HB 243-BISON DRAW PERMIT APPLICATION FEE  1:02:53 PM CHAIR MCKAY announced that the first order of business would be House Bill No. 243, "An Act reducing the draw permit application fee for bison to $5; and providing for an effective date." 1:03:35 PM REPRESENTATIVE MIKE CRONK, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, introduced the HB 243 which was crafted due to the extenuating circumstances from the bison die-off last winter. He contended that the community of Delta [Junction] consider bison their babies and the bison herd is very important to that community. He stated that the concerns of the citizens were not listened to by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) and a lot of the bison died last winter due to the heavy snow. He explained that the bison had to migrate to live on the highway because the snow was so heavy, which resulted in many vehicle collisions and death of bison creating a safety issue. He offered his understanding that if the herd grew too large, which and is the reason why there was a high number of bison mortality. He recollected former legislator Pappi Moss introduced legislation in the past to change the [permit] fee from $5 to $10 to provide one-tenth of a percent to go to a total fund to manage the bison herd but that has not happened; that is the reason for HB 243. He sited the source of revenue bison provide is important to many communities in addition to Delta Junction. He acknowledged the problem of keeping bison away from agricultural crops but returned to the 2021 starvation event when the easy fix would be to feed them [the herd] but the state did not. He insisted that bison provide a lot of meat and the 2021 loss accounted for a $1 million loss in revenue. He advocated for a special draw permit in those cases as a solution. He expressed the need for the Advisory Board to continue to be involved with those communities affected. He reasserted HB 243 is a measure to reduce fees on hunters. 1:10:05 PM DAVE STANCLIFF, Staff, Representative Mike Cronk, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Cronk, prime sponsor of HB 243, provided the background for adopting a bison hunt in Delta River. He indicated the legislature in 1979 established a bison hunt south of the Alaska Range. In 1984, the legislature appropriated $1.54 million for the bison range to be developed. He raised the question to management of what the sustainable population should be that would not cause starvation or destruction of agriculture. He cited a report from June 1988 that found 471 bison were counted last year and 15,000 permit applications were issued, and highlighted the need for more permits to be issued and better management practices by ADF&G. He further questioned the management goals by ADF&G to allow 250-350 bison to be harvested which exceeded the die-off rate in 2021. 1:13:53 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRONK believed there hasn't been a buy-in with farmers and ADF&G because they feel they have been shut out of the process. He professed the need to sustain the bison herd from the $400,000 profit received from permit applicant fees. 1:15:25 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER spoke to HB 243 regarding snowstorms and what ADF&G was doing to create a solution. He found the immediate solution was to contact the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF) to place cautionary road signs. He pleaded for the answer to what the state was doing to manage that herd and if it is adequate. He also queried where the money comes from and where it goes to manage the herd. He proclaimed his support for HB 243. 1:19:06 PM REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG asked how the plan was created and if the legislature has the power to amend or collaborate with ADF&G. 1:19:27 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRONK thought management should be up to the professionals at ADF&G; but he insisted that local knowledge is essential to achieve management goals. He proclaimed ADF&G has not been managing the herd well enough and has not been truthful in reporting the number of bison and die-off. He implored the legislature to provide the money to allow the biologists to do their job. 1:22:05 PM REPRESENTATIVE MEARS identified she was unfamiliar with the Delta Advisory Committee and their demography and role. 1:22:21 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRONK explained there are a number of advisory committees across the state and the Delta Advisory Committee works with ADF&G to look at proposals and/or other functions similar to the legislative process but on a lower level. 1:23:26 PM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked what the end-goal of HB 243 is with respect to management, hunting pressure, and the effect to the herd of [bison]. 1:23:56 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRONK said he hoped the end-game of HB 243 would be that bison are being properly managed. He maintained that the current permit fees are not being used appropriately to manage the herd. He related an anecdote about a cow bison that was struck on the road, laid in the ditch for 11 days, until it starved to death because ADF&G did nothing about it. 1:25:07 PM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER offered his understanding of the law of supply-and-demand would increase the hunting pressure if the fee was lowered. 1:25:24 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRONK informed Representative Saddler that the limited number of permits issued factors in hunting pressure on the herd, which would not be adversely affected. 1:25:40 PM REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE said there is a larger problem of departments not being nimble enough to make management decisions. 1:27:13 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRONK replied that the purpose of HB 243 is to react more quickly during winter starvations. 