03/30/2011 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

             HB 173-SPORT FISHING GUIDING SERVICES                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:44:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  SEATON announced  that the  next order  of business  is                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO. 173, "An Act  amending the termination date of the                                                               
licensing of  sport fishing operators  and sport  fishing guides;                                                               
and providing for an effective date."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:44:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STEVE  THOMPSON, Alaska State  Legislature, stated                                                               
that HB  173 would  provide a one-year  extension of  an existing                                                               
program for  sport fishing  guides, fishing  operators' licensing                                                               
and log  book.  He  offered that  this program benefits  both the                                                               
state and industry.  The  program provides valuable economic data                                                               
on sport fishing industry and  critical harvest data for resource                                                               
managers and  also provides  recognition and  professionalism for                                                               
sport fish guides and operators.   This bill has a companion bill                                                               
in the  other body.  The  ADF&G supports the bill  in its current                                                               
form.   He  reiterated that  this bill  would provide  a one-year                                                               
extension of an  existing program that is good for  the state and                                                               
the industry.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:46:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHARLES SWANTON,  Director, Division of Sport  Fish (DSF), Alaska                                                               
Department of  Fish &  Game (ADFG), referred  to the  fiscal note                                                               
and  explained that  the change  would truncate  the fiscal  year                                                               
2013 to  reflect the  program's sunset date  of January  1, 2013.                                                               
The  problem  identified  at  the  last  hearing  indicated  that                                                               
although  the  program  operates  on a  fiscal  year  the  actual                                                               
program  begins  on  January  with the  issuance  of  log  books,                                                               
licensing, and updating information for the upcoming season.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:48:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  P.  WILSON offered  her  belief  that sport  fish                                                               
guiding  is needed.    She  inquired as  to  the  reason for  the                                                               
legislature taking this action for only one year at a time.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SEATON related  that over the interim a  panel will meet                                                               
to work  out details  on this program.   Additionally,  this bill                                                               
coincides with  a bill in  the other  body to avoid  a conference                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:49:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MUNOZ   said  she  hoped  the   task  force  will                                                               
recommend  extending this  program  beyond one  year because  she                                                               
thinks  it is  effective.   She  asked  about previous  testimony                                                               
about a duplication of data.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:50:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. SWANTON  answered that  the division  has three  primary data                                                               
collection  programs,   including  the   comprehensive  statewide                                                               
harvest survey  which has  been conducted  since 1977,  the creel                                                               
programs focused  on certain fisheries, and  the logbook program.                                                               
He pointed  out that  there is some  redundancy since  anyone who                                                               
buys a license  is eligible to receive a survey  so the chance of                                                               
someone  going  out  on  a  boat  receiving  a  survey  is  high.                                                               
Additionally,  some   redundancy  exists  since   the  department                                                               
compares  estimates using  data  from a  subset  of charter  boat                                                               
fishermen logbook  reports as  a verification  tool.   He offered                                                               
his  belief that  the  ADF&G's  methods as  well  as the  logbook                                                               
program provide more than adequate data.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:52:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAWASAKI  referred  to   the  fiscal  note  which                                                               
includes funds  from the sport  fish license sales.   He inquired                                                               
as to whether the sport fish license fee use is appropriate.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. SWANTON responded that the  program was originally instituted                                                               
in 2004.   At  that time  sport fish guiding  was voluntary.   As                                                               
soon  as  the program  had  fees  the ADF&G  saw  a  drop off  of                                                               
registered guides.   The fees  the department was  collecting did                                                               
not  cover  the   cost  of  the  entire  program   so  the  ADF&G                                                               
supplemented  the  program costs  from  license  fees, which  are                                                               
derived from  resident and  nonresident sport  fishing licensees.                                                               
He  offered his  belief the  source represents  a perfectly  fine                                                               
source of revenue to support this program.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:55:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAWASAKI  recalled  the original  program  sunset                                                               
date  was 2009,  based  on the  program  becoming digitized  with                                                               
fewer costs.   Costs have not  been reduced so he  inquired as to                                                               
whether progress has been made.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. SWANTON responded in 2011  the ADF&G reduced the logbook size                                                               
and instituted  scannable technology.   He reported that  some of                                                               
the "bugs"  still need to  be worked  out with the  new reporting                                                               
methods.   He  recalled any  pencil  marks that  fall inside  the                                                               
information box  negate or "kick  out" the data.   The department                                                               
has   been   working   to    address   the   technology   issues.                                                               
Additionally, the  department anticipates the  saltwater logbooks                                                               
will  tabulate  the timely  and  sensitive  data input  currently                                                               
required.  The cost savings are difficult to project.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:56:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON referred  to the fiscal note  label on page                                                               
one is different from the information on page two.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. SWANTON offered his belief that the label was a mistake.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:57:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SEATON asked for further clarification.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SWANTON  answered  that  the  information  should  read  3.7                                                               
fulltime positions  in 2012 and  2.1 in  2013.  He  explained the                                                               
division  took  a  percentage  calculation of  half  a  year  and                                                               
reduced the fulltime equivalents by that figure.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON said he is fine with that.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:58:57 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MUNOZ moved  to report  HB 173  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes. There  being no  objection, HB 173  was reported  from the                                                               
House Resources Standing Committee.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:59:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 1:59 p.m. to 2:08 p.m.