04/09/2009 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

        SB 137-REPORT ON MEETINGS OF BOARD OF FISHERIES                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON announced consideration of SB 137.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:48:05 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR CON BUNDE, Alaska State  Legislature, speaking as sponsor                                                               
of  SB 137,  said to  refresh the  committee's memory,  this bill                                                               
asks the  Board of  Fisheries (BOF)  to make  some determinations                                                               
about the intervals  between BOF meetings and report  back to the                                                               
Legislature as  to whether the  public would be better  served by                                                               
any changes.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:48:35 PM                                                                                                                    
JIM  MARCOTTE, Executive  Director, Board  of Fisheries,  Juneau,                                                               
Alaska  Department of  Fish and  Game, said  he is  available for                                                               
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR OLSON asked if he  anticipates that this legislation will                                                               
cause difficulty for new members to the Board of Fisheries.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. MARCOTTE  replied he  can't imagine  that any  of the  new or                                                               
current members would  object to having the  discussion about the                                                               
efficacy of the three-year cycle.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  OLSON  observed  that  the  two  appointees  are  a  sport                                                               
fisherman  and  Brent  Johnson  a  commercial  fisherman  and  he                                                               
wonders  if   there  will  be   any  conflict  related   to  this                                                               
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MARCOTTE pointed  out that the legislation  doesn't favor any                                                               
particular  area  or group  of  fishermen.  Any analysis  of  the                                                               
three-year cycle needs  to take into account:  impacts on people;                                                               
what  is   in  the   best  interest   of  the   resource;  public                                                               
participation; the board  process; and cost to  the department to                                                               
hold  the  meetings  on  a   particular  cycle.  Those  kinds  of                                                               
considerations  don't  favor  one  area  or  fishing  group  over                                                               
another.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:51:05 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR THOMAS asked  which members are being  replaced and their                                                               
occupations or reasons for being on the Board of Fisheries.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. MARCOTTE  answered the two  members whose terms  are expiring                                                               
in  June   include  Bonnie  Williams  from   Fairbanks  and  Karl                                                               
Johnstone  from Anchorage.  Mr.  Johnstone was  named as  midterm                                                               
replacement for  Jeremiah Campbell  and the  governor reappointed                                                               
him for  a new three-year  term that  begins July 1.  The nominee                                                               
for the other seat is Brent  Johnson from Clam Gulch on the Kenai                                                               
Peninsula. If he  is confirmed he will start his  term on July 1.                                                               
All appointees  have some kind  of background in fisheries  so he                                                               
would be hesitant to characterize any  as being from one group or                                                               
another.  All members  serve at  large so  they aren't  appointed                                                               
based on  geography. By statute  they are to  represent interests                                                               
throughout the state and look out for the resource at large.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THOMAS said  with the  thought that  Board of  Fisheries                                                               
members have no regional bias, what is the current mix.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MARCOTTE  relied  he  tries   to  avoid  characterizing  the                                                               
appointees  and  board  members. Each  appointee  appears  before                                                               
House  and Senate  fisheries and  resources committees  and those                                                               
hearings are used to fact find.  Also, the public brings a lot of                                                               
information  forward  both  in  support  and  opposition  to  the                                                               
appointees.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:55:43 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KOOKESH  expressed discomfort that Mr.  Marcotte is being                                                               
put on the  spot yet the bill  talks about just two  things: 1) a                                                               
recommendation about  the interval  between meeting dates  and 2)                                                               
an evaluation of repetitive proposals.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON stated agreement.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MENARD said  she appreciated  the  discussion [when  the                                                               
bill was introduced].  She is concerned about a  longer cycle but                                                               
understands that the bill opens the discussion.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:56:58 PM                                                                                                                    
JERRY  MCCUNE, President,  United  Fishermen of  Alaska said  the                                                               
Board of Fisheries used to address  all the proposals in one year                                                               
and  then they  changed  to  a three-year  cycle  because of  the                                                               
workload. People  seem to  pay more attention  now than  in years                                                               
past and  the three-year  cycle creates a  large workload  on the                                                               
board and  the department. He believes  it would be good  to have                                                               
the conversation.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BUNDE  said   this  is  not  a   prescriptive  piece  of                                                               
legislation it  simply provides opportunity for  a discussion and                                                               
the Legislature would be the  beneficiary of the advice. He's not                                                               
aware of any opposition.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON closed public testimony                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  KOOKESH  moved to  report  SB  137 from  committee  with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
being no  objection, SB 137  moved from the Senate  Community and                                                               
Regional Affairs Standing Committee.