Legislature(2001 - 2002)

02/05/2001 05:35 PM House FSH

Audio Topic
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
              HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES                                                                            
                        February 5, 2001                                                                                        
                             5:35 p.m.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                              
PRESENTATION: CONDITION OF THE TONGASS  NATIONAL FOREST ROADS AND                                                               
CULVERTS IN REFERENCE TO FISH AND GAME.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
TAPES                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
01-06, SIDE A                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PEGGY  WILSON,  Co-Chair,  reconvened  the  House                                                               
Special Committee on Fisheries meeting  at 5:35 p.m. [The minutes                                                               
for HB 61 are found in the 5:02 p.m. minutes for the same date.]                                                              
                                                                                                                              
PRESENT                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Committee members  present were Representatives  Stevens, Wilson,                                                               
Scalzi, Dyson, Coghill, Kapsner, and  Kerttula.  Also present was                                                               
Representative Chenault.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                              
KEN TAYLOR,  Director, Division of Habitat  & Restoration, Alaska                                                               
Department  of Fish  &  Game, discussed  the  importance of  this                                                               
issue and how the department has  been working on it for the last                                                               
five years.  The department began  the process on the Tongass and                                                               
is studying  the design of  the culverts, velocity of  the water,                                                               
and  the angle  of the  pipes.   He then  responded to  questions                                                               
asked by committee members.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
LANA  FLANDERS,   Southeast  Regional  Supervisor,   Division  of                                                               
Habitat Restoration, Alaska Department  of Fish & Game, explained                                                               
the division's  involvement and their co-operation  with the U.S.                                                               
Forest Service  and summarized the information  that was provided                                                               
in the report they produced  in June 2000, entitled "Tongass Road                                                               
Condition Survey Report."   She then responded  to questions from                                                               
committee members.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
DICK AHO, Tongass Fish Biologist,  U.S. Forest Service, explained                                                               
that  "they"  [U.S.  Forest  Service]   agree  with  this  report                                                               
["Tongass  Road Condition  Survey Report"]  and that  "they" have                                                               
completed 90 percent of the 3,600  roads that are in the Tongass.                                                               
He  said  that  the  U.S. Forest  Service  is  currently  working                                                               
towards  removing  culverts.   He  further  explained that  those                                                               
culverts with  the greatest amount  of habitat would  be repaired                                                               
first.  He then responded to questions from committee members.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
LARRY  MESHEW,  Tongass  Fish/Wildlife Watershed  Staff  Officer,                                                               
explained  how  "they"  have  always  been  concerned  with  fish                                                               
passage issues and are focusing on the design of the culverts.                                                                  
He then responded to questions from the committee members.                                                                      
                                                                                                                              
JAN KONIGSBERG,  Director, Trout  Unlimited, made  corrections to                                                               
the handout  he passed out  last week.   He explained  that Trout                                                               
Unlimited believes that  "we" need to repair the  roads "we" have                                                               
now before building new ones.   He also said that work should not                                                               
be limited  to roads in  the Tongass  since there are  many roads                                                               
throughout the state  with this same problem.   He then responded                                                               
to questions from the committee members.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
ERROL  CHAMPION, Silver  Bay Logging,  Inc.,  explained that  his                                                               
company put in  some of the culverts that are  being referred to.                                                               
He explained that when these culverts  were put in, they were put                                                               
in  under  one   standard  and  now  they   are  using  different                                                               
standards.   He then went on  to say that all  the blame couldn't                                                               
be placed on  timber harvesting.  He then  responded to questions                                                               
from the committee members.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
On February 12, at  3:00 p.m., there will be a  tour of the DIPAC                                                               
hatchery facility.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  WILSON   adjourned  the  House  Special   Committee  on                                                               
Fisheries meeting at 6:46 p.m.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
NOTE: The  meeting was  recorded and  handwritten log  notes were                                                               
taken.  A  copy of the tape(s)  and log notes may  be obtained by                                                               
contacting the  House Records  Office at  State Capitol,  Room 3,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska  99801  (mailing address),  (907)  465-2214,  and                                                               
after  adjournment of  the second  session  of the  Twenty-Second                                                               
Alaska State Legislature this information may be obtained by                                                                    
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                

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