Legislature(2009 - 2010)BUTROVICH 205
03/24/2010 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB294 | |
| SB143 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 294 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 275 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | SB 143 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
SB 294-SPORT FISH GUIDE LICENSES
3:34:55 PM
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI announced SB 294 to be up for
consideration.
3:35:02 PM
CO-CHAIR MCGUIRE, sponsor of SB 294, explained that it would
repeal the termination date for the program they created to have
licensing of sport fish operators and sport fishing guides. The
original bill passed in 2004. Since then the program has proven
beneficial to both the industry and resource managers. It's
estimated that over 1.8 million clients were served taking more
than 460,000 guided fishing trips in Alaska annually; 88 percent
of them were non-residents. Sport fishing is an integral part of
Alaska's economy; in 2007 non-residents brought in over $650
million. An average of 1670 sport fishing licenses and 1981
sport fishing guide licenses that include regular training and
safety briefings have been issued. The guides have said the
training is a real important part of keeping a standard in the
industry. She said in 2009 the termination date was extended for
one full year and now they are proposing the permanent repeal of
the termination date.
3:37:09 PM
MIKE PAWLOWSKI, staff to Senator McGuire, mentioned that a copy
of the original HB 452 was in their packets in case there were
questions about the original law.
SENATOR STEVENS said Alaskans pay a different license fee for
commercial fishing than non-residents do and he asked if there
is any differentiation between instate and out of state license
fees for guides.
3:38:48 PM
CHARLIE SWANTON, Director, Division of Sport Fish, Alaska
Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), said resident and non-
resident guides don't have a difference in fees. A guide
business operator/owner license fee is a $100 fee and it's $50
for a guide.
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the department supported the
bill.
3:39:38 PM
JENNIFER YUHAS, Legislative Liaison, Alaska Department of Fish
and Game (ADF&G), explained that this legislation was introduced
at the request of the department and it has been a pleasure to
work with the Senate on this issue over the last two years. This
is the second time it has been introduced and it is identical to
what was introduced last year. It passed this committee and the
full Senate. It was later amended in the House to have the one-
year sunset and the Senate actually accommodated the concurrence
vote before adjourning last year.
She explained that the logbook program provides for data
collection that is necessary for information needed for state
fisheries management. The process has recently been streamlined
by the use of new "scanable" sheets instead of the large
cumbersome logbooks that salt-water guides had to write in.
MS. YUHAS said this program exempts guides from the National
Salt Water Angler Registry that is being implemented in the rest
of the United States. She said that some of the guides have
testified that they would rather fall under that because it
costs $25 rather than $100, but that program doesn't provide any
of the data the department needs to manage its fisheries. That
data is the most important part of the logbook program. What the
guides receive for their $100-fee is not simply a sticker for
their boat, but the ability to utilize this resource to earn an
income. She said everything is paid for by program receipts for
anglers and through the guide fee and that Mr. Swanton would
speak to the zero fiscal note.
3:41:12 PM
SENATOR HUGGINS joined the committee.
SENATOR FRENCH asked what the resistance to extending the sunset
for more than one year was in the other body.
MS. YUHAS replied that she couldn't speak to the logic that
Representative Neuman used in requesting that.
3:42:19 PM
MIKE MCCRARY, representing himself, Anchorage, Alaska, said SB
294 tries to do too many things. He said this bill came about
because more information on the numbers of guides and their
activities was needed and the data needed to be comprehensive
and credible. Those goals were accomplished, but nothing more
than minimum standards were established to actually be a guide.
From his point of view outfitting, charter boats, air taxis, and
water taxis are businesses, but guiding is an occupation. This
bill should not be put into place forever because the actual
occupational licensing of all classes of guides needs to be
separated from the business aspects - reducing speculative entry
of businesses into the commerce stream and enhancing the
profession of guiding. There should be one occupational
licensing board for guides like hairdressers and barbers have.
He said this bill tries to do too many things and extending it
without termination is premature.
3:45:51 PM
MELVIN GROVE, charter owner, Valdez, Alaska, said he opposed SB
294. His biggest concern is that they are being taxed,
basically, to pay for the logbook program. And even though he
believes in data collection, they hadn't seen any harvesting
improvements as a result of it. They had seen reduced bag limits
instead.
He said contrary to what Ms. Yuhas said, registering for the
National Salt Water Angler Registry is free according to Forbes
Darby. And anyone using their service in federal waters
wouldn't have to register, because data would be collected in
state waters. This data should be shared with the feds, but we
shouldn't use that to justify collecting a $100 fee. He said he
couldn't even keep a fish while fishing with clients any more.
If they pass SB 294, he urged them to please keep the sunset in
it.
3:49:48 PM
KEN LARSON, Secretary, Prince William Sound Charter Association,
North Pole, Alaska, opposed SB 294. They do not object to the
data collection, but between the sport license fees that both
instate and out-of-state residents pay and guide fees, they
aren't getting much for their money. ADF&G needs to look at
other funding sources, anyway. He said he saw no funding support
from NOAA for the logbook data that they use.
