HB 122-FUNTER BAY MARINE PARK: UNANGAN CEMETERY  1:03:34 PM CO-CHAIR LINCOLN announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 122, "An Act relating to the Funter Bay marine park unit of the state park system; relating to protection of the social and historical significance of the Unangax cemetery located in Funter Bay and providing for the amendment of the management plan for the Funter Bay marine park unit; and providing for an effective date." 1:04:12 PM REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN, sponsor, stated HB 122 is a project 77 years in the making, including about two decades of active political work, to preserve the Unangan cemetery in Funter Bay [on the northwest coast of Admiralty Island]. She related that during World War II (WWII), people of the Aleutian Islands were relocated to six camps in Southeast Alaska when the Japanese started invading the Aleutians. Funter Bay was probably the worst of the camps, she said, in that it had one of the highest death ratios. Unlike the other campsites, she noted, the Funter Bay cemetery is on state property and unpreserved. She said two of the six relocation campsites were located in Funter Bay, one at the mine site and one at the cannery site. The other camps were located at Killisnoo near Angoon, which is private property; Ward Cove outside of Ketchikan, which is federal property and has been preserved as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp; Wrangell Institute in Wrangell; and Burnett [Inlet], where today there is a fish hatchery. She pointed out that the people relocated to the Funter Bay campsites had already once been relocated from their traditional Aleutian Island homelands when in the late 1700s Russian fur trappers moved them to the Pribilof Islands where they were forced to hunt furs. REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN stated the Funter Bay relocation camps were also known as internment camps because the men at these camps were forced to leave their families in Funter Bay to go to U.S. government sealing camps on the Pribilof Islands during harvest time. The families left behind were ill prepared to survive because of the marginal conditions at the Funter Bay camps and a large cemetery ensued. About two decades ago, she continued, people started to work on ensuring that the cemetery didn't disappear. Some of the camp people's descendants still live in the region today and some returned to the Pribilof's post WWII, she said, and they have sought protection for that land. While she happens to have the privilege of being the person in office who is bringing to culmination the bill before the committee, the dialogues for preserving this land have been around for at least two decades, she said. She noted that a number of the people involved in that dialogue are present today to provide expertise. She acknowledged the leadership of the executive branch as well as the director and regional director of the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation who continued to shepherd things to this step. She explained that a land survey was done that would provide for the preservation of the cemetery and HB 122 would protect it by moving the upland that the cemetery is located on from the Division of Land, Mining and Water into marine park status under the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. 1:08:31 PM HUNTER MEACHUM, Staff, Representative Sara Hannan, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Hannan, sponsor, reviewed HB 122 by way of a PowerPoint presentation entitled, "HB 122, Funter Bay Marine Park: Unangan Cemetery." She explained that HB 122 would transfer the parcel of land that the cemetery is on in Funter Bay from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Land, Mining and Water, to the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation to preserve the cemetery's social and historical significance. She displayed a photograph on slide 3 of the cemetery as it is today and noted it is well maintained due to the efforts of family members and the organization, Friends of Admiralty Island. Moving to slide 4, she showed a photograph of the headstone for a child born about a month before relocation to the Funter Bay camp [5/23/42], and who died in October because the conditions were so terrible. Ms. Hunter brought attention to the land survey in the committee packet depicting the cemetery's location. 1:11:40 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER remarked that it sounds like a great idea. He inquired whether any municipal land is involved. REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN replied no. REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked how much area would be involved. MS. MEACHUM responded that the total acreage is 537 acres. REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN said DNR is online to address the committee. She noted that DNR is suggesting the whole parcel of state land under the Division of Mining, Land and Water be moved into park status, so it is contiguous and not just an outlying piece of burial plots. 1:13:22 PM RICKY GEASE, Director, Central Office, Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), testified that HB 122 has the department's full support at all levels. He said it has been a privilege to work and coordinate with the diverse groups of knowledgeable people, agencies, and organizations that have been working hard to further protect this historical and culturally significant site. [This will] help inform Alaskans about the importance of the cemetery and the hardships imposed on the Aleut people of St. Paul and St. George islands while in the Funter Bay area during WWII. 1:14:26 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER offered his understanding that tracts 37 and 38, plus multiple lots, are included for a total of 537 acres involved in the transfer. MR. GEASE offered his belief that the aforementioned is correct. He deferred to Mr. Preston Kroes for answering any specific questions about the specific lots involved. 