Legislature(2015 - 2016)BUTROVICH 205
04/13/2015 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB153 | |
| SB57 | |
| SB101 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| HB 100 | |||
| + | HB 41 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 153 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 57 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 101 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
HB 153-PALMER HAY FLATS GAME REFUGE
3:32:21 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL announced consideration of HB 153 [CSHB 153(RES),
version E, was before the committee].
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska,
as sponsor, introduced HB 153. He explained that it expands the
Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge, which was established in
1975, to basically encompass the deltas of the Matanuska and
Knik Rivers, Cottonwood Creek and Wasilla Creek, all areas that
had dropped two feet in the 1964 Earthquake. A lot of it was
uplands before it dropped and became salt water marshes. The
estuary is important for water fowl, and shorebirds; it also has
a lot of overwintering moose, because the browse is readily
available and the snow is not deep. It's a multi-use management
area managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
with a management plan. Common activities are bird hunting,
water fowl hunting, viewing at Reflection Lake, moose hunting,
trapping, bird dog training and sport fishing; the Machetanz
Elementary School is also located in the area and sent about 200
letters in support of the refuge expansion.
3:33:07 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE joined the committee.
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER said this bill came about because the
Board of Game passed a proposal recommending that the
legislature add state-owned lands to the refuge. The available
lands were traded to the state for the specific purpose of being
included in the refuge and have been managed as such. This
includes 2,900 acres that were acquired as far back as 1989.
He explained that motorized vehicles are allowed and the
management plan has conditions for things like snow machining
and designated trails for motorized four-wheelers because of
certain wetland areas.
3:36:00 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI joined the committee.
SENATOR COSTELLO moved to adopt the work draft SCS CSHB 153( ),
labeled 29-LS0653\N, as the working document.
CHAIR GIESSEL objected for discussion purposes.
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER said other lands were acquired that were
managed by DNR through an Interagency Land Management Assignment
Plan (ILMA) and displayed maps of the refuge and the parcels
being moved into it. He said the CS on page 3, lines 25 through
page 4, line 1, adds a legal description of the ILMA lands that
explicitly excludes the Railroad right-of-way from inclusion in
the refuge.
SENATOR MICCICHE said he saw letters of support only and asked
if there had been any opposition.
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER answered that HB 153 had received no
opposition and had reached out to sporting groups like Ducks
Unlimited, the Outdoor Council and some conservation groups.
3:41:37 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE remarked that the letters from the kids were
pretty incredible.
SENATOR COGHILL said there was a question on covenants and asked
what things were restricted on this particular refuge.
REPRESENTATIVE COLVER said he wasn't that well versed and that
the department could better address that.
3:42:49 PM
WYN MENEFEE, Chief of Operations, Division of Mining, Land and
Water, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Anchorage, Alaska,
answered that the ADF&G manages the refuge and the DNR co-
manages if there are certain types of easements for power lines
and such; those are allowed within the refuge.
3:43:25 PM
BRUCE DALEN, Acting Director, Division of Wildlife Conservation,
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), explained that when
property was acquired through Great Land Trust, Nature
Conservancy and others, the deeds had restrictions for refuge
purposes only. The management plan for the refuge that would
apply to these lands include snow machine use before the ground
is sufficiently frozen and there is sufficient snow for snow
machine use, a seasonal horsepower restriction for boats and a
restriction of 4-wheelers to trails.
SENATOR COGHILL said he was concerned that at one end they are
closer to the occupied areas and the other end is closer to
wilderness and asked if bow hunting was restricted.
MR. DALEN answered that the Palmer Wasilla management area,
which encompasses much of this area, is a weapons restricted
hunt, so large caliber rifles are not permitted, but that is not
specific to the refuge.
CHAIR GIESSEL removed her objection and said the Senate CS,
version N, is adopted. She opened public testimony.
3:45:49 PM
HERMAN GRIESE, Alaskans for Palmer Hay Flats Game Refuge,
Palmer, Alaska, supported HB 153. He was a Palmer wildlife
biologist while the conservation lands were being accumulated
but not being added to the refuge. The refuge had no manager
until the later part of the 1990s. They dealt with trash at all
the access sites; one was commonly referred to "Rambo Rest
Stop." Those sites required a tremendous amount of effort to
maintain cleanliness over the years, but in 2004 a group of
citizens called the Alaskans for Palmer Hay Flats Game Refuge
was formed to take that task on and became a 501 (c)(3) in 2006.
Their goal was to improve the access sites for cleanliness and
make them amenable to bringing school classes down for education
programs.
The Cottonwood Creek and Reflections Lake, Knik River (has boat
access) and Rabbit Slew are the primary access points to the
refuge. This bill would include those and a very important site
on the western side, the Cowboy Creek access. It would be good
to have entire tract in the refuge and the sponsor had worked
very hard to make sure it meets the requirements of the refuge.
3:50:31 PM
SENATOR STEDMAN joined the committee.
TOM ROTHE, representing himself, Eagle River, Alaska, supported
HB 153. He and his wife often use the Palmer Hay Flats Refuge
for hunting water fowl. He is the one who wrote a proposal to
the Board of Game (BOG) to amend the refuge boundaries to
redefine the legal area to include the new conservation lands
that were available to the state. He also worked for ADF&G for
25 years as a water fowl coordinator; part of his duties were to
manage wetland habitats useful for ducks and geese, including
the managing the State Duck Stamp Program, which provided some
funding as seed money to enhance management of places like
Palmer Hay Flats.
He emphasized that this is a win-win situation, because the
people who own this land ended up owning a lot of wetlands that
are unbuildable due to subsidence from the earthquake and
various other events that made the whole area wetlands. When
ADF&G partnered with other conservation groups and private
interests, it was an opportunity for non-governmental folks go
to those owners and offer them a fair value for their lands
along with some tax incentives. Ultimately, the various partners
brought over $1.5 million, mostly private dollars, to the table.
Conservation grants were used along with State Duck Stamp and
Sport Fishing Access funds as seed money to get these
transaction done. So, there was almost no cost to the state to
acquire these 3,000 or so acres. The ultimate winners are the
public who gets access where before it would have been
trespassing. They get fish and wildlife habitat, like wetlands
and shrub lands that are good for moose habitat, and streams
that are running with salmon.
3:54:26 PM
MR. ROTHE said he got into this ultimately, because he felt like
including these legally into the refuge really fulfilled
promises to all the partners that stepped up with money to
provide the public with these benefits.
He said these lands came to the state with covenants on them but
generally say these lands should be used for refuge purposes,
and they are subject to a really good comprehensive management
plan and a set of regulations to make sure the use is diverse
but reasonable.
CHAIR GIESSEL thanked him for his efforts and finding no further
comments, closed public testimony.
SENATOR STOLTZE said he appreciated Representative Colver's
efforts.
3:56:58 PM
SENATOR COSTELLO moved to report SCS CSHB 153(RES), version N,
from committee with individual recommendations and attached zero
fiscal note. There were no objections and it was so ordered.