04/07/2017 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

        HB 130-GAME REFUGE/CRIT HABITAT AREA BOUNDARIES                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:04:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  JOSEPHSON announced  that the  first order  of business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL  NO. 130,  "An Act  relating to  the Izembek                                                               
State Game  Refuge, Cape Newenham  State Game Refuge,  Palmer Hay                                                               
Flats  State  Game Refuge,  Port  Moller  Critical Habitat  Area,                                                               
Egegik Critical Habitat Area, Pilot  Point Critical Habitat Area,                                                               
Fox  River Flats  Critical Habitat  Area,  Kachemak Bay  Critical                                                               
Habitat  Area,   and  Dude  Creek  Critical   Habitat  Area;  and                                                               
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:05:36 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MORGAN  FOSS, Legislative  Liaison, Office  of the  Commissioner,                                                               
Alaska  Department  of  Fish  & Game,  in  response  to  Co-Chair                                                               
Josephson, provided  additional information  on how HB  130 would                                                               
affect the Dude Creek Critical  Habitat Area (CHA).  She informed                                                               
the committee  the Dude Creek  CHA was  created in 1988,  and the                                                               
land between  Dude Creek  and tidelands  was purchased  by Nature                                                               
Conservancy  in 2004  and transferred  to  the state.   The  bill                                                               
would include  said portion  of the land  into the  existing CHA,                                                               
and  the  Alaska  Department  of  Fish &  Game  (ADFG)  would  be                                                               
responsible for developing a management  plan for the entirety of                                                               
the CHA.   In further response to Co-Chair  Josephson, she agreed                                                               
the bill would be an expansion of the Dude Creek CHA.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
2:07:18 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOSEPHSON opened public testimony.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
2:07:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
PAUL   GRONHOLDT,  Member,   Aleutians  East   Borough  Assembly,                                                               
Aleutians East  Borough, speaking  as a  member of  the Aleutians                                                               
East  Borough Assembly,  expressed the  Aleutians East  Borough's                                                               
strong  support of  HB 130,  which  would correct  errors in  the                                                               
boundaries  of two  parcels  of land  within  the Aleutians  East                                                               
Borough.  He  directed attention to a letter of  support from the                                                               
Aleutians East Borough dated 2/21/17,  and found in the committee                                                               
packet.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
2:08:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOSEPHSON,  after ascertaining  that no one  else wished                                                               
to testify, closed public testimony.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:09:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  TARR moved  to  report  HB 130  out  of committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
2:09:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took an at-ease from 2:09 p.m. to 2:11 p.m.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
2:11:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  TARR  restated the  motion  to  report  HB 130  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
fiscal  notes.   There being  no objection,  HB 130  was reported                                                               
from the House Resources Standing Committee.