03/18/2010 10:15 AM House FISHERIES

                HB 246-SPORT FISH GUIDE LICENSES                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
10:35:36 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR EDGMON announced that the  final order of business would be                                                               
HOUSE  BILL  NO.  246  "An  Act relating  to  the  licensing  and                                                               
regulation of  sport fishing operators  and sport  fishing guides                                                               
and  licensing and  registration  of sport  fishing vessels;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
10:36:14 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  EDGMON reminded  the committee  that public  testimony was                                                               
closed  at the  previous hearing.   He  invited closing  comments                                                               
from  the   bill  sponsor  regarding   his  intent   for  pending                                                               
amendments.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:36:56 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  MARK NEUMAN,  Alaska State  Legislature, speaking                                                               
as  the  sponsor, stated  his  intent  to address  the  amendment                                                               
regarding  the  sunset clause  date  before  the House  Resources                                                               
Standing Committee.   He reviewed the process that  began one and                                                               
one-half  years ago  with the  department's advisory  committee's                                                               
efforts to determine  how the residents of Alaska  want to manage                                                               
their  resources.    Concerns raised  by  residents  include  the                                                               
difficulty  in  completing  the surveys  in  the  field-hopefully                                                               
electronic scanning will  help with this-and he  pointed out that                                                               
this  information  is important  to  the  Board of  Fisheries  to                                                               
continue  to  improve  the  science of  tracking  fish,  and  the                                                               
allocation  and  management  of   fish.    Representative  Neuman                                                               
concluded that information collected by the guides is critical.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
10:39:30 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BUCH observed  the  only opposition  to the  bill                                                               
centers on the $50 additional charge.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN  clarified that the sport  fishing business                                                               
owner  fee  is  $100,  and  he said,  "Do  I  think  that  that's                                                               
appropriate?  No, I don't."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
10:40:42 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH  asked whether that issue  would be addressed                                                               
by the next committee.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN  advised that the House  Resources Standing                                                               
Committee will review this issue;  however, the industry is using                                                               
Alaskan resources, and funds are  needed to manage this resource.                                                               
With  declining oil  revenue,  programs must  be  funded by  user                                                               
fees, or other ways, in order to obtain the needed data.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
10:42:02 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BUCH  stated his  support for the  legislation; in                                                               
fact,  other  groups have  taxed  themselves  and contributed  to                                                               
their industries.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
10:43:55 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER  moved to  report HB 246,  26-LS0929\A, out                                                               
of   committee   with    individual   recommendations   and   the                                                               
accompanying fiscal notes.  There  being no objection, HB 246 was                                                               
reported out of the House Special Committee on Fisheries.