03/23/1998 03:57 PM Senate RES

                  SB 262 - MANAGEMENT OF HUNTING                               
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN HALFORD announced SB 262 to be up for consideration.                  
                                                                               
SENATOR TAYLOR said this is a reaction to the closure by the Board             
of 236 square miles to Alaskan hunters.  It basically restricts the            
Department from curtailing traditional access for hunting and                  
trapping unless the specific needs of access is causing biological             
harm to a game population in the area where the restriction is to              
apply.                                                                         
                                                                               
MS. MEL KROGSENG, Staff to Senator Taylor, said the amendment was              
drafted to allow the Board of Game to maintain those controlled use            
areas in existence now that they feel are necessary.  Some of them             
have indicated that these areas may be only for a short period of              
time and may not be necessary to be maintained over time.  This                
would allow the Board to grandfather them if they need to be                   
continued and eliminate them if they don't need to be continued.               
                                                                               
There were references in the original bill to fish and the bill                
doesn't really deal with fish, just game; so fish were deleted. It             
was also intended that generalized motor vehicles be included, so              
that is in the amendment.  The term "conservation" was changed to              
"management."  The bill still states that if the Department wishes             
to create new controlled use areas, it must be for biological                  
reasons.                                                                       
                                                                               
SENATOR TAYLOR moved to adopt the amendment to SB 262.  There were             
no objections and it was so ordered.                                           
                                                                               
SENATOR TAYLOR moved to pass CSSB 262(RES) from Committee with                 
individual recommendations.                                                    
                                                                               
SENATOR LINCOLN objected saying she would first like to hear from              
the Department.                                                                
                                                                               
MR. GERON BRUCE, Department of Fish and Game, said the amendments              
would not essentially affect the main testimony of the Department              
on the original bill which is that controlled use areas are                    
designed not for biological purposes, but for allocative purposes              
under the Board's authority to provide preferences among beneficial            
uses.  That is what this tool is being used for.  With the                     
exception of a few areas, they have been well received by the                  
public.                                                                        
                                                                               
SENATOR SHARP asked if current areas would be grandfathered in.                
                                                                               
SENATOR TAYLOR answered, "Yes."                                                
                                                                               
SENATOR TORGERSON asked if they are taking out all reference to                
fish except in the sustained yield definition and asked if that's              
the intent.                                                                    
                                                                               
MS. KROGSENG said they intentionally left the reference to fish for            
sustained yield, because this definition is under general                      
definitions, not referring to just this section of the bill.                   
                                                                               
There were no further objections and the bill moved from Committee             
with individual recommendations.