LASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE
April 5, 2014
9:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Cathy Giessel, Chair
Senator Fred Dyson, Vice Chair
Senator Peter Micciche
Senator Click Bishop
Senator Anna Fairclough
Senator Hollis French
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Lesil McGuire
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CONFIRMATION HEARINGS:
BOARD OF FISHERIES
- CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED
BOARD OF GAME
- CONFIRMATIONS ADVANCED
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
BILL: HB 268
SHORT TITLE: BIG BULL MOOSE DERBIES; SNOW TOWN ICE CL.
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) T.WILSON
01/21/14 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
01/21/14 (H) RES, FIN
02/03/14 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
02/03/14 (H) Heard & Held
02/03/14 (H) MINUTE(RES)
02/07/14 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124
02/07/14 (H) Moved CSHB 268(RES) Out of Committee
02/07/14 (H) MINUTE(RES)
02/10/14 (H) RES RPT CS(RES) NT 6DP 1AM
02/10/14 (H) DP: JOHNSON, HAWKER, SEATON, P.WILSON,
OLSON, SADDLER
02/10/14 (H) AM: KAWASAKI
02/26/14 (H) FIN AT 1:30 PM HOUSE FINANCE 519
02/26/14 (H) Moved CSHB 268(FIN) Out of Committee
02/26/14 (H) MINUTE(FIN)
02/28/14 (H) FIN RPT CS(FIN) NT 3DP 6NR
02/28/14 (H) DP: NEUMAN, THOMPSON, T.WILSON
02/28/14 (H) NR: GUTTENBERG, HOLMES, GARA, MUNOZ,
COSTELLO, STOLTZE
03/26/14 (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S)
03/26/14 (H) VERSION: CSHB 268(FIN)
03/26/14 (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS
03/26/14 (S) JUD
03/26/14 (S) JUD REFERRAL REMOVED
03/26/14 (S) RES, FIN REFERRALS ADDED
03/26/14 (S) RES WAIVED PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE, RULE
23
03/29/14 (S) RES AT 10:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
03/29/14 (S) -- MEETING CANCELED --
04/02/14 (S) RES AT 3:30 PM BUTROVICH 205
04/02/14 (S) Heard & Held
04/02/14 (S) MINUTE(RES)
04/04/14 (S) RES WAIVED PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE, RULE
23
04/05/14 (S) RES AT 9:00 AM BUTROVICH 205
WITNESS REGISTER
REED MORISKY
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Appointee to the Board of Fisheries (BOF).
SUSAN JEFFREY
Kodiak, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Appointee to the Board of Fisheries (BOF).
JOHN JENSEN,
Petersburg, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Appointee to the Board of Fisheries (BOF).
KARL JOHNSTONE, Chairman
Board of Fisheries
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Ms. Jeffery, Mr. Morisky, and Mr.
Jensen's appointments to the Board of Fisheries. Supported Ted
Spraker's appointment to the Board of Game.
MIKE TINKER, representing himself
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Morisky's appointment to the
Board of Fisheries.
VIRGIL UMPHENOUR, Chairman
Fairbanks Fish and Game Advisory Committee
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Morisky's appointment to the
Board of Fisheries. "Whole heartedly" supported Mr. Spraker's
and Mr. Hoffman's reappointments to the Board of Game. Supported
HB 268.
AL BARRETTE, member
Fairbanks Fish and Game Advisory Committee
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Morisky's appointment to the
Board of Fisheries. Supported Stosh Hoffman's and Ted Spraker's
reappointments to the Board of Game. Supported HB 268.
RICKY GEASE, Executive Director
Kenai River Sportfishing Association (KRSA)
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported all three appointees to the Board
of Fisheries.
RUEBEN HANKE, representing himself
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported all three appointees to the Board
of Fisheries. Supported Ted Spraker's reappointment to the Board
of Game.
ANDY SZEZESNY, representing himself
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported all three appointees to the Board
of Fisheries and thanked them for their service.
STANLEY "STOSH" HOFFMAN, JR.
Bethel, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Appointee to the Board of Game.
TED SPRAKER
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Appointee to the Board of Game.
DAVE BROWN
Wrangell, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Appointee to the Board of Game.
RICKY GEASE, representing himself
Kenai, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Mr. Spraker's reappointment to the
BOG.
GEORGE PIERCE, representing himself
Kasilof, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported Ted Spraker's reappointment to the
BOG. Opposed HB 268.
