A bill relating to aerial shooting of wildlife in Alaska
SENATE BILL NO. 176
01 "An Act relating to active game management and to the airborne or same day airborne
02 taking of certain game animals; making conforming amendments; and providing for an
03 effective date."
04 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
05 * Section 1. AS 08.54.750(f) is amended to read:
06 (f) Notwithstanding (b) of this section, a registered guide-outfitter who is
07 registered in three guide use areas may also register for and conduct big game hunting
08 services for wolf, black bear, brown bear, or grizzly bear in guide use areas within a
09 game management unit or portion of a game management unit where the Board of
10 Game has identified predation by wolf, black bear, brown bear, or grizzly bear as a
11 cause of the depletion of a [BIG] game [PREY] population or a reduction of the
12 productivity of a [BIG] game [PREY] population that is the basis for the establishment
13 of a [AN INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT] program under AS 16.05.255(f) in the
14 game management unit or portion of the game management unit or for the declaration
01 of the biological emergency in the game management unit or portion of the game
02 management unit. A registered guide-outfitter may only conduct hunts in a guide use
03 area under this subsection for the big game species identified by the Board of Game as
04 the cause of the depletion or reduction of productivity of a [BIG] game [PREY]
05 population.
06 * Sec. 2. AS 16.05.050(b) is amended to read:
07 (b) The commissioner shall annually submit a report to the Board of Game
08 regarding the department's implementation during the preceding three years of
09 [INTENSIVE MANAGEMENT] programs that have been established by the board
10 under AS 16.05.255(f) [AS 16.05.255] for identified [BIG] game [PREY] populations.
11 * Sec. 3. AS 16.05.255(e) is repealed and reenacted to read:
12 (e) The Board of Game shall identify moose, caribou, and deer populations
13 that are important for providing for a high level of human harvest and shall establish
14 objectives for human harvest and population size of the identified populations.
15 * Sec. 4. AS 16.05.255(f) is repealed and reenacted to read:
16 (f) The Board of Game shall adopt regulations to achieve the objectives
17 established under (e) of this section for human harvest and population size of the
18 identified moose, caribou, and deer populations, including, as it considers advisable,
19 seasons and bag limits, and regulations establishing management actions conducive to
20 achieving the objectives. If an identified moose, caribou, or deer population is not
21 meeting the established objectives, the board shall adopt regulations it considers
22 advisable to restore the population's productivity and increase human harvest,
23 including active management measures and programs.
24 * Sec. 5. AS 16.05.255(j) is repealed and reenacted to read:
25 (j) In this section,
26 (1) "active management" includes predator control;
27 (2) "providing for a high level of human harvest" means allowing
28 allocation of a sufficient portion of the harvestable surplus of a game population to
29 achieve a high probability of success for human harvest of the game population based
30 on biological capabilities of the population and considering all hunter demand.
31 * Sec. 6. AS 16.05.340(a)(15) is amended to read:
01 (15) Nonresident big game tags
02 A nonresident may not take a big game animal without previously purchasing a
03 numbered, nontransferable, appropriate tag, issued under this paragraph. The tag must
04 be affixed to the animal immediately upon capture and must remain affixed until the
05 animal is prepared for storage, consumed, or exported. A tag issued but not used for an
06 animal may be used to satisfy the tagging requirement for an animal of any other
07 species for which the tag fee is of equal or less value.
08 (A) Bear, black, each ............................................................ 225
09 (B) Bear, brown or grizzly, each .......................................... 500
10 (C) Bison, each...................................................................... 450
11 (D) Caribou, each ................................................................. 325
12 (E) Deer, each ....................................................................... 150
13 (F) Elk, each ......................................................................... 300
14 (G) Goat, each ...................................................................... 300
15 (H) Moose, each ................................................................... 400
16 (I) Sheep, each ...................................................................... 425
17 (J) Wolf, each ......................................................................... 30
18 A nonresident is not required to have a nonresident wolf tag to take a wolf in a game
19 management unit if the Board of Game has adopted a [AN INTENSIVE
20 MANAGEMENT] program under AS 16.05.255(f) [AS 16.05.255] for all or a portion
21 of the game management unit.
