02/10/1998 03:37 PM Senate STA

                                                                               
                  SB 265 - MOOSE AS STATE MAMMAL                               
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN GREEN introduced SB 265 as the next order of business.                
                                                                               
SENATOR JOHN TORGERSON, prime sponsor of SB 265, said he was                   
contacted by a parent who had done some research and found that                
there was not an official state land mammal identified in statute.             
She requested that Senator Torgerson help the students of                      
Kalifornsky Beach Elementary School in going forward with                      
legislation, as well as meeting with the students to explain the               
legislative process.  He added that he wishes he could extend that             
same process to every school in the state, and even though this may            
be something that is not a very important statute, it is in the                
learning cycle.                                                                
                                                                               
Number 335                                                                     
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN GREEN stated testimony would be taken from witnesses                  
waiting to testify over the teleconference network.                            
                                                                               
NANCY HILLSTRAND, testifying from Homer, voiced her appreciation               
for the work done by  the school in Kenai.  She believes it is very            
important for students to be involved in the legislative  process,             
and she suggested possibly getting students from other parts of the            
state involved in designating a state land mammal.                             
                                                                               
Number 348                                                                     
                                                                               
BLAKE GABRIEL, a fifth grade student at Kalifornsky Beach                      
Elementary School in Soldotna, said several of the students from               
his school would be explaining their reasons for choosing the moose            
as the state land mammal.                                                      
                                                                               
HANNAH WEST, a first grade student, said the moose specie in Alaska            
is not found in any other state in the United States.                          
                                                                               
JANELLE DROWN, a first grade student, related that the moose is a              
gentle animal and it cares for its young for a full year.                      
                                                                               
CLYDE FOLLEY, a sixth grade student, said the moose played an                  
important role in Alaska's history.  At one time, professional                 
hunters supplied meat to mining camps.  Moose are an important                 
resource of  food, clothing and tools to the Athabascan Indians.               
                                                                               
REMINGTON WEST, a second grade student, said another reason he                 
thinks the moose is a good choice as the state mammal is because it            
is the hunted animal in Alaska, and as a food source, it provides              
3.5 million pounds of meat to Alaska yearly.                                   
                                                                               
ELYSE DEHLBOM, a fifth grade student, pointed out that the many                
road kills that Alaskans face each year concerning the moose is not            
the fault of the moose.  She said the Natives that lived here                  
before us didn't have the roads and automobiles and the moose have             
not got used to the idea of these roads and automobiles.  She also             
pointed out that the moose is found in 85 percent of the state.                
                                                                               
DAVID THORNTON, a sixth grade student, noted there are 170,000                 
moose in the state of Alaska.  He said most tourists expect to see             
moose on a visit to Alaska, and they often do see and photograph               
them.  He said that if the moose was the state mammal, we could                
expect to see an increased number of products with moose design,               
and this would be an economic boost to the state's economy.                    
                                                                               
JACQUELINE COWAN, a sixth grade student, thanked the committee for             
listening to the students' testimony, and she urged the careful                
consideration of the school's choice of the moose for the state                
land mammal and its support SB 265.                                            
                                                                               
Number 404                                                                     
                                                                               
There being no further testimony on SB 265, CHAIRMAN GREEN thanked             
the students for their testimony and then asked for the pleasure of            
the committee.                                                                 
                                                                               
SENATOR WARD moved that SB 265 be passed out of committee with                 
individual recommendations.  Hearing no objection, it was so                   
ordered.