SB 77-BIG GAME HUNTING WITH CHILDREN  3:55:10 PM CHAIR GIESSEL called the committee back to order and announced SB 77 to be up for consideration. 3:55:26 PM SENATOR MICCICHE sponsor of SB 77 said he had a couple of amendments and moved Amendment [1]. 28-LS0630\A.2 Bullard 2/26/14 AMENDMENT 1 OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR MICCICHE TO: SB 77 Page 1, line 12, following "subsection": Insert ", except for a Sitka blacktail deer when  the harvest limit for the deer is one for each  person," CHAIR GIESSEL objected for discussion purposes. 3:55:51 PM LARRY SIMONS, Staff for Senator Micciche, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, explained that this was inserted where the harvest limit for the Sitka blacktail deer is one for each person. The purpose is to encourage youth hunting in areas where the limit is one blacktail deer. The concern is without this amendment that each hunter in a youth hunt normally has to punch their tag, so the adult and the youth hunter both have to punch their tag. That's a high price to pay for a small Sitka blacktail deer. The thought here is to allow just the youth hunter to punch their tag on a youth hunt. 3:57:20 PM SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH asked if the sponsor supported the amendment. SENATOR MICCICHE responded that he didn't oppose the amendment. He explained that he is the sponsor and Senator Kelly is a co- sponsor. 3:58:08 PM At ease from 3:58:08 to 3:58:57 p.m. 3:58:57 PM CHAIR GIESSEL asked if there was further discussion on Amendment 1 (A.2). SENATOR DYSON said the amendment makes sense and asked for them to consider adding the deer on the Prince William Sound that are also small. 4:00:18 PM DOUG VINCENT-LANG, Director, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Department of Fish & Game, said the Sitka blacktail deer issue came up at a board meeting about a year ago when they were trying to create a youth hunt for deer in Prince William Sound outside of Cordova. One of the main issues the public raised was that they didn't want to go out hunting with their son or daughter and have that count against them for a small animal like those deer that are numerous. So, in that case, the board exempted Sitka blacktail deer from the rule. This would allow them to do that under this regulation rather than doing it under Hunting Heritages, which is where they got with that hunt in Cordova. SENATOR MICCICHE agreed that the deer are the same species. 4:01:19 PM CHAIR GIESSEL removed her objection and Amendment 1 [referred to as A.2] was adopted. 4:01:28 PM SENATOR MICCICHE moved Amendment 2. 28-LS0630\A.3 Bullard 2/28/14 AMENDMENT 2 OFFERED IN THE SENATE BY SENATOR MICCICHE TO: SB 77 Page 1, line 5: Delete "may [SHALL]" Insert "shall" CHAIR GIESSEL objected for discussion purposes. MR. SIMMONS explained that Amendment 2 [referred to as A.3] is to leave the statute the way it is now, which reads: "For the purpose of encouraging adults to take children hunting the Board shall establish annual hunting seasons in appropriate areas of the state..." and that is the intent of the section. He explained that by changing it to "may" some might think this gives the board the option and the intent of this whole section is to more than just encourage the board, but to in a sense direct the board just the way the statute does now. SENATOR DYSON stated that he appreciated the change. 4:03:07 PM CHAIR GIESSEL, finding no further questions, removed her objection and therefore Amendment 2 was adopted. 4:03:22 PM SENATOR MICCICHE commented that we live in a state that has a rich tradition of subsistence, social, and cultural events based on hunting, and the best way to hand off those traditions safely is to accompany young people on their first hunts. He said SB 77 allows hunting training. MR. SIMMONS added that the purpose of the bill is to grant the Board of Game more flexibility in establishing youth hunts by removing some timing requirements that are in the law now and to allow families to harvest two Sitka blacktail deer in situations where otherwise they would only be able to harvest one. 4:05:01 PM PETER PROBASCO, representing himself, member, Board of Game, Palmer, Alaska, said he supported SB 77. He explained that the board does strongly support youth hunting. He personally liked the bill because it brings the significance of getting youth out into the field. 4:07:03 PM TERESA SAGER-ALBAUGH, representing herself, Member, Board of Game, Mentasta Pass, Alaska, said she supported SB 77 and read a statement that supported youth hunts and described how the board has been frustrated in timing issues for creating them annually as required. Changing the annual youth hunt requirement from "shall" to "may" is one of the key provisions that inspired the board's support for SB 77. She said their hunting regulations currently provide special hunts with special seasons, bag limits, or both for a number of different groups, some of which include youth, the disabled, bow hunters, muzzle loaders, community hunters, and Tier 2 hunters. She urged them to carefully consider the impacts of the board establishing at least one new youth hunt in Alaska every year. When coupled with the numerous other special hunts that are provided to various user groups, it's mathematically certain that at some point the harvestable surplus of game will be fully allocated to select classes of hunters. She reminded them that adults have always had the option of taking children hunting under regular seasons and bag limits and this will not change regardless of SB 77's final outcome. She wanted to offer the perspective that mandatory annual creation of youth hunts isn't really necessary. 