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON
Alaska State Legislature
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Sponsor of HB 268.
ROWENA APLOMAR
Advocates for Victims of Violence (AVV)
Valdez, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 268.
DAN JORDAN, Head Rifle Team Coach
University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 268.
MIKE TINKER
Tanana Valley Sportsman Association (TVSA)
Ester, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 268.
GRANT LEWIS, President
Tanana Valley Sportsman Association (TVSA)
Fairbanks, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported HB 268.
DARRYL VERFAILLIE, Director
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services
Valdez, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: No position stated on HB 268.
ACTION NARRATIVE
9:00:47 AM
CHAIR CATHY GIESSEL called the Senate Resources Standing
Committee meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Present at the call to
order were Senators Bishop, Dyson, Micciche, and Chair Giessel.
9:01:26 AM
SENATOR FAIRCLOUGH joined the committee.
^CONFIRMATION HEARINGS:
CONFIRMATION HEARINGS
Board of Fisheries
9:02:13 AM
CHAIR GIESSEL announced confirmation hearings for the Board of
Fisheries as the first order of business. She said the three
nominees would speak first and then she would take public
testimony.
9:02:22 AM
REED MORISKY, appointee to the Board of Fisheries (BOF),
Fairbanks, Alaska, stated that he and his wife had been in
Alaska since 1981. He had been a sport fishing guide since 1984
and his initial interest in Alaska fisheries issues was in the
late 80s when the legislature considered licensing sport fishing
guides. Since then, he had been a member of the Sport Fishing
Guide Services Task Force and had advocated for a responsible
sport fishing guide industry to achieve sustainable fisheries.
He holds a U.S. Coast Guard's Captain's license and has
volunteered as Steese area volunteer Fire Department Board of
Directors, Fairbanks Youth Soccer Association coach, Road
Service Area Commissioner for the North Star Borough; he is a
member of the Tanana Valley State Forest Citizens Advisory
Committee. He is a permit holder in the past for Interior
Subsistence and his memberships include Trout, Unlimited, Alaska
Outdoor Council, and a life-member of the National Rifle
Association (NRA).
He and his wife have raised two children here and enjoy all that
Alaska has to offer.
9:04:14 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE said some significant fishery decisions were
made this year, and the economies of the Kenai Peninsula
including all of the surrounding Cook Inlet are dependent on all
of the various fisheries. Now some people fear that Mr. Morisky
is just a sportfish guy, he said, and asked him to speak about
the importance of the commercial and the personal use fisheries.
MR. MORISKY said he has a family member who has been a
commercial fisherman for decades. He has also traveled around
the state extensively and realizes the economic value that
commercial fishing brings to the state. He also realizes there
are other sectors of the fishery, like personal use, and
realizes its importance, as well.
SENATOR MICCICHE said he thought Mr. Morisky was a good member,
but his votes were fairly consistently in one direction, and in
the future he would like to see board members who have a
background in one area but that could "come out for the fish."
MR. MORISKY said there are hundreds of divisive issues in Cook
Inlet; the board made the best decision with the information
they had. Many people make a living off of this resource and
some tough decisions had to be made.
9:07:52 AM
SENATOR FRENCH joined the committee.
CHAIR GIESSEL invited Susan Jeffrey to tell them her reasons for
and interest in serving on the Board of Fisheries.
9:09:13 AM
SUSAN JEFFREY, appointee to the Board of Fisheries (BOF),
Kodiak, Alaska, said she had lived in Kodiak since 1972 and had
been involved in fisheries throughout those 40-some years. She
was a fisheries editor for the Kodiak Daily Mirror during the
heydays of many of the fisheries there, and has written about
fisheries for other publications. She and her husband currently
are salmon setnet fishermen on Kodiak Island; she has a deep and
abiding interest in Alaska's fisheries and understands the
importance of them to the state as a whole and to the coastal
communities. She was honored that the governor reappointed her
and looked forward to using her experience to carry out the
board's dual mission of conservation and development of Alaska's
fisheries.
SENATOR FRENCH asked what had been the most contentious issue
she dealt with.
MS. JEFFREY answered that the in-river AYK issues were
challenging for her personally, because she didn't know the area
well. The users are familiar with the differences with in-river
fisheries and she enjoyed learning more about them. But probably
the most contentious area was the recent Upper Cook Inlet
meeting (14 days), because so many user groups are involved in a
concentrated area. It was extremely challenging, she said.
