SB 137-REPORT ON MEETINGS OF BOARD OF FISHERIES  CHAIR OLSON announced consideration of SB 137. 3:48:05 PM SENATOR CON BUNDE, Alaska State Legislature, speaking as sponsor of SB 137, said to refresh the committee's memory, this bill asks the Board of Fisheries (BOF) to make some determinations about the intervals between BOF meetings and report back to the Legislature as to whether the public would be better served by any changes. 3:48:35 PM JIM MARCOTTE, Executive Director, Board of Fisheries, Juneau, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, said he is available for questions. SENATOR OLSON asked if he anticipates that this legislation will cause difficulty for new members to the Board of Fisheries. MR. MARCOTTE replied he can't imagine that any of the new or current members would object to having the discussion about the efficacy of the three-year cycle. CHAIR OLSON observed that the two appointees are a sport fisherman and Brent Johnson a commercial fisherman and he wonders if there will be any conflict related to this legislation. MR. MARCOTTE pointed out that the legislation doesn't favor any particular area or group of fishermen. Any analysis of the three-year cycle needs to take into account: impacts on people; what is in the best interest of the resource; public participation; the board process; and cost to the department to hold the meetings on a particular cycle. Those kinds of considerations don't favor one area or fishing group over another. 3:51:05 PM SENATOR THOMAS asked which members are being replaced and their occupations or reasons for being on the Board of Fisheries. MR. MARCOTTE answered the two members whose terms are expiring in June include Bonnie Williams from Fairbanks and Karl Johnstone from Anchorage. Mr. Johnstone was named as midterm replacement for Jeremiah Campbell and the governor reappointed him for a new three-year term that begins July 1. The nominee for the other seat is Brent Johnson from Clam Gulch on the Kenai Peninsula. If he is confirmed he will start his term on July 1. All appointees have some kind of background in fisheries so he would be hesitant to characterize any as being from one group or another. All members serve at large so they aren't appointed based on geography. By statute they are to represent interests throughout the state and look out for the resource at large. SENATOR THOMAS said with the thought that Board of Fisheries members have no regional bias, what is the current mix. MR. MARCOTTE relied he tries to avoid characterizing the appointees and board members. Each appointee appears before House and Senate fisheries and resources committees and those hearings are used to fact find. Also, the public brings a lot of information forward both in support and opposition to the appointees. 3:55:43 PM SENATOR KOOKESH expressed discomfort that Mr. Marcotte is being put on the spot yet the bill talks about just two things: 1) a recommendation about the interval between meeting dates and 2) an evaluation of repetitive proposals. CHAIR OLSON stated agreement. SENATOR MENARD said she appreciated the discussion [when the bill was introduced]. She is concerned about a longer cycle but understands that the bill opens the discussion. 3:56:58 PM JERRY MCCUNE, President, United Fishermen of Alaska said the Board of Fisheries used to address all the proposals in one year and then they changed to a three-year cycle because of the workload. People seem to pay more attention now than in years past and the three-year cycle creates a large workload on the board and the department. He believes it would be good to have the conversation. SENATOR BUNDE said this is not a prescriptive piece of legislation it simply provides opportunity for a discussion and the Legislature would be the beneficiary of the advice. He's not aware of any opposition. CHAIR OLSON closed public testimony SENATOR KOOKESH moved to report SB 137 from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There being no objection, SB 137 moved from the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.