resources and  lawful existing uses of  these resources;                                                                   
     promote  and  support  recreation  and  tourism  in  the                                                                   
     state.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     HB  79 would Shoup  Bay State  Marine Park  to the  "Vic                                                                   
     Fischer  Shoup Bay State  Marine Park"  in honor  of Vic                                                                   
     Fischer and his contributions to the State of Alaska.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:11:13 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. OWEN moved to slide 2, Vic Fischer Shoup Bay State Marine                                                                   
Park:                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                     Vic Fischer's Service                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Vic Fischer  had a long and accomplished  career serving                                                                   
     the people of Alaska.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     •  In 1955 he was  elected to the Alaska  Constitutional                                                                   
        Convention and was an original signatory of the                                                                         
        first State Constitution.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     •  In 1962, Vic was appointed director  of the Office of                                                                   
        Metropolitan Development in the Housing and Home                                                                        
        Finance Agency.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     •  In 1966 he became  the director of the  University of                                                                   
        Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research                                                                        
        (ISER).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     •  In 1980, Vic Fischer was elected as  a Senator in the                                                                   
        Alaska Legislature where he served until 1986.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:11:34 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. OWEN moved to slide 3, Vic Fischer's Involvement in Valdez:                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
              Vic Fischer's Involvement in Valdez                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Immediately following  the 1964 earthquake,  Vic Fischer                                                                   
     was  part of  a  delegation  of Alaskans  in  Washington                                                                   
     D.C.  that secured  a flight  on Air Force  One back  to                                                                   
     Alaska  to survey  the damage.  He  was instrumental  in                                                                   
     communicating  the damage the  earthquake has caused  to                                                                   
     Alaska and  advocating for  federal funding to  rebuild,                                                                   
     especially  in   Valdez  where  the   earthquake-induced                                                                   
     tsunami had been particularly destructive.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     As  a city planner  and a  director at  the Housing  and                                                                   
     Home   Finance  Agency,  Vic   Fischer's  advocacy   was                                                                   
     crucial  in rebuilding  the town of  Valdez quickly  and                                                                   
     efficiently.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Photo: Valdez after the 1964 earthquake                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:11:52 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. OWEN moved to slide 4, Establishing the State Marine Parks:                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
              Establishing the State Marine Parks                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     On February  16th, 1983, Vic Fischer introduced  SB 128,                                                                   
     a  bill to  create the  State Marine  Park System.  This                                                                   
     bill also  added 13  new State  Marine Parks to  protect                                                                   
     them for future generations.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "It    was   a    marvelous    idea,"   Fischer    said.                                                                   
     "Subsequently,  I  kayaked  right  into  some  of  those                                                                   
     places that we  helped create and I said,  'wow, we have                                                                   
     preserved  this for  recreation.'  That is  such a  good                                                                   
     thing.  It's  great  to know  that  somebody  can  kayak                                                                   
     through  the  inland  waters,   through  Prince  William                                                                   
     Sound, and know  that there are state parks;  that there                                                                   
     is  a good,  secure, safe  place  to camp  out, to  come                                                                   
     ashore or  even if you're with  a boat, a safe  place to                                                                   
     anchor."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     "It's  good  from  a recreation  standpoint  and  as  an                                                                   
     Alaskan to know there are these protected areas."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     SB  128  was  signed  into  law on  July  15,  1983,  by                                                                   
     Governor Sheffield.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Above:  Vic  and  Ruthie  Fischer   kayaking  at  Aialik                                                                   
     Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park 1985                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:12:32 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DUNBAR commented  that, while he knew Mr.  Fischer, he was                                                              
not aware  of Mr.  Fischer's connection  to Alaska's State  Marine                                                              
Parks. He  said he is  working with the  Board of Regents  and the                                                              
director  of  the  Institute  for  Social  and  Economic  Research                                                              
(ISER) to  rename ISER the Vic  Fischer Institute. He  stated that                                                              
Mr. Fischer is a seminal figure in Alaska's history.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:13:51 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE  CHAIR  DUNBAR opened  public  testimony  on HB  79;  finding                                                              
none, he closed public testimony.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:14:10 PM                                                                                                                    
MS. OWEN thanked the committee.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:14:18 PM                                                                                                                    
VICE CHAIR DUNBAR held HB 79 in committee.