1:15:23 PM REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS inquired whether this is the first bit of land to be added to the marine park. He further inquired whether the land management plan for this marine park would be changed. MR. GEASE answered that to his knowledge there is some land and HB 122 would add two additional lands that are currently under the Division of Mining, Land and Water. The bill would ensure that these lands are protected under the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation and there is the authority for enforcement that comes with state park lands. He deferred to Mr. Kroes to answer about the land management plan. 1:16:48 PM PRESTON KROES, Superintendent, Southeast Region, Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), stated the parcel the cemetery is located on is currently under the Division of Mining, Land and Water and designated to be managed as part of the state park. Therefore, he said, nothing really will change as far as management; it will be managed pretty much the same as it currently is and just be an addition to the current state marine park. 1:17:43 PM CO-CHAIR TARR asked whether a full assessment of the state's public lands has been done for important historical sites. She further asked whether Mr. Kroes is aware of any other sites like this one that the committee should be thinking about. MR. KROES offered his belief that unfortunately a lot of things like this are missed. He said that is why, upon hearing about it, the division was more than happy to have it extend into the state marine park to protect it and ensure it will be there for the cultural history. He pointed out that it wouldn't be any additional budgetary burden as the state marine park is relatively undeveloped. He added that the division hopes to get some interpretive panels put out in that area. 1:18:59 PM REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO inquired about the ownership status of the lands adjacent to the boundary of the cemetery parcel. MR. KROES replied there are some surrounding private parcels [by the cemetery], as well as U.S. Forest Service property adjacent to the state marine park and the parcel that [the park] would be expanding into. 1:19:41 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked how many people are buried in the cemetery. REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN responded that there are 32 identified and marked gravesites and the oral records suggest there could be some unmarked graves that are further outside the marked graves. REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER inquired whether there is one in each [of the plots of the survey]. REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN answered no and stated that Representative Rauscher is asking if there are gravesites within each of the survey plots 1, 2, 11, and 12. She offered her belief that all the gravesites are located in tract A. She explained that [the survey] shows all the state land that is being transferred, but that the cemetery is in a very concentrated area. She further explained the survey shows a full township and some of the township is federal land, not state land. REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER offered his understanding that "each one of those is a section in the township." REPRESENTATIVE HANNAN replied yes. REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked about the need for all of that. MR. KROES explained that the reason for asking for the full 537 acres is to make a continuous boundary for the current state marine park because otherwise the cemetery parcel alone would be a far outlier. This way, he continued, it is one big continuous park that includes the cemetery. 1:22:17 PM REPRESENTATIVE RASMUSSEN inquired about the cemetery's size. MR. KROES answered he isn't sure [the division] has that number, but he estimates that it is roughly three-quarters to one acre. REPRESENTATIVE RASMUSSEN stated she supports the cemetery but questions the need for 537 acres for something that is one acre. MR. KROES displayed a map and noted the current state park is depicted in purple. He pointed to the tract proposed for addition and said this way it would be connected. To do otherwise, he stated, the cemetery would just be an asterisk with quite a bit of property in between that is Division of Mining, Land and Water, which is also part of DNR. Since it is already DNR state property, he said, the thought was to make it all part of the state marine park and eliminate jurisdiction confusion. He showed another map and pointed out the state marine park, the tract proposed for addition, and the cemetery. 