03/17/2022 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

             HB 298-ALASKA FOOD STRATEGY TASK FORCE                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:06:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HANNAN announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 298,  "An  Act establishing  the Alaska  Food                                                               
Strategy Task Force; and providing for an effective date."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:07:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  LIZ SNYDER,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  prime                                                               
sponsor of  HB 298,  noted that  she had  received 22  letters of                                                               
support  for  the  proposed  legislation,  and  the  letters  are                                                               
available in the committee packet.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:07:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE  said he  would like  to see  more feedback                                                               
from farmers.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
8:08:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HANNAN  announced  the  committee  would  hear  invited                                                               
testimony.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:08:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ROBBI  MIXON, Executive  Director,  Alaska  Food Policy  Council,                                                               
gave an overview  of the goals of the Alaska  Food Policy Council                                                               
(AFPC).  She  talked about partnership grants  and the connection                                                               
of localized food systems, as well  as a systems approach to food                                                               
security planning  on the  local, borough,  and state  levels, to                                                               
leverage  assets.     She  remarked   on  turning   broad  policy                                                               
recommendations  into  tangible   policies  and  regulations  for                                                               
Alaska.  She  said AFPC could provide support for  the task force                                                               
proposed under HB  298 and has the  training to do so.   She said                                                               
she considers  HB 298 "a continuation  of the work ahead  of us,"                                                               
and said this  would be a long-term collective effort.   She said                                                               
there would  be stakeholder  input in  order to  achieve economic                                                               
independence and  self-sufficiency.  She remarked  that there are                                                               
tremendous challenges ahead, but AFPC  believes in the visions of                                                               
food security and is in full support of HB 298.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:13:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AMY SEITZ, Executive Director, Alaska  Farm Bureau; Chair, Alaska                                                               
Food Policy Council, stated that  both the Alaska Farm Bureau and                                                               
the AFPC believe  Alaska needs to build a  resilient food system,                                                               
which has been reliant on outside  sources and systems.  The food                                                               
supply chain has  been disrupted repeatedly.   She emphasized the                                                               
need for  collaboration in establishing  a secure food  system in                                                               
Alaska.   She  further emphasized  the importance  of a  reliable                                                               
transportation  system.   She  said  the  task force  established                                                               
under HB  298 would  bring together  experts from  various areas,                                                               
including involvement  of the  State of Alaska.   In  response to                                                               
Representative McCabe,  she indicated  she would make  sure there                                                               
would be  more input  from farmers.   In  response to  a question                                                               
from Representative  Prax, she offered information  regarding the                                                               
Fairbanks chapter of the Alaska Farm Bureau.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:21:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TIKAAN  GALBREATH,  Technical Assistant  Specialist,  Intertribal                                                               
Agricultural  Council,   gave  a   history  of   the  Intertribal                                                               
Agricultural  Council,  established in  1987,  and  its focus  on                                                               
conservation  development  and  agricultural resources  "for  the                                                               
betterment  of   our  people."     He  said  global   events  are                                                               
highlighting  the need  for local  food  sourcing.   He said  the                                                               
council invests its energy in an  array of diverse programs.  His                                                               
program  is funded  under  the National  Technical  Network.   He                                                               
described  Alaska's position  as  unique, as  in  many cases  the                                                               
state  does  not  have  existing infrastructure.    He  spoke  of                                                               
reducing  the global  carbon  footprint.   He  noted that  Alaska                                                               
Native  people hold  the most  land in  the state,  and he  spoke                                                               
about  subsistence  and  sharing  of resources.    He  asked  the                                                               
committee to consider  whether they would want to  live in Alaska                                                               
if  all  its  food  resources disappeared.    He  encouraged  the                                                               
legislature to support  those resources, and he said HB  298 is a                                                               
meaningful step in doing so.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:27:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. GALBREATH,  in response to  comment by  Representative McCabe                                                               
regarding  old  ways  of  food   storage,  agreed  regarding  the                                                               
importance  of   looking  to   traditional  methods   in  finding                                                               
solutions to the global challenges being faced.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
8:29:55 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HANNAN opened public testimony on HB 298.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
8:30:18 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SHARON STEVENS GANSER,  He Will Provide Food  Pantry, spoke about                                                               
the work  of the food  pantry and  food insecurity in  Seward and                                                               
statewide.  She  asked the committee to  consider "developing" HB
   the  task force.  In response to  Co-Chair Hannan, she said                                                               
there were  336 people who  used the  food pantry last  year, "so                                                               
throughout  the year  that  counted as  2,800  households."   She                                                               
explained that meant the 336 people  came back to the food pantry                                                               
several  times.   In  response  to  Representative Drummond,  she                                                               
clarified that point.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:33:11 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RACHAEL MILLER,  Member, Alaska Food  Policy Council  Board, said                                                               
she  is also  a  professor  at Alaska  Pacific  University.   She                                                               
posited  that  investing  in  food security  is  not  only  about                                                               
scarcity but also about opportunity  and leadership in the north.                                                               
She talked  about presenting to  the Alaska Food and  Farm Caucus                                                               
back  to   back  with  Governor   Mike  Dunleavy's   issuance  of                                                               
Administrative Order 331.   She called food  a bi-partisan topic.                                                               
She talked about reports that exist  and the issue of how federal                                                               
dollars are  leveraged for Alaska.   She offered her  belief that                                                               
HB 298 is  an inclusive and timely bill, which  she supports as a                                                               
means  to  capitalize  current  momentum  and  interest  in  food                                                               
security.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:38:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MELISSA MARTIN, President, Anchor  Point Food Pantry, spoke about                                                               
food waste  and fish being  thrown back that  could be used  by a                                                               
food bank, and she  opined there is a need for  a task force such                                                               
as the one proposed under HB 298.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:40:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RON MEEHAN,  Policy and  Advocacy Manager,  Food Bank  of Alaska;                                                               
Manager, Alaska  Food Coalition, testified  in support of  HB 298                                                               
as  a   bill  that   would  allow  the   state  to   develop  its                                                               
comprehensive  food  policy  strategy   to  strengthen  its  food                                                               
system,  reduce   food  insecurity,  and  grow   its  local  food                                                               
economies.  He  spoke about Alaska's unique  food security issues                                                               
arising  from its  remote geographical  location.   He said  food                                                               
banks in  the state  have experienced  an unprecedented  level of                                                               
food insecurity  since the  beginning of the  pandemic.   He said                                                               
finding solutions  to overcome barriers  [to food  security] will                                                               
require  collaboration  among  stakeholders  from  Alaska's  food                                                               
systems  statewide.   He talked  about  growing the  agricultural                                                               
industry,  increasing  efficiencies  in state-run  programs,  and                                                               
ensuring food security  throughout the state.   He stated support                                                               
for HB 298.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
8:43:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CLAIRE LUBKE,  Program Director,  St. Francis House  Food Pantry,                                                               
Catholic Social  Services, testified in  support of HB 298.   She                                                               
spoke  about the  negative effect  of food  security on  people's                                                               
lives and the  need for improved food systems.   She talked about                                                               
the  numbers   served  by  the   food  pantry.     She  mentioned                                                               
agricultural  programing  and  the  largest  urban  farm  in  the                                                               
Municipality  of Anchorage,  farmer's markets,  opportunities for                                                               
people to become "food entrepreneurs,  and the positive impact of                                                               
these.  She  said Catholic Social Services has  a vested interest                                                               
in food production and access.   She praised the robust committee                                                               
representation   and  comprehensive   food  security   categories                                                               
outlined under HB  298.  In response  to Representative Drummond,                                                               
she  offered further  information regarding  the largest  farm in                                                               
the municipality.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
8:47:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. LUBKE,  in response  to a  question from  Representative Prax                                                               
about paying someone  to grow food, talked  about federal funding                                                               
for programming and  refugee agriculture grants.   She offered to                                                               
obtain further information to share.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
8:49:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. LUBKE, in response to  Representative McCarty, said she could                                                               
provide information about the sustainability of the program.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
8:51:24 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HANNAN,  after ascertaining that  there was no  one else                                                               
who wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 298.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:51:47 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SNYDER  made closing remarks.   She emphasized the                                                               
savings in producing  food in Alaska is but  one positive aspect;                                                               
another is in relation to the jobs that would be created.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
8:53:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HANNAN announced that HB 298 was held over.