ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  SENATE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE  April 7, 2010 3:33 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Senator Lesil McGuire, Co-Chair Senator Bill Wielechowski, Co-Chair Senator Charlie Huggins, Vice Chair Senator Hollis French Senator Gary Stevens Senator Thomas Wagoner Senator Bert Stedman MEMBERS ABSENT  All members present OTHER MEMBERS PRESENT  Representative Jay Ramras COMMITTEE CALENDAR  ALASKA COMMERCIAL FISHERIES ENTRY COMMISSION Bruce Twomley BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD Robert D. Mumford, Anchorage BOARD OF FISHERIES Thomas G. Kluberton, Talkeetna Claude "Vince" Webster BOARD OF GAME Ben Grussendorf Allen Barrette PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  No previous action to record WITNESS REGISTER BRUCE TWOMLEY, Commissioner Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC) Juneau, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Presented background in support of his re- appointment to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC). ROBERT D. MUMFORD, Member Big Game Commercial Services Board Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Presented background in support of his re- appointment to the Big Game Commercial Services Board. AARON BLOOMQUIST, representing himself Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Mumford's re-appointment to the Big Game Commercial Services Board and supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. THOMAS G. KLUBERTON Nominee to the Board of Fisheries Talkeetna, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Presented background in support of his nomination to the Board of Fisheries. ROD ARNO, Executive Director Alaska Outdoor Council No stated address POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Kluberton's appointment to the Board of Fisheries and supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. DAVID GOGGIA, President Kenai River Professional Guides Association Kenai, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Kluberton's appointment to the Board of Fisheries and Mr. Webster's re-appointment to the Board of Fisheries. MONTE ROBERTS, representing himself Soldotna, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Kluberton's appointment to the Board of Fisheries and Mr. Webster's appointment to the Board of Fisheries. RICKY GEASE, Executive Director Kenai River Sport Fishing Association, Inc. Soldotna, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Kluberton's appointment to the Board of Fisheries and Mr. Webster's re-appointment to the Board of Fisheries. CLAUDE "VINCE" WEBSTER, Chairman Alaska Board of Fisheries POSITION STATEMENT: Presented background in support of his reappointment to the Board of Fisheries. BEN GRUSSENDORF Sitka, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Presented background in support of his re- appointment to the Board of Game. WADE WILLIS, representing himself Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Grussendorf's appointment to the Board of Game and opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. BARBARA WINKLEY, representing herself Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Grussendorf's appointment to the Board of Game and opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. MARYBETH HOLLEMAN, representing herself Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Grussendorf's appointment to the Board of Game, and opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. RICK STEINER, representing himself Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Grussendorf's appointment to the Board of Game and opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. NANCY BALE, representing herself Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Grussendorf's and opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. ALLEN BARRETTE Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Presented background in support of his appointment to the Board of Game. ART GREENWALD, representing himself Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Strongly opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. THERESA SAGER-ALBAUGH, representing herself Mentasta Pass, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. COKE WALLACE, representing himself Healy, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. SHANNON MOORE, representing herself No stated address POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. GERALD BROOKMAN, representing himself Kenai, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. DANE CROWLEY, Executive Director Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife Palmer, AK POSITION STATEMENT:  KENNY BARBER, representing himself Palmer, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrett's appointment to the Board of Game. PATTI BARBER, representing herself Palmer, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrett's appointment to the Board of Game. NICOLE FLISS, representing herself Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. BYRON HALEY, President Chitna Dip Netters Association Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. VINCE HOLTON, Director Operations for Alaska Monitoring the Drug Testing Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. ROGGIE HUNTER, representing himself North Pole, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. WILLIAM LARRY, representing himself, Fairbanks, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. THOR STACEY, representing himself, Wiseman, said he is a registered hunting guide in Alaska, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. NICK JANS, Juneau resident, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. VIC WALKER, representing himself Juneau, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. GREG BROWN, representing himself Juneau, AK and POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. TINA BROWN, representing herself Juneau, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. STEVEN FLORY, representing himself Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. MIKE TINKER, Member Fairbanks Advisory Committee Esther, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. CRAIG COMPEAU, representing himself No stated address POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. RANDY ZARNKE, President Alaska Trappers Association No stated address POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. BILL BREWER, representing himself Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. MELVIN GROVE, representing himself Big Lake, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. KELLY WALTERS, representing himself Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. LYNETTE MORENO-HINZ, representing herself Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. DAVID TURNBULL, representing himself Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. YOLANDA DE LA CRUZ, representing herself Anchorage, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. DICK BISHOP, representing himself Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. BRIAN SIMPSON, representing himself Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. CHUCK GRAY, representing himself Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. DICK BURLEY, representing himself Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. FRANK ENTSMINGER, representing himself Tok, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. BRENT KEITH, representing himself Healy, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. JACK REAKOFF, representing himself Wiseman, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. HANNA RAGELIN, representing herself Healy, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. PAT NOLIN, representing himself Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. JACOB BARRETTE, representing himself Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. TOM SCARBOROUGH, representing himself Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. RAYMOND HEUER, Chairman Fairbanks Fish and Game Advisory Committee Fairbanks, AK POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. ACTION NARRATIVE 3:33:48 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI called the Alaska State Senate Resources Standing Committee meeting to order at 3:33 p.m. Present at the call to order were Senators Wagoner, French, McGuire, and Wielechowski. ^Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission ALASKA COMMERCIAL FISHERIES ENTRY COMMISSION    3:35:59 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI welcomed Mr. Twomley to the meeting, saying he is an attorney who had been on the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC) since 1982. He was appointed by Governor Jay Hammond and reappointed by five succeeding governors. In addition, he has served as the chairman of CFEC from 1983-2005. He also served as a member of the Governor's Fisheries Cabinet from 1983-1990. He asked Mr. Twomley what he hopes to accomplish if confirmed for another four-year term. SENATOR HUGGINS joined the committee. BRUCE TWOMLEY, Commissioner, Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC), said the work remains challenging and he hoped to continue protecting the fisheries that they had already limited. He said the Alaska Supreme Court has made some of their tasks a little bit tricky and he offered to elaborate if they wanted. He said they had been "getting some things right" given their success rate on court appeals and he is hoping for the opportunity to continue that task. 3:37:31 PM Brief at ease - meeting called back to order at 3:38. 