Legislature(2023 - 2024)BUTROVICH 205
04/14/2023 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Consideration of Governor Appointees | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 92 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
April 14, 2023
3:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Click Bishop, Co-Chair
Senator Cathy Giessel, Co-Chair
Senator Bill Wielechowski, Vice Chair
Senator Scott Kawasaki
Senator James Kaufman
Senator Matt Claman
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Forrest Dunbar
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONSIDERATION OF GOVERNOR APPOINTEES
Big Game Commercial Services Board
Michael Flores - Soldotna
- CONFIRMATION ADVANCED
Board of Fisheries
Gerad Godfrey - Eagle River
Greg Svendsen - Anchorage
Michael Wood - Talkeetna
- CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED
SENATE BILL NO. 92
"An Act relating to state ownership of submerged land underlying
navigable water within the boundaries of and adjacent to federal
areas; and providing for an effective date."
- BILL HEARING CANCELED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
MICHAEL WOOD, Appointee
Board of Fisheries
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
Talkeetna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Fisheries.
GARY HOLLIER, representing self
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the appointment of
Michael Wood to the Board of Fisheries.
SHANNON MARTIN, Executive Director
Kenai River Sportfishing Association (KRSA)
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the appointment of
Michael Wood to the Board of Fisheries.
KEN COLEMAN, representing self
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the appointment of
Michael Wood to the Board of Fisheries.
GREG SVENDSEN, Appointee
Board of Fisheries
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Fisheries.
GARY HOLLIER, representing self
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the appointment of
Greg Svendsen to the Board of Fisheries.
SHANNON MARTIN, Executive Director
Kenai River Sportfishing Association
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the appointment of
Greg Svendsen to the Board of Fisheries.
GERAD GODFREY, Appointee
Board of Fisheries
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Board of
Fisheries.
GARY HOLLIER, representing self
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the appointment of
Gerad Godfrey to the Board of Fisheries.
KEN COLEMAN, representing self
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the appointment of
Gerad Godfrey to the Board of Fisheries.
MICHAEL FLORES, Appointee
Big Game Commercial Services Board
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G)
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified for reappointment to the Big Game
Commercial Services Board.
KEN COLEMAN, representing self
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of the appointment of
Michael Flores to the Big Game Commercial Services Board.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:30:43 PM
CO-CHAIR CLICK BISHOP called the Senate Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Kaufman, Wielechowski, Claman, Kawasaki, Co-
Chair Giessel, and Co-Chair Bishop.
At ease from 3:31:45 p.m. to 3:31:53 p.m.
^CONSIDERATION OF GOVERNOR APPOINTEES
CONSIDERATION OF GOVERNOR APPOINTEES
BOARD OF FISHERIES
BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD
3:31:53 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP reconvened the meeting and announced the
committee would hear from governor appointees to boards and
commissions, starting with the Board of Fisheries.
He provided the following context:
The board consists of 7 members appointed by Governor
on the basis of interest in public affairs, good
judgment, knowledge, and ability in the field of
action of the board, and with a view to providing
diversity of interest and points of view in the
membership. Members must be residents of the state,
appointed without regard to political affiliation or
geographical location of residence. The Commissioner
of the Dept. of Fish and Game is not a member, but
serves as ex-officio secretary. Appointments must be
made by April 1st. Terms begin July 1. The Joint
Boards of Fish and Game select and nominate the
Commissioner of Fish and Game to the governor for
appointment.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP asked Michael Wood to provide his testimony.
3:33:54 PM
MICHAEL WOOD, Appointee, Board of Fisheries, Alaska Department
of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Talkeetna, Alaska, testified as
appointee to the Board of Fisheries. He stated that he has a
commercial set net permit at the mouth of the Susitna River.
