Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
01/26/2024 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
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Audio | Topic |
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Start | |
HB243 | |
HB201 | |
Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+= | HB 243 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+= | HB 201 | TELECONFERENCED | |
+ | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 243-BISON DRAW PERMIT APPLICATION FEE 1:04:23 PM CHAIR MCKAY announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 243, "An Act reducing the draw permit application fee for bison to $5; and providing for an effective date." 1:04:29 PM CHAIR MCKAY opened public testimony on HB 243. 1:05:11 PM DON QUARBERG, representing self, testified in support of HB 243 as a former member of the Delta Bison Working Group and 40 years of experience working with the Delta Fish & Game Advisory Committee. He explained the bison range funding by the Alaska State Legislature for the purpose of providing adequate shelter and water through October of each year. He reported that in 1984, the fee to hunt bison was increased by $5 to supplement the existing funds. Those funds were never allocated to the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G). He stated that ADF&G increased the number of permit applications in 2017 which caused a spike in the number of hunters. He claimed there is a missing $170,000 that is designated for bison management. He described the seasonal round of the bison which only spend a month of the year on the range then move to farmland. He exclaimed ADF&G has absconded with those funds, which is unacceptable. 1:08:44 PM VERNON AITON, representing self, identified himself as a former ADF&G Board member for over 20 years and former president of the Delta Sportsman's Association. He stated the bottom line is hunters have paid the extra fee for years but did not get what they paid for. He cautioned the price of the lost fees will probably never be known but the matching Pitman-Robertson [Act] funds have been spent as intended. He favored reassembling the Delta Bison Oversight Committee but not under the auspices of ADF&G. He urged for the bison range to be increased. He is also in favor of a Delta bison feeding program as a contingency plan. 1:11:17 PM TISHA KENNELL, representing self, said she has witnessed incompetence and unethical management of bison. She stated that the original purpose of the $5 addition was to better manage the herd on the bison range. She stated the bison range money has essentially been stolen from the local communities. She cited the bison range manager said he did not need additional monies during the 2020-2021 starvation years and would not know what to do with the funds. She cited several mistakes that the state has made managing the herd. She said other states have established successful hunts during starvation events. She informed the committee that local residents have come together to hire an outside entity to manage the herd because they do not trust ADG&G to manage their wildlife or additional funding. She intended to send a message to the public that Delta Junction does not trust ADF&G and can better serve the game management in the region. She finished by stating her support for HB 243. 1:14:49 PM CHAIR MCKAY asked the previous testifiers how the money would be spent to support the bison range. 1:15:27 PM MR. QUARBERG recounted there were initially 90,000 acres granted for the bison range and the legislature gave [ADF&G] $1.54 million to clear 3,000 acres for habitat development. He insisted that the Pitman-Robertson [Act] Fund could have helped the situation. In response to a follow-up question, he explained that the Pitman-Robertson [Act] Fund derives from a nationwide sales tax on firearms and ammunition. 1:17:03 PM REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE interjected that if the state does not use those funds then the funds will be lost. 1:17:44 PM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked the three testifiers if reconvening a working group would be a sufficient response to the issue. 1:18:08 PM DON QUARBERG responded that there needs to be a local advisory council other than ADF&G. In response to a follow-up question, he explained that the previous Bison Working Group was composed of 11 or 12 people, one of which was from Florida and did not understand the issue. He said that the working group did come to a consensus on how to manage the range but that plan has been lost since the group has disbanded. He affirmed that it would be beneficial to reconvene the working group. 1:21:04 PM MS. KENNELL interjected that there have been concerns about the oversight of the funds to make sure it is being spent properly and managed properly. 1:21:48 PM REPRESENATIVE BAKER urged the committee to look into the Western Arctic Caribou Herd Working Group for comparison. He said the group is composed of locals that receive input from ADF&G and federal agencies and is a good example for the Delta Bison Range Working Group. 1:22:43 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER, as co-sponsor, made a closing statement and thanked the committee for considering HB 243. 1:23:49 PM CHAIR MCKAY closed public testimony on HB 243. CHAIR MCKAY announced that HB 243 was held over.