3:38:17 PM SENATOR FRENCH moved to forward Mr. Twomley's name to the full body with the usual disclaimer that it doesn't promise a vote for or against the candidate in that hearing. There were no objections and it was so ordered. BIG GAME COMMERCIAL SERVICES BOARD  3:38:50 PM ^Big Game Commercial Services Board CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI welcomed Robert Mumford to the committee and said he had served with the Alaska State Troopers for more than 20 years. For 18 of those years he served with the Fish and Wildlife Protection Division. He is a commercial pilot and previously worked as an assistant guide. He is currently a member of the Big Game Commercial Services Board. He asked Mr. Mumford to tell them about himself and what he hoped to contribute during a second term. ROBERT D. MUMFORD, Member, Big Game Commercial Services Board, Anchorage, said he has already served one term on the Big Game Commercial Services Board. He was appointed to be the liaison with the Alaska Wildlife Troopers because of his past service and he was able to help write ethical standards for the board. He said they are in the middle of working on land use issues and he would like to continue with that and maintain some consistency with the board. 3:40:22 PM AARON BLOOMQUIST, representing himself, said he has participated in most of the Big Game Commercial Services Board meetings since they were reinstated. He supported Mr. Mumford's reappointment to the board. He works really well with the public and has a great background that is useful to the board. SENATOR FRENCH moved to forward Mr. Mumford's name to the full body with the usual disclaimer that it doesn't promise a vote for or against the candidate in that hearing. There were no objections and it was so ordered. ^Board of Fisheries BOARD OF FISHERIES    3:41:59 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI welcomed Thomas Kluberton to the committee as a nominee for the Board of Fisheries. He said Mr. Kluberton was the chair of the Mat-Su Borough Mayor's Blue Ribbon Sportsman's Committee from 2006-2009, he served on the Borough Assembly from 206-2009 and on the Planning Commission from 2004- 2006. He owns and operates the Fireweed Station in south Talkeetna. The paper said he might be the first nominee to the Board of Fisheries from Talkeetna. THOMAS G. KLUBERTON, nominee to the Board of Fisheries, said he was speaking from Fireweed Station in Talkeetna. He related that his background in fisheries generally developed his expertise and working with the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee. A number of those folks suggested that he put his name forward. He is interested in expanding on the informative education he got with that committee and looks forward in the tradition of the Board of Fisheries to ensure sustainability and equity in the state's fisheries. 3:44:00 PM SENATOR STEVENS joined the committee. 3:44:16 PM ROD ARNO, Executive Director, Alaska Outdoor Council, said they have participated in the board process since back when they were joint boards. He said the Council supports Mr. Kluberton's appointment to the Board of Fisheries. He got a chance to watch him participate on the Mat-Su Blue Ribbon Panel, and just the fact that Curt Menard chose him to be on it was significant. He was prepared and open to the public during public testimony, "which is about all you can ask for." 3:45:03 PM DAVID GOGGIA, President, Kenai River Professional Guides Association, supported Mr. Kluberton's appointment to the Board of Fisheries. He has a background working in management and has had to listen to problems and then organize solutions. The board will be hit with many issues that have complex solutions and Mr. Kluberton has the necessary skills to be a great asset to it. 3:46:12 PM MONTE ROBERTS, representing himself, Soldotna, said he is a guide business owner and supported Mr. Kluberton's appointment to the Board of Fisheries. 3:46:24 PM RICKY GEASE, Executive Director, Kenai River Sport Fishing Association, said they are a 501(C)(3) fishery conservation organization that is very familiar with the Board of Fisheries process. He said Mr. Kluberton would bring great skills to the board as a member; he has shown his ability and dedication to public service on fisheries issues. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI, finding no further comments, closed public testimony. SENATOR FRENCH moved to forward Mr. Kluberton's name to the full body with the usual disclaimer that it doesn't promise a vote for or against the candidate in that hearing. There were no objections and it was so ordered. 3:47:36 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI welcomed Vince Webster to the committee as an appointee to the Board of Fisheries saying he has operated set and drift gill nets in Bristol Bay since 1984; he has also participated in the Togiak herring, Cinder River salmon, and Bristol Bay halibut fisheries as well as numerous sport fisheries throughout the state. He has served on the Naknek- Kvichak Fish and Game Advisory Committee (AC) for over 15 years including service as its co-chair. CLAUDE "VINCE" WEBSTER, nominee to the Board of Fisheries, said he has been working in the board process for over 18 years and is currently the chair of the Board of Fisheries. He wanted to continue "being a steward of one of the largest renewable resources in the world." 3:49:00 PM DAVID GOGGIA, Kenai River Professional Guides Association, supported Mr. Webster's appointment to the Board of Fisheries saying he is dedicated and has done a good job in the past and would probably do a good job in the future. 3:49:47 PM MONTE ROBERTS, representing himself, supported Mr. Webster's appointment to the Board of Fisheries. 3:50:01 PM RICKY GEASE, Kenai River Sportfishing Association, Inc., supported Mr. Webster's reappointment to the Board of Fisheries. He has done an outstanding job during his first term; he did a very good job as this year's as chair, which is no easy task. He's kept the board meeting on pace and makes sure that every member of the public feels welcome at the meetings. He brings good analytical skills to issues and seeks all inputs from a variety of user groups and then seeks to craft consensus solutions amongst the board members. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI, finding no further comments, closed public testimony. SENATOR FRENCH moved to forward Mr. Webster's name to the joint session with the usual disclaimer that it doesn't promise a vote for or against the candidate in that hearing. There were no objections and it was so ordered. BOARD OF GAME  ^Board of Game 3:51:41 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI welcomed Ben Grussendorf to the committee saying he is a former Speaker of the House; he served in the House of Representatives from 1980-2000. During that time he was chair of the Rules Committee, a member of the Finance Committee and a member of the Special Committee on Fisheries. He also served two terms as mayor of the City and Borough of Sitka and two terms as a Sitka Assembly member. In addition, he has served several terms on the Board of Game including as its chair. BEN GRUSSENDORF, nominee to the Board of Game, Sitka, said he grew up in Northern Minnesota where hunting and fishing was part of his lifestyle and it stayed the same in Alaska. He considers himself to be a naturalist for over 60 years. The first standing committee assignment he sought when he was elected to the House was the Resources Committee and he greatly enjoyed that and all the work that followed. 3:53:33 PM WADE WILLIS, representing himself from Anchorage, said he is a former biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and has participated in the board process for about a decade. He saw Mr. Grussendorf work very cooperatively with a very wide range of individuals in the state; he finds middle ground very well. He is supportive of the Governor's positions on wildlife management, but very prudent and moderate and careful about implementation of some of the more aggressive and contentious programs. He has found middle ground and is very supportive all the residents in the state. 3:54:24 PM BARBARA WINKLEY, representing herself, supported Mr. Grussendorf's reappointment to the Board of Game. 3:54:44 PM MARYBETH HOLLEMAN, representing herself, Fairbanks, supported Mr. Grussendorf's appointment to the Board of Game. She saw him at the Fairbanks Board of Game meeting and he was the only member that she felt was truly listening to all sides of the issues. 3:55:15 PM RICK STEINER, representing himself, said he was a professor at the University of Alaska for 30 years and prior to that a commercial fisherman. He lived mainly in rural areas, and he wholeheartedly supported Mr. Grussendorf's appointment to the Board of Game. "He is certainly one of the more balanced and reasonable members of the board currently." 3:55:48 PM NANCY BALE, representing herself, said she is a school nurse in Anchorage, but for many years she lived and worked in the vicinity of Denali National Park where she became the chair of a grass roots organization of 350 members, the Denali Citizens' Council in 2000. They brought forth a proposal at the recent board meeting and she had an opportunity to watch Mr. Grussendorf in action at that meeting; he is a good listener, knowledgeable about the resources, and appears to be a real and honest fan of the public process. 3:56:54 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI, finding no further comments, closed public testimony. SENATOR FRENCH moved to forward Mr. Grussendorf's name to the full body with the usual disclaimer that it doesn't promise a vote for or against the candidate in that hearing. There were no objections and it was so ordered. 