02/12/2020 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

        HB 122-FUNTER BAY MARINE PARK: UNANGAN CEMETERY                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:32:53 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MICCICHE announced  that the final order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO.  122 am,  "An Act relating  to the  Funter Bay                                                               
marine  park  unit   of  the  state  park   system;  relating  to                                                               
protection  of  the social  and  historical  significance of  the                                                               
Unangax  cemetery located  in Funter  Bay and  providing for  the                                                               
amendment of the  management plan for the Funter  Bay marine park                                                               
unit; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:33:25 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  SARA HANNAN,  Alaska  State Legislature,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska,  sponsor of  HB 122,  said Ms.  Meachum will  present the                                                               
bill to committee members.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:33:43 PM                                                                                                                    
HUNTER MEACHUM,  Staff, Representative Sara Hannan,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau,   Alaska,  explained  that  HB   122  would                                                               
transfer land from the Division of  Mining, Land and Water to the                                                               
Division of  Parks & Outdoor  Recreation for land  management and                                                               
protection of  the Unangax cemetery  in Funter Bay.  She detailed                                                               
that the  Unangax cemetery has  30-marked graves and a  number of                                                               
unknown grave sites.  She noted that there is  no additional cost                                                               
to the state from the bill.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:34:46 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MICCICHE opened public testimony.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
He noted that many entities  have submitted letters in support of                                                               
the bill. He said  HB 122 is a very important  bill and he looked                                                               
forward to hearing public testimony.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
4:35:18 PM                                                                                                                    
RICHARD  ZACHAROF, representing  self, St.  Paul Island,  Alaska,                                                               
testified  in  support of  HB  122.  He  said he  represents  the                                                               
communities  of  St.  Paul  Island  and  St.  George  Island.  He                                                               
detailed  that  he  is  a  tribal council  member  and  a  tribal                                                               
corporation  representative. He  noted that  representatives from                                                               
the Pribilof Islands were in attendance.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
He disclosed  that 10  percent of  the Unangax  population passed                                                               
away at Funter  Bay. He said the legislation is  important to the                                                               
Pribilof  Island communities  for protecting  and preserving  the                                                               
burial site  of loved  ones and family  members that  perished at                                                               
Funter Bay.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:36:49 PM                                                                                                                    
NIKO  SANGUINETTI,  Curator  of Collections  &  Exhibits,  Juneau                                                               
Douglas City Museum,  Juneau, Alaska, testified in  support of HB
. She  said she has  been working with  a group in  Juneau and                                                               
various community  members from St.  Paul and St. George  to work                                                               
on not  only HB 122,  but added recognition regarding  the Funter                                                               
Bay internment camps  as well. She noted that the  museum will do                                                               
its  largest exhibit  of  the  year on  the  internment camps  to                                                               
address a very  important part of Alaska's history.  She said the                                                               
resources around the  cemetery will preserve the  site, provide a                                                               
buffer zone, and limit more destruction in the future.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:38:46 PM                                                                                                                    
JOEL  BENNETT, representing  self, Juneau,  Alaska, testified  in                                                               
support of  HB 122. He disclosed  that he is a  property owner in                                                               
Funter Bay  and his three-acre  site abuts the  Unangax cemetery.                                                               
He  said he  has owned  his  property for  over 30  years and  is                                                               
intimately familiar  with the area  around the cemetery.  He said                                                               
it is  essentially low-quality timber with  no mining development                                                               
since  the  1930s.   He  added  that  the   U.S.  Forest  Service                                                               
designated that  area as  remote recreation  and there  has never                                                               
been consideration for resource development for timber harvest.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
He  summarized that  from a  perspective of  perhaps the  closest                                                               
landowner to the  cemetery, there is not a conflict.  He said the                                                               
bill is  a great  step forward  to recognize  the sad  history as                                                               
well  as  the  significance  of the  graveyard  to  the  Pribilof                                                               
people.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MICCICHE remarked  that his initial concerns  with the bill                                                               
pertained to transferring the surrounding  property into the park                                                               
area. He  noted that his  responsibility is to ask  questions for                                                               
all Alaskans, not just those at Admiralty Island. He said he is                                                                 
no longer concerned about transferring the land and is convinced                                                                
that the bill is the right move.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:42:38 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE closed public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:43:03 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KIEHL moved to report HB 122 am, work order 31-                                                                         
LS0637\U.A, from committee with individual recommendations and                                                                  
attached zero fiscal note.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:43:18 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MICCICHE said there being no objection, HB 122 am moved                                                                   
from the Senate Resources Standing Committee.