1:24:30 PM CO-CHAIR TARR surmised that without a contiguous boundary there would be a need to create some kind of access that could become complicated, while if contiguous it would be uncomplicated. MR. KROES replied that it would definitely make the whole management plan, jurisdiction matters, and everything much more clearly cut and easy to do. 1:25:09 PM REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ offered her understanding that this proposal is not a swap, but rather a transfer of lands from the category of mining and other natural resources to the category of parks. MR. KROES responded that it would basically be a title change as it would go from the DNR Division of Mining, Land and Water to the DNR Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ asked whether there are any commercial resources on this land that would then not be extractable if this title change occurred. MR. KROES answered no and explained that part of the reason for including this parcel under state parks is to better protect it because the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation is different in that it doesn't have commercial resource activities on its parcels like the Division of Forestry does. This would better protect the cemetery and adjacent lands, he added. REPRESENTATIVE SPOHNHOLZ stated it makes sense in that the primary objective is to protect the cemetery. However, she continued, she would like to have it said on the record that in moving this land over to the park there is not an opportunity cost that is being missed since it is property that wouldn't be developed otherwise. All that is being done, she said, is to protect an important resource for the Unangan people and there is no other factor that could cloud the committee's decision. MR. KROES replied correct. 1:27:27 PM The committee took an at-ease from 1:27 p.m. to 1:29 p.m. 1:29:16 PM RIC IANNOLINO, Spokesperson, Friends of Admiralty Island, testified that he did the archival work to prepare for a visit [to the cemetery on 5/20/17] by the survivors and officials of the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association of St. Paul and St. George. At this 75th memorial anniversary, he related, the Russian Orthodox Church performed a blessing of the graves and a 12-foot-high cedar cross was put up. MR. IANNOLINO stated he did his research at the state library and archive and at the Sealaska Heritage Institute's archives. He said that in a Sealaska archive he found a presentation by Roy Peratrovich, the 1942 Grand President of the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood. He paraphrased as follows from Mr. Peratrovich's presentation: Approximately 500 Natives of Aleut, Kenai, and Eskimo descent have been evacuated from the Aleutian Islands by the U.S. Navy to Killisnoo and Funter Bay as a war safety measure. These people came with very little of their personal goods, and living conditions will be extremely difficult for them, especially this fall and winter. It is our patriotic duty to offer every aid and comfort to these fellow countrymen, a gift of friendship, advice, and assistance. At the present time secondhand fishing gear of all kinds is needed by them to help them put up their winter food. U.S. Employment Service ... is trying to find jobs for them and their main interest right now is building temporary homes in Killisnoo and Funter Bay. MR. IANNOLINO pointed out that these people were, in actuality, interned. He related that despite a court case that said they couldn't be interned because they were U.S. citizens, they were interned for a year from 1942 to 1943. MR. IANNOLINO noted that Friends of Admiralty Island participated in the 5/20/17 cemetery visit by the survivors and members of their families. He said 100 people went to the cemetery for the ceremony and a blessing of the graves by the Russian Orthodox bishop. He stated it was called the "Healing Path," and shared some of the words that were said at the ceremony: In 1942 the steamer Delarof sailed from the Pribilof Islands towards Southeast Alaska, destination unknown. Their cargo was 380 St. Paul ... villagers and 180 St. George villagers and an additional 38 villagers from Atka, all were being evacuated from the war zone. As the Delarof entered the Gulf of Alaska, government agents were scrambling to find housing for the evacuees. The ship was radioed to drop off the St. George and St. Paul villagers in Funter Bay and the Atka villagers in Killisnoo next to Angoon. Over the next several years their story was one of people whose government forgot them, ignored them, and treated them as less than human. ... Today we visit this site of this dark chapter of Alaska history with some of the survivors and family members to hear their stories. We sail into the same harbor ... as did the Delarof 75 years ago. We walk the same beach path as did the evacuees. We gather at the cemetery to remember... MR. IANNOLINO interjected that 30-plus graves was mentioned in the ceremony. But, he said, there were many infants and their graves were not marked and so the thought is that there are about 44 graves. MR. IANNOLINO continued reciting from the Healing Path ceremony: ...the 30-plus evacuees ... who never returned to their home villages. We come today to honor those evacuees and families and acknowledge their suffering and losses. We come today to remind all of us how easily fear can result in creating victims, especially of the less empowered. We come today to pledge never again. 1:34:28 PM REPRESENTATIVE TUCK inquired about Mr. Iannolino's affiliation. MR. IANNOLINO replied he is a Friends of Admiralty Island board member and he did archival work for the aforementioned event. CO-CHAIR LINCOLN requested a description of Friends of Admiralty Island. MR. IANNOLINO indicated that the next witness [Dr. Monteith] would provide that information. 