04/02/2002 04:14 PM Senate FIN

     CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 205(RES)                                                                                            
     "An Act relating to control of nuisance wild animals; and                                                                  
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
JANE WINEGAR,  Legislative Aide to Senator Lyda Green,  explained to                                                            
the Committee that this  bill authorizes the Alaska Board of Game to                                                            
adopt regulations allowing  for the issuance of permits and licenses                                                            
to commercial and non-commercial  entities to control nuisance small                                                            
birds and mammals.  She explained that this legislation  would allow                                                            
a homeowner who is having  a problem with, for example, a porcupine,                                                            
to either personally  remove the animal or hire a  commercial entity                                                            
to remove  it. She continued  that the bill  would also provide  the                                                            
Department  of Transportation and  Public Facilities with  the means                                                            
to remove such things as  nuisance beavers from culverts during road                                                            
construction projects.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator Austerman  asked whether this bill would provide  protection                                                            
from seagulls that present problems around airports.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Winegar  stated  that endangerment  from birds  is addressed  in                                                            
other statutes such as the Migratory Act.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
GORDY WILLIAMS,  Legislative  Liaison, Office  of the Commissioner,                                                             
Department   of  Fish  and  Game,   explained  that  public   safety                                                            
authorizations currently  address situations pertaining to birds and                                                            
other wildlife  at airports, as the  issue is a public safety  issue                                                            
rather than a nuisance issue.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Williams  explained  that  the original  version  of  the  bill                                                            
authorized  the Department  of  Fish and  Game to  issue permits  to                                                            
commercial  entities for  dealing with nuisance  animals and  birds;                                                            
however,  he clarified,  the proposed committee  substitute  expands                                                            
the authorization to allow  the issuance of permits to private, non-                                                            
commercial entities.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Senator Austerman  asked for clarification regarding  who authorizes                                                            
the permits.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Williams  stated  that  Section 4  of  the  proposed  committee                                                            
substitute  specifies that  the Commissioner  of  the Department  of                                                            
Fish and Game  could issue permits, without cost,  to non-commercial                                                            
entities   such  as   individuals   or  the   State  Department   of                                                            
Transportation and Public Facilities.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Austerman asked  if the  Department  of Transportation  and                                                            
Public Facilities currently  applies for permits to handle the issue                                                            
of bird control at airports.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Williams responded  that this is correct; however, he reiterated                                                            
that  bird control  at  airports is  considered  to be  a matter  of                                                            
public safety  rather than nuisance control. He continued  that this                                                            
procedure would  also apply to public  safety issues on the  State's                                                            
road system.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Hoffman  surmised, therefore,  that moose along the  highway                                                            
is a public safety issue rather than a nuisance issue.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Green stated  that this  bill  was drafted  in response  to                                                            
constituents  who had  arranged to  hire a local  trapper to  remove                                                            
nuisance  animals from their  property. She  explained that,  in the                                                            
process, it was determined  that single permits must be acquired for                                                            
each  incident. She  stated  that this  legislation  would allow  an                                                            
individual  to acquire  the  necessary  permits for  a "longer-term                                                             
basis." She detailed  the requirements that would  apply to entities                                                            
applying for a permit.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Senator Olson  asked whether musk oxen are considered  small mammals                                                            
as, he  voiced concern  that they oftentimes  damage airport  runway                                                            
lights in rural villages.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Williams  responded  that this  situation is  also considered  a                                                            
public safety issue rather than a small mammal issue.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Green   moved  to  report  "SB  205  from  Committee   with                                                            
individual recommendations and very, very minor fiscal note."                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There  being  no  objection,  CS  SB  205(RES)   was  REPORTED  from                                                            
Committee  with a new zero  fiscal note, dated  March 13, 2002  from                                                            
the Department of Fish and Game.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
AT EASE 5:26 PM /5:31 PM