Legislature(2021 - 2022)BARNES 124
03/15/2021 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
Note: the audio ![]()
and video ![]()
recordings are distinct records and are obtained from different sources. As such there may be key differences between the two. The audio recordings are captured by our records offices as the official record of the meeting and will have more accurate timestamps. Use the icons to switch between them.
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
March 15, 2021
1:04 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Josiah Patkotak, Chair
Representative Grier Hopkins, Vice Chair (via teleconference)
Representative Calvin Schrage
Representative Sara Hannan
Representative George Rauscher
Representative Mike Cronk
Representative Ronald Gillham
Representative Tom McKay
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Zack Fields
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
Big Game Commercial Services Board
Peter Buist - Fairbanks
Michael Flores - Soldotna
Aaron Bloomquist - Palmer
Ely Cyrus - Kiana
Martin Boniek - Glennallen
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission
Jeremy Price - Anchorage
- CONFIRMATION(S) ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
PETER BUIST, Appointee
Big Game Commercial Services Board
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke as an appointee to the Big Game
Commercial Services Board.
MICHAEL FLORES, Appointee
Big Game Commercial Services Board
Soldotna, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke as an appointee to the Big Game
Commercial Services Board.
ELY CYRUS, Appointee
Big Game Commercial Services Board
Kiana, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke as an appointee to the Big Game
Commercial Services Board.
AARON BLOOMQUIST, Appointee
Big Game Commercial Services Board
Palmer, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke as an appointee to the Big Game
Commercial Services Board.
MARTIN BONIEK, Appointee
Big Game Commercial Services Board
Glennallen, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke as an appointee to the Big Game
Commercial Services Board.
JEREMY PRICE, Appointee
Oil and Gas Conservation Commission
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Spoke as an appointee to the Alaska Oil and
Gas Conservation Commission.
ACTION NARRATIVE
1:04:32 PM
CHAIR JOSIAH PATKOTAK called the House Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 1:04 p.m. Representatives McKay,
Cronk, Gillham, Schrage, Hannan, Rauscher, Patkotak were present
at the call to order. Representative Hopkins arrived (via
teleconference) as the meeting was in progress.
^CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
CONFIRMATION HEARING(S):
^BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD
BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD
^ALASKA OIL & GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION
ALASKA OIL & GAS CONSERVATION COMMISSION
1:05:23 PM
CHAIR PATKOTAK announced that the only order of business would
be the consideration of Governor's Appointees Peter Buist,
Michael Flores, Aaron Bloomquist, Ely Cyrus, and Martin Boniek
to the Big Game Commercial Services Board, and Jeremy Price to
the Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. [Biographical
information on all appointees available in the committee
packet.]
1:06:21 PM
PETER BUIST, Appointee, Big Game Commercial Services Board,
informed the committee that he has lived in Fairbanks for almost
50 years; has degrees in Biology from Syracuse University and
Environmental Resources Management from the State University of
New York; is a retired Alaska master guides; and had a 30-year
career with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
where he worked as a land manager, forester and wildland
firefighter. He said that he guided in Alaska for over 40 years
and served on the former Guide Licensing and Control Board. He
was appointed by former Governor Steve Cowper to the Governor's
Task Force on Guiding and Game in 1988 and served two terms at
the inception of the Big Game Commercial Services Board; was
appointed in 2003 by former Governor Frank Murkowski to the
Board of Game; and was originally appointed to his current Big
Game Commercial Services Board seat by Governor Mike Dunleavy in
2019. He said that between his education and experience, he
brings a unique balance of knowledge and experience to this
board, and that he is familiar with the operation of land
agencies.
1:08:22 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked about the specifics of the types of
seats on the board, and asked which one Mr. Buist is filling.
MR. BUIST responded that even though he has a background as a
guide, he's filling a public seat; this is a reappointment,
holding over from 2019.
1:09:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK asked about Mr. Buist's philosophy
regarding the board.
MR. BUIST said that complicated regulations were one of the
reasons why he retired from guiding; he said that the state
needs to protect the resources and clients, but over the years
regulations have gotten complicated and expensive, and one of
his goals is to simplify the regulations so that "mom and pop"
outfits can flourish.
1:11:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked Mr. Buist how he dealt with
regulations in his previous term and whether the other board
members agree with the need to "reduce these regulations."
MR. BUIST said that he believes there exists a "general
willingness" among the board members in that no one seems to be
lobbying for more complicated regulations. He noted that there
has been a large turnover in board seats, and while he can't
speak to new members, he believes that the existing members
share his philosophy.