Because of his interest in fish and fish habitat, he joined the
MatSu Fish and Wildlife Commission 10 years ago. He also serves
on the Upper Susitna Advisory Committee, the Chase Community
Council, and the Susitna River Coalition. He spoke about issues
related to habitat, the economics of sport fishing, invasive
species, and allocation of resources. He described the Board of
Fisheries as a very democratic process. He looks forward to
serving on the board, if confirmed, and has begun to familiarize
himself with the different fisheries.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP noted that there were technical difficulties
with the audio.
3:39:49 PM
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL asked if he feels that subsistence has been
allowed enough voice to have a democratic representation on the
board.
MR. WOOD answered that subsistence has priority by law, but he
wasn't sure it had gotten its due at the board level.
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL asked to what degree he considers himself a
subsistence fisherman.
MR. WOOD answered that he lives on the road system and has
access to grocery stores, so he doesn't consider himself a
subsistence fisherman, but he eats wild food every day. When he
commercial fishes it's for people who can't dipnet for
themselves; the extra goes to local tribal entities.
3:44:59 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP commented on the continuing absence of Chinook
in the Yukon River and that this was the main source of protein
for people living along the river. He asked Mr. Wood if he
intended to listen to the people when they come before the board
because this cultural lifestyle is in jeopardy.
MR. WOOD said he very much looks forward to speaking to the
people who live on the river system and along the coast to
understand how their lives are being impacted by the lack of
Chinook and chum.
3:47:05 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP opened public testimony.
3:47:22 PM
GARY HOLLIER, representing self, Kenai, Alaska, testified in
support of the appointment of Michael Wood to the Board of
Fisheries. He stated that he met Mr. Wood at board meetings and
found him very easy to talk to. He has a lot of energy and has
spent countless hours volunteering in different venues on fish
issues. He expressed hope that his name would be forwarded to
the full body for consideration.
3:48:40 PM
SHANNON MARTIN, Executive Director, Kenai River Sportfishing
Association (KRSA), Soldotna, Alaska, testified in support of
the appointment of Michael Wood to the Board of Fisheries. She
opined that he will be an active listener and bring a balanced
view of subsistence, personal, sport, and commercial fishing to
the board.
3:49:46 PM
KEN COLEMAN, representing self, Kenai, Alaska, testified in
support of the appointment of Michael Wood to the Board of
Fisheries. He stated that he met Mr. Wood at several board
meetings and echoes Mr. Hollier's comments. Mr. Wood has also
spent a lot of time and effort on the MatSu Commission on Fish
and Wildlife. He's fair and balanced and will serve the public
well. He highly recommended Mr. Wood's confirmation.
3:50:28 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP closed public testimony on Michael Wood.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP asked Board of Fisheries appointee Greg Svendsen
to provide his testimony.
3:50:51 PM
GREG SVENDSEN, Appointee, Board of Fisheries, Alaska Department
of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Anchorage, Alaska, testified as
appointee to the Board of Fisheries. He recounted his personal
history, educational achievements, and professional experience
as a teacher. He has some experience serving on private boards
and has fished extensively throughout the state. He said Alaska
has been good to him and he wanted to give back, so he put his
name forward.
3:55:23 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked how he would make decisions as a member
of the seven-member Board of Fisheries.
MR. SVENDSEN said he believes the board's responsibility is to
conserve and develop resources for all Alaskans, but subsistence
is the number one bylaw. He said he feels badly for the people
who rely on fish that aren't returning. He believes in a
terminal fishery where the fish return to the streams where they
were born. He continued to say that if subsistence fishers
receive what they need, then an allocation to an intercept
fishery would be something to consider.
3:57:15 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN asked what his approach would be when he
perceives the board is divided on an issue.
MR. SVENDSEN said his approach would be to listen to the
information, talk about it, and make the best decision he can.
Each board member is entitled to their opinion.
3:58:50 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP asked him to discuss his background in sport
fishing.
MR. SVENDSEN said he's sport fished throughout the state and
he'd like to have the opportunity to see his grandsons catch a
Chinook salmon.
