[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6252380,"mediaKeyId","3188874-f8dac203b5811bd95dc069f56adc22c2","parentId",3188874,"title","Public testimony divided as House Resources opens comment on HB125 to change Board of Fisheries membership","audioSeconds",1080,"startMs",5820000,"endMs",6900000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3188874-f8dac203b5811bd95dc069f56adc22c2&start=5820&end=6900","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3188874-f8dac203b5811bd95dc069f56adc22c2/thumbnail_5820000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6252380/Alaska/Public-testimony-divided-as-House-Resources-opens-comment-on-HB125-to-change-Board-of-Fisheries-membership","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252380-44f6eff82065b430ab336aab62029df4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771103415&Signature=M0s~GGwCN0aoV4-bSOMClhleUU8gdon~hA9a4bfIkJEQw1AM0u8ij8iGe70njBcGh~M~VRn~rpsZvHWppB-FxYvnXlmgbZXxMpZJKE9CrpxurPKdQlG66M8UZGuOp~RE6sawuDvW2-eGMaGTyR0hkpFpJdzLv-zhJYHRuEivE10hQpNTbwXKjI7OxFfxoniYGV6h90-lYgNbFdUHUWtRV6xKGA9-1UoOf9uIyaixse1W7jJkoi72d2CDInig61hsOiOgkRWujg2x3gcnku8iHXM3JlSFSsz-S4sUERkHoamlgARDuyOSmXOsatXs6AJbclV4YfWR0k2XsPbuCXYrXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska State Legislature","date","2025-05-02T00:00:00Z","article","Juneau — The Alaska House Resources Committee opened public testimony on House Bill 125 on May 2, 2025, a bill that would change the composition of the Alaska Board of Fisheries by adding designated seats for specific user groups, and heard a mix of support, opposition and amendment requests from tribal organizations, user groups and industry representatives.

The bill’s sponsor framed HB125 as an effort to create “balance” on the Board of Fisheries by ensuring seats for commercial, sport, subsistence and scientific expertise. Testimony in the hearing room and online reflected differing priorities over which user groups should be guaranteed seats. Chuck Derrick of the Chitina Dipnetters Association urged the committee to give personal‑use dip netters a designated seat, saying the association represents roughly 40,000 Alaskans who use the fishery and that omission of personal use in the draft bill should be corrected. “If this bill is to be passed out of this committee, it is high time it is amended to afford personal use representation on the Board of Fish,” Derrick said.

Tribal and regional organizations spoke in favor of the bill as written but with caveats. Karen Linnell, executive director of the Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission, said the commission supports HB125 because “the in‑river folks have been sorely underrepresented on the Board of Fish for many, many years” and urged subsistence representation. Native Peoples Action endorsed the bill with recommendations that tribal representation and traditional ecological knowledge be explicitly considered in appointment decisions.

Other commenters urged changes to strengthen scientific capacity and ecosystem management on the board. Nancy Hillstrand, owner of Pioneer Alaskan Fisheries, told the committee that board decisions are too allocation‑focused and urged a stronger “ecological manager” or scientific seat that could bring life‑history and ecosystem expertise into deliberations. Rod Arno of the Alaska Outdoor Council urged adoption of amendments that would create personal‑use seats and remove domicile requirements that have limited some appointees.

Several speakers warned that designated seats could become politicized; Mark Richards of Resident Hunters of Alaska argued designated seats “won’t fix the problems” and recommended changes that make both the Board of Fisheries and the Board of Game adhere strictly to Article VIII of the Alaska Constitution (the public‑trust and conservation provisions) and to prioritize sustained resources and Alaskans’ access.

Former ADF&G subsistence regional supervisor Jim Simon and other witnesses pressed for two subsistence‑designated seats to ensure in‑river subsistence concerns are represented, while some commenters said the existing structure already allows personal‑use interests to be represented within sport‑fish allocations. The committee received five amendments before the hearing deadline; given time limits the sponsor and chairs agreed to set HB125 aside and consider amendments at the committee’s next meeting on Monday, May 5.