1:13:22 PM
MICHAEL FLORES, Appointee, Big Game Commercial Services Board,
said that he moved to Alaska 32 years ago and was a big game
guide pilot. He currently operates as Ninilchik Charters, with
10 charter boats for halibut and salmon, and a staff of 25; in
2002 the charter company started operations in Prince William
Sound and Kodiak Island for big game marine transport. For the
past seven years he has served on the Charter Halibut Management
Committee for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council; he
recently accepted a position with the Recreational Quota Entity
(RQE), "which is basically the halibut stamp that has finished
all the hurdles in Congress and should be deployed sometime in
2023." He said that, with this appointment, he feels that he
could make the board better.
1:15:14 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked Mr. Flores whether he would be
filling one of the "licensed transporter" seats on the board.
MR. FLORES replied that he would.
1:15:28 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY thanked Mr. Flores's sons for their service
in the Marine Corps.
1:16:25 PM
ELY CYRUS, Appointee, Big Game Commercial Services Board,
described his history as having lived in rural Alaska his entire
life and said that he recognizes the importance of oversight of
natural resources. He noted his experience, including service
in the [NANA] Regional Corporation and as the President of the
Native Village of Kiana.
1:17:20 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked Mr. Cyrus whether he would be
filling a landowner's seat on the board or a public seat.
MR. CYRUS replied that he would be filling a landowner's seat.
1:19:26 PM
AARON BLOOMQUIST, Appointee, Big Game Commercial Services Board,
said that he is a registered guide and would be filling the
registered guide seat on the board. He said that he lives in
Palmer in the winter and Copper Center in the spring and summer,
operating Alaska Outfitters Unlimited and fishing boat charters,
which provides guided hunting for big game. He said that his
belief is that it's important for those who use natural
resources to "give back," and that he has a passion for guiding
kids and veterans.
1:21:37 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN asked whether Mr. Bloomquist is primarily
an archery guide.
MR. BLOOMQUIST said that in the springtime the company does
primarily archery hunting, but overall, the business is
approximately 90 percent rifle hunting.
REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN noted the section in the packet that
described his experience of taking down two muskox with one
arrow.
1:23:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CRONK thanked Mr. Bloomquist for his willingness
to serve and for his time spent improving hunting and fishing
regulations.
1:23:29 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE thanked the appointee for self-reporting
in the incident of the muskox hunt.
1:24:21 PM
MARTIN BONIEK, Appointee, Big Game Commercial Services Board,
said that he is a new appointee and would be filling a
transporter seat. He said that he and his wife own Copper
Valley Air Service, he has 40 years' experience flying, and is a
lifelong hunter, and has no agenda and is looking forward to
being on the board and fostering cooperation.
1:26:29 PM
CHAIR PATKOTAK asked whether any other committee members have
questions; there being none, he thanked the appointees and
introduced the sole appointee to the Alaska Oil and Gas
Conservation Commission (AOGCC), which he described as
overseeing "oil and gas drilling, development, production,
reservoir depletion, metering operation on all lands subject to
the state's police powers."
1:27:07 PM
JEREMY PRICE, Appointee, Oil and Gas Conservation Commission,
said that in 2019 he was appointed to the positions of Public
Commissioner and Chair on the AOGCC and expressed his pleasure
at serving, noting the experience and dedication of his
associates. He said that he has a bachelor's degree in business
from Utah State University and a Master's in government from
Johns Hopkins University, and currently lives in Anchorage. He
said that he's spent his career in oil and gas public policy
roles with U.S. Representative Don Young, U.S. Senator Lisa
Murkowski, with the American Petroleum Institute, and with
Americans For Prosperity in the office of Governor Mike
Dunleavy. He said that his career highlights include advancing
development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA),
helping Shell secure arctic air permits from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), being "instrumental in passing
legislation requiring two tug escorts of oil tankers transiting
Prince William Sound," and supporting development of the Alaska
National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). He described the purpose and
achievements of the AOGCC and noted that he's taken his role as
public commissioner seriously. He described the process of
digitizing the application system and its associated
efficiencies and talked about how many inspections were
performed by the AOGCC.
1:32:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCKAY spoke of his own background as a
professional petroleum engineer and noted that he worked with
the AOGCC.
1:34:02 PM
CHAIR PATKOTAK opened public testimony on the appointees to the
Big Game Commercial Services Board and the Alaska Oil and Gas
Conservation Commission. After ascertaining that no one was
waiting to testify, he closed public testimony.
CHAIR PATKOTAK announced that the confirmations of Peter Buist,
Michael Flores, Ely Cyrus, Martin Boniek, and Aaron Bloomquist
to the Big Game Commercial Services Board and of Jeremy Price to
the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, would be
advanced to the joint session for consideration. He reminded
the committee that signing the reports regarding appointments to
boards and commissions in no way reflects individual members'
approval or disapproval of the appointees, and the nominations
are merely forwarded to the full legislature for confirmation or
rejection.
1:36:21 PM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Resources Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:36 PM.