[font=Georgia]Action Alert:[/font] 
Two bills in the Alaska Legislature need the tourism industries immediate attention. HB 348 and SB 176 are attempting to do two things, remove the state wide vote on aerial predator control in August and, for the first time, mandate that the Board of Game initiate aerial predator control programs for both Brown Bears and Wolverines!
SB 176 is attempting to remove all the language requiring the Board of Game to develop aerial predator control programs based on science. The bill removes the words “based on science” and replaces science with the following language:
“ the Board of Game may authorize a predator control program that involves airborne or same day airborne shooting of wolves, wolverines, or brown bears if the board determines that the program would be conducive to achieving the objectives established for human harvest”
What does “ conducive to achieving the objectives” mean? Nothing more than the “opinion” of the Board of Game. The board will no longer be required to show what factors may be keeping big game populations at low numbers. Is it predators or other environmental factors such as lack of food? No longer will the board be required to use science to determine which predator may be contributing to low big game populations. Is it wolf, brown bear or wolverine? The board can choose which ever predator they “think” is responsible. No longer will the board be responsible for showing whether intensive predator control programs are even effective!
If SB 176 is adopted the board can simply have an opinion, based on anything they want, that a particular predator needs to be included in an aerial predator control program – including brown bears! For the first time the board could simply shrug its shoulders at any concerns about intensive predator control programs and state they are mandated to initiate these programs, it is not up to them, the legislature has told them to do it! With no other mandates in statute other than the opinion of the Board of Game, the citizens would have no recourse in the courts to oppose predator control.
HB 348 attempts to add language to the statutes governing the Board of Games use of intensive management programs by changing our wildlife from a public resource to a “ public asset” with the following:
“the public asset of game is allocated or appropriated”
What does this language do? As an asset the resource is lumped together with oil or minerals, which are out of the reach of public initiatives. HB 348 not only removes the state wide vote 56,000 Alaskan’s signed to put on the ballet in August, it also removes citizens initiatives from wildlife resource issues for good. Directly rebuking the vote of the citizens of this state in 2000 when 72% of Alaskan’s voted against a constitutional amendment that attempted to remove the initiative process in managing our wildlife resources.
This language also enhances the mandates of the Board of Game by statute to initiate predator control programs under the intensive game management law recently passed. The intensive game management law’s intent when signed into law, as stated by the chairman of the Board of Game at that time, Mike Fleagle, is “to reallocate the harvestable surplus of game animals from predators to humans”. HB 348 further enhances the statutes governing the Board of Game to “allocate or appropriate our wildlife resources for human consumption”.
In the basic sense, these two bills are nothing more than back door legislation to remove the public from the process of managing our wildlife resources. These two bills ignore the will and intent of the citizens of this state. Why would a few members of the legislature and Governor Palin introduce such appalling legislation? HB 348 is designed to remove citizens initiative and the third state wide vote. Why? The citizens have voted against aerial predator control as currently adopted by the Board of Game twice, a third time would likely eliminate the aerial predator control program. Three strikes and you are out they say! The legislature simply could not, for a third time, revoke the will of the people in regards to aerial predator control. So, special interest hunting groups, such the Alaska Outdoor Council, and the legislators they own, which unfortunately includes Governor Palin, are attempting to remove the public’s will and intent via backdoor legislation. HB 348 removes citizen initiatives.
HB 176 removes the courts by reducing the mandates to the board of game for initiating predator control to the point that it only requires the opinion of the Board to initiate predator control programs. You can not litigate the merits of the program when the “opinion” of the Board of Game is their only mandate. HB 176 effectively removes the citizens ability to petition predator control programs in the courts.
Both bills are the dirty politics of old and don’t belong in Governor Palins new and improved “transparent” state Government!
What can you do!
SB 176 is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Please contact the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and state your opposition to SB 176. The tourism industry deserves to have representation in this issue and the Board of Game does not provide any representation to us.
You can reach the Senate Judiciary Committee by:
Email your comments to the staff of the Judiciary Committee. Cindy Smith can distribute your comments to all the members. You can also ask her to notify you when SB 176 is scheduled for a hearing so you can testify in person at your local Legislative Information Office or you can call in to testify.
To call the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify once the bill has been schedule for a hearing you must first call Cindy to get approval.
Cindy Smith – Senate Judiciary Committee Aid – 1-866-465-3892
Email testimony, comments or questions to
cindy.smith@legis.state.ak.us
Sen. Lesil McGuire is our most important swing vote on this bill. She is sponsoring SB 143 which promotes tourism as one of Alaska’s most important industries. Please consider contacting her personally.
Both Senator French and Sen. Wielechowski oppose SB 176.
Senate Judiciary Committee Members:
Chair: Senator Hollis French (District M – Anchorage)
Sen.Hollis.French@legis.state.ak.us
1-866-465-6595
Vice Chair: Senator Charley Huggins (District H – Matsu/Chugiak)
Sen.Charlie.Huggins@legis.state.ak.us
1-800-862-3878
Senator Lesil McGuire (District N – Anchorage)
Sen.Lesil.McGuire@legis.state.ak.us
1-907-465-2995
Senator Bill Wielechowski (District J – Anchorage)
Sen.Bill.Wielechowski@legis.state.ak.us
1-907-465-2435
Senator Gene Therriault
Sen.Gene.Therriault@legis.state.ak.us
1-800-860-4797
(Very strong supporter and member of the Alaska Outdoor Council – He links to them via his Legislative Webpage
http://www.aksenateminority.com/archive ... ographies/
HB 348 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Finance Committee on Friday, March 14 at 1:30 pm.
http://www.ktoo.org/gavel/calendar.cfm
Email comments, or testimony to Suzanne Cunningham at:
suzanne_cunningham@legis.state.ak.us
To call in to testify call Suzanne to get permission at:
Phone: 1-907-465-6619
House Finance Committee Members:
Representative_Mike_Chenault@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_Kevin_Meyer@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_Bill_Stoltze@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_John_Harris@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_Mike_Hawker@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_Mike_Kelly@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_Bill_Thomas@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_Harry_Crawford@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_Les_Gara@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_Reggie_Joule@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_Mary_Nelson@legis.state.ak.us
Representative_Richard_Foster@legis.state.ak.us
Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:38 am