No amendments were adopted at the May 2 hearing; the record shows an amendment deadline had been set for noon May 2 and the committee intends to take up amendments at its next scheduled meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","05/02/2025 01:00 PM House RESOURCES","oneSentenceSummary","The House Resources Committee opened public testimony on House Bill 125 — a bill to specify designated seats on the Board of Fisheries — receiving testimony from tribal groups, dip‑netters, hunters, industry and conservation organizations. The committee set the bill aside to consider amendments on Monday, May 5.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6252384,"House Resources Committee forwards Dunleavy appointees to fisheries, game and entry boards after confirmation hearings",5417,583000,6000000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3188874-f8dac203b5811bd95dc069f56adc22c2&start=583&end=6000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3188874-f8dac203b5811bd95dc069f56adc22c2/thumbnail_583000.jpg","/articles/6252384/Alaska/House-Resources-Committee-forwards-Dunleavy-appointees-to-fisheries-game-and-entry-boards-after-confirmation-hearings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252384-b4d1d842c5829cf820b2c79ee6c7ac58/orig.mp4?Expires=1771103415&Signature=G3MbowqvOjSC7EvKkd0ORvAjMp66iNq~VXOyuPBab4F~AMXDeQQEd7Xzi021NTpJgotJo4F7wt5EaloHjOzjkUP97hzV-~lau5Etm199rmfqifFdY8tFY7TKBfSLv3ic840NedGnV~pmRSHbsQvs5ysft7m0n8T9y9hqY1OqOGG33yblxp2OF8qKb2JsPWFUqlzXJzME7TCRud~T-bPhgvQhYRRe6918ckLVxiUJvk2eiRxZ2cWzRHmKH-~tAqcQf3OFlEgd3HSJ-Ha2B8gTpvzxoTszckh-i2gTQfoRglJwwd1CC3maYcGsu4akD409EWYJemD06tTl7G-P2xT0eA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Juneau — The Alaska House Resources Committee on May 2, 2025, heard presentations and public testimony on governor Mike Dunleavy’s appointees to the Board of Game, the Board of Fisheries and the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission and, after questions and public comment, forwarded the nominations to a joint session of the legislature without objection.

The committee heard from two nominees to the Board of Game. Al Barrett of Fairbanks, a reappointment first seated in 2022, thanked the committee and described his long record of engagement with users and advisory committees. “I would like to thank the governor Dunleavy for the reappointment to the board of game,” Barrett said, adding he would continue to “support the best public process of regulating, allocating, and providing input to the management of our wild resources.” Carrie Ann Mueller of Palmer, nominated to a first three‑year term, told the committee she supports public involvement and said her background is in the outdoor industry and hunter education. Mueller said she would “follow the science and data from our fish and game biologists and staff” and listen to advisory committees and user groups.

The committee also considered two nominations to the Board of Fisheries. Olivia Henahi Erwin of Niinana introduced herself as a longtime regional advisory‑committee member and said she worked with agencies and advisory committees to “legalize hook and line as subsistence gear throughout the Yukon River” in earlier proceedings. Erwin said she would “make decisions based on science and stakeholder experience that follows statutes for the promotion of healthy, thriving fish stocks.” Thomas Carpenter of Cordova, a reappointment who served as vice chair during his current term, described work on a Herring Revitalization Committee and the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force and emphasized compromise among user groups.

The committee heard from Rick Green of Anchorage, nominated to the three‑member Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission (CFEC). Green described CFEC’s role as “the regulatory and quasi judicial body that oversees the commercial fishing industry for the state of Alaska,” explaining the commission issues permits and licenses, adjudicates transfer and emergency transfer requests, and reviews whether fisheries should be limited under the Limited Entry Act of 1973.

Public testimony showed divided views on some nominees. Several individuals and groups urged confirmation of Olivia Erwin, citing her regional advisory‑committee work and engagement with tribal and subsistence users. The Chitina Dipnetters Association and other organizations urged recognition of personal‑use dip netters as a stakeholder group on the Board of Fisheries. Other commenters, including the Alaska Outdoor Council and the Resident Hunters of Alaska, opposed reappointment of Thomas Carpenter, citing actions they said favored trawl expansion in Prince William Sound and concerns about hatchery management; supporters of Carpenter described him as “thoughtful, approachable, and open to hearing all different views.”

After the hearings and public testimony the committee agreed to forward the nominees’ names to a joint session. Cochair Representative Divert moved the committee report; hearing no objection, the committee sent the nominations forward for final consideration.

The committee did not take final confirmation votes at the hearing; the forwarded report does not bind any member’s future vote in a joint session.","The Alaska House Resources Committee on May 2 held confirmation hearings for governor Mike Dunleavy’s nominees to the Board of Game, Board of Fisheries and the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission, heard public testimony for and against several candidates, and forwarded the names to a joint session without objection.","actionData","errors"]

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Public testimony divided as House Resources opens comment on HB125 to change Board of Fisheries membership

House Resources Committee forwards Dunleavy appointees to fisheries, game and entry boards after confirmation hearings