3:57:59 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI welcomed Allen Barrette to the committee. He has been the owner and operator of the Fairbanks Fur Tannery for the past 17 years. He is licenses as a taxidermist and has a Class A assistant guide license. In 2005 he was elected to the Fairbanks Fish and Game Advisory Committee, a seat he still holds. He also serves as chairman of the Trapping Subcommittee. He asked him to relate what he hoped to accomplish if confirmed to the Board of Game. ALLEN BARRETTE, Fairbanks nominee to the Board of Game, said he has been an Alaskan resident since 1988 and his family is full of hunters, trappers and fishermen; he owns and operates the Fairbanks Tannery and has served six years on the Fairbanks Fish and Game Advisory Committee and for the last four years was chair of the Trapping subcommittee. He worked with the Board of Game on many occasions and enjoys a "great working relationship" with the professionals at the Fairbanks Regional 3 Headquarters Department of Fish and Game. He applied to be on the board and was appointed earlier this year. He sat on the board during the winter meeting in Fairbanks. Some people oppose his confirmation because they believe he has a conflict of interest. He hoped they understood how troubling this was to him because it came about because of his vote during the last board meeting on Proposal 63 that would allow trapping on state land to the northeast of Denali Park and Preserve. It was supported by the local Healy and Middle Nenana Advisory Committee, the Denali Advisory Committee, as well as the Anchorage, Fairbanks and Delta Junction Advisory Committees. They were all in support of deleting the buffer zone. He said those advisory committee members were also elected by the public. Proposal 63 was also supported by the Ahtna Regional Corporation. By a vote of 4 to 3 the measure passed, and he voted with the majority to open the area to trapping. Because of that and the fact that he owns a tannery and sell traps, some people claim he has a conflict of interest. He doesn't believe he has a conflict because members of the board of Game and all boards fall underneath AS 35.52.110, the part of the executive branch ethics act which reads: 1. In a representative democracy, the representatives are drawn from a society and therefore, cannot and should not be without personal and financial interest in decisions and policies of government. 2. People who serve as public officers retain their rights to interests of personal or financial nature. MR. BARRETT said the same statute says: Standards of ethical conduct for members of the executive branch need to distinguish between those minor and inconsequential conflicts that are unavoidable in a free society and those conflicts of interest that are substantial and material. So, how do they know the difference between substantial and material conflicts, he asked. Because the statute tells them the difference. The same statute in subsection (d) says: Stocks or other ownership interest in any business is presumed insignificant if the value of the stock or other ownership interest, including an option to purchase or ownership interest, is less than $5,000. MR. BARRETT said he manufactures and sells wolf traps and they cost $115 each without chain and $130 each with chain. He has sold eight traps in the past five years to individuals who may have trapped in the Stampede Trail area and he has never tanned a wolf from the vicinity of the Denali buffer zone. His financial interest is far below the $5,000-threshold and this is why he believes he doesn't have a conflict of interest on this matter. He added that his ethics officer, Board Chairman Cliff Judkins, did not think it was a problem nor did the Assistant Attorney General, Kevin Saxby, both of whom have years of experience on this issue. SENATOR HUGGINS said he received about an even number of emails for and against Mr. Barrett. He is impressed that he is a family man, an Army guy and a small business man. It appears that people were concerned about two things: the perceived conflict of interest and his vote on Proposal 63. He asked if he had a biological reason for voting the way he did. MR. BARRETTE replied yes. ADF&G biological data showed that the harvest of wolves outside of the Park is not a problem for sustainability of populations or packs within or outside the Park. They also said viewing opportunities for the public in the Denali National Park or Preserve depend mostly on where wolves den, where they make their kills and the predominant vegetation along the viewing routes. The last pertinent thing they said was "trapping outside the park has not been documented as a factor that affects viewing opportunities inside the park." SENATOR HUGGINS recapped that Mr. Barrette said he considered sustainability and the viewing opportunities, and asked if there was much public comment on the proposal. MR. BARRETTE answered yes, from both sides, and the advisory committees were all in favor of eliminating the buffer zone. SENATOR HUGGINS remarked that if everyone was held accountable for one vote someone didn't like they would all be in trouble. He asked if Mr. Judkins is the ethics officer. MR. BARRETTE answered that he is the chairman of the board and reviews disclosure statements that are made on record prior to a meeting. 4:08:06 PM SENATOR HUGGINS asked if an attorney was at the board meeting where he cast his vote for Proposal 63. MR. BARRETTE answered yes, Assistant Attorney General, Mr. Saxby was there. SENATOR HUGGINS said if it is anything like the legislature you have to declare your conflict of interest and make a statement, and asked if he did that. MR. BARRETTE answered yes. Mr. Judkins had questions about his dealings on proposals that had guiding issues because he disclosed that he is a Class A guide. Those problems were resolved by the board attorney and no one asked him to recuse himself from Proposal 63. SENATOR HUGGINS asked if he considered recusing himself. MR. BARRETTE answered no, because the possibility that he had tanned a hide, which he didn't, was insignificant, as was the sale of his traps. SENATOR HUGGINS asked if he has a store that says something like "Mr. Barrette's traps for sale" or how else does he sell his traps. MR. BARRETTE answered that he has a part time ad in the Alaska Trappers Magazine, which he does only to support the magazine. Other than that the sale of traps is done through word of mouth. 4:10:25 PM SENATOR HUGGINS asked what he says to people who might think that he has a conflict with a board issue. MR. BARRETTE replied that this is the first time it has happened. SENATOR HUGGINS said it appears to him that Mr. Barrette has an experience base that they want on the board. He hoped his name was forwarded and that he got an opportunity to get voted on up or down. 4:12:03 PM SENATOR FRENCH went back to the conflict of interest issue because that has come up in many of his communications. Maybe Mr. Barrette has a different understanding of subsection (d) in AS 39.52.110 that says stock or other ownership interest in a business is presumed to be insignificant if the value of the stock or the other ownership interest is less than $5,000. Senator French said he always believed that applied to the value of the business, not that each incident would affect him by $5,000. He asked if Mr. Barrette's business in Fairbanks was worth more or less than $5,000, roughly. MR. BARRETTE answered yes. SENATOR FRENCH asked if that was his tannery business. MR. BARRETTE answered yes. SENATOR FRENCH clarified that the statute means you can't make decisions on matters that would affect your business if it is worth more than $5,000. The ethics statute, AS 39.52.120, says you "can't take or withhold official action in order to affect a matter in which the officer has a personal or financial interest." A financial interest here is defined as being significant if it's in total worth more than $5,000. MR. BARRETTE responded that he is not qualified to interpret that and that he took the code of ethics literally. SENATOR FRENCH said if he is elected to the board, he should become familiar with the code of ethics. He should declare conflicts and get waivers. That's the process. Does that make sense? 4:15:37 PM MR. BARRETTE responded, "That's another explanation to these statutes." SENATOR FRENCH asked if he understood that in general public officials can't make decisions that affect their own financial interests. MR. BARRETTE replied that he understands that, but because he was a new board member with board support and help from the Attorney General's Office he was led to believe that what he disclosed - "an insignificant amount of what people who consider profit" - was not a conflict. SENATOR FRENCH said another way of putting it is if a proposal came before the Board of Game that he thought might affect his tannery but he thought it would only affect it by a couple thousand dollars, it wouldn't be okay for him to participate, because it's not how much the proposal affects his business, but rather what his business is worth. He asked if he understood the distinction. MR. BARRETTE replied that if he is confirmed he will make it a point to disclose that to the board chair and allow him to make that decision. SENATOR FRENCH said that wasn't answering his question, which is if he understands the distinction between making a decision that affects a tiny business that might be worth $1,000 (too insignificant to worry about) versus one that is worth more than $5,000, which has to be disclosed. The issue is not how much it affects his business, but how much his business is worth. MR. BARRETTE responded that he would take it on "as a challenge" to make himself "perfectly clear" on understanding ethics regulations. 