Notice:
There may still be a space left for YOU at the ACA Fly-In!
Click here to learn more.
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Alaska Conservation Voters
works to protect Alaska's environment through public education and advocacy, and supports pro-conservation candidates for public office.
Conservation Watch (CW) is a weekly publication of ACV highlighting conservation issues in the AK Legislature.
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NEW! Use the buttons below to sign up a friend for Conservation Watch, or to change your own subscription information!
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Bill position papers, back issues of Conservation Watch, and legislative updates are available at the
ACV Legislation Page
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ACV Legislative Staff
Matt Davidson
Legislative Director
matt@akvoice.org
Gordon Sandy
Outreach Manager
gordon@akvoice.org
Britt Constantine
Legislative Staff
britt@akvoice.org
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ACV- Juneau
419 6 th Street, #321
Juneau , AK 99801
(907) 463-3366
(907) 463-3312 fax
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ACV- Anchorage
810 N Street #203
Anchorage, AK 99801
(907) 258-6171
(907) 258-6177 fax
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Web Resources
Legislative BASIS
Current bill text, history & committee schedules
Legislature Homepage
Find your legislators, member and party links, committee lists
State Homepage
www.state.ak.us
Links to state agencies, Governor
ACV Homepage
www.acvoters.org
Join Us!
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Announcements
If you think there's no such thing as a free lunch* in Juneau...
...come to the Alaska Conservation Alliance
Fly-In 2005!
April 10-12
Sunday - Tuesday
in Juneau
Don't miss this great opportunity to:
---Hone your activism skills
---Study the workings of the Alaska Legislature
---Network with fellow advocates
---Meet with elected officials
---AND---
---Gain knowledge applicable to any campaign
For more information, visit the ACA website, or contact Britt Constantine by email or phone (907) 463-3366.
*In order to be eligible for travel, food, and housing expenses while in Juneau, you must have your application in to the ACA Juneau office as soon as possible. While the official deadline is March 11, late applications may be accepted if space is available.
Special bonus: this year's Fly-In is scheduled adjacent to the Alaska Folk Festival!
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 "Why would anybody want to spray pesticides into Alaska's salmon streams?"
---Dennis Watson, mayor of Craig in a comment submitted to DEC regarding the Klukwan aerial pesticide permit. Click here to read more of the public's comments.
In this Issue
In Every Issue
DEC Approves Aerial Pesticide Permit
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has approved Klukwan Inc.'s controversial application to spray herbicides by helicopter on 2000 acres of its Long Island clearcuts. Neither Klukwan Inc.'s insistence it needs the chemicals glyphosate (Accord®) and imazapyr (Arsenal®) to control salmonberry and alder growth, nor  DEC's assertion that the poisons can be applied safely, have mollified area residents and subsistence users opposed to the spraying.
"Alaskans cannot allow the spraying of herbicides on sacred lands and waters anywhere in the state," says Anthony Peele, tribal environmental coordinator for the Hydaburg Cooperative Association, in a Thursday press release. Peele continues, "Spraying herbicides on traditional use areas will contaminate our fish, medicinal plants, berries, and other plants—this is a social justice issue.”
DEC maintains that aerial applications of pesticides are not illegal in Alaska, as long as the applicator follows the label instructions. DEC's Responsiveness Document replies to public comments, in bureaucrat-ese, "DEC acknowledges the concerns expressed by commenters who are opposed to the use of pesticides in Alaska. Federal and State pesticide regulations ensure that pesticides are used in a manner that is protective of human health and the environment."
 Indeed, the herbicide authorization does contain eight general provisions and sixteen permit-specific stipulations, including a wind speed maximum. A DEC employee will oversee the herbicide application, with the authority to halt it for any reason. Additionally, a 135-foot buffer zone will be well-marked and observed around all wetlands and waterbodies. Critics of the spraying say that's not enough, and highlight extensive research on the difficulty controlling drift and runoff from aerial pesticide applications.
Gig Decker, a board member of the United Fishermen of Alaska,
has "a great fear that airborne defoliant will get into marine waters." He notes, "Dive fisheries go for filter feeders, and if chemicals get into the marine system, they get into clams and sea cucumbers." Of the 380 comments DEC registered during the permit's public notice period, many were fishermen with similar concerns. Very few commenters liked the idea of aerial poisoning as a forest management practice.
Interested parties have until March 23 to request an informal review of the permit, and 30 days to file an appeal. If a hearing is not requested within 30 days, the right to appeal is waived.
Peer-reviewed literature on:
Imazapyr (Arsenal®)
Glyphosate (Accord®)
See the Alaska Community Action on Toxics Pesticide Right-To-Know Program
for more information on the aerial permit.
Mid-Session Summary
Sixty days and half-way through the session the Legislature has passed a whopping total of four bills and nine resolutions. While this output (or lack thereof) is not unusual, it illustrates how much gets crammed into the next two months. Below is a summary of some of the more notable conservation happenings in the first two months of the 24th Legislature. For more information on these and other legislative initiatives visit www.acvoters.org/legislation.
University Land Grab- HB 130
Governor Murkowski's high-priority 260,000 acre land privatization bill collided with public outcry in the House Resources Committee. Before moving HB 130, Resources adopted amendments to improve public process and remove a handful of the more controversial parcels. Despite the changes, expect continuing pressure from University advocates and concerned Alaskans asking the House Finance Committee to amend or drop the legislation.
