04/29/2004 04:12 PM Senate STA

           HJR 36-MITIGATING GLACIER BAY FISHING CLOSURES                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GARY STEVENS announced HJR 36 to be up for consideration.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
LINDA SYLVESTER,  staff to Representative Bruce  Weyhrauch, explained                                                           
that the resolution asks the National  Park Service to make an effort                                                           
to  mitigate  the  adverse  consequences  that  fishing  closures  in                                                           
Glacier Bay have had on the people that used the area.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEDMAN  commented that  he is  still uncomfortable  with the                                                           
settlement  with the  National  Park Service  and  anything that  the                                                           
Legislature can  do to check the  aggressive movement of  the federal                                                           
government into the  submerged tidelands in the state  the better. He                                                           
said he  supports the  resolution, but had  doubts that  the National                                                           
Park  Service  would pay  attention  to  it.  Certainly there  was  a                                                           
monetary  settlement for this  generation of  fishermen, but  Glacier                                                           
Bay has  produced fisheries since  the ice  began to recede  and it's                                                           
likely  that it  would have  continued to  be a  productive area  for                                                           
several hundred years more.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MS.  SYLVESTER  told  him that  Representative  Weyhrauch  introduced                                                           
previous legislation asking the state  to pay better attention when a                                                           
situation arises  in which the  Department of Fish  and Game is  in a                                                           
position of ceding authority of fish and game resources.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GARY STEVENS asked what happened to the bill.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS. SYLVESTER told him it passed.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEDMAN remarked  that the federal government  is also moving                                                           
to secure  areas such as Anan  Creek that would further  limit Alaska                                                           
citizens' freedom of  movement. "I don't feel that the  issue is over                                                           
with  Glacier Bay.  There's  going to  be a  continuing  push by  the                                                           
federal government  into our  submerged tidelands  and our  access to                                                           
them," he said.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MS. SYLVESTER suggested  that he and Representative  Weyhrauch needed                                                           
to have lunch together.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR JOHN  COWDERY motioned  to move  HJR 36  from committee  with                                                           
individual recommendations and accompanying  fiscal note. There being                                                           
no objection, it was so ordered.