03/01/2024 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

                    SSCR 3-DISAPPROVE EO 126                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:48:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCKAY  announced that the  next order of business  would be                                                               
SENATE   SPECIAL  CONCURRENT   RESOLUTION  NO.   3,  Disapproving                                                               
Executive Order No. 126.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:48:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
RICKY  GEASE, Director,  Central  Office, Division  of Parks  and                                                               
Outdoor  Recreation, Department  of Natural  Resources, explained                                                               
that 12  advisory councils across  the state advise  the division                                                               
on issues  in different  regions.  Two  such entities,  the Wood-                                                               
Tikchik  State Park  Management  Council and  the Alaska  Chilkat                                                               
Bald Eagle  Preserve, are  appointed by the  governor and  set in                                                               
statute  with the  purpose of  developing management  plans.   He                                                               
noted   that  the   Kenai  River   Special  Management   Area  is                                                               
commissioner  appointed while  the  nine  remaining councils  are                                                               
regional area citizen advisory boards  appointed by the director.                                                               
He  directed attention  to  a  PowerPoint presentation,  entitled                                                               
"Executive  Order 126:  Eliminating the  Wood-Tikchik State  Park                                                               
Management  Council," dated  3/1/24  [hard copy  included in  the                                                               
committee packet].                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:51:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GEASE began  on slide  2, "Wood-Tikchik  State Park,"  which                                                               
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     • 1,541,759 acres near Dillingham                                                                                          
     • Established by Legislature in 1978 (AS 41.21.161)                                                                        
     •  Primary   purpose:  protect  the  area's   fish  and                                                                    
     wildlife  systems  (important   breeding  grounds)  and                                                                    
     continued subsistence and recreational activities                                                                          
     • Largest  state park  in the U.S.,  managed by  1 park                                                                    
     employee                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. GEASE continued to slide  3, "Wood-Tikchik State Park," which                                                               
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     •  Alaska State  Constitution Article  8, Section  7:                                                                      
     Special  Purpose Sites:  Legislature  may reserve  land                                                                    
     from the public domain                                                                                                     
     •  Legislature  closed  the  park  land  and  water  to                                                                    
     "multiple use"  and dedicated  area as  special purpose                                                                    
     site  (closed to  oil and  gas leasing,  mineral entry)                                                                    
     (AS 41.21.160-167)                                                                                                         
     •  Alaska  Department  of  Fish  and  Game  (ADF&G)  is                                                                    
     responsible  for  managing   fish  and  game  resources                                                                    
     within park                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GEASE advanced  to slide  4,  "Management Council  Members,"                                                               
which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     • 7-member  Wood-Tikchik State Park  Management Council                                                                    
     is established in AS 41.21.163.                                                                                            
     • Governor  appoints one member from  three nominations                                                                    
     submitted by each of the following:                                                                                        
       the village council of Koliganek                                                                                         
       the village council of New Stuyahok                                                                                      
       the village council of Aleknagik                                                                                         
       the city council of Dillingham                                                                                           
       the Bristol Bay Native Association, Inc.                                                                                 
       the commissioner of natural resources                                                                                    
       the commissioner of fish and game                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:52:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.   GEASE    turned   to    slide   5,    "Management   Council                                                               
Responsibilities," which read as follows [original punctuation                                                                  
provided]:                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     •     Management     council     provides     feedback,                                                                    
     recommendations    and    local    insight    regarding                                                                    
     management, operations, facilities                                                                                         
     • Meetings  serve as a  forum for public input  on park                                                                    
     management                                                                                                                 
     •  Members set  agenda  items, discuss  topics such  as                                                                    
     park   user   conflicts,  resource   issues,   proposed                                                                    
     developments and proposed regulation changes                                                                               
     • The Wood-Tikchik State  Park Management Council shall                                                                    
     develop a management plan for  the park with the advice                                                                    
     and assistance of the department (AS 41.21.164)                                                                            
     •  DNR, ADF&G  must  consult with  each  other and  the                                                                    
     management council before adopting regulations                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. GEASE continued to slide 6, "DNR's Support Role," which read                                                                
as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Division of Parks &  Outdoor Recreation coordinates and                                                                    
     supports the Management Council by:                                                                                        
     • Providing staff to develop management plan                                                                               
     • Issuing public notice for meetings                                                                                       
     • Assisting with agendas                                                                                                   
     • Taking meeting minutes and/or recording meeting                                                                          
     • Posting meeting minutes and/or recording meeting                                                                         
     • Coordinating  appointments through  Governor's office                                                                    
     • Filling requests for information from DNR                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Council has met  online since 2020 and  the most recent                                                                    
     meeting was February 1, 2024.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GEASE continued  to slide  7, "Executive  Order 126,"  which                                                               
read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     WHAT:                                                                                                                      
     •  Sunsets the  management  council.  DNR will  develop                                                                    
     management plans and  receive stakeholder input through                                                                    
     traditional channels  and creation of  citizen advisory                                                                    
     board                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     WHY:                                                                                                                       
     • Creates  efficiency and  establishes single  point of                                                                    
     contact for park management                                                                                                
     • Eliminates duplication within state government                                                                           
     •  Aligns management  activities  with  those of  other                                                                    
     parks                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     FUTURE:                                                                                                                    
     •  Management   processes  don't  change      revisions                                                                    
     subject  to robust  public process  and multiple  input                                                                    
     opportunities                                                                                                              
     • Alaska Department of Fish  & Game remains involved in                                                                    
     management plan development, associated activities                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:55:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCKAYADS sought clarity on the "RADS" acronym.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GEASE  answered  the  Resource  Assessment  and  Development                                                               
Section, which performs all the management plans for DNR.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:56:01 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked  whether the Wood-Tikchik Management                                                               
Council serves  the purpose  of a  citizen's advisory  council or                                                               
whether there would still be  a citizen's advisory council if the                                                               
management council were eliminated.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GEASE said  currently, the  Wood-Tikchik Management  Council                                                               
functions very similar to a regional citizen advisory board.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  asked whether  there would  be a  need to                                                               
develop a  citizen's advisory council for  the Wood-Tikchik State                                                               
Park if the management council were eliminated.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:56:45 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GEASE  answered  yes,  if the  executive  orders  (EOs)  are                                                               
confirmed, both  the Wood-Tikchik  State Park  Management Council                                                               
and the  Alaska Chilkat Bald  Eagle Preserve would  need regional                                                               
citizen advisory boards.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:57:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER  asked what would  be different if  the EO                                                               
were confirmed.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GEASE indicated  that vacancies  are easier  to fill  on the                                                               
regional citizen advisory councils and quorum is met more often.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:59:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GEASE  concluded  the  presentation   on  slide  8,  "Future                                                               
Stakeholder   Engagement,"  which   read  as   follows  [original                                                               
punctuation provided]:                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     DNR has other important engagement tools:                                                                                  
     • Creation of a local citizen advisory board covering                                                                      
      the parks in the local region (Lake Aleknagik State                                                                       
     Recreation Site)                                                                                                           
        • Citizen advisory boards assist park staff with                                                                        
     management and development issues                                                                                          
     • Alaska State Parks director appoints members for up                                                                      
     to 3-year terms                                                                                                            
     • Members are representative of multiple user groups                                                                       
       • Active boards in Chugach, Juneau, Kachemak Bay,                                                                        
     Ketchikan, Kodiak, Mat-Su, Northern Region and Seward                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
[SSCR 3 was held over.]