Pesticide Public Notice- HB 19
Anchorage Rep. Kevin Meyer's bill to institute public notice for pesticide applications, a registration fee, and expanded requirements for applicator certification moved quietly through the House Resources Committee and is scheduled in House Finance on March 15th.
Coastal Zone Management- SB 102, HB 146, HB 189
Frustrated coastal communities and the Administration's drive to weaken local government authorities have combined to force ACMP back on the legislative agenda. Three bills extending the deadline for local communities to revise their management plans may serve as a stop-gap measure. SB 102, sponsored by Sen. Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak), is scheduled in Senate Community and Regional Affairs March 15th.
NPDES Primacy- SB 110, HB 153
The Administration's pitch to seek authority to issue federal wastewater permits is getting a lukewarm reception in the Legislature. The $1.5 million cost to the state and $300,000 cost to the industry may stymie the primacy push. SB 110 is awaiting action in Senate Finance. HB 153 is scheduled in House Resources March 14th.
Dalton Highway Off-Road Vehicles- SB 85
Senator Seekins' second attempt to open the area around the Dalton Highway (Haul Road) corridor to off-road vehicles is awaiting action in the Senate Resources Committee. Strong objections about costs to state agencies, impacts on natural resources, and public safety haven't yet slowed the bill.
Public Interest Litigants- HB 117, SB 86
After hearings in House and Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committees, the latest attempts to limit citizen challenges of poor government decisions have stalled. Expect these high priority Murkowski Administration bills to rebuild steam as the session progresses.
Transportation Bonding- HB 187, HB 188, SB 121, SB 122
The Governor's transportation bonding package is getting a hearing in House Judiciary on Wednesday. He plans to use money in the Permanent Fund's Amerada Hess account to pay off bonds for big-ticket road items.
Arctic Power Funding- HB 32, SB 69, SB 98
After U.S. Senator Ted Stevens' visit, the Legislature has decided to hold up the million-dollar-plus Arctic Power bills and instead opt to fund the Arctic Refuge drilling lobby with $500,000 in a fast track supplemental budget. The supplemental, SB 98, has already passed the Senate and will be heard Monday in House Finance.
Bills on the Move
---The Alaska Legislature is sending Congress a strong message against open ocean aquaculture by zipping along HJR 15. The resolution would demand the environmental impacts of fish farming be adequately weighed before the Feds approve any off-shore aquaculture proposals. HJR 15 passed the House Fisheries Committee and will be heard in Resources before House members approve it on the floor. Click here for news coverage.
---Gov. Murkowski has signed into law a supplemental cash infusion for the Division of Elections. Nearly $300,000 of almost $694,900 in SB 62 will cover the reprinting of November ballots ordered by the Anchorage Superior Court. The Court ruled that Lt. Gov. Loren Leman broke the law by failing to choose fair and impartial ballot language for the Trust the People Initiative. Anchorage Representative and initiative backer Eric Croft tried to insert language into SB 62 under "findings and intent" chastising Leman for the error, but the amendment failed along a close party line.
---SB 110, which would give the state primary responsibility for issuing and enforcing permits under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), moved out of the Senate Resources Committee. Sens. Ben Stevens and Ralph Seekins voted "do pass" while Sen. Kim Elton voted "do not pass." See CW-8 for details on NPDES. A House version of the bill (HB 153) will be heard on Monday in House Resources.
New Legislation
HB 194 Tightening Executive Branch Ethics Act - Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage)
This bill would plug so-called "loopholes" in the Executive Branch Ethics Act to clarify the meaning of "official duties" and the amount of stock holdings considered to be insignificant. Guess which Murkowski Administration party pooper made a bill like this necessary, and check CW-1 to find the answer.
HB 205 Regulation Review - Rep. Jay Ramras (R-Fairbanks)
This complex bill would substantially increase the amount of information agencies are required to provide to the Administrative Regulation Review Committee when proposing regulation changes. Among other changes, the bill would also repeal a condition requiring the committee to give "interested parties" a chance to give comments on 15-day notice.
SB 120
No Daylight Savings - Sen. Donny Olson (D-Nome)
Citing concerns about sleep disruption and increased traffic accidents associated with daylight savings time, this bill would stop Alaska from springing forward and falling back.
SCR 4 Renaming Fairbanks - Sen. Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak)
Claiming that Fairbanks has been "suffering under the burden of a non-indigenous name," this resolution would change Fairbanks's name to Barnett's Cache.
HCR 5 Demanding Fluoridated Water - Rep. Paul Seaton (R-Homer)
Citing evidence that fluoridation in drinking water helps ameliorate tooth decay in children, this resolution would demand that all new water systems be equipped for fluoridation. Evidence also exists, however, to implicate fluoridation in various health problems and increased copper erosion in water pipes.
SJR 15 Ban Lawsuits Against Firearms Industry - Sen. Charlie Huggins (R-Wasilla)
This resolution would urge Congress to pass legislation to "end the abuse of tort laws against the firearms industry."
Hearings this Week
Click on the date in the table below to get the most current schedule information for that day, or check the BASIS hearing schedule. Once a bill has been heard in a particular committee it may be brought up again without public notice or listing on the weekly committee schedule. You can click on a committee name to see a list of its members.
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