SENATOR FRENCH agreed that was a "thorny knot of problems" and
asked how she would make an allocation decision with evidence
evenly balanced on both sides of an issue.
MS. JEFFREY said she has a commercial fishing background, but
she also realized that she represents the state as a whole, and
the board does have allocation criteria to guide it. First of
all, they have to consider conservation and sustainability of
fisheries no matter which fishery they are talking about in
Alaska. Then comes development of the fisheries and allocation,
which has criteria, also. Members often look to it to guide
their decisions.
9:15:30 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE remarked that her decisions had been balanced,
but he had a philosophical question. This year some of the
results were moving the drift fleet pretty far east mid-way
through the run and the only studies he had seen in the past are
more or less related to seining that showed that mixed stocks
occurred throughout the Inlet; but you couldn't really say this
is where they go and this is the route they take. So, some of
the commercial guys got restricted. What if the conventional
thought is that those fish move close to east side of Kodiak or
they are being intercepted elsewhere? There is no documentation
that those fish are intercepted, but the political push is to
restrict all of the fisheries. How would she respond to that,
because he felt like there was enough pressure in this meeting
cycle that they were moving outside of really reliable data?
9:17:37 AM
MS. JEFFREY asked if he was talking about mixed stock fishing
and how she would feel about conserving or managing fisheries to
allow some fish passage through to other areas.
SENATOR MICCICHE answered yes, but put another way, the groups
that are insisting that there is interception in the Inlet, what
if they decide there's interception from Kodiak fisheries in
Upper Cook Inlet or area M fisheries in Upper Cook Inlet and
there is still no documentation that that is occurring. How
would she respond?
MS. JEFFREY answered that in the past the board has looked at
all available data to understand fish movement and base their
decisions on the board's allocation criteria.
SENATOR MICCICHE said that sort of answered his question, but he
hoped in the future to have the department more involved in
those decisions, because they do have the data.
SENATOR DYSON asked how she thought the board should prioritize
allocation during times of shortage between the guided
fisheries, sport and personal use.
9:20:42 AM
MS. JEFFREY answered that the board first considers
conservation, then subsistence, and doesn't differentiate
between guided and sport uses.
SENATOR BISHOP commented that her personal statement was very
good, and he was fully confident she could make the right
decisions especially after reading that she would make
allocative decisions within fisheries that "requires careful,
thoughtful analysis of the science, social, economic studies
presented to the board."
9:22:27 AM
CHAIR GIESSEL said she was aware of the massive volume of
information board members get before and during board meetings
and wanted to know how she manages that.
MS. JEFFREY answered that she had to cut back on other
obligations. That information is so important and where the
public can continue to provide insight and information as the
meeting progresses. She goes to bed really early and gets up
really early to prepare for the next meeting.
9:23:55 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE said he very, very, much appreciated her
service and wanted to extend that to Mr. Morisky. He also wanted
the board to push for the department being free to provide
information, which hadn't been happening as well as it had in
the past.
CHAIR GIESSEL thanked Ms. Jeffrey and welcomed Mr. Jensen to
tell them about his experience and interest in serving on the
Board of Fisheries.
9:24:45 AM
JOHN JENSEN, appointee to the Board of Fisheries (BOF),
Petersburg, Alaska, related that he was born and raised in
Petersburg and had been a third-generation commercial fisherman
in Alaska for 45 years. He currently participates in the
halibut, king and tanner crab fisheries in Southeast Alaska. In
2009, he started a small boat rental business in Petersburg that
he is still operating. He has two boys who are involved in the
commercial fisheries at this time. He had fished pretty much
everywhere in the state of Alaska and hadn't participated only
in the trawl fisheries. The Board of Fisheries takes all of his
time, now.
SENATOR MICCICHE thanked him for serving, and remarked that as a
commercial guy, his decisions show balance on supporting sport
fisheries. This year's decisions were probably hard for him and
probably were not as well based in scientific support as he had
seen in the past, and asked how that works for him. How do you
look at a tough decision?
