02/16/2024 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

        SB 171-RESIDENCY REQ: HUNTING, TRAPPING, FISHING                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:36:36 PM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR BISHOP  announced the consideration  of SENATE  BILL NO.                                                               
171  "An  Act  changing  the  residency  requirements  for  sport                                                               
fishing, hunting,  and trapping privileges; and  providing for an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:36:49 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR JESSE BJORKMAN, District D, Alaska State Legislature,                                                                   
Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of SB 171. He read the sponsor                                                                          
statement:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
        SB 171 Residency Req: Hunting, Trapping, Fishing                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
                    Ver. A Sponsor Statement                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Senate  Bill  171  Residency  Req:  Hunting,  Trapping,                                                                    
     Fishing   aligns   residency    requirements   for   an                                                                    
     individual to receive a  resident hunting, trapping, or                                                                    
     sport  fishing license  with the  residency eligibility                                                                    
     requirements to  receive a Permanent Fund  Dividend (AS                                                                    
     43.23).  With the  increased  pressure  on our  limited                                                                    
     fish  and game  resources,  it is  important to  ensure                                                                    
     that  those who  enjoy  the increased  bag and  harvest                                                                    
     limits  associated  with  a resident  license  are,  in                                                                    
     fact, residents of the State of Alaska.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     The current  definition of residency  is too  broad and                                                                    
     difficult  to   enforce.  Currently,   individuals  can                                                                    
     qualify  for a  resident  license  and be  indefinitely                                                                    
     absent  so  long as  they  meet  the low  threshold  of                                                                    
     intending to  remain in Alaska, maintaining  a domicile                                                                    
     in  Alaska, and  not establishing  residency elsewhere.                                                                    
     Someone who  is away from  Alaska for most of  the year                                                                    
     can  still qualify  as  a resident  and  have the  same                                                                    
     access  to  our  finite  fish  and  game  resources  as                                                                    
     someone who lives in the state 12 months of the year.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Regrettably, some  of Alaska's fish and  game resources                                                                    
     are not  as robust  as they once  were. When  there are                                                                    
     fewer fish and  game resources to go around  it is that                                                                    
     much  more important  to maintain  sufficient resources                                                                    
     for those who are full-time  residents of the state and                                                                    
     reduced access for  those who harvest fish  and game in                                                                    
     Alaska  and  then  take  the  resource  out  of  state.                                                                    
     Allowing greater access to fish  and game resources for                                                                    
     year-round  residents   of  Alaska  will   ensure  that                                                                    
     individuals  and communities  who  depend  most on  the                                                                    
     resource will have access.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     SB  171  does  not  prohibit  out-of-state  hunters  or                                                                    
     fishermen from  coming to Alaska to  participate in the                                                                    
     state's  well-managed   hunts  and   fisheries.  Guided                                                                    
     hunting and  fishing industries  are an  important part                                                                    
     of Alaska's  economy. Under this  legislation, visitors                                                                    
     will  still  be  able to  obtain  non-resident  permits                                                                    
     without  additional restrictions.  SB 171  ensures that                                                                    
     those who qualify for a  resident hunting, trapping, or                                                                    
     sportfishing license  are in  fact residents  of Alaska                                                                    
     and  are deserving  of the  increased  bag and  harvest                                                                    
     limits that are the privilege of state residents.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
4:39:25 PM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR BISHOP announced invited testimony.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:40:14 PM                                                                                                                    
JOHN   STURGEON,   President,    Alaska   Chapter   Safari   Club                                                               
International, Anchorage,  Alaska, invited testimony for  SB 171.                                                               
He said the  Alaska chapter is the largest among  the Safari Club                                                               
with over 1200 members. Last  year, it won its fourth consecutive                                                               
award. Alaska  Chapter Safari Club  supports SB 171,  which would                                                               
ensure  only  legitimate  residents   could  obtain  hunting  and                                                               
fishing licenses.  By doing so,  it would increase the  number of                                                               
non-residents  hunting licenses,  bring revenue  into the  state,                                                               
and improve the management of fish and game.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:42:08 PM                                                                                                                    
TED  SPRAKER,   representing  self,  Soldotna,   Alaska,  invited                                                               
testimony for SB  171. He stated he was the  former Chair for the                                                               
Alaska Board of  Game and as a wildlife biologist  has spent over                                                               
50 years  dealing with conservation  and wildlife. He  stated his                                                               
belief  that  the state  should  establish  a process  to  verify                                                               
residency so  residents can enjoy  the benefits of the  state. He                                                               
compared  the violation  of residency  requirements to  speeding,                                                               
wherein few  people get caught.  He stated  he has seen  at least                                                               
six  or  eight  large  storage  units  that  disappeared  in  the                                                               
beginning of  the summer  and wondered  if this  was a  result of                                                               
non-residents   leaving   the   state.  Alaskan   troopers   have                                                               
experienced difficulty proving residency for various reasons.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
4:45:09 PM                                                                                                                    
MIKE  CRAWFORD,  Chair,  Kenai/Soldotna Fish  and  Game  Advisory                                                               
Committee,  Soldotna, Alaska,  invited testimony  for SB  171. He                                                               
said he  has been  on the  Kenai/Soldotna Advisory  Committee for                                                               
almost 20  years and  has been  active in  the board  process for                                                               
Alaska Department of Fish and  Game (ADFG). He mentioned he spoke                                                               
to  several people  about SB  171  and the  only objections  were                                                               
regarding the Permanent Fund Dividend  (PFD). Some expressed that                                                               
people  who move  out of  state  may take  advantage of  hunting,                                                               
fishing, and  trapping licenses. He suggested  that Alaska should                                                               
protect resources for its residents and tighten its rules.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:47:55 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DUNBAR noted  the PFD  currently allocates  resources to                                                               
identify  non-legitimate applicants  and asked  whether the  idea                                                               
for SB 171 is to use PFD violations as evidence.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
4:49:08 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BJORKMAN  replied that individuals could  use evidence to                                                               
prove  they met  PFD requirements.  He stated  when an  animal is                                                               
shot  or   hunted,  troopers  oftentimes  review   residency  and                                                               
dividend records.  If residency  is unproven, troopers  conduct a                                                               
deeper investigation, which is often  complaint driven. He stated                                                               
his belief that the residency  standard is easier to enforce than                                                               
the current domicile standard.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:50:47 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR CLAMAN  noted that constituents  in his district  may not                                                               
qualify  for the  PFD  or seek  benefits. He  asked  if the  same                                                               
standards  apply  to meeting  PFD  requirements  and obtaining  a                                                               
resident hunting license.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:51:11 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BJORKMAN replied that is correct.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:51:21 PM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR BISHOP held SB 171 in committee.