4:09:12 PM SENATOR MICCICHE responded that the "may" portion of this bill does not require the creation of annual youth hunts and it was changed to "shall". The intent of the bill is not to create an expectation that there will be game available in areas that are challenged with population issues. SENATOR DYSON said he caught the implication that the board would have to come up with a new one every year and the law does not require that. MS. SAGER-ALBAUGH clarified that she intended to mean create a new hunt every year. And their interpretation was acceptable to her. 4:11:30 PM SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH asked if she had been told that this language mandates something that legislators are not aware of. MS. SAGER-ALBAUGH answered that it has been brought to her attention a number of times by members of the public that the board is failing to comply with the statute as it is currently written by not adopting youth hunts each year. SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH asked for ADF&G's opinion. MR. VINCENT-LANG noted that the statute had been on the books for many years and five or six youth hunts have been created. It wasn't fair to say that the board has to create them, but the key words are "in appropriate areas" and that they "shall" consider creating them. So, in a fully allocated hunt they might decide that is not an appropriate area for a youth hunt. The board has a lot of discretion. The main issue the board struggles with here is the earlier start date for schools; August is just too early to have a meaningful youth hunt. 4:13:51 PM CHAIR GIESSEL said he pointed out the deletion of some significant language there which they hadn't really explored and adding "that are open before schools start in the fall and before regular hunting season begin" made this much more flexible. MR. VINCENT-LANG replied that ADF&G is looking for those hunt opportunities to bring to the board, but they really struggle with it especially in the Anchorage area when most of the moose seasons are in September and October and then his main problem is having enough staff. SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH asked if the general public misunderstands what the board is supposed to be doing and she wondered if a bulletin could be issued so that at least there isn't the anticipation of new annual hunts being created. 4:15:17 PM SENATOR MICCICHE said nothing in this language requires the creation of an annual hunt. It says they will be created in appropriate areas of the state. Folks are misunderstanding things and the department would be very busy if they addressed them all. 4:16:12 PM MR. VINCENT-LANG said his intent was to bring opportunities to the board to fulfill their obligation of creating youth hunts where possible. They may not create any in a given year or they may actually get rid of some that are causing significant allocation or conservation issues. 4:16:57 PM SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH asked if there was anything about youth hunts on the board website. MR. VINCENT-LANG answered they would find them in their hunt supplements and probably in a specific section on their website about youth hunting opportunities. Another thing the board has been doing is adding a requirement that anybody that is able to draw one of these permits has to have hunter education; this would be a nice follow-through to their hunter education programs. 4:17:53 PM SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH said if board members are expressing concern about being questioned it would be good to clarify that if it didn't cost too much. MR. VINCENT-LANG responded if this passes he would have that conversation with the board. 4:18:59 PM SENATOR BISHOP asked if he visits with his peers in the Lower 48. MR. VINCENT-LANG answered yes. SENATOR BISHOP said he understood that the State of Pennsylvania took the whole week off and everybody went hunting. MR. VINCENT-LANG said he had heard that; many other states have a law that says it's an excused absence from school. 4:19:42 PM SENATOR MICCICHE noted a youth program site on their website that talks about training, leagues, and youth conservation camps and at the bottom is a youth small game hunt - kind of a different thing. CHAIR GIESSEL closed public testimony. 4:21:41 PM SENATOR DYSON moved to report SB 77, version 28-LS0630\A as amended, from committee to the next committee of referral with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note. There were no objections and CSSB 77(RES) was reported from the Senate Resources Standing Committee.