4:18:18 PM SENATOR FRENCH said many folks wrote him about Mr. Barrette's involvement in lobbying for passage of HB 267, and he asked him to comment on his actions and to give him a few details. MR. BARRETTE answered that some people in Fairbanks have always been interested in providing access to the state lands on the other side of the Dalton Highway corridor. He asked Representative Kelly to introduce that issue for legislative consideration, and he found little legislative or public interest. So, HB 267 is off the legislative agenda as well as his agenda. SENATOR FRENCH asked what his involvement was in getting that legislation sponsored and passed. MR. BARRETTE replied that several trappers had problems with being able to access the country in which they like to trap. He researched it and "made up a document and a presentation" and presented it to Representative Kelly. He took it from there and testified on it once. It didn't go anywhere and that is the extent of his involvement. 4:20:03 PM SENATOR WAGONER asked if it was up to Mr. Barrett and he was "King for a day" is he in favor of opening up both sides of the Dalton Highway to snow machine access. MR. BARRETTE answered there is no public support for it and "even if I was King for a day I would not go against the public input from this HB 267." SENATOR WAGONER asked him to give them a thumbnail sketch of how he feels about the state's biological management of predators. MR. BARRETTE answered that all the current predator control programs are effective and he likes them. 4:21:46 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI went back to the Dalton Highway issue, and asked when Mr. Barrette is making decisions how much he looks at the public's or his fellow board members' opinions. MR. BARRETTE replied that he weighs public opinion heavily. He appeals to the advisory committees that are there to advise the Board of Game on issues especially pertaining to local areas. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked after voting in favor of revoking the Denali wolf buffer zone, he understood that Mr. Barrette petitioned the board to authorize using a snow machine to harvest wolves in the old buffer zone. Is that accurate? MR. BARRETTE answered that the buffer zone is in the area of unit 20C and there was a proposal on the table to institute a predator control program, which the board failed. While that was on the table he brought the issue up as a point of discussion - just "table talk" - not as an amendment or anything else. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he agreed with a statement by Mr. Judkins who said "I just cringe at the thought of a snow machine running down the park boundary chasing wolves. It's almost beyond me." MR. BARRETTE replied that he didn't know how to answer that, because regardless of what the chairman says, "It's perfectly legal to use a snow machine in Unit 20C for trapping." CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he has no problem with chasing down wolves on snow machines and shooting them. MR. BARRETTE answered that his opinion is neutral after listening to the advisory committee and public input. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he voted to authorize the baiting of brown bears. MR. BARRETTE answered because he was a new member and didn't realize there was a bear board policy, he "made one of those newbie errors and, yes, I did put that on the table." CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if all other members of the board strongly opposed it. MR. BARRETTE answered that he took it back off the table after he was told about the board's bear policy. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he amended a proposal to allow baiting bears in Interior Alaska when residents, tourists and families are actively fishing, hiking, and camping in the month of July. MR. BARRETTE answered yes, he made such a proposal "and there was merit to it." CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked what his fellow colleagues on the board thought of it. MR. BARRETTE answered that he thought "it was substantially voted down" because of the regulatory year being cumbersome for the department to reissue bear bait permits after July 1 when the regulatory changes happen. 4:26:46 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he recalled allowing commercial guides to register up to 10 bait stations. MR. BARRETTE answered yes. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked how many bait stations Alaskans are allowed to register. MR. BARRETTE answered in Region 3 each licensed hunter is allowed up to two bear baits. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if there was a particular reason Mr. Barrette wanted to authorize potentially non-resident or commercial guides to register more bait stations than resident Alaskans. MR. BARRETTE replied that he would have to review the discussion, but he remembered the majority of the board was in favor of allowing guides to have more bear baits because it would be safer and more efficient in the field. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if there was any discussion of whether or not that was constitutional under the state's equal access clause. MR. BARRETTE answered no, but he would have to review the records to be sure. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he would be concerned with letting commercial guides have more bait stations than ordinary Alaskan residents. MR. BARRETTE answered that he voted to allow the guides to have more bear baits. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he saw no constitutional problems with that. MR. BARRETTE replied that he would have to get a professional review of the constitution. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he had professional constitutional review before he voted on the issue. MR. BARRETTE answered no. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if there was a question of constitutionality in the future if he would ask about it before they vote on it. MR. BARRETTE answered "very much so." 4:29:11 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he voted several times to reduce the amounts necessary for subsistence. MR. BARRETTE answered yes. He said it's on the record that the board was working with the Division of Subsistence to come up with plans that seemed reasonable. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked if he also voted to allocate to non- resident use or to suppress resident use seasons on several occasions. MR. BARRETTE answered yes. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI asked what his philosophy is in general when he is deciding allocation and whether game should be available for resident versus commercial users. MR. BARRETTE answered that he relies on department professionals. 4:30:20 PM SENATOR FRENCH asked about a quote from "Backpacker Magazine" in which he may have said Genesis in the first book of the Bible says we should subdue and control nature, that we should be managers of the animals and the sin of Adam and Eve is what brought that on. Did he say it and if he did, could he provide some explanation or details? MR. BARRETTE answered yes, he said that - sloppily. The meaning is that he believes game should be managed and that should be done through professional data, input from the public and elected advisory committees. The opposite of managing is just to "let Mother Nature take care of itself." You can't manage for sustainability by letting Mother Nature do it. SENATOR FRENCH asked if there is any kind of biblical foundation to his view of wildlife management. MR. BARRETTE answered no. 4:32:01 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI opened public testimony. 4:32:14 PM ART GREENWALD, representing himself, Fairbanks, said he has lived in the Interior over 40 years and has hunted for several of them. He strongly opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He said the sports hunter from Fairbanks or Anchorage likes to get his caribou or moose and there is nothing wrong with that, but the subsistence hunter form Wiseman, Anaktuvuk Pass and other rural communities needs to get his caribou or moose. "Mr. Barrette does not seem to grasp this difference and has been a fierce opponent of any subsistence preference." MR. GREENWALD said that Mr. Barrette has aggressively lobbied to revoke the Kanuti control use area designation near Bettles, and the Division of Subsistence warned Mr. Barrette that prior to such an action the board must address meeting subsistence needs in the region. The other members of the board did not support him in his actions in that regard. Further, he voted to increase the harvest in the Central Alaska caribou herd along the Haul road to five caribou while simultaneously supporting opening the Haul Road control use area to general snow machine access. He said Mr. Barrette voted against 2-4 subsistence sheep for Interior Native villages in GMU19 remarking "their subsistence needs are being met by other things, but they want to add sheep to it?" Finally, with Mr. Barrette on the board, that leaves no representation whatsoever for the entire South Central region, an area holding over one-third of the state's population. 