ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  JOINT MEETING  HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES  HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE  March 18, 2002 3:08 p.m. HOUSE FISHERIES MEMBERS PRESENT    Representative Gary Stevens, Co-Chair Representative Peggy Wilson, Co-Chair Representative Fred Dyson Representative John Coghill Representative Drew Scalzi Representative Beth Kerttula Representative Mary Kapsner HOUSE FISHERIES MEMBERS ABSENT    All members present HOUSE RESOURCES MEMBERS PRESENT  Representative Drew Scalzi, Co-Chair Representative Beverly Masek, Co-Chair Representative Hugh Fate, Vice Chair Representative Lesil McGuire Representative Joe Green Representative Mike Chenault Representative Beth Kerttula Representative Gary Stevens Representative Mary Kapsner HOUSE RESOURCES MEMBERS ABSENT    All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR    CONFIRMATION HEARING Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission Mary McDowell - Juneau - CONFIRMATION ADVANCED PREVIOUS ACTION    No previous action to record WITNESS REGISTER    MARY McDOWELL, Appointee to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission c/o Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission 8800 Glacier Highway, Suite 109 Juneau, Alaska 99801-8079 POSITION STATEMENT: Testified as appointee to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission. ACTION NARRATIVE  TAPE 02-8, SIDE A [House FSH tape] Number 0001 CO-CHAIR DREW SCALZI called the joint meeting of the House Special Committee on Fisheries and the House Resources Standing Committee to order at 3:08 p.m. Members present were Representatives Scalzi, Masek, Fate, Green, Chenault, McGuire, Kerttula, Stevens, Wilson, Dyson, Coghill, and Kapsner. CONFIRMATION HEARING Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission CO-CHAIR SCALZI announced that the committees would jointly consider the reappointment of Mary McDowell to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission. He listed her qualifications from the resume included in the packet. Representative Scalzi said she was well experienced. Number 0167 MARY McDOWELL, Appointee to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, told members her background in the commercial fishing industry has served her well and is very useful. Number 0214 CO-CHAIR MASEK informed members that in all her years at the legislature, she has found Ms. McDowell to do an excellent job. She said Ms. McDowell's name should be passed on to the full body for confirmation. Number 0387 REPRESENTATIVE STEVENS said he had worked with Ms. McDowell on another issue and that it was a pleasure. He asked how the three-commissioner panel works together as a whole. MS. McDOWELL explained that the three-member panel adjudicates cases, makes decisions about limitations, puts out regulatory packages, and shares administrative duties. There are several challenges in retaining and recruiting new staff because of an exodus of experienced staff to federal government jobs. The commission is working hard to streamline and upgrade computer systems to handle the large amount of data with such a small staff. Noting that there are big challenges to the fishing industry, she warned that all concerned must be very careful in dealing with those issues. Ms. McDowell said the limitation program was carefully crafted to bring benefits to the state, keep fishing communities alive, and keep jobs viable. Number 0672 REPRESENTATIVE DYSON asked if any of Representative Scalzi's bills were giving her concern. MS. McDOWELL said there were many positive things going through the legislature. She said the commission was particularly interested in HB 287 and HB 288. REPRESENTATIVE DYSON asked if there were any bills [concerning the fishing industry] that ought to be considered more slowly and rethought. MS. McDOWELL said she was not too concerned about any bills in particular. Number 0815 CO-CHAIR SCALZI told the committee his primary concern was not doing harm to the system or the State of Alaska. He said Ms. McDowell was in constant contact with him on matter of the bills he had brought forward to deal with some of the problems in the commercial fishing industry. Number 0849 REPRESENTATIVE McGUIRE asked Ms. McDowell what she saw for the future of the commercial fishing industry in Alaska. MS. McDOWELL reminded the committees that with all of the talk about trouble in the salmon industry, people may lose sight of the health of the industry overall. She said fleet consolidation is one issue on the horizon. These consolidations must be done with care; for every boat the state loses from a fishery, it loses jobs in many sectors. She said fleet consolidation must strike a balance between fleet viability and job maintenance. Ms. McDowell stated that she could see a bright future for the industry, but that it will take work. Number 1015 REPRESENTATIVE GREEN mentioned subsistence fishing issues on rivers that flow through federal lands. He asked how she views the issue. MS. McDOWELL said those issues are out of the purview of her commission, and are more the concern of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. However, she said it gets to the heart of the importance of state management, which would provide a more balanced approach to all those concerned. Number 1180 CO-CHAIR MASEK moved to forward Mary McDowell's nomination to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission to the full body for confirmation. There being no objection, the confirmation of Mary McDowell was advanced from the House Resources Standing Committee. ADJOURNMENT  Number 1206 CO-CHAIR SCALZI announced that the joint meeting of the House Special Committee on Fisheries and the House Resources Standing Committee was adjourned at 3:30 p.m. [Shortly thereafter, the House Special Committee on Fisheries moved to forward the nomination of Mary McDowell to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission to the full body for consideration; there was no objection, and thus the confirmation of Mary McDowell was considered advanced from both committees.]