9:27:33 AM
MR. JENSEN responded that his main goal in being on the BOF is
to provide for sustainable fisheries for Alaskans for now and
into the future. The hardest thing the board has to do is the
allocation among different user groups, but the main impetus in
the Upper Cook Inlet meeting was the king salmon, which is a
statewide issue. It came to a head at that meeting and they had
to make the decision to conserve them; he thought the board's
decisions were balanced, because all the users groups would
suffer a bit. Guided sport fishing, setnetters and drift netters
are small businesses and are sharing in the burden at this time
to try to get those king salmon, the early run especially, but
the late run that is more affected by commercial fisheries in
the Inlet. He hoped the plan would protect the king salmon and
also allow the harvest of the red salmon, which is supposed to
be a big run this year.
SENATOR MICCICHE said Mr. Jensen had been there awhile, and
asked if he had noticed a weakening of departmental input. Could
he manage helping them feel a little freer to input?
MR. JENSEN said the department is in kind of a hard spot where
they don't want to make direct recommendations for fear of
looking too biased. Every meeting they have an opinion on each
proposal and they try to be very non-biased. The board is still
provided with good scientific information without politics.
9:31:08 AM
SENATOR DYSON thanked him for serving. Most citizens would say
the first priority is protecting the fish runs, then
subsistence, then sport fishing and guided fisheries. What
should be the priority between those?
MR. JENSEN answered that right now everyone is treated the same.
The only annual bag limits are for king salmon; the out-of-state
and resident bag limits are a little bit different.
SENATOR DYSON asked in times of shortage when someone has to be
reined in, which restriction would be best to protect the fish
stock.
MR. JENSEN replied that the main thing is to have a sustainable
fishery, and the next thing if there is a surplus of fish is the
subsistence folks, after that allocation becomes difficult,
which is why they have the eight criteria that break it down
into the benefit of the state, benefit of the local areas, etc.
He believed that the personal use is a resident-only type
fishery and they do get a little more priority than the regular
sport fishermen.
CHAIR GIESSEL opened up public comment on the BOF appointments.
9:34:15 AM
KARL JOHNSTONE, Chairman, Board of Fisheries, supported Ms.
Jeffery, Mr. Morisky, and Mr. Jensen's appointments to the board
of Fisheries. Ms. Jeffery, because she is objective after
getting the best available information. She is a commercial
fisherman, but makes fair decisions, is accessible to the
public, and she will be much more aware of issues in a second
term. He added that gender diversity is important on the board,
as women are participating more in all the fisheries.
He knew Reed Morisky was bright, thoughtful, and makes fair
decisions. Fish come first for him. He is wonderful to work
with, has a great demeanor and a good sense of humor, and works
well with the public.
Next he supported John Jensen; he is the most senior member on
the board and the most experienced, as he had participated in
most of the fisheries. He has walked the walk and asks
insightful questions and provides information about fishing they
might otherwise not be aware of. The board members are greatly
benefited by his insights.
9:40:15 AM
MIKE TINKER, representing himself, Fairbanks, Alaska, supported
Reed Morisky's appointment to the BOF. Fish board members need
the ability to navigate through these processes, and Mr. Morisky
came into this process as one who was willing to learn and
jumped into the information part of it. His performance on the
board for this last year has been exceptional with regard to
doing the extra things it took to really understand issues
before they were actually debated in front of the board.
9:42:26 AM
VIRGIL UMPHENOUR, Chairman, Fairbanks Fish and Game Advisory
Committee, Fairbanks, Alaska, supported Reed Morisky's
appointment to the BOF. He said the Fairbanks Fish and Game
Advisory Committee voted unanimously to support Mr. Morisky. He
impressed him as being a scientific-type person who uses the
Internet to obtain various scientific studies and really digs
into trying to understand and be able to solve the very complex
issues before the board. Work ethic is super-important on the
board.
9:44:50 AM
AL BARRETTE, member, Fairbanks Fish and Game Advisory Committee,
Fairbanks, Alaska, supported Mr. Morisky's appointment to the
BOF. He always attends their Advisory Committee meetings even
prior to his appointment to the board. He is always available to
the public and is willing to discuss fish topics. He seeks out
information and talks to knowledgeable people in the community
who are well versed on a salmon or sport fishery; he listens and
likes to get their total viewpoints.
9:46:28 AM
RICKY GEASE, Executive Director, Kenai River Sportfishing
Association (KRSA), Kenai, Alaska, supported all three
appointees to the BOF. John Jensen understands fisheries very
well and his experience is invaluable. Sue Jeffrey is very
approachable and asks a lot of questions; she will do an even
better job in her second term. Reed Morisky does put fish first
and brings a scientific approach to the process.