4:34:02 PM THERESA SAGER-ALBAUGH, representing herself, said she is a member of the Board of Game from the Mentasta Pass area, and supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. The learning curve can be steep for a new board member despite previous involvement. He came to his first meeting well prepared, having read all public comments and all the advisory committee minutes; he understands the process. He listens respectful and attentively to public testimony as well as the presentations provided by the ADF&G. He respected all of the public members testifying whether they were Native or non-Native and whether they were rural or urban. He asked good questions that assisted the board in making informed decisions. She personally observed that he left the meeting room each day with a stack of paperwork and new materials under his arm to take home to read and study for the next day's meeting. He knows the provisions of the state game statutes and regulations very well and he also know how they differ from the federal game laws, distinctions that can be very important to the hunting public in Alaska. He has demonstrated his ability to work well with the ADF&G through his involvement with the Fairbanks Advisory Committee and as chairman of the trapping subcommittee. 4:36:45 PM COKE WALLACE, representing himself, Healy, said he has been a licensed professional hunting guide all of his adult life, and has lived his entire life in Alaska. For the last 18 years he has lived in Healy right next to the buffer zone. He and his wife run a sport hunting business and for 18 years ran a summer tourism business. He uses the resource both as a recreational and a professional hunter/trapper/fisherman. He supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game because he brings a wealth of knowledge to it. He knows the concerns of rural Alaska and the importance of wildlife to them. He understands the customary and traditional uses of the wildlife resources and holds them in high esteem. Mr. Wallace said he is one of the "four rogue trappers" who were going to benefit from the Denali buffer zone going away. He said it was originally established without good biology. He had spoken with the three other "rogue trappers" who were going to benefit from the buffer zone going away and he knows they don't buy their trapping supplies from Mr. Barrette other than the occasional "Number 9 Alaskan" just to add to their collection. 4:39:40 PM SHANNON MOORE, representing herself, said being able to access game is really important to her and her family. She said there is a reason they don't call "fishing" "catching" and she didn't think they wanted to change "hunting" into "killing." She opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game because of his philosophy of easy game, a philosophy that gets rid of competition. She didn't know if people are just becoming lazy hunters and want to get rid of the predators or what. In listening to Mr. Barrette and his explanation and listening to the questions from the chair and other senators, she said it's disturbing to see that allocations for Alaskans are being trumped for non-resident guides or guides for non-resident hunters. "It's not Alaskan, it's not taking care of Alaskans whether they be subsistence users or not." 4:41:10 PM WADE WILLIS, representing himself, said he ran an eco-tourism business in Alaska for 14 years, and people on the Board of Game have to be willing to represent all the people not just yourself. He opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment because for him it's just his way or the highway. He said he listens to regional advisory committees, but Minto-Nenana Advisory Committee chair (since 1980) Ron Silas aggressively testified that he was against all forms of black bear baiting and Mr. Barrette, in response, wanted to expand it to the month of July and to extend 10 bait stations to the commercial guiding industry in Mr. Silas' area. Regarding the Central Alaska caribou herd along the Haul Road, Jack Reakoff, co-chair of the state AC and chair of the federal AC in that region, strongly testified against raising the harvest limits from two caribou and he had very good reasoning. It was very difficult to haul caribou the five miles it takes to get the caribou through the closed corridor and being able to shoot five caribou was a big problem. In response, Mr. Barrette aggressively voted to raise the take and said that all of the villages in that area don't even rely exclusively on caribou. MR. WILLIS said Mr. Barrette also needs to be cooperative with other mandates that are looking to have natural diversity and natural abundance, which is the mandate on federal lands. 4:44:06 PM BARBARA WINKLEY, representing herself, Anchorage, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. Last year, in particular, she was dismayed at the conversation between the board members, [ADF&G Commissioner] Denby Lloyd and Corey Rossi who made light of the fact that they were having this "wonderful snaring program for black bears in area 16 and there would only be a few brown bear by-catch caught." They wanted to teach young children how to kill these animals who may have been baited and snared for up to two days often with their cubs bellowing nearby. One board member even remarked that he would vote against every proposal that looked as though a member of the public had proposed it instead of their own recommendations. As a member of the public, Ms. Winkley said, and as someone who had put in one regulation recommending the elimination the trapping of wolverine in Chugach State Park, she felt this behavior of the board to be extremely unprofessional. Mr. Barrette has demonstrated by his previous comments that he is opposed to rural subsistence and supports maximum predator elimination without any concern for professional biological science. It's time to have some board members who are concerned about sustainable wildlife resources with professional background to support their decision. 4:46:22 PM MARYBETH HOLLEMAN, representing herself, Anchorage, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. At the Fairbanks board meeting she saw firsthand that he lacks ethical integrity and the knowledge and ability to uphold the board's regulatory authority. He voted on issues from which he should have recused himself because of a conflict of interest. What he failed to tell them is that he did recuse himself from several votes at the Fairbanks meeting for which he knew he had a conflict of interest. So, he does know how to do that and should have done that with the Denali buffer. He made rude and disrespectful remarks to the National Park Service staff and to Alaska citizens who appeared before the board to testify. He made comments which revealed a lack of knowledge of basic wildlife management and Alaska wildlife issues. He has a record of denying rural and Native subsistence uses. MS. HOLLEMAN said many Alaskans are disgusted with just how far out of touch this Board of Game has become and Mr. Barrette pulls it even further away from Alaskans and towards the special interest groups, Alaska Outdoor Council and Alaska Trappers Association. He is another white urban hunter/trapper from the Fairbanks area leaving no representation for South Central Alaska and little for rural and Alaska Natives. MS. HOLLEMAN said the board is lopsided now due to its extreme consumptive use position; it's hard for those with different viewpoints to testify before them. She related that Mr. Barrette, in particular, was disrespectful to her when she testified. 4:48:47 PM GERALD BROOKMAN, representing himself, Kenai, said he has resided in Alaska since 1957 and has successfully hunted both small and big game during his residency here. He opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. His views on the taking of game and furbearers seem to be very liberal but his view concerning Natives subsistence use for the state's game resources seems to be very restrictive if not outright hostile. In addition, his business interests appear to conflict with membership on the board and don't pass "the smell test." 4:49:55 PM DANE CROWLEY, Executive Director, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, supported Mr. Barrett's appointment to the Board of Game. His membership includes both urban and rural Alaskans and they believe that "abundance management" solves the allocation issues that have come up. The conflict of interest issue is manufactured. Mr. Barrette researches and understands the issues and he is for the abundance management principle and access to that resource. He also understands that the State of Alaska owns the wildlife solely in the state and the federal government has zero management authority over any fish and game resources including wolves "in and around any buffer zone or preserve." 4:52:11 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI mentioned that people can submit written testimony to him or any of the committee members. 4:52:25 PM KENNY BARBER, representing himself, Palmer, said he is a past member of the Matsu Advisory Committee and supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game, because he "goes with" the public's views and with what the Fish and Game Advisory Committees have to say. 4:53:00 PM PATTI BARBER, representing herself, Palmer, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. 