22 (K) Wolverine, each ............................................................. 175
23 (L) Musk oxen, each ......................................................... 1,100
24 * Sec. 7. AS 16.05.340(a)(21) is amended to read:
25 (21) Nonresident alien big game tags
26 (A) Bear, black, each ............................................................ 300
27 (B) Bear, brown or grizzly, each .......................................... 650
28 (C) Bison, each ......................................................................650
29 (D) Caribou, each ................................................................. 425
30 (E) Deer, each ....................................................................... 200
31 (F) Elk, each ......................................................................... 400
01 (G) Goat, each ...................................................................... 400
02 (H) Moose, each ................................................................... 500
03 (I) Musk oxen, each ........................................................... 1,500
04 (J) Sheep, each ...................................................................... 550
05 (K) Wolf, each ........................................................................ 50
06 A nonresident alien is not required to have a nonresident alien wolf tag to take a wolf
07 in a game management unit if the Board of Game has adopted a [AN INTENSIVE
08 MANAGEMENT] program under AS 16.05.255(f) [AS 16.05.255] for all or a portion
09 of the game management unit.
10 (L) Wolverine, each 250
11 * Sec. 8. AS 16.05.783(a) is amended to read:
12 (a) A person may not shoot or assist in shooting a free-ranging wolf, [OR]
13 wolverine, or brown bear the same day that the [A] person has been airborne.
14 However, the Board of Game may authorize a predator control program [AS PART
15 OF A GAME MANAGEMENT PLAN] that involves airborne or same day airborne
16 shooting of wolves, wolverines, or brown bears if the board determines that the
17 program would be conducive to achieving the objectives established for human
18 harvest or population size of a moose, caribou, or deer population identified
19 under AS 16.05.255(e) or would be conducive to the health of a predator
20 population, and if the program is limited to the area necessary for that purpose
21 [HAS DETERMINED BASED ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE
22 DEPARTMENT
23 (1) IN REGARD TO AN IDENTIFIED BIG GAME PREY
24 POPULATION UNDER AS 16.05.255(g) THAT OBJECTIVES SET BY THE
25 BOARD FOR THE POPULATION HAVE NOT BEEN ACHIEVED AND THAT
26 PREDATION IS AN IMPORTANT CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE TO ACHIEVE
27 THE OBJECTIVES SET BY THE BOARD, AND THAT A REDUCTION OF
28 PREDATION CAN REASONABLY BE EXPECTED TO AID IN THE
29 ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES; OR
30 (2) THAT A DISEASE OR PARASITE OF A PREDATOR
31 POPULATION
01 (A) IS THREATENING THE NORMAL BIOLOGICAL
02 CONDITION OF THE PREDATOR POPULATION; OR
03 (B) IF LEFT UNTREATED, WOULD SPREAD TO OTHER
04 POPULATIONS].
05 * Sec. 9. AS 16.05.783(b) is amended to read:
06 (b) This section does not apply to
07 (1) a person who was airborne the same day if that person was airborne
08 only on a regularly scheduled commercial flight; or
09 (2) an employee of the department who [, AS PART OF A GAME
10 MANAGEMENT PROGRAM,] is authorized under powers and duties in
11 AS 16.05.050 to take wolves, wolverines, or brown bears [TO SHOOT OR TO
12 ASSIST IN SHOOTING WOLF, WOLVERINE, FOX, OR LYNX ON THE SAME
13 DAY THAT THE EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN AIRBORNE].
14 * Sec. 10. AS 16.05.783(f) is amended by adding a new paragraph to read:
15 (3) "shooting" does not include the administration of tranquilizers or
16 other drugs intended to be nonlethal.
17 * Sec. 11. AS 16.05.255(g), 16.05.783(d), 16.05.783(e), and 16.05.783(f)(2) are repealed.
18 * Sec. 12. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to
19 read:
20 TRANSITION: REGULATIONS. The Board of Game may proceed to adopt
21 regulations necessary to implement the changes made by this Act. The regulations take effect
22 under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act), but not before the effective date of the
23 statutory changes.
24 * Sec. 13. Section 12 of this Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).
25 * Sec. 14. Except as provided in sec. 13 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 2007.