3:59:39 PM
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL asked if he'd ever had a hunting violation.
4:00:22 PM
MR. SVENDSEN thanked her for bringing it up because he meant to
speak to that. He recounted that in 1996 he and others were
hunting caribou in the Lake Clark area. They looked at the
regulations and considered harvesting a brown bear. The pilot
agreed that bear hunting was open in that area. He subsequently
harvested a brown bear and took it to fish and game to have it
sealed. The next day ADF&G called to inform him that brown bear
hunting in that area was only open for subsistence. He was
offered a $500 fine and disposition of sentence if he had no
other violation in a year and he agreed. The judge subsequently
agreed that the regulations were unclear, but said she was bound
by the $500 fine that he had agreed to pay. She waived the
community service and the regulations were rewritten the next
year so it is easier to understand. He noted that some of his
friends at ADF&G told him they refer to it as the Greg Svendsen
regulation.
4:03:26 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP opened public testimony on the appointment of
Greg Svendsen to the Board of Fisheries.
4:03:43 PM
GARY HOLLIER, representing self, Kenai, Alaska, testified in
support of the appointment of Greg Svendsen to the Board of
Fisheries. He said he's participated in board processes for five
decades and some members vote the party line relating to sport,
subsistence, and commercial fishing. His hope is that every
board member under consideration today will come with an open
mind. He said he hopes Mr. Svendsen will use the available data
to make decisions. He stated support for his appointment.
4:05:01 PM
SHANNON MARTIN, Executive Director, Kenai River Sportfishing
Association, Soldotna, Alaska, testified in support of the
appointment of Greg Svendsen to the Board of Fisheries. She
stated that his six decades of knowledge from participating in
fisheries throughout Alaska make him ideal for this role. He is
very approachable and KRSA believes he will consider input from
all stakeholders and fishery managers when weighing these
important decisions. He has said that the resource comes first,
which is important to KRSA. She asked the committee to move his
name forward.
4:06:31 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP closed public testimony on the appointment of
Greg Svendsen to the Board of Fisheries.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP asked Gerad Godfrey to provide his testimony.
4:06:53 PM
GERAD GODFREY, Appointee, Board of Fisheries, Alaska Department
of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Anchorage, Alaska, recounted his
personal history and work experience. This includes commercial
fishing with family in the Kodiak Island fisheries, working on
the Trans Alaska Pipeline, and work on fisheries matters during
the Walker administration. After that he was appointed and
served one term on the Board of Fisheries. He acknowledged that
the learning curve for this board was steep, but he feels he has
an understanding of the issues and the various stakeholders. His
family situation has changed and he would like to return to the
board.
4:10:15 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he stands by his statement in 2020
during the upper Cook Inlet deliberations on the salmon
management plan and the conservation of king salmon. He quoted:
Conservation of King Salmon is tantamount to
rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic from the
standpoint that you're foregoing sockeye harvest in
exchange for delaying the inevitable.
MS. GODFREY said his philosophy is that it's not the best
approach to manage for a single species when the net benefit is
far outweighed by the detriment, such as not harvesting sockeye
when they far exceed the escapement goals of that stock in that
stream. He said he didn't recall what he was referring to
specifically but such decisions are case-by-case and based on
the data at the time. If a stock and stream has historically
underperformed and all management efforts to that point have
failed, it's a question of when to cut your losses and focus on
other species. He said subsistence is the priority and it's an
extreme measure to shut down an entire fishery for a river that
hasn't historically had large numbers of a specific species such
as Chinook salmon.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked Mr. Godfrey to comment on a similar
statement he made last summer during the upper Cook Inlet
meeting when he voted in support of liberalizing the set net
fishery. That statement was that, "Slowing commercial activities
to conserve streams was akin to stepping over dollars to pick up
pennies." He asked Mr. Godfrey if he thought there was anything
fish managers could do to preserve Chinook salmon and if he
thought they were worth preserving.