4:53:20 PM NICOLE FLISS, representing herself, Fairbanks, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. Many of the reasons for opposing this confirmation have already been clearly explained by other citizens and organizations; they include his puzzling use of scripture to support his game management philosophy, his support of bear snaring, his advocacy to eliminate guide requirements for brown bears, his advocacy to bait brown bears, his desire to reclassify brown bears as predators and thus the need to control them, his clear misunderstanding of the amounts necessary for subsistence (shown by his votes to allocate priorities to non-resident hunters), his direct involvement and misuse of his influence with the Board of Game to push HB 267 solely to markedly decrease the size of the Central Arctic caribou herd, and his derogatory use of the term "preservationist," a label he uses to describe people like herself. MS. FLISS said she is a professional and an advocate for wilderness and for balance in game management; she is also a hunter and relies on game meat as her main source of protein for her family. MS. FLISS said the state has been on an extreme unscientific game management path since Governor Murkowski and got more extreme with Governor Palin. Unfortunately Governor Parnell has chosen to stay on that path; his appointment of Mr. Barrette is "an exclamation point on Alaska's radical path of predator control." She said this is where the legislature can "slow this freight train." 4:55:54 PM BYRON HALEY, President, Chitna Dip Netters Association, Fairbanks, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. 4:56:30 PM VINCE HOLTON, Director, Operations for Alaska Monitoring the Drug Testing, Fairbanks, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He met Mr. Barrette last fall when he authored three separate proposals to the Board of Game this year. Mr. Barrette was very helpful in explaining the process and working with him in understanding why the proposals didn't pass. He said many of the proposals Mr. Barrette voted on were written by the ADF&G and based on their biological data. For instance, his vote in opposition to the North Slope caribou herd, it has been stated by the department many times over the last year that they are simply not meeting the herd management quota and "that the herd is getting out of hand and that the increase was necessary." 4:58:16 PM ROGGIE HUNTER, representing himself, North Pole, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He worked with him for two years on the Fairbanks Advisory Committee and he always did his homework, knew the issues when they came to a vote, and he listened to the ADF&G science, the public's comments and to the fish and game advisory committees. A lot of the negative testimony is either manufactured or exaggerated, he said. 4:59:08 PM WILLIAM LARRY, representing himself, Fairbanks, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He has worked with Mr. Barrette on an advisory committee for over six years and thought that he did "a tremendous job," not that he always agreed with him. He always "dug into everything." MR. LARRY said that any Fairbanks people voted to get Mr. Barrette on the advisory committee; it wasn't on just a whim. In "no way" does he want to wipe out wolves or bears, because as a trapper if they are all gone he doesn't have an income. His business is small and he doesn't have that much income; he and his family are very into the subsistence way of life. He's a berry picker and a photographer. 5:00:39 PM THOR STACEY, representing himself, Wiseman, said he is a registered hunting guide in Alaska and opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He said he has hunting areas near the National Wildlife Refuge and the Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge. His opposition is mainly resource based and he has seriously concerns about Mr. Barrette's ability to perform on the board because it is supposed to allocate the resource. His specific issue is with HB 267, which Mr. Barrette petitioned the Board of Game to support before he was appointed and then after being appointed he was able to induce the board to vote on during a closed session. There was no public comment or any other opportunity to comment on it. It is not the function of a governor-appointed board to support legislation. Because of Mr. Barrette's actions with HB 267 he falls under the category of an activist and they don't want activists on the board. They want people who are responsible public servants to contribute their knowledge and who will go through the public process. Mr. Barrette used his position to push legislation, and he believes Mr. Barrette will continue his activist position on a variety of issues regarding game management in Alaska if he is confirmed. 5:03:30 PM NICK JANS, Juneau resident, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. Mr. Jans said he is a full-time Alaska writer and photography; he is a long-time hunter and trapper who lived in remote Eskimo villages in Northwest Alaska for half his life. He shared actively in the Inupiat subsistence lifestyle for two decades and worked as a packer for a big game guide. He does not oppose predator control supported by rigorous science, and he always has wild meat and fish in his freezer and understands that as a true Alaska way of life. And yet Mr. Barrette "does not come close to representing" him. This conclusion is not based on what Mr. Barrette or his supporters may say, but upon his clear record regarding wildlife management issues. Mr. Barrette has consistently favored proposals that oppose rural subsistence values and has even scoffed at them on the record. He favored a handful of local trappers over the staggering economic value of the park's wolves as a tourist attraction. He has supported or introduced measures that the rest of the board unanimously opposed as too radical, has promoted sport hunter access and taking at the cost of sustainable wildlife conservation. MR. JANS said he finds Mr. Barrette singularly unqualified to fairly represent the interests of all Alaskans, he finds his blatant on-the-record support of anti-subsistence to be the most egregious. He has demonstrated his disregard for that lifestyle and welfare over that of non-residents or non-local resident hunters. 5:05:40 PM VIC WALKER, representing himself, Juneau, said he is a veterinarian, and opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. The Alaska Constitution states that wildlife should be managed for the benefit of all Alaskans - subsistence, sports hunting, trapping, as well as non-consumptive uses like wildlife viewing. He said the Board of Game currently does not represent the diverse needs of all or even most Alaskans. Mr. Barrette's voting record at the recent board meeting favored sport hunters and trappers, including his own tannery and wolf trap business over the needs of subsistence and non-consumptive users. After voting to revoke the Denali wolf buffer zone, Mr. Barrette petitioned the board to authorize the use of snow machines the wolves in the old buffer zone. Other board members were unanimously opposed to this. Further, Mr. Walker said, Mr. Barrette is the only board member who voted to authorize baiting of brown bears for sport hunting. There are other examples of that ilk and the pattern is clear; his positions are extreme. 5:07:33 PM GREG BROWN, representing himself, said he owns a small whale watching business in Juneau and opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He said the hunting industry in Alaska is about a $124 million industry and it is sinking like a rock. Big game tags for the last 10 years are down 39 percent, out-of-state hunting license are down 29 percent, instate hunting licenses are down 8 percent, and less than 20 percent of Alaskans hunt. He said wildlife viewing in Alaska is a $581-million business today and it's growing at 6-10 percent a year. It's five times what the hunting business is, which seems big until you look at the national numbers. In the Lower 48, wildlife viewing is a $29 billion business and it is growing at a 4-10 percent rate. But Alaska is not in the top half of the United States for animal viewing and it is the best state in the world for animals. He said Mr. Barrette supports elimination of the Denali buffer zone; this puts at risk $63 million and 420,000 Alaskan visitors. He supports aerial hunting and snow mobile use for wolves; he supports baiting and snaring. Alaska is being boycotted because of what the Board of Game seems to be doing. A professional guide in Anchorage said not to worry because boycotts never work in Alaska, and it wouldn't affect 2 percent of his business. But 2 percent of $581 million is $12 million, more than twice the value of all the big game tags, all the resident hunting tags and all the out of state tags combined. MR. BROWN said, "Eco tourism is a sustainable money pipeline for Alaska," and the numbers show it. If Mr. Barrette is confirmed it will send a clear message to thousands of Alaskans who work in this $581 million non-consumptive animal viewing business that their constitutional rights are not being protected. 5:09:54 PM TINA BROWN, representing herself, Juneau, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game for most of the reasons already stated. She had a big concern about rural and Native subsistence needs that Mr. Barrette doesn't seem to address. She pointed out that nature seemed to do just fine before he "came around with his management policies." He ignored the wishes of over 100,000 park visitors and Alaskans in the Denali buffer zone issue to favor three or four trappers. He says he listens to all the people, but if you look at the numbers of people who were opposed to eliminating that buffer zone, that doesn't pan out. Mr. Barrette's church and state comment in "Backpacker Magazine" is another example of his bad judgment. He patents and manufactures wolf traps, he owns a fur tannery, and according to the ADF&G website, in 2006 he received the first gunners permit in the then newest predator management program. He does not represent all of the people of Alaska; fewer than 20 percent of Alaskans have a hunting license and more than 80 percent of Alaskans are non-consumptive users. 