02/07/2020 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

        HB 230-INTENSIVE MGMT SURCHARGE/REPEAL TERM DATE                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:06:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LINCOLN announced  the final order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 230, "An  Act repealing the termination  date for                                                               
the intensive management hunting license surcharge."                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  LINCOLN directed  attention to  documents found  in the                                                               
committee  packet  including  letters of  support  from  Resident                                                               
Hunters   of  Alaska   and   the   Alaska  Professional   Hunters                                                               
Association,  and  a  pie  chart  provided  by  the  Division  of                                                               
Wildlife  Conservation,  Alaska  Department   of  Fish  and  Game                                                               
(ADFG),  that  illustrated  the   distribution  of  spending  [on                                                               
intensive  management activities]  in fiscal  year 2019  (FY 19),                                                               
dated 2/6/20.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS  directed attention to the  pie chart that                                                               
indicated 1 percent  of the $3.4 million earned  by the surcharge                                                               
was spent  on predator control;  he asked  what the 1  percent is                                                               
being spent on  this year and for the historic  highs and lows of                                                               
predator control expenditures.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
2:07:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EDDIE  GRASSER,  Director,  Division  of  Wildlife  Conservation,                                                               
ADFG,  explained expenditures  for  predator  management are  not                                                               
very high  because most of the  funds are directed at  survey and                                                               
inventory  to determine  species'  population and  the amount  of                                                               
harvestable surplus.   To  reduce costs  in some  game management                                                               
units (GMUs),  ADFG uses private citizens  to facilitate predator                                                               
prey management  programs.   He opined 1  percent is  an accurate                                                               
average and offered  to provide further research  in this regard.                                                               
In further  response to Representative Hopkins,  he confirmed the                                                               
cost  for  survey  and  inventory is  included  in  research  and                                                               
management.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   HOPKINS   inquired   as   to   where   residents                                                               
participate in predator control.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER said GMUs 13, 20, and 19.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   HOPKINS  further   asked  whether   out-of-state                                                               
hunters participate in predator control programs.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GRASSER was  unsure  and offered  to  provide the  requested                                                               
information.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER  related funds requested by  the Division                                                               
of  Forestry, Department  of  Natural  Resources, for  prescribed                                                               
burns come  from the  [Federal Aid  in Wildlife  Restoration Act,                                                               
also known as the  Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program                                                               
(PR)].                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
2:11:42 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER  advised PR funds  require a  1:3 match of  state and                                                               
federal funds, thus  a portion of said funds  are state intensive                                                               
management funds.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR LINCOLN  clarified IM programs, through  the Division of                                                               
Wildlife  Conservation,  fund  Division  of  Forestry  controlled                                                               
burns, that  provide firebreaks to  protect from  wildland fires,                                                               
and also provide better habitat for game populations.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:12:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER said correct; in  fact, prescribed burns benefit many                                                               
animals and birds.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
2:13:07 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO moved  to report HB 230  out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.  There being no objection,  HB 230 was reported out of the                                                               
House Resources Standing Committee.