MR. LARSON said sport fish license fee funding has been reduced
because of the economy and other influences. For instance,
revenues are down because of the one-fish limit on halibut,
revenues from license sales and King salmon stamps were down 12
percent in 2009 and 5 percent in 2008, and it's probably going
to go down in 2010; in 2011 the Limited Entry Program for
halibut charters is going to eliminate 38 percent of the halibut
charter fleet in Alaska. Scanning logbook data is a good idea as
many data entry errors have been found during the ongoing
Limited Entry Program process. But those cost reductions should
mean position reductions in ADF&G if nothing else. At any rate,
he said, the funding needs to be looked at and that's why they
asked for the sunset to occur last year and that's why they are
asking for it again this year.
3:52:54 PM
REED MORISKY, Wilderness Fishing, Inc., Fairbanks, Alaska,
supported SB 294. He said this will be his 26th summer operating
in Fairbanks. He believes the logbook information is needed for
documenting consistent use and access to the resource. This act
would ensure clients that minimum standards are met.
Improvements have been made to the logbook program, as well,
that allow the guide-supplied information to be scanned.
3:54:02 PM
SMOKEY DON DUNCAN, Master Guide 136, Fairbanks, Alaska, didn't
support SB 294 as written. He wanted to see the program
sunsetted if the following amendments were not adopted: an
exemption from the licensing fee for fish guide businesses and
sport fish guides who do not operate from a city, a town,
village or permanent lodge, and an exemption from fees for camp-
based or float-trip based guides and from multiple daily logbook
recordings for camp-based and float-trip based guides. Further
he said the regulations should be changed to filling in the
logbook within 24 hours and he wanted ADF&G to provide water
proof containers for the logbook if requested. He also wanted
the Coast Guard requirement deleted, because they are entirely
absent from areas north of the Alaska Range.
MR. DUNCAN said this program has done nothing but cost him time,
money and headaches. He recruits all of his clients with no help
from the state, he pays land use fees, client day fees and he
and his clients buy fishing licenses. He said "the state does
virtually nothing to help promote or support the hunting and
sport fishing guide industries." He said further that guides
already pay enough for a business license, so why do they have
to buy two licenses?
3:57:03 PM
JOHN BLAIR, Executive Director, Southeast Alaska Guides
Association, Sitka, said he supported SB 294 for three reasons.
First, because it is a clear-cut example of a program that
actually works and does something right. Since its inception,
the logbook program has successfully provided accurate and
timely information for use by the Board of Fisheries and ADF&G.
Second, the log book program has become the only effective means
of collecting data on the sport fishing industry in an objective
and unbiased manner. Having independent and non-industry based
collection and enforcement insures credibility of the
information, so the information is dependable. Third, these data
are essential to ensure conservation and sustainability of our
fisheries. Without the logbook program there would be no quality
data and science that have become the foundation of sound
fisheries management. Alaskans pride themselves on their
fisheries management based on facts and science.
3:58:35 PM
SENATOR WAGONER asked how many members are in his group in
Southeastern Alaska.
MR. BLAIR answered that it represents over 100 vessels and lodge
owners throughout the region.
3:58:55 PM
WADE WILLIS, Anchorage, Alaska, said he used to be a guide and
he was concerned about the sustainability of the state's
fisheries. The state needs to look further down the road and
develop an occupational licensing board that licenses all
occupations that can insure that the quality of the guiding
industry is as good as it can be. He supported extending the
program for two more years.
4:01:22 PM
RICKY GEESE, Executive Director, Kenai Sport Fishing
Association, supported SB 294. He said the data has become an
extremely useful tool for the department to use for management
of the resources. He concurred with the need for an occupational
board to set minimum standards.
4:02:32 PM
REUBEN HANKIE, owner and operator of a small Kenai River fishing
business, supported SB 294. He pointed out that hunters need
licenses in the field. Collecting the data had some problems at
first, but those are getting ironed out. He said that he didn't
have any problem filling out his logbook in the rain, and data
collection is of utmost importance to the fishing industry.
4:04:21 PM
DAVE GOGGIA, President, Kenai River Professional Guide
Association, said he is an owner of a small guide service on the
Kenai River, and supported SB 294. He said he tries to keep his
logbook as dry as possible and that seems to work for him. Board
of Fisheries members want accurate data, and to him that is
important to making any kind of decisions that affect everybody
in the state.
4:05:38 PM
MS. YUHAS stated that the department is very happy with the
version before them. Should the legislature decided to audit or
repeal this program at any point in the future, they can do that
without a sunset.
MR. SWANTON said the logbook started out being 11.5X17 inches
and those have been reduced to a standard 8.5X11 inches that is
scanable. Access to that data will be reduced from eight to nine
months down to one to two weeks. These were some of the major
criticisms they had in the past from the public. They are
planning to do the same thing with the fresh water logbook
program starting this fall; that program will be scanable in
2011. He said this data collection program has been reviewed by
national experts who found that Alaska sets the standards for
quality and statistical precision.
4:08:00 PM
CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI closed public testimony. He said he
intended to hold the bill and asked for amendments by tomorrow
at noon.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 275 - Bill Packet.pdf |
SRES 3/24/2010 3:30:00 PM |
SB 275 |
| SB 143 - S Version.pdf |
SRES 3/24/2010 3:30:00 PM |
SB 143 |