HB 165-BIG GAME GUIDES AND TRANSPORTERS  CHAIR FRENCH announced the consideration of HB 165. 1:33:47 PM REPRESENTATIVE GABRIELLE LEDOUX, sponsor of HB 165, said this bill rights an inadvertent wrong and promotes economic development in rural areas. It is an Act related to providing field accommodations for big game hunters. She explained that in 1996, much needed legislation was enacted to define who is a big game hunter, outfitter, or transporter and to provide regulations for licensing and other considerations. However, there was no provision for the person who merely wants to rent his or her cabin to people who may or may not be hunting. Many people in rural Alaska have cabins that are empty for part of the year and this bill would allow the rental of those cabins without falling under the current limiting statutory regulations. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX reminded the committee that it is very difficult to generate economic development in rural areas and HB 165 will enable people in such areas to provide a service and make a little extra money. She said that members of the Big Game Commercial Services Board have worked with her office in order to craft this bill. 1:36:59 PM SENATOR McGUIRE explained that the issue came about as a result of the Big Game Guide Task Force. The intention was to keep big guiding operations from using public lands without having the requisite licenses to take in out-of-state hunters. Some folks that have private cabins did testify that they were inadvertently swept in. As it now stands, individuals who have private cabins have to get a transporter license in order to rent their cabins to any big game hunters. That's the point of the bill, but the drafting is convoluted because it addresses the old law. 1:38:23 PM CHAIR FRENCH asked whether it's a transporter license or an outfitter guide license that's needed. His understanding is that a transporter license is required to rent out skiffs, and an outfitter guide license is needed to rent out a cabin. SUZANNE HANCOCK, staff to Representative LeDoux, explained that this bill tries to exempt people who are only providing lodging. They are not taking people out in the field and are not renting skiffs. CHAIR FRENCH noted the memorandum from legislative legal, and asked if the bill fixes just the lodging prong; anyone who rents skiffs would still need to get a license. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX said that's correct. SENATOR McGUIRE added that a private cabin owner who also provides transportation, perhaps as part of a package, would still need to get a transporter license. CHAIR FRENCH summarized that under this bill, a cabin owner could rent out his or her cabin without obtaining an outfitter guide license. It's simple, narrow, and focused, and it's not a broad exemption, he added. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX agreed. 1:40:48 PM CHAIR FRENCH asked if the bill is opposed by anyone in either body. MS. HANCOCK replied no opposition has been voiced in the committee meetings, but one man would like this to also apply to leased property. The sponsor doesn't support that expansion. CHAIR FRENCH opened public testimony. 1:41:48 PM RICK METZGER, rural property owner, Kodiak Island, said he asked Representative LeDoux to sponsor HB 165 when he found himself in this situation. He explained that the bill was developed with a great deal of cooperation with the Big Game Commercial Services Board and the sponsor's staff. After much discussion, the scope was narrowed to private property rental accommodations only. He highlighted a broad spectrum of supporters and said this is an opportunity for people who live in rural areas to generate some extra income. CHAIR FRENCH asked if the state had begun proceedings against him, or was he trying to prevent a problem. MR. METZGER explained that he rented his cabin for several years prior to 1996 when the state troopers dropped by to inform him of the new interpretation of existing big game guide transporter statutes. Under the new interpretation, private property was considered to be "in the field," and only big game guides or transporters who provide transportation services could rent a cabin in the field. He was warned but not cited, which prompted him to go to the Big Game Commercial Services Board seeking a solution. CHAIR FRENCH noted that two committee members extensively heard the bill in the past. 1:45:17 PM JAMES MARTIN, big game hunter from Homer, said his concern as a resident licensed big game hunter is that it's difficult to access the resource. He has a hunt of a lifetime coming up, but at this point his only option is to tent camp on Kodiak Island for 15 days even though private cabins are available. He'd like to see some resolution so that private cabin owners could rent their cabins, big game guides could continue to provide their valuable services, and people such as himself could rent private cabins and afford big game hunts in Alaska. 1:47:54 PM KELLY SALTZGIVER, hunter, stated support for HB 165. He lives in Kenai and has hunted on Kodiak Island for 30 years. He's tried to give all six of his children a hunting experience on the island, but the opportunities are disappearing. Hunting on Kodiak Island used to cost in the hundreds of dollars per person and now it costs between $3,000 and $5,000 for a deer hunt. Having private cabins available, as provided in the bill, is an opportunity to continue to take his children and grandchildren hunting. 1:49:47 PM DAVE SALTZGIVER, hunter from Kenai, said he's hunted on Kodiak Island for about 12 years and this bill will make it possible to continue doing that because it'll help keep the cost reasonable. "I support this bill," he said. CHAIR FRENCH asked the sponsor if there are two sets of rules for cabins on public land versus cabins on private land. The state obviously doesn't need a license to rent its cabins, but individuals must get an outfitter license to rent their private cabins. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX said yes; "The state isn't applying the same rules to its cabin that it's applying to private cabins." CHAIR FRENCH held HB 165 in committee for a subsequent hearing. At ease from 1:51:34 PM to 1:53:00 PM.