RUEBEN HANKE, representing himself, Kenai, Alaska, supported all
three appointees. John Jensen has historical knowledge of the
fisheries and works well with the public. Sue Jeffrey did a good
job of bringing herself up to speed and is approachable; she
will become a fantastic board member in her second term. Reed
Morisky puts fish first, period, and he also will become a
fantastic board member.
9:50:24 AM
ANDY SZEZESNY, representing himself, Kenai, Alaska, supported
all three appointees to the BOF and thanked them for their
service. They make difficult decisions and are all approachable
and very professional.
9:51:19 AM
CHAIR GIESSEL closed public testimony and went on to the Board
of Game appointees.
^Board of Game
Board of Game
9:51:42 AM
CHAIR GIESSEL invited Mr. Hoffman to tell the committee about
his experience and interest in the Board of Game.
STANLEY "STOSH" HOFFMAN, JR., appointee to the Board of Game
(BOG), Bethel, Alaska, related that he was born in Bethel,
raised in McGrath, and then lived in Bethel for 20 years. He is
a commercial fisherman and subsistence user, and has two sons.
He is also an assistant guide and works for the local health
corporation as his day job. He had been on the BOG since 2008;
fishing and hunting is his life and that of everyone else in
Western Alaska.
CHAIR GIESSEL asked why he wanted to be reappointed to the BOG.
MR. HOFFMAN said he saw a need for representation from Western
Alaska, because it is a large user group. Now that he is
familiar with the system and been part of it for a while, he
enjoys serving.
SENATOR DYSON thanked him for serving and asked what game
management issues are in Southwest Alaska.
MR. HOFFMAN answered that in Bethel some of the major ones were
redoing its status from subsistence to non-subsistence, which
didn't pass. A few others were modifying some border lines for
some game units, which took several years to iron out. Also, the
salmon issue is very large.
SENATOR FRENCH thanked him for serving on the BOG and asked what
the most difficult issues were while he had been serving.
MR. HOFFMAN said in 2008 when he first got on the board, he
didn't know what he got himself into, because there were 244
proposals. Testimony lasted for almost a week. The hot topic
then was Valley Park area and the buffer. Another one is getting
the Unit 13 community subsistence hunt program going. Predator
control programs around the state are always a hot topic and
more recently the brown bear issue, especially from Kotzebue
down to the Unit 9 Naknek area.
SENATOR FRENCH asked what role non-consumptive wildlife
appreciators in Alaska should play in the board's decisions.
MR. HOFFMAN responded that he understands their point of view,
which is needed. He factors it into his votes, but even though
they vote for predator control programs, it's not to eliminate
the wolves. They are not trying to do that. But if you remove X
amount of moose and caribou you have to remove some wolves as
well; otherwise everything is off-balance.
9:58:52 AM
TED SPRAKER, appointee to the Board of Game (BOG), Kenai,
Alaska, related that he was raised in Wyoming and after high
school attended a small community college in Casper before
moving on to the University of Wyoming. He graduated in 1971
with a Bachelor's degree in wildlife management. Following that,
he entered into a post-graduate program at the University and
graduated in 1973 with a Master's degree in range science. His
goal in college and even before that was to move to Alaska and
work in the wildlife management field and was fortunate enough
to be offered a three-month job with the Fish and Wildlife
Service out of Juneau. He became convinced that this is where he
wanted to spend the rest of his life.
He was offered another three-month position through the Denver
Wildlife Research Center located in Soldotna at the Kenai Moose
Research Center. This job was more related to his background and
training as he was tasked with assessing quality habitat for
moose and conditions of animals. He spent a lot of time just
looking at habitat and trying to understand the relationship
between quality habitat and moose on the Kenai Peninsula.
He finally got what he wanted, a position as wildlife biologist
in 1974 for the ADF&G, when that job ended and he did that for
28 years and 4 months. He spent 9 months in Anchorage and 4
years in Glennallen, where he bought property and built a home.
As soon as the house was finished, he was offered a promotion
and was transferred to Kenai where he spent the rest of his
career working there, and he retired in 2002.
MR. SPRAKER said he was first appointed to the BOG by Governor
Murkowski, then was reappointed by Governor Palin and three
times by Governor Parnell. This will be his fifth consecutive
term on the board. During that time he served as the vice
chairman for two terms and as chairman for the last couple
years.
