03/24/2021 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

        SB 22-INTENSIVE MGMT SURCHARGE/REPEAL TERM DATE                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:02:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PATKOTAK  announced that the  only order of  business would                                                               
be  SB  22,  "An  Act  repealing the  termination  date  for  the                                                               
intensive management hunting license surcharge."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:03:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR JOSH  REVAK, Alaska State Legislature,  as prime sponsor,                                                               
introduced SB  22.  He  described SB 22  as a "sunset  bill" that                                                               
would repeal  the termination date  for the  intensive management                                                               
hunting license surcharge.  He  said that this bill was requested                                                               
by the  sportsman's community and  is a revenues bill  that would                                                               
bring  in funds  for the  state;  the surcharges,  as opposed  to                                                               
general  fund  money,  would fund  the  intensive  management  of                                                               
wildlife populations.   He explained that  "importantly, it would                                                               
be  used  to  leverage  the  Pittman  Robertson  Federal  Aid  in                                                               
Wildlife Restoration  Act (16 U.S.C.  669-669i; 50 Stat.  917) of                                                               
September  2,  1937,  ("Pittman-Robertson  Act")  75/25  matching                                                               
dollars for  the Alaska  Department of Fish  & Game  (ADF&G), "so                                                               
one million  dollars in this  user fee  gets us three  million in                                                               
return."  He  noted that, to date, he has  heard of no opposition                                                               
to this SB 22.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:04:46 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EMMA  TORKELSON,   Staff,  Senator   Josh  Revak,   Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature, provided information  on SB 22 on  behalf of Senator                                                               
Revak,  prime sponsor.   She  explained the  intensive management                                                               
program, which  identifies when a  population of moose,  deer, or                                                               
caribou falls  below a level  sustainable enough to  allow people                                                               
to hunt;  it identifies  the cause and  plans ways  of addressing                                                               
the issue, such  as habitat enhancement.  She said  that prior to                                                               
2016,  capital project  appropriations funded  this program,  but                                                               
since then  it's been  funded by  surcharges on  hunting licenses                                                               
plus  matching grants  stemming from  the Pittman-Robertson  Act;                                                               
the surcharge accounts for approximately  $1 million per year and                                                               
the grants account  for approximately $3 million.   She said that                                                               
if  the  surcharge is  allowed  to  sunset, intensive  management                                                               
costs  would then  be borne  by the  state.   She noted  that the                                                               
intensive  management  program  promotes food  security  for  the                                                               
Alaska population.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:07:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
EDDIE  GRASSER,  Director,  Division  of  Wildlife  Conservation,                                                               
Department of  Fish & Game,  testified in support  of SB 22.   He                                                               
gave a brief history of  the Intensive Management (IM) Law, which                                                               
requires and (ADF&G) and the Board  of Game to identify wild game                                                               
populations and ensure that they're  large enough to provide food                                                               
security  for Alaska  residents  through sustained  harvest.   He                                                               
said hunters requested an IM surcharge  due to the success of the                                                               
state-conducted IM  programs, which  increased the  population of                                                               
caribou and moose; the request, he  said, was made to ensure that                                                               
funds  were dedicated  and  available to  assess  and conduct  IM                                                               
activities.     He  said  that   revenue  from  the   IM  totaled                                                               
approximately  $1 million  in  each of  the  last three  calendar                                                               
years, which are  used to match the Pittman-Robertson  funds at a                                                               
1:3  ratio; therefore,  should the  surcharge  sunset, the  state                                                               
would lose nearly $4 million per year for IM activities.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:11:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RAUSCHER asked  what  the benefit  of ending  the                                                               
sunset would be.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER replied that a benefit  would be having the surety of                                                               
appropriation each year.   He said that if  a legislature doesn't                                                               
support  subsistence  hunting,  there  could be  a  vote  to  not                                                               
continue the  sunset to  a later  date.  He  said that  this bill                                                               
would ensure Alaskans always have a food source.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:12:55 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked what the current sunset date is.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  GRASSER replied  that the  sunset date  is the  end of  this                                                               
calendar year.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HANNAN  said that  she  wonders  if the  Pittman-                                                               
Robertson Act  leverage is specific  to the IM, because  by doing                                                               
away with  its sunsetting, it's  an additional $10 charge  on the                                                               
fishing or hunting  licenses.  She asked whether  the state would                                                               
have  the  same  leverage  for  Pittman-Robertson  Act  funds  by                                                               
increasing the price of a license  by $10 should the surcharge be                                                               
allowed to sunset.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER  responded that  he believes  it's important  to have                                                               
the surcharges  in place.   He said that it's  been approximately                                                               
20 years between license fee  increases, and, while the surcharge                                                               
could be  eliminated and the  license fee increased,  there would                                                               
exist   no   mandate  to   ensure   administration   of  the   IM                                                               
responsibilities.   He said, "The  surcharge is a  dedicated fund                                                               
within a dedicated fund."                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN  said that she  supports the bill,  but the                                                               
surcharge is permanent,  and if there comes a time  when IM is no                                                               
longer necessary,  there would still  exist in statute  a mandate                                                               
for  an IM  surcharge, separate  from  ADF&G license  fees.   She                                                               
noted the administrative costs associated  with the surcharge and                                                               
management,  and  said  that  not   all  hunting  districts  need                                                               
intensive management.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER noted  that there are places identified  by the Board                                                               
of Game  where IM is not  taking place; however, there  are still                                                               