5:12:28 PM ROD ARNO, Executive Director, Alaska Outdoor Council, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He comes to the meetings prepared and that serves the public interest. In the 20 years he has gone to Board of Game meetings he has seen Mr. Barrette advocate for sound science management and food security for all Alaskans whether they are rural or urban, Native or non- Native. The truth is they are having a problem implementing the Tier 2 management, and are working with the Division of Subsistence. Suggestions have been put forward but they are waiting for more data. Mr. Arno said the Haul Road corridor issue had nothing to do with allocation but rather with vehicle access. 5:14:59 PM RICK STEINER, representing himself, Anchorage, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. Although Mr. Barrette characterized his problem as being one of his votes at the Fairbanks board meeting, it isn't. It's the general underlying philosophy that is already well represented there that he brings. He asked them to consider what it would be like if the board had representatives from the Sierra Club, Green Peace, Friends of Animals, Defenders of Wildlife, and Earth First, and then the governor has an open seat and appoints someone from PITA. That is precisely what has happened here, although on the other political arm in the spectrum. People on the environmental side would feel ashamed if a governor were to do that and he is stunned that the consumptive use side does not feel "utterly ashamed" at the notion that you cannot have a balanced Board of Game. Generally, people that are afraid of balanced dialogue and deliberation lack confidence in their perspective. 5:16:34 PM SENATOR STEDMAN joined the committee. STEVEN FLORY, representing himself, Anchorage, said he is a former chair of the Anchorage Fish and Game Advisory Committee. He got off of it and recently got put back on it - because some former members thought it was a good idea to expand the buffer zone. Both sides put as many people as they could up for election; and the other side lost. Now they are screaming foul. He said the buffer zone is a minor detail in all these votes. The fact is, had Mr. Barrette not voted, it would been a 3X3 tie across the board and the buffer zone would have disappeared by sunset law anyway. MR. FLORY said some members seem to feel Mr. Barrette has a conflict of interest, but under that scenario having attorneys in Juneau pass laws that they later litigate would have to be a conflict as well. Several other things - the department recommended 10 bait stations for guides, and other members voted for it. In fact some of his votes were the same as Mr. Grussendorf's and he wasn't asked these questions. 5:19:58 PM AARON BLOOMQUIST, Chairman, Anchorage Fish and Game Advisory Committee, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He first met Mr. Barrette at the Anchorage Board of Game meeting in January where they spent some time discussing various wildlife issues. He found him easy to get along with and he is one of the most open and accessible board members he has dealt with. At the Fairbanks meeting he never missed a chance to talk to various members of the public from all sides of the issues during the breaks as well as after hours. Mr. Barrette would not refuse to meet with anyone who asked. MR. BLOOMQUIST said the Board of Game is an allocative body and so at times people will be mad. Mr. Barrette brings a trapper's perspective to the board that has been missing for a while. The other members have also expressed their appreciation of his point of view at the Fairbanks meetings stating that he brought up several points that have not been discussed at previous meetings. Serious trapping has sustained Alaskans for thousands of years and predates any other economic activity in the state and Mr. Bloomquist believed it is a really valuable point of view to have on the board. Mr. Barrette has contact with more serious trappers than nearly any other individual in Alaska. Some have tried to insinuate that Mr. Barrette is anti subsistence, but he hoped the committee would recognize this as divide and conquer strategy. All of those that have brought up certain votes against customary and traditional findings are not subsistence users, but the usual suspects from the anti-predator control and anti-consumptive crowd that could really care less about subsistence. He said if "Al" is unqualified to be on the Board of Game because of his business, then six of the seven members of the Board of Fisheries are also unqualified as probably members of most of the state's other boards. 5:22:58 PM NANCY BALE, representing herself, Anchorage, said she is a school nurse, and from 1971-1993, she lived and worked near and in Denali National Park. She became chair of the "grassroots" Denali Citizens' Council that brought a proposal to extend the wolf buffer (proposal 55) to the board. She emphasized that the proposal had gone through a public process with local citizens and that they were "open and honest." Her problem with Mr. Barrette is in two areas; first she is not convinced he has completely avoided a conflict of interest problem with respect to his vote on Denali wolf buffers. It's all right to have the owner of a trapping and tannery business on the board, but he has to be extremely specific about recusing themselves from certain votes from which he would financially benefit. 5:25:49 PM MIKE TINKER, Fairbanks Advisory Committee, Esther, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He said Mr. Barrette served with the committee for the last five or six years and had an excellent attendance record and was a great participant. He asked great questions on the issues and gave them complete reviews and discussions while he was the chair of the trapping subcommittee. He said advisory committees have to pay a lot more attention to the intensive management provisions in Title 16 that deal with predator control, and most of the people testifying today should read it. MR. TINKER said Mr. Barrette recused himself from proposals he prepared or submitted. He is also just one of a group of seven who worked on these proposals, many of which were from the ADF&G; yet he is getting all the blame. 5:28:08 PM CRAIG COMPEAU, representing himself, said he is a local businessman and member of a four-generation Alaskan family, and he supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He has watched Mr. Barrette "in action" on the local advisory board and was impressed with his participation, professionalism and honest consideration for all sides of the issues. He is an independent thinker and very informed and articulate on the boards and committees he has volunteered to join. Many people who oppose his appointment are using desperate measures and untruths to "undermine a decent Alaskan." 5:30:25 PM RANDY ZARNKE, President, Alaska Trappers Association, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. Mr. Barrette has been interested in wildlife since he arrived in Alaska, but he has taken his efforts well beyond personal interest. He educated himself about biological principals including the mechanisms which cause wildlife populations to increase and decrease. In addition, he has learned the system by which hunting and trapping regulations are adopted (the advisory committee and game board process). 5:31:14 PM BILL BREWER, representing himself, Fairbanks, said he is a long- time trapper and hunter, and supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He has enjoyed working with him over the last several years. He is a "vast storehouse of information" as it applies in the field and in his shop. He spends a great deal of time in the field and interacting with the many other trappers and hunters that are in and out of his store. This collection of information is invaluable to the Board of Game and to the residents of this state whether they are consumptive users or non-consumptive users. A lot of non- consumptive users fail to see the state could have higher wildlife populations and more prey animals if "we just manage our wildlife per the State Constitution." 5:33:21 PM MELVIN GROVE, representing himself, Big Lake, said he is a member of the Matsu Fish and Game Advisory Council that unanimously supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He didn't want to think that the AC was wasting its time in advising the Board of Game, and he appreciated how Mr. Barrette looked at their recommendations - one of which was their unanimous vote to close the buffer zones. They are also in favor of all the predator control management programs. 5:36:01 PM KELLY WALTERS, representing himself, Anchorage, said he is a 19- year Alaskan hunter and fisherman, and opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. "He is a walking/talking conflict of interest with a clear obvious unambiguous conflict with his two companies that were discussed." He knows how to recuse himself from the vote as he did on the 72-hour trap check due to an on-record statement of his profit conflict. While on the Board of Game he approved 10 black bear bait stations per commercial guide, and tanning those pelts at $200 each wouldn't take long to reach the $2,000 limit. He said Mr. Barrette also has an aggressive record of opposing the rural and Native subsistence priority. He said if Mr. Barrette is confirmed the largest population center in the state, Anchorage, will go unrepresented. The Anchorage Advisory Council has already been overrun with people from the Matsu Valley who already have their own AC. MR. WALTERS said he is very concerned with the direction the ADF&G and the Board of Game is taking; they seem to be on a path of science denial. He didn't like Mr. Barrette's reliance on scripture for game management. 