1:35:06 PM DANIEL MONTEITH, PhD, President, Friends of Admiralty Island, testified he has a PhD in anthropology and archeology and has worked in Alaska for over 35 years. He thanked Representative Hannan for sponsoring HB 122 and the committee for hearing it. He said Friends of Admiralty Island is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the research, education, and outreach for Admiralty Island and Admiralty Island National Monument. He noted the organization currently has over 350 members residing in the communities of Angoon, Juneau, and other places. DR. MONTEITH related that 290 people from St. Paul and 190 people from St. George were relocated to Funter Bay in June 1942. Over the course of a few years at that location, he said, there were 32 documented deaths [plus undocumented] infant mortality. The location is an Alaska historical site, he noted; site Juneau 975. DR. MONTEITH said HB 122 is very important in terms of the State of Alaska protecting the Unangan historic cemetery site. Some of the Unangan people in Killisnoo were buried there, he related, and some of that has gone over to private lands and the people cannot even put flowers on those graves because the private residents say they will accuse them of trespass. So, he continued, this is an important thing that is being done. Transferring the cemetery from [the Division of Mining, Land and Water] to the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation assures its protection. He urged the passage of HB 122 and stated that respect for one's ancestor is important to the respect of the Unangan culture and their descendants today. CO-CHAIR LINCOLN noted the committee's intent is not to move the bill today. He explained there would be an opportunity for amendments when the bill is taken up again at a later date. 1:38:28 PM REPRESENTATIVE TUCK asked how Funter Bay was chosen for holding the Aleutian people. DR. MONTEITH responded that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) was heading down to Southeast Alaska and was looking for possible sites. In Funter Bay was an old cannery site and structures left over from an old mining operation, he said, so they utilized those places in Funter Bay and they also utilized historic sites in Killisnoo. He related that they also went down to Ward Cove where there were old Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) structures and also to Wrangell and some of the young teenagers went to Wrangell Institute. He pointed out that [WWII] prisoners of war were sent to Excursion Inlet where there was a cannery site. REPRESENTATIVE TUCK inquired whether any other structures remain at the Funter Bay site besides the cemetery. DR. MONTEITH answered yes, quite a few. But, he continued, they do not have much integrity in terms of historical structures and archeological sites. He explained that this is a very important parcel because it is a cemetery and ancestors are buried there. He said members could refer to a nice site inventory done by the National Park Service and Charles Mobley, an archeologist and historian, which has complete maps and a history of the federal government's relations with these tribal entities. 1:40:47 PM CO-CHAIR LINCOLN stated he doesn't perceive any opposition to the intent of the legislation, but that there is some question over the amount of land being transferred. He asked Dr. Monteith to speak to the transfer of nearly 540 acres to protect one acre. DR. MONTEITH replied he would defer to the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation. He offered his understanding that the philosophy is to have contiguous land from the state park and not have any parcels of land that are incongruent in terms of management and divisions. The bill, he said, would include that entire area and not cause any corridors of differences in terms of divisions. 1:41:43 PM CO-CHAIR LINCOLN inquired whether, from the perspective of the intent being to protect and honor the ancestors, there is value to having that much land or could the task be accomplished if the bill were amended to a smaller amount. DR. MONTEITH responded that an adequate buffer is needed to protect the cemetery and to keep the integrity of the area from being compromised, and this is what is trying to be done. He added that Friends of Admiralty Island has been very involved with the historical interpretation of that area and would continue to dedicate money, time, and effort to helping with interpretative signing of the area to make it a respectful area. 1:43:06 PM MARTIN STEPETIN testified he is from St. Paul Island, Alaska, and is a descendant of the Pribilof people who were brought to Funter Bay. He said he now lives in Juneau and got involved with Friends of Admiralty Island during a cruise in 2014. He noted he already knew about this history, but got really caught up in it as a result of this cruise. He thanked Representative Hannan and the many people who helped get things to this point of HB 122, which would finally protect the Funter Bay Unangan cemetery. He continued as follows: Most of my grandparents were taken to Funter Bay from St. Paul Island in early 1942 and by God's will they all survived. My dad was born here in Juneau in 1942 at the St. Ann's Hospital. ... I don't know how my grandparents got over here to Juneau, but I'm thankful they did, otherwise my dad might not have survived in the cold and rundown camps in Funter Bay where many perished. My maternal ... grandparents actually got married while in Funter Bay. They survived. My mom was born in 1951. ... A short timeline and three good points of why we should pass this bill: In May 2014 my wife and I went on a Friends of Admiralty cruise to Killisnoo near Angoon where we would bless the graves and place a plaque on the cemetery grounds in remembrance of 17 Atka Unangans who died before the federal government would bring them home. The Atka cemetery is in bad shape and still is to this day. After this emotional cruise I got to meet all the board members of Friends of Admiralty and this is when I learned the Atka cemetery is on private land and the owners, although they let us on the land to bless it, was unwilling to engage with us about restoring the cemetery or any kind of protection. This was frustrating