03/28/2017 10:00 AM House FISHERIES

          HCR 8-KODIAK SEAFOOD & MARINE SCIENCE CENTER                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
11:25:55 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES announced  that the next order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.  8, Expressing the strong support                                                               
of  the  Alaska State  Legislature  for  the Kodiak  Seafood  and                                                               
Marine Science  Center; and  urging the  University of  Alaska to                                                               
maintain  the Kodiak  Seafood  and Marine  Science  Center as  an                                                               
important resource in the state.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:26:02 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES said:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Our first  piece of  legislation for  the day  is House                                                                    
     Concurrent   Resolution  8.     This   bill  is   being                                                                    
     introduced  as  legislation  on  behalf  of  the  House                                                                    
     Fisheries Committee.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     We saw a  draft version of this  resolution on February                                                                    
     21st   during  a   presentation  by   various  speakers                                                                    
     supporting  the  Kodiak   Seafood  and  Marine  Science                                                                    
     Center.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     A  motion  was made  during  that  meeting to  draft  a                                                                    
     resolution on  behalf of the House  Fisheries Committee                                                                    
     that is the legislation we have before us today.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
11:26:30 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CLIFF  ZAWACKI,  Intern,  Representative  Louise  Stutes,  Alaska                                                               
State Legislature, presented HCR  8, paraphrasing from a prepared                                                               
statement,   which   read   as  follows   [original   punctuation                                                               
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     I'm here  to introduce HOUSE CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION NO.                                                                    
     8 -  KODIAK SEAFOOD &  MARINE SCIENCE CENTER  (or KSMSC                                                                    
     for short)                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     As previously  mentioned by the chair,  House Fisheries                                                                    
     moved to  adopt the  draft of  this resolution  back on                                                                    
     Feb 21st and this is  the legislation we have before us                                                                    
     today.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     The  Alaska   seafood  industry  employs   over  60,000                                                                    
     workers annually,  more than  any other  private sector                                                                    
     industry  in the  state  and  this employment  provides                                                                    
     those workers with $1.6 B in annual earnings.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     The Kodiak Seafood and  Marine Science Center (Formally                                                                    
     known  as the  Fisheries Industrial  Technology Center)                                                                    
     was  established  in  Alaska  statute as  part  of  the                                                                    
     University of Alaska in 1981.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Since  that time  the KSMSC  has  been instrumental  in                                                                    
     developing  employment  opportunities  in  the  fishing                                                                    
     industry   and   providing  training   on   harvesting,                                                                    
     processing, and conservation of our fishery resources.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     As  the University  of  Alaska  Fairbanks is  currently                                                                    
     facing deep  budget cuts UAF is  considering developing                                                                    
     a public-private  partnership to continue and  grow the                                                                    
     functioning of this valuable center.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     This resolution offers  the State legislature's support                                                                    
     for  the Kodiak  Seafood and  Marine Science  Center by                                                                    
     urging  the University  of Alaska  to  find a  solution                                                                    
     that keeps the center operating and stable.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:28:34 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NEUMAN asked for a brief review of the                                                                           
organization and its duties.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. ZAWACKI said the resolution  offers the legislature's support                                                               
for the  University of Alaska  Fairbanks to continue  funding, or                                                               
finding  means to  fund, the  Kodiak Seafood  and Marine  Science                                                               
Center (KFMSC), and deferred further comment.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
11:29:38 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
JAY  STINSON, President,  Alaska  Research  Consortium, said  the                                                               
consortium  formed to  generate ways  and means  for solving  the                                                               
KFMSC  funding  problem.   He  reported  that meetings  with  the                                                               
university  administrators has  been productive,  and it  appears                                                               
that a  pathway forward  has been forged  that will  maintain the                                                               
mission  and   keep  the   doors  open.     Despite   the  recent                                                               
developments, he urged passage of HCR 8.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
11:31:22 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FANSLER  moved  to   adopt  HCR  8,  labeled  30-                                                               
LS0584\A.  Without objection, HCR 8 was before the committee.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
11:31:46 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR STUTES  opened public testimony.   Seeing none,  she closed                                                               
public testimony.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
11:32:25 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FANSLER  moved to  report HCR  8 out  of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   Without  objection HCR  8  was reported  from the  House                                                               
Special Committee on Fisheries.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 11:32 a.m. to 11:34 a.m.