SB 97 establishes a new big game guide concession area permit program for Alaska state land. The bill authorizes the Board of Game to approve the creation of a big game guide concession area in a single game management unit or subunit, and directs the Department of Natural Resources to administer a permit system for guides operating in that area. Under the program, guides may only conduct hunts in a concession area if they hold a permit issued through an open, public, competitive process, with both full and limited permits available.
The bill sets out the purposes of the program: conserving land and wildlife resources, improving the hunting experience, reducing conflicts among guides and other land users, and supporting a responsible and economically healthy guiding industry. It also requires regulations on permit qualifications, scoring criteria, fees, transfers, and enforcement, and allows suspension or revocation for violations. The bill repeals certain existing provisions related to guide use areas and includes special uncodified provisions requiring the Board of Game to establish an initial concession area and the Department of Natural Resources to run the first program for at least three years before broader expansion occurs.
Impact
SB 97 amends Alaska statutes governing fish and game management, state land administration, and commercial big game guiding. It adds new sections to AS 16.05 and AS 38.05, expands coordination duties for the Big Game Commercial Services Board, and repeals prior statutory provisions tied to guide use areas and related 2024 session law sections. The bill changes how commercial big game guiding may be authorized on state land by creating a concession-based permit structure with competitive issuance, permit limits, and enforcement authority.
Sentiment
The voting history suggests broad legislative support for the bill. It passed the Senate 18-1 and the House 39-0, indicating strong bipartisan approval and little visible opposition at final passage. No committee transcript material was provided, so the available record shows consensus rather than detailed debate.
Contention
The main policy issue reflected in the bill is how to balance wildlife conservation, public land management, and the interests of the guiding industry. The bill gives the Board of Game a gatekeeping role in approving concession areas, but also requires the Department of Natural Resources to administer the permit program and use competitive criteria rather than highest-bid selection. Potential points of contention include the limits on how many existing guide use areas can be combined, the restriction to one concession area per guide use area, the use of professional history and reputation in permit decisions, and the transition rules that require an initial test area before broader implementation.
Permits certified handicapped individuals and senior citizens to use all-terrain vehicles on state land for certain hunting purposes; directs the department of environmental conservation to establish a senior game recovery permit program to allow use of all-terrain vehicles on state lands by senior hunters for the purpose of retrieving big game.