05/04/2004 09:07 AM Senate FIN

                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 44(RES) am                                                                               
     Relating to research into the decline of the Southwest Alaska                                                              
     population of the Northern Sea Otter in the western Gulf of                                                                
     Alaska.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This  was the first  hearing  for this  bill in  the Senate  Finance                                                            
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  DAN OGG,  the Resolution's  sponsor, explained  that                                                            
this Resolution was developed  in response to a recent United States                                                            
Fish  and Wildlife  Service  proposal  to  list  sea otters  in  the                                                            
Southwest  region of the  State as threatened  under the  Endangered                                                            
Species  Act.  He  stated  that  this  Resolution  suggests,  in  "a                                                            
proactive fashion,"  that a federal research program  be implemented                                                            
for five  years prior to  a decision being  regarding the sea  otter                                                            
endangerment  status,  as  there  is  concern  that  the  commercial                                                            
fisheries operating  in the area might  be negatively affected  were                                                            
their fishery closed or curtailed were that status enacted.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
AT EASE 4:31 PM / 4:31 PM                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Green  moved to report the  Resolution from Committee  with                                                            
individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
There  being no  objections,  CS  HJR 44(RES)am  was  REPORTED  from                                                            
Committee with  zero fiscal note #1,  dated March 31, 2004  from the                                                            
House Resources Committee.