He is married to a wonderful wife, who is very supportive of the
commitment necessary to be a good board member. They have three
children. He does not look at this as a job; it has been an
honor to be on the board and to have spent 40 years working the
wildlife management field. This is his way of giving something
back for conservation of wildlife.
MR. SPRAKER said he really enjoys working with the public and
tries to listen to all sides of an issue with equal respect to
all individual users. It is his duty to first to understand the
conservation and sustainability concerns of wildlife, but they
also need to really listen to the users, because this resource
belongs to them and they are just servants to the public. He
enjoys working with the process and has the time in his
retirement to do it.
10:06:21 AM
SENATOR MICCICHE said Mr. Spraker was the model for the vision
he has for the future. He likes the mix of those are
professional, lifelong, wildlife biologists and concerned
individuals on the BOG now and wished the BOF had the same mix.
SENATOR FRENCH remarked that Mr. Spraker's credentials are
incredible, and asked what weight, if any, he gives to non-
consumptive users when he makes decisions as a member of the
BOG.
MR. SPRAKER replied that the board does a good job of looking at
that very carefully, but they are part of a much larger question
that relates back to active management of wildlife and providing
for healthy populations of game. Photographers want to see a
large bull moose, too. He has the utmost respect for all users.
10:10:49 AM
SENATOR BISHOP said he had a great resume', and asked his
opinion on relocating moose from one state to another.
MR. SPRAKER answered that Alaska has good history of
reintroducing moose into different areas - Kalgan Island moose
started with seven moose back in 1959 and Anchorage and Kenai
moose were transplanted to the Copper River Delta to give rise
to the population there - but there have been a couple failures.
One is when Kenai moose were transplanted to a small island
about 25 years ago and that failed. Introducing moose to other
areas where moose numbers are low has promise, but first a
careful evaluation of the quality of habitat has to be done. And
the density of predators has to be evaluated along with the
quality of moose browse. If it seemed like a viable project, he
would support it.
CHAIR GIESSEL thanked him for serving and invited Mr. Brown to
tell the committee about his experience and interest in serving
on the Board of Game.
10:13:41 AM
DAVE BROWN, appointee to the Board of Game (BOG), Wrangell,
Alaska, related that he grew up in Montana, came up to Alaska
right out of college and taught industrial arts for 30 years,
had been in Wrangell for 32 years. He has a wife and three
children. He is an avid hunter and trapper and commercial crab
fisherman. He is retired now and has time to do public service
now. He is a member of the NRA, Pope and Young, and the Rocky
Mountain Elk Foundation. He had been a hunter ed. instructor for
archery and volunteered to do many things through the high
school industrial arts shop. He had worked with the Forest
Service on volunteer projects for cabins and boardwalks. He had
been the Wrangell Teachers Association (WTA) president and also
served on the WTA Negotiations Committee.
MR. BROWN said he wants to serve, because he wants to see
Alaska's wildlife be used in a sustainable manner with maximum
hunting opportunity. He wants to do some public service and he
has the time to serve. He advocates for fair-chase hunting and
sportsmanship.
SENATOR FRENCH asked what weight he gives to non-consumptive
users in making BOG decisions.
MR. BROWN answered that he respects their point of view. He
lives on the Stikine River where a lot of people come to watch
migrating shorebirds and marine mammals; tourists support the
economy and they should have their say, as well.
10:17:44 AM
SENATOR BISHOP said he was pleased to see his application and
felt confident that he would dive into various technical issues
and weigh everybody's opinion.
10:18:26 AM
CHAIR GIESSEL found no further questions and opened public
testimony.
10:18:40 AM
RICKY GEASE, representing himself, Kenai, Alaska, supported Ted
Spraker's reappointment to the BOG, because he allows all sides
to express their views and he is good at talking to people. He
does a fantastic job of promoting science-based management of
game populations in Alaska.
RUEBEN HANKE, representing himself, Kenai, Alaska, supported Ted
Spraker's reappointment to the BOG. He was area management
biologist on the Kenai Peninsula and did a very good job of
leading them through some very controversial times there on
several different issues. He has become a fantastic leader on
the BOG.
10:20:21 AM
VIRGIL UMPHENOUR, representing himself, Fairbanks, Alaska, said
he "whole heartedly" supported Ted Spraker's and Mr. Hoffman's
reappointments to the BOG.
