03/02/2021 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 22                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An  Act   repealing  the  termination  date   for  the                                                                    
     intensive management hunting license surcharge."                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:05:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR JOSH REVAK, SPONSOR, JUNEAU (via teleconference),                                                                       
discussed the Sponsor Statement:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Hunting is  a staple  of Alaskan culture  and essential                                                                    
    to the lives of many Alaskans. It is of the utmost                                                                          
     importance that  the wildlife populations  be carefully                                                                    
     maintained throughout our state so that future                                                                             
     generations  can continue  to  provide  food for  their                                                                    
     families and carry on this great Alaskan tradition. To                                                                     
     fulfill  this genuine  need for  conservation, wildlife                                                                    
     populations must be monitored to prevent over-hunting                                                                      
     and  to  promote   vibrant,  healthy,  and  sustainable                                                                    
     wildlife populations.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     In  1994,  the   legislature  initiated  an  "Intensive                                                                    
     Management Program" overseen by the Board of Game                                                                          
     which uses careful  observation and scientific analysis                                                                    
     to manage Alaska's game populations. Since then,                                                                           
     if a  population drops below  what is required  to meet                                                                    
     the needs of Alaskans and remain healthy, intensive                                                                        
     management (IM)  begins with an investigation  into the                                                                    
     causes of the low population numbers; whether                                                                              
     there is a habitat  concern, predator population shift,                                                                    
     spread of disease, etc. From here, the Board of Game                                                                       
     develops  policies to  meet  the identified  challenges                                                                    
     and maintain sustainable wildlife populations across                                                                       
     Alaska.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Originally funded  with general  budget appropriations,                                                                    
     hunters supported a bill in 2016 which placed a                                                                            
     surcharge ($10 for residents  and $30 for nonresidents)                                                                    
     on hunting licenses that lets the users directly fund                                                                      
     the  sustainability efforts  of the  IM program.  Since                                                                    
     its passage, an average of $4 million has been raised                                                                      
     every year by the  surcharge and matched federal grants                                                                    
     and the hunting community  and industry continues to be                                                                    
     in full support.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Currently,  the IM  surcharge has  a sunset  date which                                                                    
     will repeal it and jeopardize the ability of the Board                                                                     
     of  Game to  carry out  effective intensive  management                                                                    
     projects. SB 22 seeks to permanently repeal that                                                                           
     sunset date and allow the  IM program to continue their                                                                    
    sustainability efforts for the wildlife populations                                                                         
     that are  such an  important food source  for Alaskans.                                                                    
    With the passage of SB 22, the IM program will not                                                                          
     have  to  rely  on   the  availability  of  more  state                                                                    
     appropriations  or further  federal funding  as it  did                                                                    
     before   2016.  Ultimately,   careful  stewardship   of                                                                    
     Alaska's  wildlife  resource   is  what  will  maintain                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska's  longstanding    connection  to   hunting  for                                                                    
     generations to  come and SB  22 directly  supports that                                                                    
     mission.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:07:16 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EMMA  TORKELSON, STAFF,  SENATOR  JOSH  REVAK, continued  to                                                                    
address the legislation.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman queried  the other  category of  exemption,                                                                    
besides the elderly.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Torkelson replied  that hunters  that qualified  for an                                                                    
income-based   hunting   license   were  exempt   from   the                                                                    
surcharge.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:10:28 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman  remarked that there were  several people in                                                                    
rural  Alaska  that were  heavily  dependent  on hunting  to                                                                    
supplement  their food  source.  He  wondered whether  there                                                                    
would be an acceptance for  an exempt status for subsistence                                                                    
hunters.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator   Revak  replied   that  he   would  entertain   and                                                                    
examination of  an amendment. He  explained that  the intent                                                                    
of the  bill was increase populations  in areas specifically                                                                    
used for subsistent hunting.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman surmised that the  intent of the bill was to                                                                    
"add" to  general funds, rather  than supplant the  funds to                                                                    
continue the management of the resource.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator Revak replied in the affirmative.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman was  glad to  see that  the funds  could be                                                                    
used to turnaround and issue,  and wished the department had                                                                    
the same philosophy.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson wondered  whether  deer,  caribou, and  moose                                                                    
were the only animals covered by the legislation.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Torkelson deferred to the  commissioner of Department of                                                                    
Fish and Game (DFG).                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson specifically  wondered whether  there was  an                                                                    
inclusion of muskox.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson wondered whether the  user groups included the                                                                    
big game hunters from out of state.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator Revak replied that anyone  who bought a tag that did                                                                    
not fall under  the exemptions would be  contributing to the                                                                    
