HCR  8-KODIAK SEAFOOD & MARINE SCIENCE CENTER                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:53:58 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR COSTELLO  announced the consideration  of HCR 8. [HCR  8 AM                                                               
was before the committee.]                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
2:54:13 PM                                                                                                                    
MATT GRUENING,  Staff, Representative  Louise Stutes and  aide to                                                               
the House Fisheries Committee,  Alaska State Legislature, Juneau,                                                               
Alaska,  introduced  HCR  8  on behalf  of  the  House  Fisheries                                                               
Committee.  He  summarized  that  the  resolution  expresses  the                                                               
legislature's support  for the Kodiak Seafood  and Marine Science                                                               
Center  (KSMSC) and  urges the  University  of Alaska  to find  a                                                               
solution to keep it operating.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
He  explained  that  early  in  2016  the  University  of  Alaska                                                               
Fairbanks  notified  KSMSC  that  due  to  budget  cuts,  it  was                                                               
considering  transferring   ownership  of   the  center   to  the                                                               
University  of  Alaska  Anchorage  for  repurposing  or  possibly                                                               
closing the center altogether.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
The  City and  Borough  of  Kodiak and  industry  groups such  as                                                               
Trident  Seafoods,   Alaska  Pacific  Seafoods,   Alaska  Seafood                                                               
Marketing  Institute,  Seafood   Processors  Association,  Icicle                                                               
Seafoods,  and  others  sent   letters  protesting  the  proposed                                                               
closure.  U.S. Senator  Lisa Murkowski  met  with KSMSC's  policy                                                               
group to express concern and  support of the center. In response,                                                               
the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Alaska Research  Consortium was formed to                                                               
act  as the  operating  body  for the  center.  UAF is  currently                                                               
looking  at the  possibility of  a public/private  partnership to                                                               
keep the center open.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MICCICHE asked if the  resolution is trying to manage the                                                               
universits   decisions  about how to handle  the significant cuts                                                               
it has seen in the last few years                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRUENING clarified that the intent  is not to manage what the                                                               
Board of Regents does. The  university itself has reached out and                                                               
is  trying to  work with  the sponsor's  office and  the City  of                                                               
Kodiak to  find a  solution to  keep the center  open. It  is the                                                               
state's  only  pilot  processing   plant  that  does  significant                                                               
research and is of great value to the seafood industry.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
He  noted  that  part  of  the  difficulty  came  about  when  an                                                               
agricultural  grant  that  partially  funded the  center  was  no                                                               
longer offered.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
2:59:18 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MEYER asked  if processors donate to  the program because                                                               
they make money off it.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRUENING said he didn't know.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MEYER said that would be good to know.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MICCICHE stated support for  finding creative ways like a                                                               
public/private partnership to keep the center open.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:01:26 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR COSTELLO closed public testimony on HCR 8.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:01:42 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MICCICHE  moved to  report  HCR  8 from  committee  with                                                               
individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s).                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:02:06 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MEYER  objected to  request  the  information about  the                                                               
industry participation.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRUENING said  he would provide the information  to the chair                                                               
as soon as possible.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MEYER removed his objection.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:02:44 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MICCICHE  restated  the  motion to  report  HCR  8  from                                                               
committee  with  individual  recommendations  and  attached  zero                                                               
fiscal note(s).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  COSTELLO stated  that without  objection, HCR  8 AM  moves                                                               
from the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.