10:21:27 AM
AL BARRETTE, representing himself, Fairbanks, Alaska, supported
Stosh Hoffman's and Ted Spraker's reappointments to the BOG. He
has seen Mr. Hoffman "really grow" over the years into a better
board member who participates and is available to the public. He
didn't always agree with Mr. Spraker, but as chair, he does a
good job. He has witnessed non-consumptive users come to the
board get "a little testy with their opinions," and Mr. Spraker
handled them very professionally and well.
GEORGE PIERCE, representing himself, Kasilof, Alaska, supported
Ted Spraker's reappointment to the BOG. He's a biologist and
always listens to all sides. The biggest reason he should be
reappointed is that he is a biologist, and more of them are
needed on both of the boards. The boards are now "stacked" with
special interest groups, but scientists and biologists are
needed.
10:25:27 AM
KARL JOHNSTONE, representing himself, supported Ted Spraker for
his leadership qualities. He served on a joint Board of
Fisheries and Game meeting last fall when Mr. Spraker served as
chairman; he was very impressed as serving as chair over both
boards is a significant challenge. He provided excellent
leadership in dealing with very complex issues. He has a great
demeanor that encourages the public to participate. His informal
approach tends to moderate contentious issues and there were
quite a few at that meeting.
CHAIR GIESSEL, finding no further comments on the appointees,
closed public testimony. She announced that in accordance with
AS 16.05.221 the Resources Committee reviewed the following and
recommended the appointments be forwarded to a joint session for
consideration: Board of Fisheries: Reed Morisky, Susan Jeffrey,
and John Jensen; Board of Game: Stanley Hoffman, Jr., Ted
Spraker, and David Brown. This does not reflect an intent by any
of the members to vote for or against the confirmation of the
individuals during any further sessions. There were no
objections and it was so ordered.
10:27:37 AM
At ease from 10:27 to 10:28 a.m.
10:28:39 AM
HB 268-BIG BULL MOOSE DERBIES; SNOW TOWN ICE CL.
CHAIR GIESSEL announced HB 268 to be up for consideration [CSHB
268(FIN), version 28-LS0851\P was before the committee].
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON, sponsor of HB 268, explained that this
bill is a big bull moose derby that started with the Tanana
Valley Sportsmen's Association and the UAF Rifle Team to be able
to earn funds to a competition based on what is already in
statute for hunting. You would still have to get all the same
permits and follow the regulations in the area you are hunting,
and this would allow them to have a derby.
As most bills go, it picked up a "little sister" and that is the
Snow Town Ice Classic in Valdez that would help those who
advocate for victims of violence. The City of Valdez has offered
to help them do this ice classic that would be very much like
the one in Nenana.
The reason this is in front of them is that all derbies and
classics by statute must go through this process. Resources are
decreasing and so they are asking the state's non-profits to
find other ways of getting funding. The Tanana Valley
Sportsmen's Association (TVSA) had a fire several years ago and
has been rebuilding since then. They provide shooting for not
just the UAF Rife Team, but most of the high schoolers, and have
clinics for the youngsters. This would be another way for them
to be able to finish their facility without coming to the
legislature for funds.
CHAIR GIESSEL opened public testimony.
10:31:18 AM
ROWENA APLOMAR, Advocates for Victims of Violence (AVV), Valdez,
Alaska, supported HB 268. She related how they need $25,000 more
to meet their needs. She said AVV is one of the 20 programs that
provide services to victims of domestic violence and sexual
assault. They serve 18 communities from Glennallen to Valdez;
their shelter and main office is also located in Valdez. For
FY13/14 their basic operating costs have risen over $20,000 with
increased transportation for victims from villages, shelter
utility, energy, and insurance costs. At the current state
funding level, they would need an additional $25,000 to continue
to meet victims' basic needs. Unfortunately, the current
proposed increment in the state's funding of about $285,000 will
be divided among 20 programs throughout Alaska. AVV will need to
make up for the difference or be forced to cut services. They
hope that being eligible to receive funding from this classic
would make up the projected shortfall.
10:33:03 AM
DAN JORDAN, Head Rifle Team Coach, University of Alaska
Fairbanks (UAF), Fairbanks, Alaska, supported HB 268. He
explained that UAF has had a very successful rifle team and
shooting programs going all the way back to 1925; they have won
10 national championships and have had multiple all-Americans
and Olympians come out of the program. Being a university
program, they are subject to state funding and are already
planning on a 3 percent decrease in their budget next year, if
not more, and as a result, are looking for other funding
options. This big bull derby is one way they think could take
them a long way to being self-sufficient.