and heartbreaking. After joining Friends of Admiralty board we quickly began researching the Funter Bay cemetery trying to figure out who owns the land the cemetery sits on. This was not an easy task ... We had to do a lot of research. We eventually figured out that the cemetery sits on Alaska state land and is managed by the Department of Natural Resources, or DNR. DNR didn't even know they managed the land that the cemetery sits on; they had to look it up. 1:46:25 PM ... This is the first point I want to make: Unlike the Atka cemetery or ... the other five locations the Unangan Aleuts were kept, we can actually try to protect this cemetery from future development, logging, or use that would desecrate this sacred place. Working with Friends of Admiralty, state parks, DNR - who has been very cooperative and accommodating through this whole process and we are so thankful for that - we weighed our options for protecting the cemetery. We learned there was a past effort to protect the cemetery by Charles Mobley whose book my friend just showed you. ... He tried to have the cemetery grounds put on the National Historic Registry, but the efforts failed because of the rules of not allowing cemeteries on the National Historic Registry and the stringent rules to prove historical significance. We didn't want to try the National Historic Registry again and recently learned that the National Historic Registry doesn't actually provide very much protection in the first place. For example, the infamous Fourth Avenue Theater in Anchorage is on the National Historic Registry, but is slated to be torn down possibly. Our friends at DNR suggested an Interagency Land Management Agreement, or ILMA. This would be a great way to protect the land except ILMAs can be changed, renegotiated, or completely canceled at any time in the future by people who don't value the cemetery as we do. So we knew that this would not be a wise way to protect the cemetery permanently. That's when Friends of Admiralty and I approached Representative Sam Kito last year about getting the cemetery legislatively protected. But it was already too late into the session and we couldn't get a bill started. This is my second point: The cemetery is on state land ... but this is not the state's fault. ... By protecting this land we would recognize the history with all the most important things about the history .... Those who don't remember it are bound to repeat it. ... My grandma, ... into her late 90s, ... would say things like, "I hope it never happens again." ... My third point is simple: The Funter Bay Marine Park will be expanded a little, but it won't cost any money to manage the land. The value of protecting the social and historical significance of this land will cement the history for good and we will never have to repeat this history again. 1:50:23 PM CO-CHAIR LINCOLN noted that invited testimony on HB 122 was now concluded and opened public testimony on the bill. 1:50:41 PM NIKO SANGUINETTI, Curator of Collections and Exhibits, Juneau City Museum, City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ), testified she became involved with this project when she first started [employment with the museum]. She stated that as someone new in Juneau and someone who didn't grow up in Alaska, she didn't know about this history because it's an event that isn't often covered in historical texts or in classrooms around the U.S. When she took on her new post, she said, she was immediately greeted by this large and ambitious project. She related that as part of this project the City Museum is planning to do its summer 2020 exhibition on the Funter Bay internment camps. In preparing for this exhibition, she noted, much research was done far in advance and she has benefitted greatly by Mr. Iannolino's research and digging through the scant amount of records that remain. MS. SANGUINETTI pointed out that this [relocation] event was characterized by a lot of confusion. Trying to iron out what really happened has been very difficult, she said, because so many agencies were involved and so many people were taken to places that were never planned to house humans at any point. There is now this opportunity to protect this cemetery, she continued, which is the resting place for people who were moved without their consent and without knowing where they were going to end up when they boarded that ship. MS. SANGUINETTI addressed the questions about the space between the cemetery and the state park. She stated that [the goal is] to ensure that future generations of people will be able to visit this site unimpeded, that it is going to be protected in perpetuity, and that the area around it will also be protected. As many people know with historic sites, she continued, the historic site itself can be protected, but if right next door things are being dug up and the ground is being shaken, a lot of unseen damage is being caused that can create trouble later on. Therefore, that connection between the parkland and the cemetery land ensures protecting the cemetery as well as the people's right to visit it and visit their ancestors, and to continue to do so for many years to come. MS SANGUINETTI thanked Representative Hannan for putting forth HB 122, the committee for hearing it, and the wonderful team that worked on this for many years long before she was able to join it. 1:54:03 PM CHUCK SMYTHE, PhD, Director, History and Culture, Sealaska Heritage Institute, testified in favor of HB 122. He said he got to know the significance of this site in 1981 when he first went to St. Paul and St. George and heard firsthand from people whose parents were there or who were there themselves. He related that they told of how they