Legislature(1993 - 1994)
02/24/1993 03:45 PM Senate RES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SENATOR MILLER announced SB 107 WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TAG AND FEE to be up for consideration. TERESA SAGER-STANCLIFF, Staff for Senator Miller, said SB 107 would establish a wildlife conservation tag program. The tag would allow the purchaser to enter onto certain wildlife or game sanctuaries. It would give the Commissioner the authority to set a fee and to establish, through regulation, state refuges, range areas, and critical habitat areas where a wildlife conservation tag would be required for entry. Number 451 SENATOR ADAMS asked to see a map of the areas concerned and asked if his district was in it. He commented that in Anchorage and Fairbanks people are rich and can afford the tag, but if you're in rural Alaska, it is different. Number 462 WAYNE REGELIN, Deputy Director, Division of Wildlife Conservation, supported SB 107. It is a way to allow users of wildlife who don't hunt or fish to contribute to the resource. He said there are 32 of these areas in the state, none of them are farther north than Fairbanks. The only three the legislation speaks to are McNeil River, Round Island, and Pack Creek. They intend to charge about the same price as a hunting license. They don't want to change the use of the land, but to gain revenues. MR. REGELIN offered one amendment to clarify the intent. It says revenues received would be used for non-game programs and watchable wildlife programs. Number 528 SENATOR ADAMS asked him to explain the concerns surrounding the Stan Price area. MR. REGELIN explained that the Forest Service has requested that they submit two other amendments for the Stan Price/Pack Creek area where the state owns the tide land area and the federal government owns the uplands area. They are trying to work out some agreement to accommodate the situation. SENATOR ADAMS asked him if the people who ride snow machines have to buy a permit to cross the lands with exemptions for private property and public easements? MR. RICKLAND answered if they were snow machining they would have to. The cost of that tag would be the same as a hunting license which is $25. He said they may lower it after public comment. Number 530 SENATOR ZHAROFF said that $15 may not be lot of money to him, but it means a lot to someone out there who is unemployed. SENATOR ZHAROFF asked how this dealt with subsistence users. MR. REGELIN said the areas they would plan to do this in are not where subsistence is an issue. SENATOR ZHAROFF asked if there was a difference in residential and nonresidential rates. MR. REGELIN said at this time, no. SENATOR ZHAROFF commented that now we do have residential and nonresidential rates for hunting and fishing. MR. REGELIN said a different statute authorizes that. SENATOR ZHAROFF asked where the revenues are deposited. SENATOR MILLER said he understands that they will go into the general fund. MR. REGELIN said that was correct and they hoped to set up something similar to the duck stamp program. SENATOR ZHAROFF asked what were the penalties if you didn't have a stamp or whatever they decided upon. MR. REGELIN said that penalties had not been addressed. TAPE 93-10, SIDE B Number 580 SENATOR ZHAROFF said if you are going to pattern this after their other fish and game violation laws, there should be major penalties. MR. REGELIN thought there should be some sort of penalty if a regulation is broken. SENATOR ZHAROFF said he didn't favor this legislation. He said there a very few places we offer people the luxury to see some of the wildlife in Alaska. He didn't think we should be trying to balance the budget of the department with the users. He didn't think it required any management other than what is already provided through statute. MR. REGELIN said that the department is moving to put more effort into a watchable wildlife program. They are spending quite a lot of money on it and it is all coming from the general fund. They are looking for ways to reduce that general fund expenditure. Number 535 MIKE DUBOWSKI supported SB 107. He suggested requiring all visitors to the state pay a fee. Number 517 MARY FORBES, Alaska Environmental Lobby, supported SB 107. They believe nonconsumptive users of state land should pay a share of management costs. She suggested using language that specifically says what the funds should be used for and she wanted the program to be expanded to include more state lands. SENATOR ZHAROFF asked her if she didn't think charging a fee would be a deterrent to using them. MS. FORBES said she didn't think so, and she compared it to back pack programs she participated in where you have to pay a fee. Number 478 TOM GARRET, Alaska Visitors Association, supported SB 107. However, he had recommendations that would make it work better for both the department and the industry. He said that tourism does affect management and used the recent wolf issue as an example. The constitution says these resources are the common property of all Alaskans and should be managed to the highest and best use without regard for the amount of money collected by the department. They do support raising money to pay for non game wildlife activities, as long as they are voluntary. A broadly based market driven program of wildlife stamps or tags would be the most effective way to generate revenue. The tagging program now seems to be more of a program for entry fees. They do not support across the board mandatory wildlife viewing fees. MR. GARRETT said the Destination Alaska Study Team reviewed hundreds of different taxing options and determined the only options that would tax all visitors to Alaska equally was a state wide sales tax. They believe there should be two separate bills; one that establishes mandatory entrance fees for specific areas and another one that sets up the voluntary wildlife tag program that is marketed to people who may never even go to the places. He thought the revenue potential for the program had been greatly underestimated and offered to help them develop it. He said the fees should be implemented no sooner than 1994 as the season of 1993 has already been half sold. He thought the entrance fee should be spelled out in the legislation instead of leaving it up to the Commissioner. He said he was shocked to hear the proposed $25 fee. A trip to Pack Creek costs $245 round trip. If you had to pay a $25 fee on top of that, that's 10% of the purchase price. He also said where there is joint ownership or management, there should be only one fee. Number 391 JOHN GEORGE, Alaska Outdoor Council, supported the concept of user fees for nonconsumptive users of wildlife resources. They favored a volunteer program and using a patch or decal.
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