MIKE TINKER, Tanana Valley Sportsman Association (TVSA), Ester,
Alaska, supported HB 268. He said his family including his
grandchildren are members and he has looked for funding support
for that organization and the UAF Rifle Team for a long time.
He said they talked about the big bull moose derby with the UAF
and the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic
Development (DCCED) about how they might expand their raffle
permit into the derby concept. Representative T. Wilson looked
into it and found two avenues to choose from: one was to try to
fit under the concept of animal classics, but the DCCED said
that would require an amendment and recommended adding specific
language and they picked up the Valdez Snow Derby along the way.
MR. TINKER said questions had been raised about whether this
would create a demand for new hunters in the state, because
people would run out and try to make a lot of money off the
biggest moose. In their discussion with hunters and with the
ADF&G, no one forecasts that would be a problem. He explained
that the prizes would be set up so that there would a prize for
the biggest moose antler of the year and a drawing where
everyone would have a chances to win something.
SENATOR DYSON asked the sponsor if she knew of any opposition.
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON responded that one person believed that
someone would go out and shoot a moose and it wouldn't be large
enough and go shoot another one, but she said these hunters must
go through the same permitting process and are subject to the
same regulations as other hunters. Some areas even require a
certain size of antlers.
10:39:41 AM
SENATOR BISHOP asked Mr. Tinker if the TVSA will provide a
measuring station and officials who perform actual measurements
and if they will use Boone and Crockett measuring standards,
because there are different ways of measuring moose antlers.
MR. TINKER replied that they hadn't come up with a formula for
measuring antlers, but it will be simple and one that everyone
will understand, within the derby rules.
10:41:19 AM
AL BARRETTE, representing himself, Fairbanks, Alaska, supported
HB 268. He was glad both organizations got together to
brainstorm for ways of solving budget issues for both
organizations. He assured them that no more moose tags will be
issued; this is just a raffle. However, he stated that already
in two-thirds of all the moose units you can hunt moose in you
have to shoot a 50-inch or larger moose.
GRANT LEWIS, President, Tanana Valley Sportsmen's Association
(TVSA), Fairbanks, Alaska, supported HB 268. Their emphasis has
been on safe fire arms education. All of the local high schools
are using their facility, but they had a fire in 2007. They are
still working on their new building on a week-to-week basis with
volunteers. With the money they get from this classic they hope
to finish their facility and continue hunter education programs.
CHAIR GIESSEL thanked him saying that she had seen the facility
that is lovely and a wonderful asset to Fairbanks.
VIRGIL UMPHENOUR, representing himself, said he had been a
member of TVSA since 1971 and supported HB 268. His whole family
were competitive rifle shooters and learned hunter safety and
hunter education at TVSA. UAF has one of the best rifle teams in
the country. It will raise money for things that are truly
unique to Alaska.
10:46:16 AM
GEORGE PIERCE, representing himself, Kasilof, Alaska, opposed HB
268. He said the moose belong to Alaska and not the non-profits
to make money on or for non-residents, 85 percent of whom take
only the horns and donate the meat. Stop using our game to make
money especially in areas with low game numbers, he urged.
10:48:44 AM
DARRYL VERFAILLIE, Director, Parks, Recreation and Cultural
Services, Valdez, Alaska, informed them of the city's
participation in the ice classic. He explained the City of
Valdez would not receive any revenues from the ice classic; they
would simply coordinate the event on behalf of AVV, assist with
the advertising and provide monitoring of the event. In short,
they would act as a force multiplier for AVV moving towards
self-sustainability of the programing.
CHAIR GIESSEL found no further testimony and closed public
testimony.
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON closed in saying this is going with
what ADF&G does currently. What happens if one of the gaming
areas is closed? It will be closed. This will not give any more
permits and not manage anything. It will use the rules that
already exist.
SENATOR FRENCH asked if this is any different in concept than
the silver salmon derbies where you get a prize for catching the
biggest fish.
REPRESENTATIVE T. WILSON replied that it is exactly like halibut
and salmon derbies and should be approximately the same way.
SENATOR DYSON moved to report CSHB 268(FIN), 28-LS0851\P, from
committee with attached zero fiscal note and individual
recommendations. There were no objections and it was so ordered.
10:51:37 AM
CHAIR GIESSEL, finding no further business to come before the
committee, adjourned the Senate Resources Committee meeting at
10:51 a.m.