5:38:32 PM LYNETTE MORENO-HINZ, representing herself, Anchorage, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. She drives a cab and sees people from all over the world who come up here to take photographs and enjoy the wildlife. She did not like the use of the wolf predator control program to keep moose and caribou populations up. Mr. Barrette's business is a conflict of interest, and the board needs subsistence representation. 5:41:44 PM DAVID TURNBULL, representing himself, Anchorage, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game for the reasons already mentioned. Bob Bell told him that Mr. Barrette is "an extremist." He thought the Board of Game's decisions should be based on science and not on the financial interests of its members - who might own a bear tannery or trapping company - or on religious beliefs. 5:42:36 PM YOLANDA DE LA CRUZ, representing herself, Anchorage, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game for all the previous reasons. He has a "lot of conflict of interest in wildlife." He has no respect for wildlife or for the "fair chase." She wants diversity on the Board of Game and for members to make their decisions based on science. 5:44:53 PM DICK BISHOP, representing himself, Fairbanks, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He has integrity and is dedicated to the best interests of wildlife and Alaskans consistent with the Alaska Constitution, which emphasizes and demands common use and equal access to those resources. It does not include a rural or Native priority. He strongly objected to the personal attacks, character assassination and intolerance expressed by some people who oppose his confirmation. 5:46:33 PM BRIAN SIMPSON, representing himself, Fairbanks, said he is a 30- year resident, has a master guide license, and supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. His first 15 years were spent subsistence trapping and hunting in the Upper Yukon region. He has had to go before the board many times over the years and appreciated Mr. Barrette's listening and coming to the meetings prepared. He said "this character assassination is absolutely disgusting." Mr. Barrette should be appointed on his merits and the emotional hyperbole should be discounted. 5:47:46 PM CHUCK GRAY, representing himself, Fairbanks, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. Intensive game management is the law of the land and even though the department has been slow to implement it, Mr. Barrette could help get it going. If non-consumptive users think this is not in their best interest, it surely is, because more game would be good for the hunters that go afield for a couple weeks a year but for the non-consumptive users as well who could view the additional game year-round. 5:49:15 PM DICK BURLEY, representing himself, Fairbanks, said he served on the Board of Game for nine years and supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to it. People used to ask him why he wanted to serve on the Board of Game and his comment was that it gave complete strangers a chance to hate him, but it certainly looks like Mr. Barrette takes the prize there. It has been a long time since he has seen a character assassination like this - especially because of one or two votes. Had Mr. Barrette excluded himself from voting on the Denali buffer zone it would have sunsetted anyway because the vote was 3X3. As far as subsistence goes, changes that are made by the board to the amount necessary for subsistence is usually based on information that is provided by the Division of Subsistence. Sometimes when those amounts were set they were set with incomplete data; and as the division gathered more and more data those things get revisited and are subject to change. The simple fact that a change was made in the amount necessary for subsistence doesn't mean that Mr. Barrette is anti-subsistence. It was based on good information and other board members made the same decision. 5:52:39 PM FRANK ENTSMINGER, representing himself, Tok, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He said he is a current member of the Upper Tanana Forty-Mile Advisory Committee and said that having people like Mr. Barrette on the board is very important to those who live in rural Alaska. He commended the board for its actions on "a fairly aggressive predator control program that is starting to pay off." BRENT KEITH, representing himself, said he is a 30-year resident of Healy and supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. Mr. Keith said he lived within Denali National Park for several years and is chairman of the Middle Nenana River Advisory Committee and has been on it for the last 21 years. Apparently, Mr. Keith said, he is one of the four "rogue trappers" that was mentioned. He stated there is no biological reason to have the buffer zone in this area; he said they should plug the traditional denning holes in the buffer zone and "move 'em into the core part of the park." He highly doubted that Alaska would be boycotted because of it. They need to remember that hunters and trappers are conservationists first and foremost. It doesn't do them any good to "trap it out" because further down the line they don't have any resource to utilize. The same goes for hunting. 5:56:10 PM JACK REAKOFF, representing himself, said he is co-chair of the Koyukuk River Advisory Committee and opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. The primary reason is that he voted many times to reduce Alaskans preference for harvest; he voted for high allocations of bag limits and seasons for non- residents almost simultaneously. This violates the State Constitution and statutes that mandate resident preference. He said this reallocation problem is rampant with the current board makeup. Abundance management does not justify reallocation to non-residents or reduction of Alaskans' uses. 5:58:35 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAMRAS joined the committee. 5:58:42 PM HANNA RAGELIN, representing herself, Healy, opposed Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. His appointment would perpetuate a board that is slanted towards consumptive uses. She was also concerned about his disregard for local opinions and sound science on several issues that were raised at the Fairbanks Board of Game meeting. She wanted someone appointed who "is more willing to search out or at least recognize opposing views in order to make fair decisions." 6:00:06 PM PAT NOLIN, representing himself, Fairbanks, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He has had a lot of experience and has worked closer with nature than most of the people talking. He is interested in the preservation of "all animal life for generations forever." He read about the biblical comments, but Mr. Nolin said he believes that God gave us this planet and these animals to take care of and to use. He believed Al would do that. And if you are an Atheist, what difference is there between a wolf killing a caribou or Mr. Barrette killing a wolf? 6:02:19 PM JACOB BARRETTE, representing himself, Fairbanks, said he is 18 years old and he supported his dad's appointment to the Board of Game. He is dedicated to anything he takes on and has taken the time to teach him and his friends many things including proper care of animals they have harvested and how to respect the land by disturbing it and wildlife that resides on it as little as possible. "I think that he'd be an asset to the board." 6:02:51 PM TOM SCARBOROUGH, representing himself, Fairbanks, said he is a 45-year resident of Alaska and was chair of the Fairbanks Advisory Committee back in the 90s. He supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He said the Board of Game sets regulations for the use of billions of dollars worth of wildlife across the state. Regulation is closely controlled by the State Constitution and statutes and people are needed on the board that are knowledgeable about Title 16 and the Constitution, and Mr. Barrette is one of those. He is very dedicated and will make an excellent member of the Board of Game. 6:03:48 PM RAYMOND HEUER, chair, Fairbanks Fish and Game Advisory Committee, supported Mr. Barrette's appointment to the Board of Game. He is impressed with Mr. Barrette's broad knowledge base, his approachability and reasonableness. He said the board's actions were fairly reasonable and they listened to the testimony that was given. CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI closed public testimony and announced an at ease at from 6:06 - 6:07 p.m. 6:07:41 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI called the meeting back to order and gave Mr. Barrette an opportunity to respond to the testimony. MR. BARRETTE said if people want to use his record of voting they should keep it in context: look at everything that was presented to them, look at who all voted, and if he was just commenting on issues (part of parliamentary procedure) when people accused him of making proposals. 6:09:18 PM CO-CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI said to all the nominees. "The Board of Game, in particular is a tough board to be on." And he appreciated everyone who put their names forward. He said that people have asked the committee to not forward Mr. Barrette's name, but they can't stop it. It will go forward. SENATOR HUGGINS moved in accordance with AS 39.05.080 to forward Mr. Barrette's name to the full body as an appointment to the Board of Game. This did not reflect any intent by the members to vote for or against the confirmations of any of the individuals during any further sessions. There were no objections and it was so ordered. 6:09:59 PM Finding no further business to come before the committee, Co- Chair Wielechowski adjourned the meeting at 6:09 p.m.