04/22/2005 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

         SB 170-BD/DEPT OF FISH & GAME POWERS & DUTIES                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER turned the gavel over to Senator Seekins.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SEEKINS  announced that  he would comment  on SB  170. He                                                               
said that part of  the intent of this bill was to  try and find a                                                               
way  to get  people  who  buy hunting  licenses  to  agree to  an                                                               
increase to be able to  fund additional work for returning Alaska                                                               
to an abundance of game animals.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     As a  part of that  our intent  was to build  a greater                                                                    
     amount   of  accountability   into  the   process.  For                                                                    
     example,  when   there  was  an  indication   that  the                                                                    
     department wanted an increase  in hunting license fees,                                                                    
     we said  well what  have you done  with the  money that                                                                    
     we've given you so far through the fish and game fund.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     When we had folks inquire  as to the requirements under                                                                    
     statute  that there  be an  annual report  of how  that                                                                    
     money came in  and where it was spent  on a project-by-                                                                    
     project basis, the answer that  we got was well project                                                                    
     is not defined  in statute. So, the report  that we got                                                                    
     back said here's how much  money came in and here's how                                                                    
     much  money went  out.  A  lot of  the  folks that  are                                                                    
     buying those  hunting licenses felt  that that  was not                                                                    
     the level  of accountability  that either  the statutes                                                                    
     required or  that they would  like to see in  the money                                                                    
     that they put into that fund  to be used for the direct                                                                    
     benefit of the people who bought those licenses.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR SEEKINS said he made it  clear to the department that the                                                               
intent of the  bill was to try  to find a mechanism  to make sure                                                               
those who  were contributing license  fees would  have confidence                                                               
that their money  was spent well. He was told  the department did                                                               
not support any  more accountability. He intended  to hold public                                                               
hearings across  the state during  the interim on this  issue and                                                               
would request an audit of the fish and game fund.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WAGONER announced  that he  would hold  the bill  and have                                                               
meetings throughout the state.