03/12/2012 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

        SB 205-CHINOOK RESEARCH & RESTORATION ENDOWMENT                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:42:20 PM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR PASKVAN announced the consideration of SB 205.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI  moved to bring  CS for SB 205,  labeled LS-                                                               
271312\D,  before the  committee as  the working  document. There                                                               
were no objections and it was so ordered.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:42:50 PM                                                                                                                    
DAVID  SCOTT,   staff  to  Senator  Donny   Olson,  Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, sponsor  of SB  205, explained  that the  CS mirrors                                                               
the  companion   House  bill.  It   creates  a  trust   fund  and                                                               
establishes  a  long  term  source of  funding  to  support  high                                                               
quality interdisciplinary  research on  Alaska king salmon  in AS                                                               
37.14. He explained  that in 2010, the Yukon  kings were declared                                                               
failing  by  the federal  government  and  of  the 14  stocks  of                                                               
concern in  the state, 8  are king  salmon stocks. He  thought it                                                               
was time to  augment what the Alaska Department of  Fish and Game                                                               
(ADF&G) has been doing.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. SCOTT provided  a sectional analysis explaining  what each of                                                               
the new sections to AS 37.14 would do as follows:                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Section  37.14.650   establishes  the   Chinook  Salmon                                                                    
     Research and Restoration Fund.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Section 37.14.655 establishes the  grant account in the                                                                    
     General Fund.  The fund  would make  the money  and the                                                                    
     legislature  would appropriate  money out  of it.  From                                                                    
     the  grant  fund the  board,  which  is created  later,                                                                    
     would award  grants to Alaskan entities  that would put                                                                    
     forward projects for  restoration or research regarding                                                                    
     king salmon. Section 37.14.660  is where the Department                                                                    
     of  Revenue   (DOR)  commissioner  will   identify  the                                                                    
     availability  of  funds  to   be  appropriated  to  the                                                                    
     restoration fund from the grant fund.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section  37.14.665 relates  to what  the appropriations                                                                    
     in the  grant account  may be  used for.  "Research and                                                                    
     restoration" was  changed to "research  or restoration"                                                                    
     to  not limit  their use.  They  can also  be used  for                                                                    
     reimbursement to  the Department  of Revenue  (DOR) for                                                                    
     the  cost  establishing  and   managing  the  fund  and                                                                    
     Department   of   Commerce,  Community   and   Economic                                                                    
     Development (DCCED)  for the  cost of  establishing and                                                                    
     administering  the board  and the  grant program.  They                                                                    
     may also  be used  for matching  funds for  private and                                                                    
     federal   grants  and   soliciting  contributions   for                                                                    
     purposes  consistent with  establishment  of the  fund.                                                                    
     The board  may also  expend private donations  for uses                                                                    
     consistent  with  the  fund and  the  purposes  of  the                                                                    
     grantee of a private fund.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Section  37.14.670  establishes   the  board  and  .675                                                                    
     further specifies  who is  on the  board. They  are all                                                                    
     appointed   by   the    governor   and   includes   the                                                                    
     commissioner of ADF&G and six  public members, one each                                                                    
     residing  in from  Southeast, Southcentral,  Southwest,                                                                    
     Western,  Arctic  and  Interior Alaska.  They  must  be                                                                    
     engaged  somehow  in  subsistence, personal,  sport  or                                                                    
     commercial use of king salmon.  Section .680 is how the                                                                    
     board will  administer the  program. Section  .685 says                                                                    
     what  the  board has  to  consider  in reviewing  grant                                                                    
     applications  (not  awarding   projects  that  are  not                                                                    
     needed).  The  board  will also  consider  whether  the                                                                    
     applicant has appropriate  experience. It must consider                                                                    
     recommendations  of  state  agencies  or  organizations                                                                    
     involved in  salmon management.  It must  give priority                                                                    
     grants that  target king salmon stocks  that are stocks                                                                    
     of  concern  that  are  subject  to  state  or  federal                                                                    
     fisheries  disaster declarations,  that  are closed  or                                                                    
     significantly     restricted    or     have    declined                                                                    
     significantly  from historic  yields.  Section .695  is                                                                    
     definitions.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:50:10 PM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR PASKVAN found no further questions.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS asked if this is truly aimed at salmon as a                                                                     
statewide resource.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. SCOTT confirmed that this is aimed at a statewide resource.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR PASKVAN held SB 205 in committee.