Legislature(2015 - 2016)BARNES 124
04/08/2016 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Confirmation(s): Board of Fisheries | |
| SB204|| HB371 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 371 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 204 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 204-KENNY & PATTI BARBER SHOOTING RANGE
HB 371-KENNY & PATTI BARBER SHOOTING RANGE
1:57:52 PM
CO-CHAIR TALERICO announced that the next order of business is
SENATE BILL NO. 204, "An Act naming a shooting range in the Knik
River Public Use Area the Kenny and Patti Barber Shooting
Range," and HOUSE BILL NO. 371, "An Act naming a shooting range
in the Knik River Public Use Area the Kenny and Patti Barber
Shooting Range."
1:58:28 PM
DANIEL GEORGE, Staff, Senator Bill Stoltz, Alaska State
Legislature, addressed the committee on behalf of the Senate
State Affairs Standing Committee, sponsor of SB 204 and of which
Senator Stoltz is the chair. He said Representative Cathy
Tilton would discuss the companion bill, HB 371.
REPRESENTATIVE CATHY TILTON, Alaska State Legislature, addressed
the committee on behalf of the House Community and Regional
Affairs Standing Committee, sponsor of HB 371 and of which she
is the chair. She presented a video clip of the shooting range
proposed to be named the Kenny and Patti Barber Shooting Range.
[The video clip played from 1:59:38 to 2:01:54.]
2:01:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON explained that the Knik River Public Use
Area is the 246,000 acre multiple use recreational area
established by House Bill 307, passed in 2006. There was public
outcry to try to clean up that area and a management plan was
adopted that restricted shooting in some areas and created a
shooting range. The shooting range was created with the
assistance of Dan Sullivan, former commissioner of the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Office of Management
& Budget (OMB), and the legislature, with the backing of the
National Rifle Association (NRA) and funds committed from other
groups. The intent is for a clean and safe place for people to
go, with a state-of-the-art facility in one of the beautiful
areas of Alaska. Turning to SB 204, she explained it honors
Kenny and Patti Barber, fairly ordinary and unassuming
individuals, who are described by DNR Deputy Commissioner Ed
Fogels as "extraordinary stewards" of the land. Kenny and Patti
Barber spent decades trying to put this together through
community involvement and volunteering. They are one of the
most dedicated husband and wife teams in Alaska when it comes to
observing the traditions of hunting and fishing, with both of
them involved in the Matanuska Valley Sportsmen and the Alaska
Outdoor Council. They played a central role in forming the
Alaska Outdoor Access Alliance, spearheading the creation of
this area and shaping policy of the shooting range.
Representative Tilton pointed out that it is named the Kenny and
Patti Barber Shooting Range because it is alphabetical. There
have been 6,699 visitors and the rules are posted at the range,
but no signs will be replaced until they are worn out so that
funds can go straight into the shooting range. Therefore, she
pointed out, the sign to honor Kenny and Patti Barber will
probably not exist during their lifetime.
2:08:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT recalled from the video that there are
garbage cans. He asked whether there are restroom facilities or
porta-potties.
HEATH HILYARD, Staff, Representative Cathy Tilton, Alaska State
Legislature, confirmed there are blue porta-potties.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT noted he is unsure whether construction
is complete and how much further the plans will take the
shooting range. He observed that the rules do not allow shotgun
shot and so assumed there are no clay pigeons or birds to shoot.
MR. GEORGE responded that this is a slightly different shooting
range than what most folks are familiar with, such as the Rabbit
Creek Shooting Range in Anchorage where younger folks can be
taught to shoot. The facility discussed within SB 204 is run by
the Department of Natural Resources, not the Alaska Department
of Fish & Game. The facility does not have staff from DNR, but
is assisted by the land manager from DNR and the facility is run
by volunteers.
2:11:00 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HERRON referred to Representative Tilton's
comment regarding the order of names and asked whether people
would prefer it be Patti and Kenny Barber.
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON replied that the order of Kenny and Patti
Barber is fine, and that she was just pointing out that Patti
volunteers a lot of her time and sometimes the woman behind the
man is the one who backs him up.
REPRESENTATIVE CHENAULT offered to make a friendly amendment.
REPRESENTATIVE TILTON shook her head no.
CO-CHAIR TALERICO opened public testimony.
2:12:27 PM
JOHN STURGEON advised he knows Kenny and Patti Barber well and
knows them to be tireless workers in supporting public access
and especially in trying to establish a shooting range. He said
he strongly supports SB 204.
ROD ARNO, Executive Director, Alaska Outdoor Council (AOC),
offered his organization's support and said the AOC is "tickled
to death" to have the name change for the shooting range. This
is a unique area, he said, because the Knik River is at the edge
of urban sprawl. The Barbers live close to this area and have
worked to make this a public use area. Not only did they work
to create the legislation to establish the public use area, but
they continued implementing what was agreed upon in the
legislation that established it. Alaska is fortunate to have a
couple of folks interested in preserving outdoor traditions and
willing to take a stand to make it safer, he said.
MIKE COONS testified in support of SB 204 and noted he is part
of the volunteer group with Ken and Patti Barber. He described
them as rock stars and stewards of the area and said they put
this together and they work tirelessly every day cleaning it up.
He remarked that during the last two times he was at the
shooting range there were Dall sheep on the mountains that did
not twitch once from the shooting. Ken and Patti Barber are
humble and the quiet silent type, he said, but are getting the
job done where everyone else would be making noise. He added
that according to DNR, this winter there was an average of 400
vehicles driving to the range, which equates to 400 shooters per
week this winter alone.
CO-CHAIR TALERICO closed public testimony after ascertaining no
one else wished to testify.
2:17:33 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON stated he has reviewed the pictures and it
is one of the nicest outdoor shooting ranges he has seen in
Alaska.
CO-CHAIR TALERICO added that Kenny and Patti Barber are well
known beyond their community and are well known in his
community. They have been involved in more than this shooting
range over the years, he noted, such as cleanup efforts along
roadways and highways for which they've spent a lot of their own
time and money.
2:18:33 PM
CO-CHAIR NAGEAK moved to report SB 204 out of committee with
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes.
There being no objection, SB 204 was moved out of the House
Resources Standing Committee.
[HB 371 was held over.]