activities  including  research that  are  made  possible by  the                                                               
Pittman-Robertson fund.   He  added that  is not  to say  that IM                                                               
will  not  be  taking  place   in  those  areas  in  the  future;                                                               
therefore, he maintained, the surcharge should be kept.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:17:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FIELDS  asked  how   much  of  the  research  and                                                               
management funds  have been put  towards expansion of  tick range                                                               
and the threat to moose.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRASSER said that he would get the information.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:18:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK  noted the Upper Tanana/Forty  Mile Advisory                                                               
Committee and said that he  supports that these funds go directly                                                               
to management, as opposed to a  general fund which could be spent                                                               
in other areas.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:19:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR REVAK  said that  SB 22 would  leverage federal  funds to                                                               
include "everything from controlled burns to habitat."                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:19:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PATKOTAK opened public testimony on SB 22.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
1:20:14 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JOHN  STURGEON,  Director,   Safari  Club  International,  Alaska                                                               
Chapter,  testified  in support  of  SB  22  and noted  that  the                                                               
surcharge has  been of  great assistance to  ADF&G in  the proper                                                               
management of  wildlife resources.   He gave a brief  history and                                                               
explanation  of  the  Intensive  Management  Law  and  said  that                                                               
without the funds  to properly manage wildlife as  a food source,                                                               
populations could  be reduced or  eliminated.  He noted  the 2016                                                               
addition of  the IM  surcharge to the  hunting licenses  and said                                                               
that  because IM  programs had  proven  successful in  increasing                                                               
caribou and  moose populations,  hunters requested  the surcharge                                                               
to  ensure  that  funds  were  dedicated  and  available  for  IM                                                               
activities and  to carry out  projects as  seen fit by  the state                                                               
without interference from the federal  government.  He noted that                                                               
the  surcharge existence  makes  available other  funds that  can                                                               
leverage  the federal  Pittman-Robertson Act  funds for  research                                                               
and other  necessary activities.   He  explained that  hunters in                                                               
Alaska recognize the value of proper  IM, and most "that pay this                                                               
surcharge do so without hesitation or regret."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:23:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
KEVIN KEHOE,  President, Alaska Wild  Sheep Foundation  (AK WSF),                                                               
testified in  support of SB  22.  He said  AK WSF is  a 501(c)(3)                                                               
nonprofit  corporation based  in Anchorage  with more  than 1,000                                                               
followers across  Alaska.  Its  mission is to enhance  wild sheep                                                               
populations, promote scientific  wildlife management, educate the                                                               
public on wild  sheep, and protect and improve  sheep hunting and                                                               
viewing opportunities  in Alaska.   He said  AK WSF  fulfills its                                                               
mission  primarily by  raising funds  through various  donations,                                                               
raffles, and  auctions; its  parent organization  has contributed                                                               
more than  $2 million  to ADF&G  for wildlife  management, which,                                                               
then  paired with  the Pittman-Robertson  Act funding  equates to                                                               
more than $8 million on the ground for conservation.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  KEHOE  said AK  WSF  fully  supported the  original  license                                                               
increase  in 2017  and  strongly advocates  for  full funding  of                                                               
ADF&G and a  user pay system.  Without reauthorization  of the IM                                                               
surcharge, he said, ADF&G will not  have the funds to conduct the                                                               
intensive management  studies and  programs so vital  to wildlife                                                               
management  efforts  over the  last  five  years.   The  existing                                                               
surcharge creates  a revenue stream  for a mandated  program that                                                               
exists in  statute that does not  take general fund dollars.   He                                                               
warned that a failure to fund  this program could result in funds                                                               
raised by AK WSF and  other conservation organizations being used                                                               
to fund the  basic mission of ADF&G rather  than funding enhanced                                                               
conservation efforts.   He encouraged  the committee to  pass the                                                               
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:25:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SAM  ROHRER, President,  Alaska Professional  Hunters Association                                                               
(APHA),  testified in  support  of  SB 22.    He  stated that  IM                                                               
programs put  food on  the tables  of Alaskans  and help  to meet                                                               
subsistence needs.   He said the majority of  hunting guides live                                                               
in rural areas and understand  the importance of good populations                                                               
of  moose,   caribou  and  deer  to   eat;  non-resident  clients                                                               
understand, as well.  He  explained that IM programs, as critical                                                               
management  tools,  require   extensive  population  assessments,                                                               
research, and  analysis, and these  efforts cost money.   He said                                                               
APHA  was part  of  the  coalition that  in  2015 rallied  behind                                                               
former  Representative Dave  Talerico's  legislation that  raised                                                               
hunting  license and  tag fees  which, in  addition, to  doubling                                                               
non-resident  fees,  created a  revenue  stream  for IM  funding.                                                               
This  IM  surcharge  has  become a  critical  revenue  stream  to                                                               
support  healthy and  productive ungulate  populations statewide.                                                               
He stated that APHA supports the  current IM surcharge of $10 for                                                               
residents  and $30  for non-residents,  and the  association asks                                                               
the committee to support SB 22.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:27:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PATKOTAK,  after ascertaining  that no  one else  wished to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on SB 22.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:27:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  REVAK,  in  closing, noted  that  there  is  significant                                                               
hunting tourism from out of  state, and out-of-state license fees                                                               
are very important to ADF&G.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[SB 22 was held over.]