HB 122-FUNTER BAY MARINE PARK: UNANGAN CEMETERY  4:32:53 PM CHAIR MICCICHE announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 122 am, "An Act relating to the Funter Bay marine park unit of the state park system; relating to protection of the social and historical significance of the Unangax cemetery located in Funter Bay and providing for the amendment of the management plan for the Funter Bay marine park unit; and providing for an effective date." 4:33:25 PM REPRESENTATIVE SARA HANNAN, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, sponsor of HB 122, said Ms. Meachum will present the bill to committee members. 4:33:43 PM HUNTER MEACHUM, Staff, Representative Sara Hannan, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, explained that HB 122 would transfer land from the Division of Mining, Land and Water to the Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation for land management and protection of the Unangax cemetery in Funter Bay. She detailed that the Unangax cemetery has 30-marked graves and a number of unknown grave sites. She noted that there is no additional cost to the state from the bill. 4:34:46 PM CHAIR MICCICHE opened public testimony. He noted that many entities have submitted letters in support of the bill. He said HB 122 is a very important bill and he looked forward to hearing public testimony. 4:35:18 PM RICHARD ZACHAROF, representing self, St. Paul Island, Alaska, testified in support of HB 122. He said he represents the communities of St. Paul Island and St. George Island. He detailed that he is a tribal council member and a tribal corporation representative. He noted that representatives from the Pribilof Islands were in attendance. He disclosed that 10 percent of the Unangax population passed away at Funter Bay. He said the legislation is important to the Pribilof Island communities for protecting and preserving the burial site of loved ones and family members that perished at Funter Bay. 4:36:49 PM NIKO SANGUINETTI, Curator of Collections & Exhibits, Juneau Douglas City Museum, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of HB 122. She said she has been working with a group in Juneau and various community members from St. Paul and St. George to work on not only HB 122, but added recognition regarding the Funter Bay internment camps as well. She noted that the museum will do its largest exhibit of the year on the internment camps to address a very important part of Alaska's history. She said the resources around the cemetery will preserve the site, provide a buffer zone, and limit more destruction in the future. 4:38:46 PM JOEL BENNETT, representing self, Juneau, Alaska, testified in support of HB 122. He disclosed that he is a property owner in Funter Bay and his three-acre site abuts the Unangax cemetery. He said he has owned his property for over 30 years and is intimately familiar with the area around the cemetery. He said it is essentially low-quality timber with no mining development since the 1930s. He added that the U.S. Forest Service designated that area as remote recreation and there has never been consideration for resource development for timber harvest. He summarized that from a perspective of perhaps the closest landowner to the cemetery, there is not a conflict. He said the bill is a great step forward to recognize the sad history as well as the significance of the graveyard to the Pribilof people. CHAIR MICCICHE remarked that his initial concerns with the bill pertained to transferring the surrounding property into the park area. He noted that his responsibility is to ask questions for all Alaskans, not just those at Admiralty Island. He said he is no longer concerned about transferring the land and is convinced that the bill is the right move. 4:42:38 PM SENATOR MICCICHE closed public testimony. 4:43:03 PM SENATOR KIEHL moved to report HB 122 am, work order 31- LS0637\U.A, from committee with individual recommendations and attached zero fiscal note. 4:43:18 PM CHAIR MICCICHE said there being no objection, HB 122 am moved from the Senate Resources Standing Committee.