MR. GODFREY gave an example to show that he's talking about a
smaller benefit at the expense of a larger benefit. In that
case, 34,000 sockeye could have been harvested by the east side
set netters but that didn't happen because 11 king salmon could
have been caught as a non-target species. He said he would have
viewed it differently if 50 kings could have been caught, but
that wasn't the case. He also mentioned the subsequent request
for an emergency meeting when the majority vote was not to pivot
mid-season; he voted in the minority.
4:18:27 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he believes that the Board of
Fisheries made the right decision when it rejected proposal 140
for the area M fisheries.
MR. GODFREY said he wasn't there to hear the discussion or see
the data so it would be presumptuous to make an assessment on
that decision. He acknowledged that it would have been a
difficult decision. It's of utmost concern that a culture,
history, and way of life is on the brink of never returning. He
reiterated that the BOF has to use the data that's available to
make decisions.
4:20:51 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP said he represents the people on the Yukon from
the Canadian border to Holy Cross, and this will be the third
year running with no kings and this year no fall chums. He asked
Mr. Godfrey if he would be willing to entertain the idea of an
emergency BOF meeting to look at the most recent data for this
fishery.
MR. GODFREY said yes, but the bar to qualify for an emergency
meeting is new data that was not available to members at the
time of their previous vote.
4:23:32 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked him to talk about his thought process
when he's weighing the interests of thousands of years of
cultural subsistence on a river versus several hundred
commercial permit holders. In Cook Inlet, hundreds of thousands
of Alaskans rely on the fish for personal use versus several
hundred commercial permit holders.
MR. GODFREY said subsistence users have priority. He believes
the Yukon is a unique example because it's not on the road
system so not a lot of sport or commercial fishers get a "bite
at the apple" other than in Area M. In Cook Inlet and the Copper
River there are other user groups that get a chance at the
salmon before they make it into the river where there's
subsistence fishing. What's going on in the federal waters is
also a factor. He said that if a threatened stock or
conservation is of the highest order, he favors shutting
fisheries down to let the stock rebound. He said a decision to
shut down all the northern bound sockeye on one side of Cook
Inlet or the other in the hope that a few king salmon will make
it up the river should be based on the data and then balance the
interests. Each decision is made on a case-by-case basis, but
subsistence comes first.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP asked the nominees to consider that the board
members would benefit by taking a field trip on the Yukon River
to talk to the people.
MR. GODFREY said he was open to that suggestion.
4:30:06 PM
SENATOR CLAMAN asked what his approach is to deal with a board
that often has conflicts.
MR. GODFREY said he assumes that every member's motive is to
serve the state, preserve the resource, and honor the
stakeholders. He recalled that when he served previously and
there were 5:2 votes, he was in the minority more often than
other members. His approach on contentious issues was to not
reveal his position to the stakeholders because doing so
inhibits compromise. When there's compromise, nobody walks away
completely happy or completely unhappy, but they can live with
it.
SENATOR CLAMAN asked what the biggest lesson was that he would
take to his second term, assuming he's confirmed.
MR. GODFREY answered that it's to be accessible and also seek
out the people who are reluctant to talk their position on an
issue.
4:34:02 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP opened public testimony on the appointment of
Gerad Godfrey to the Board of Fisheries.
4:34:18 PM
GARY HOLLIER, representing self, Kenai, Alaska, testified in
support of the appointment of Gerad Godfrey to the Board of
Fisheries. He stated that board members have a steep learning
curve so once they have that expertise, they should be appointed
to a second term. He described Mr. Godfrey as a "top shelf"
board member. He made himself available before, during, and
after meetings. He listened to peoples' input, looked at and
analyzed the data, and voted accordingly. He's the type of board
member that the state needs.
4:35:54 PM
KEN COLEMAN, representing self, Kenai, Alaska, echoed Mr.
