03/18/2013 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

                 HB 158-DNR HUNTING CONCESSIONS                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:03:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FEIGE announced  that the first order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE  BILL NO. 158,  "An Act authorizing the  commissioner of                                                               
natural  resources  to  implement   a  hunting  guide  concession                                                               
program or  otherwise limit the number  of individuals authorized                                                               
to conduct big game commercial guiding on state land."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:04:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ROGER SKOGEN stated he is  a 38-year resident of Koliganek, which                                                               
is located  70 air miles  northeast of Dillingham in  the Bristol                                                               
Bay area  in Game  Management Unit (GMU)  17B.  He  said he  is a                                                               
resident  hunter and  subsistence  user,  but not  a  guide.   He                                                               
testified in support of HB 158  or something similar to limit the                                                               
number  of outfitters  in the  area.   Prior to  1988, one  guide                                                               
operated in an  exclusive guide area on the  upper Nushagak River                                                               
area.   This  guide  managed  the guide  area  and protected  the                                                               
wildlife resource,  such that if he  took a few moose  out of one                                                               
spot, he  would move to another  spot the next year  to allow the                                                               
population  to  rebound.   He  described  the  wildlife  resource                                                               
providing  an abundance  of moose,  caribou, and  black bear  for                                                               
local  resident  hunters, as  well  as  for  the outfitter.    He                                                               
highlighted that  local residents  use the  local game  for their                                                               
[food sources].                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. SKOGEN  said that  in 1988 under  the Alaska  Supreme Court's                                                               
Oswichek  decision, state  land  was opened  up  to an  unlimited                                                             
number  of guides  including the  Nushagak River,  with each  one                                                               
competing with the  other guides and local  residents for limited                                                               
wildlife  resource.   In  1997,  at  the  peak of  the  Mulchatna                                                               
caribou  herd,  as many  as  12  outfitter camps  were  scattered                                                               
within  a  10-mile stretch  of  river  from  King Salmon  to  the                                                               
[Chulitna] River.  He described  the hunting as being totally out                                                               
of control.  Actually, little  or no self-management happened due                                                               
to the competition for the resources.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:05:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. SKOGEN  recalled that one  outfitter took 25 moose  two years                                                               
in a row  out of one area.   Once the area was  depleted he moved                                                               
on  to another  area.   As  a result,  the moose  and black  bear                                                               
populations were  harvested to  a critical low  and have  not yet                                                               
recovered.   This represents  a major  concern to  local resident                                                               
hunters  who  depend  on  the   resource  for  their  livelihood.                                                               
Further,  it creates  problems for  guides  who do  not have  the                                                               
quality hunts due to the high traffic.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SKOGEN  said  he  would  like to  see  guiding  returned  to                                                               
something similar  to the  exclusive guide  areas prior  to 1988.                                                               
He suggested  it would result  in fewer game  management problems                                                               
and would  maintain an  abundance of  wildlife resources  for all                                                               
the parties involved.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SKOGEN   said  HB  158   does  not  address  the   issue  of                                                               
transporters, but this issue needs  to be addressed.  He recalled                                                               
that in 1997  to 2000s, transporters created a  huge problem with                                                               
thousands of drop-off hunters flooding  the area near the caribou                                                               
herd,  which nearly  decimated the  Mulchatna caribou  herd.   He                                                               
reiterated his support for HB 158.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:07:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
NICK  JOHNSON  offered  his  support  of  HB  158  because  local                                                               
subsistence hunters  have difficulty  competing with guides.   He                                                               
highlighted that  the guides hunt  in the  [Nushagak], Mulchatna,                                                               
and Nuyakuk  Rivers.  In  closing, he  said it is  very difficult                                                               
for local residents.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:09:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ROBERT "BOBBY" LARSON,  Sr. stated he is  a resident, subsistence                                                               
hunter  and  this  bill  would better  manage  the  resources  to                                                               
sustain the area.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:09:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FEIGE closed public testimony on HB 158.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
[HB 158 was held over.]