1:28:23 PM REPRESENATIVE BAKER identified himself as a member of the Kotzebue Sound Advisory Council, which helps manage the Western Arctic Caribou herd, the largest in Alaska. He asked if there is a similar advisory council assisting management of the bison herd in Representative Cronk's district. 1:29:19 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRONK said he wasn't sure if there was an advisory council in Delta River. He continued that many people in Delta would help reenergize the group but there is a zero- confidence level with the group towards ADF&G. 1:30:14 PM REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT questioned if the permit fees helped manage the [bison] herd while they were starving. 1:31:12 PM The committee took a brief at-ease. 1:31:52 PM CHAIR MCKAY announced the committee would hear invited testimony. 1:32:34 PM DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, offered an explanation of how bison are currently being managed. He provided the background of how ADF&G has been working with local farmers to manage the herd of approximately 375 bison. He explained that once the farmers learned they could charge people to hunt on their land, the herd size increased over the projected stable population. He admitted the 2021 snowstorm die-off caught ADF&G off-guard, and while the department tried to purchase feed, for many reasons, it did not happen. He informed the committee that ADF&G has purchased feed for future storms in the event of another starvation season. He also explained ADF&G tried to plow lands to provide a place for the bison to go in the winter. He agreed that it is time to reconvene the Delta hunting group to work with ADF&G, including the department's Conservation Division. He indicated an emergency hunt is hard to institute on a short basis, which is why it has not been initiated in the past. 1:37:17 PM REPRESENTATIVE DIBERT asked if the fees from the permits helped the starving animals during that year. 1:37:43 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG replied that the fees did help the bison herd that year. 1:38:02 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER said there are inconsistencies from his recollection with what happened in 2021 regarding the bison herd starvation. He said there was hay available, but ADF&G told citizens they could not feed wild bison. He argued ADF&G was allowed to declare an emergency but did not. He ascertained that if an area had been plowed out, to allow the herd to eat hay, the herd may not have starved to death. 1:40:06 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG emphasized that ADF&G was unaware of hay resources available at that time. He advocated for reforming a work group to address this issue in the future. 1:40:59 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked how ADF&G will address and cooperate with farmers if the situation happens again. 1:42:01 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG agreed that the Delta Management working group should get back together with all players at the table and have a plan moving forward. 1:42:38 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER addressed feeding bison in the future and what would be the solution. 1:43:50 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG maintained, under state law, it is illegal to feed wildlife. 1:44:27 PM REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG asked how the fees are being spent, and given the proposed changes to the fee, how this would impact the current management plans. 1:44:55 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG related that the money goes in the general ADF&G fund and is allocated to the bison hunt management in addition to all other hunts. 1:46:04 PM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked about feeding wildlife, as it applies to the bison herd. 1:46:31 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG answered that feeding wildlife is a slippery slope in general. He warned against a scenario of feeding caribou on the North Slope, for example, because they will have their ups-and-downs based on Mother Nature. He contended bison are an introduced stock and management goals are different because of that. REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if there is any different status in law or regulation of the food value for bison over other game. COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said in general there is a prohibition on feeding wild animals. REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked Commissioner Vincent-Lang who would compose the advisory council. 1:47:58 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG said the advisory council would be managed the way the Board of Game functions with input from hunters and farmers. 1:48:36 PM REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE asked if the bison were already there. 1:49:49 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG justified bison were introduced in the 1920s prior to statehood. He stated that Alaska plains bison are the purest stock in the nation. REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE said Alaska has had a responsibility to feed bison since they were introduced. He questioned why hunts are closed during scarcity and not opened during times of overabundance. 1:51:05 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG explained that in unusual snow events, game will be affected, but striking a balance is essential for game management. 1:53:25 PM VICE-CHAIR RAUSCHER asked exactly what ADF&G has done to enact the extra five-dollar fee to manage the bison herd. 1:52:37 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG offered to provide the numbers to the committee at a later date. 1:53:52 PM REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT asked what constituted a disaster declaration to ADF&G in this situation. 1:54:06 PM COMMISSIONER VINCENT-LANG offered that a disaster declaration would be based on the situation. He explained that the governor would allocate funds if there were a disaster. He revealed that ADF&G does not have a disaster relief budget for such circumstances. CHAIR MCKAY announced that HB 243 was held over in committee.