fund, including the out of state hunters.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:15:45 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman asked  for an  outline  of the  geographic                                                                    
dispersion of the revenue generation.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop  wondered whether he would  be classified as                                                                    
"elderly."                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator Revak replied in the affirmative.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman wondered whether  there could be a staggered                                                                    
surcharge for instate versus out of state hunters.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Senator Revak  replied that he  did not want  to complicated                                                                    
the  bill and  leave funds  on the  table, but  was open  to                                                                    
suggestions.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Ms.  Torkelson furthered  that  currently,  in statute,  the                                                                    
surcharge for residents  was $10, and the  surcharge for out                                                                    
of state residents  was $30. Therefore, there  was already a                                                                    
difference.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman  wondered if  there  was  a difference  for                                                                    
intensive management.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Torkelson replied that she  could not speak to intensive                                                                    
management.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman  stated that  he had been  in charge  of the                                                                    
DFG budget for over 20 years,  so he was "well aware of that                                                                    
fact."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:19:57 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DOUG  VINCENT-LANG,  COMMISSIONER,  DEPARTMENT OF  FISH  AND                                                                    
GAME,  explained  that  the intensive  management  (IM)  law                                                                    
allowed  for  DFG  to  identify  moose,  caribou,  and  deer                                                                    
populations that  were an especially important  food source.                                                                    
Therefore,  determining  that   populations  remained  large                                                                    
enough  to provide  food security  for  Alaskans through  an                                                                    
adequate and sustained harvest. He  stated that DFG's IM law                                                                    
was funded  from a  series of  capital budgets.  He remarked                                                                    
that hunters  became concerned about  the future of  IM when                                                                    
the capital funds ran out.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman stressed  that  there  were not  dedicated                                                                    
funds,   because   of   the  word,   "designated"   in   the                                                                    
constitution. He  wanted to hear about  the potential offset                                                                    
with other general funds.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Vincent-Lang  replied that the  surcharge would                                                                    
go  into  the  Fish  and  Game  Fund,  which  was  the  only                                                                    
"dedicated" fund in the state.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:26:06 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman felt  that the  federal government  should                                                                    
follow the state's hunting closures in the wintertime.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Vincent-Lang agreed.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wielechowski  asked  for   an  explanation  of  the                                                                    
federal match.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Vincent-Lang  replied that  the money  could be                                                                    
used  to match  the federal  funds three  to one.  He stated                                                                    
that most of the money  would be used for research assessing                                                                    
populations of moose, caribou, and  deer, and their predator                                                                    
populations. He stated that a  portion of the funds was also                                                                    
used without match to conduct the predator control.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Wielechowski  wondered  whether  there  was  a  low                                                                    
income exemption for the surcharge.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Vincent-Lang replied  that everyone  in Alaska                                                                    
is a subsistence user, unlike  under federal law. Therefore,                                                                    
anyone considered "low income" would only pay five dollars.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop surmised that some  of the money be used for                                                                    
ariel surveys.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner Vincent-Lang agreed.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman  wondered what other  funds DFG  referred to                                                                    
when "this will also free up other funds."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Vincent-Lang replied  that  if  there were  no                                                                    
surcharge, the  department would need  to dip into  the Fish                                                                    
and  Game   Fund  to  conduct  ongoing   activities  in  the                                                                    
department.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:31:00 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Hoffman   felt  that  if,  for   some  reason,  the                                                                    
legislation  sunsets,  there  should be  an  examination  of                                                                    
general funds for matching.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman  wondered whether  any funds had  been left                                                                    
on the table through the federal government.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner  Vincent-Lang  remarked  that it  had  been  an                                                                    
issue  for a  few years,  so they  were trying  to reconcile                                                                    
that  issue. He  stressed that  there could  be an  issue of                                                                    
leaving money on the table without the legislation.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stedman queried  the  dollars and  years that  the                                                                    
money was lost.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Commissioner   Vincent-Lang    agreed   to    provide   that                                                                    
information.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
9:34:46 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop OPENED public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:35:15 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN  STURGEON, SAFARI  CLUB INTERNATIONAL,  ALASKA CHAPTER,                                                                    
ANCHORAGE  (via teleconference),  spoke  in  support of  the                                                                    
legislation, and felt that the program should not sunset.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:36:43 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AL   BARRETTE,   SELF,   FAIRBANKS   (via   teleconference),                                                                    
testified  in support  of the  bill. He  shared that  he had                                                                    
seen increases  in some of  the game populations  because of                                                                    
the program. He  offered that the bill could  be amended, to                                                                    
add to the fee of a hunting license permanently.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Bishop CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SB  22  was   HEARD  and  HELD  in   committee  for  further                                                                    
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:38:19 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:40:32 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED