03/01/2013 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

          HCR  1-STATE FOOD RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT GROUP                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:03:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  FEIGE announced  that the  first order  of business  is                                                               
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.  1, Relating to the establishment                                                               
and  operation  of  a state  food  resource  development  working                                                               
group.  [Before the committee was CSHCR 1(EDT).]                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:03:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BILL STOLTZE,  Alaska State  Legislature, as  the                                                               
prime  sponsor, introduced  HCR 1,  noting that  his district  of                                                               
Chugiak and southern rural Matanuska-Susitna  are home to much of                                                               
the state's  produce and truck farming.   He said HCR  1 is about                                                               
Alaska's agricultural  and fisheries  resources.   Many different                                                               
components of  the state's  government have  responsibilities for                                                               
food  policy,  fisheries, and  agriculture,  so  his idea  is  to                                                               
integrate  and provide  some  direction  for the  administration.                                                               
The Department  of Environmental Conservation (DEC)  has policies                                                               
that  affect the  ability to  use pesticides  and regulations  on                                                               
fertilizers.     The   University  of   Alaska  has   educational                                                               
components  and   assistive  components.     The   Department  of                                                               
Education and Early  Development has a role  in student nutrition                                                               
and  education  about agriculture.    The  Department of  Natural                                                               
Resources houses the Division of  Agriculture.  The Department of                                                               
Health &  Social Services has  nutrition programs.  The  point is                                                               
that  he could  go  on -  HCR  1 has  nine  whereas clauses,  but                                                               
seventeen resolved  clauses.   He noted  that Joe  Balash, Deputy                                                               
Director,  Department  of  Natural Resources,  has  followed  the                                                               
progress on this resolution  representing the governor's interest                                                               
in  having this  direction  to tie  together  this discussion  on                                                               
Alaska's food policy at the cabinet  level.  In addition to land-                                                               
based agriculture,  Alaska's ocean  resources are  a big  part of                                                               
the state's food  supply chain.  Even the  Department of Military                                                               
& Veterans' Affairs  has a role in participating  in a collective                                                               
voice on  a policy.   Representative Stoltze reported that  HCR 1                                                               
enjoys broad  support and enthusiasm.   No one has been  asked to                                                               
testify on  it; rather,  it has  been a  pied piper  of interest.                                                               
People he has  never met before are calling in  and wanting to be                                                               
involved.    He  expressed  his appreciation  for  the  committee                                                               
taking time to hear HCR 1.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:08:12 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FEIGE opened public testimony on HCR 1.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:08:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DARREN SNYDER,  Agent, Cooperative Extension  Service, University                                                               
of Alaska  Fairbanks, noted  that in  addition to  his work  as a                                                               
cooperative  extension agent,  he has  statewide responsibilities                                                               
with the Alaska Food Policy  Council as a governing board member.                                                               
He stated  he is before  the committee to provide  oral testimony                                                               
in support of HCR 1 on  behalf of the Alaska Food Policy Council.                                                               
The  council's  goals  include primarily  strengthening  Alaska's                                                               
food system.   The resolution  does a  lot to support  this goal.                                                               
The  resolution  is primarily  focused  on  Alaska food  and  the                                                               
economic  development   that  can   come  from   supporting  food                                                               
producers, which will support the  success of Alaska communities.                                                               
He  said  some  of  the  on-the-ground work  being  done  by  the                                                               
Cooperative Extension Service and  the Alaska Food Policy Council                                                               
includes work with the Division  of Homeland Security & Emergency                                                               
Management to  help them  with the  division's state  plan around                                                               
mass  care  and feeding.    Those  issues  also include  his  two                                                               
agencies' community  work and templates  to help  communities map                                                               
their local  food systems and  develop preparedness  and response                                                               
protocols for food storage,  emergency harvest, and distribution.                                                               
So, it is day-to-day economic  development and how to feed people                                                               
who  are  currently hungry,  as  well  as emergency  preparedness                                                               
issues.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:11:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DANNY  CONSENSTEIN, Alaska  Director, Farm  Service Agency,  U.S.                                                               
Department of  Agriculture (USDA), offered his  strong support of                                                               
HCR 1  in his role with  the U.S. Department of  Agriculture.  He                                                               
said the  USDA works with  farmers, ranchers, and  growers across                                                               
Alaska   trying   to   provide   Alaska   capital   and   support                                                               
in their  business planning and  risk management strategies.   He                                                               
said he is also on the  governing board of the Alaska Food Policy                                                               
Council.    The  council  recognizes  there  are  many  different                                                               
interests across  the state in  building a stronger  food system.                                                               
The  council  is  comprised  of  health  professionals,  farmers,                                                               
ranchers,  fishermen,  agency   people,  university  people,  and                                                               
private sector  people from  across Alaska  who believe  it makes                                                               
sense  to  coordinate and  collaborate  to  build a  strong  food                                                               
system.     The  council   is  in   the  process   of  developing                                                               
recommendations  for  policy  makers  on   ideas  and  ways  that                                                               
Alaska's  infrastructure  can  be  strengthened  for  building  a                                                               
stronger food  system in Alaska.   He said HCR 1  recognizes that                                                               
increased  coordination  among  state agencies  is  an  important                                                               
strategy.    There are  so  many  different state  agencies  with                                                               
jurisdiction and  responsibility for Alaska's food  system, so it                                                               
makes a  lot of sense  for good  government to help  improve that                                                               
coordination  among  the agencies.    This  can benefit  Alaska's                                                               
communities by  creating more jobs, healthier  communities due to                                                               
more access  to healthy foods,  and increasing security  in times                                                               
of emergencies.   From the  secretary on down, the  USDA supports                                                               
HCR 1 and the work of the Alaska Food Policy Council.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:14:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOE  BALASH, Deputy  Commissioner,  Office  of the  Commissioner,                                                               
Department of Natural Resources (DNR),  testified that the DNR is                                                               
the lead  agency with  regard to matters  of agriculture  and the                                                               
management  of agricultural  lands in  the  state.   He said  DNR                                                               
would like  to go  on record  in support  of HCR  1.   He thanked                                                               
Representative Stoltze  for bringing  the issue forward  and said                                                               
he looked forward to implementing the will of the bodies.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:15:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR FEIGE closed public testimony  after ascertaining no one                                                               
else wished to testify at this time.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:15:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON offered  his appreciation to Representative                                                               
Stoltze for introducing HCR 1.   He related he has been contacted                                                               
by farmers in Homer who are appreciative of the resolution.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  TUCK offered  his appreciation  to Representative                                                               
Stoltze  for introducing  the resolution.   He  said he  does not                                                               
want Alaska  to have  to rely  on the  rest of  the world  or the                                                               
Lower 48 for  its food supply because of  the state's remoteness.                                                               
He said  Alaska needs to provide  food for its people.   He noted                                                               
that  at  one  time  the   U.S.  used  to  have  massive  storage                                                               
facilities for food for times of emergency.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON commented  that a natural disaster, such                                                               
as  an earthquake,  or any  other  type of  disaster could  leave                                                               
Alaska in grave disaster of running out  of food.  She said HCR 1                                                               
is a good idea for a multitude of reasons.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:17:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON  moved  to  report  CSHCR  1(EDT)  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.    There  being no  objection,  CSHCR  1(EDT)  was                                                               
reported from the House Resources Standing Committee.