ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE  May 2, 2006 1:01 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Jay Ramras, Co-Chair Representative Ralph Samuels, Co-Chair Representative Jim Elkins Representative Carl Gatto Representative Gabrielle LeDoux Representative Paul Seaton Representative Harry Crawford Representative Mary Kapsner MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Kurt Olson COMMITTEE CALENDAR HOUSE BILL NO. 501 "An Act relating to the possession of horns or antlers of big game animals." - MOVED CSHB 501(RES) OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION BILL: HB 501 SHORT TITLE: POSSESSION OF BIG GAME HORNS OR ANTLERS SPONSOR(S): RESOURCES 04/12/06 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 04/12/06 (H) RES 04/19/06 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124 04/19/06 (H) Heard & Held 04/19/06 (H) MINUTE(RES) 04/20/06 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124 04/20/06 (H) Scheduled But Not Heard 05/02/06 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM CAPITOL 124 WITNESS REGISTER TIM BENINTENDI, Staff to Representative Ralph Samuels Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Presented HB 501 on behalf of the House Resources Standing Committee. REPRESENTATIVE ERIC CROFT Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 501. MATT ROBUS, Director Division of Wildlife Conservation Alaska Department of Fish & Game Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions regarding HB 501. ACTION NARRATIVE CO-CHAIR RALPH SAMUELS called the House Resources Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:01:52 PM. Representatives Elkins, Ramras, LeDoux, Gatto, and Samuels were present at the call to order. Representatives Crawford, Kapsner, and Seaton arrived as the meeting was in progress. HB 501-POSSESSION OF BIG GAME HORNS OR ANTLERS CO-CHAIR SAMUELS announced that the only order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 501, "An Act relating to the possession of horns or antlers of big game animals." CO-CHAIR RAMRAS moved to adopt the committee substitute (CS) for HB 501, labeled, 24-LS1839/Y, Kane, 5/1/06, as a work draft. Hearing no objections, Version Y was before the committee. TIM BENINTENDI, Staff to Representative Ralph Samuels, presented the CS to the committee on behalf of the House Resources Standing Committee. He said the bill evolved from HB 464, and it creates the civil penalty of forfeiture of horns or antlers if a hunter cannot prove that all possible meat has been salvaged from his or her kill. This penalty is in addition to current wanton waste laws, which require full salvage of the meat, he said. The thrust of HB 501 is that enforcement personnel will have greater ability to intervene in situations where it may not be clear that wanton waste laws have been violated. HB 501 clearly raises the deterrent factor in circumstances where hunters wish to possess horns or antlers, but might not be aggressive enough in salvaging game meat. MR. BENINTENDI said the salient change in the CS is the addition of subsection (d) to emphasize that the committee does not want to reduce existing salvage laws. There are situations, spelled out in law, where it is not possible to salvage all the meat, he noted. The CS also makes two minor changes, he said. On page 1, line 12, the CS replaces "Board of Game in regulation" with "law", at the request of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game. On line 14 "minimum amount of meat" is replaced by "salvage requirement", a more common term, he noted. 1:05:34 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked about lines 5 and 8. One says "minimum amount" and the other says "all edible meat". He said that "all edible meat" is 100 percent of the animal and unobtainable. REPRESENTATIVE ERIC CROFT, Alaska State Legislature, said there are two different terms because there are two different concepts. "There is the general wanton waste concept that you must take all edible meat. And that's just copied out of AS16.30.010." He said there is a general obligation to get all edible meat but not "scraping every little off." He stated that the point of the bill is to empower the Board of Game to set the minimum amounts with the penalty of forfeiting horns. 1:08:30 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO said that "all edible meat" doesn't allow a hunter to leave behind "even a molecule." MATT ROBUS, Director, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, said "all salvageable meat" is defined in regulation and doesn't mean "scraping every digit." The definition for moose, for example, is the meat of the four quarters above the hock and the meat of the neck, backbone and ribs. He said it is an achievable standard that works well in the field. There is a very high standard for proving the crime of wanton waste, and this legislation would provide a lesser penalty for a lesser crime. It gives the Board of Game a tool in areas lacking ethical hunter behavior, he stated. REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked if leaving a carcass without the quarters and neck but with meat on the ribs is a crime. MR. ROBUS said it may be, and enforcement should be notified. 1:11:16 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO said rib meat probably won't be edible if a hunter is days into the field. MR. ROBUS said there have been many discussions between the hunting community, the Board of Game, and ADF&G. In some parts of the state the meat must be attached to the ribs, and it will stay in good condition in that manner, he stated. 1:12:39 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO said some hunters use backpacks, and it is a tough standard to meet. CO-CHAIR SAMUELS said, "If you're not willing to take the rib meat, don't take the horns." That's the point of the legislation, he stated, and he added that the amount of meat required to be salvaged has not been changed by this bill. MR. ROBUS agreed. If a hunter is too far away, "you ought not be pulling the trigger in the first place." In response to Representative Gatto, he said law requires that the trophy is brought out on the last trip if there is multiple trips. 1:14:18 PM CO-CHAIR RAMRAS moved to report CSHB 501, labeled, 24-LS1839/Y, Kane, 5/1/0, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. Hearing no objections, CSHB 501(RES) moved out of the House Resources Standing Committee. ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Resources Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:14 PM.