were brought to this cannery and the experience they went through - how there were holes in the walls and ceilings, blankets were used to separate the families' quarters, it was very cold, there wasn't much food, and that without the help of the Alaska Native Brotherhood (ANB), they might have starved during that time period. He further related that they talked about how they were given two or three hours to gather up their belongings when the ships came to pick them up. He said this cemetery is a very important significant site historically for the people of the Pribilof Islands. DR. SMYTHE addressed the question about whether there should be just one acre, or a larger land area set aside for this. Speaking from his 12 years of experience working for the National Park Service, he said the big difference between protecting a one-acre site and a larger site in terms of funding, recognition of the site, and ways to protect it, is that a larger land area provides a more significant type of recognition that enhances the ability to protect an area. 1:56:59 PM CO-CHAIR LINCOLN stated he didn't mean to imply that anyone on the committee was seeking to set aside only one acre. Rather, he said, he was trying to get a sense of whether the whole 540 acres or somewhere in between would be sufficient to protect it from adjacent development. He asked whether the full 540 acres is the minimum Dr. Smythe would have in mind. DR. SMYTHE replied he doesn't have an opinion on that. CO-CHAIR LINCOLN stated the bill would be taken up again and the committee would consider the acreage. 1:57:47 PM The committee took a brief at-ease. 1:58:01 PM CO-CHAIR TARR thanked Mr. Stepetin for sharing his emotional story. She said that whenever [the committee] works on righting the wrongs of the past, it is among the most important things that can ever be done. 1:58:42 PM REED STOOPS testified he is before the committee as an individual. He said he bought the old cannery site 30 years ago and it is in the middle of the property adjacent to the cemetery. He stated he has used the property half a dozen times a year since purchasing it and is therefore familiar with the history and current status of the cemetery site. He noted he once worked for DNR dealing with land management, so he is familiar with that perspective as well. He stated he supports HB 122 and that it is a good idea. MR. STOOPS discussed the size of the parcel. He said there is no other commercial value of that property and that it is de facto recreation. About 20 cabin sites are in Funter Bay, he stated, that are used for recreational purposes mostly by people from Juneau or other places in Southeast Alaska. He related that many commercial fishermen, recreational boaters, kayakers, and campers use Funter Bay and the areas that are privately owned. He pointed out that while 500 acres sounds like a lot, it is scattered along the shoreline and not very deep. He further pointed out that there is no commercial timber or mining potential there and it is already heavily used for recreation and is surrounded by national monument. Therefore, he said, he doesn't think any economic opportunities would be foregone by protecting the area immediately around the cemetery. MR. STOOPS addressed Representative Tuck's question. He said some of the old buildings are still there on his property and he saves what he can save, but a lot of them were too far-gone to save. He stated that the old bunkhouse where the Aleut people lived was barely standing when he first purchased the property and has now fallen down. He said he couldn't imagine the living conditions for the people who lived there as the bunkhouse wasn't much bigger than the committee room, there was no insulation, and apparently 30 or 40 people were living in it. It was not something anyone would want to endure, he added. He urged the committee to support HB 122. 2:01:11 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER inquired whether Mr. Stoops' property is considered private land. MR. STOOPS responded yes. He explained that the old cannery site, old mining site, and a few other trade manufacture sites were patented back in the early 1900s and have all been sold and developed into recreational cabin sites. REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER offered his understanding that right now it is a recreational area. MR. STOOPS answered yes. It is used heavily by mostly Southeast Alaskans, he said. A lot of boaters go up the bay and many commercial fishermen use it to get out of the weather or to spend the night while fishing, he continued. He added that many people go there for the weekend to go salmon fishing and camping on the beach or sleeping on their boats. REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked how many private properties are in Funter Bay. MR. STOOPS estimated there are 20 private tracts, all of which have cabins on them. REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER inquired whether the private properties are close to the park that would be made contiguous or whether the properties go the other way. MR. STOOPS replied that the bay is about a mile deep with the majority of properties on the south side of the bay and a few in the back. One property is contiguous with the cemetery, he said, and his property is nine lots and almost next to the cemetery. There is plenty of private property in the bay that has already been developed, he advised, and what is left is probably best left to public use because if the rest were sold the public wouldn't be able to use any of the bay. 2:03:06 PM CO-CHAIR LINCOLN closed public testimony on HB 122 after ascertaining no one else wished to testify. CO-CHAIR LINCOLN held over HB 122.