Hollier's testimony. Mr. Godfrey is open and transparent, he
does his homework, he looks at the history and the economics of
a situation, and he relies on data and science to make informed
decisions. Mr. Coleman said he's attended upper Cook Inlet
meetings since 1977 when the salmon management plan was
promulgated, and many of those meetings have been contentious.
But it helps when board members listen thoughtfully, rely on
data and science, and make sound decisions. Everybody won't
leave happy but they know they've been heard, and that's a
premium.
4:37:29 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP closed public testimony on the appointment of
Gerad Godfrey to the Board of Fisheries.
CO-CHAIR BISHOP transitioned to the Big Game Commercial Services
Board and asked Michael Flores to provide his testimony.
4:38:01 PM
MICHAEL FLORES, Appointee, Big Game Commercial Services Board,
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), Soldotna, Alaska,
testified for reappointment to the Big Game Commercial Services
Board. He recounted his personal history and his service on
other boards and commissions, primarily fishery related. He
relayed that he currently holds the marine transporter seat on
this board and has chaired the transporter subcommittee for the
last three years. He noted the growing concern about too many
transporters on Kodiak Island and certain areas in Southeast.
More work on that needs to be done, but bringing back the
transporter sticker is a step in that direction because it will
more readily identify the transporters.
4:41:06 PM
SENATOR KAWASAKI asked him to speak to the possibility of his
having a financial conflict of interest serving on this board.
MR. FLORES answered that he makes his living as a marine
transporter, but he has always put the resource first and has
been willing to downsize when it's warranted to protect the
resource. He mentioned the Board of Game meeting when there was
a motion to reduce the harvest for nonresidents to one deer. He
testified that most nonresidents are looking for a trophy so
there was no reason for them to shoot a doe or spike on these
hunts. The board adopted the buck only rule.
4:43:10 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP opened public testimony on the appointment of
Michael Flores to the Big Game Commercial Services Board.
4:43:35 PM
KEN COLEMAN, representing self, Kenai, Alaska, testified in
support of the appointment of Michael Flores to the Big Game
Commercial Services Board. He said he knows more about fisheries
than big game, but he knows Mr. Flores is fair and equitable, a
conservationist, and the right guy for the job. He
wholeheartedly endorsed the reappointment.
MR. FLORES mentioned his work on the salmon task force and
commented that if there had been s task force ten years ago, the
king salmon run on the Yukon would be in better shape.
4:45:12 PM
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL asked where he stands on guide concessionaries.
MR. FLORES said it's a good idea.
4:46:17 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP closed public testimony on the appointment of
Michael Flores to the Big Game Commercial Services Board.
4:46:28 PM
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL stated that the Senate Resources Committee has
reviewed the qualifications of the governor's appointees and
recommends the following names be forwarded to the joint session
for consideration:
Big Game Commercial Services Board
Michael Flores - Soldotna
Board of Fisheries
Michael Wood - Talkeetna
Greg Svendsen - Anchorage
Gerad Godfrey - Eagle River
Signing the reports regarding appointments to boards and
commissions in no way reflects individual members' approval or
disapproval of the appointees; the nominations are merely
forwarded to the full legislature for confirmation or rejection.
4:47:11 PM
CO-CHAIR BISHOP stated that the names would be forwarded to the
joint session.
4:47:47 PM
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Co-Chair Bishop adjourned the Senate Resources Standing
Committee meeting at 4:47 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB 92 Public Testimony through 04.14.23.pdf |
SRES 4/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
SB 92 |
| Big Game Commercial Services Board Michael Flores App + Resume.pdf |
SRES 4/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| Board of Fisheries Greg Svendsen App + Resume.pdf |
SRES 4/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| Board of Fisheries Gerad Godfrey App + Resume.pdf |
SRES 4/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| Board of Fisheries Mike Wood App.pdf |
SRES 4/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
|
| Support Letter - Board of Fisheries - Godfrey, Svendsen, Wood, Zuray.pdf |
SRES 4/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |