Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-11-21 KRSMA Board PacketK co a 19e i~/ Area "Working togefhec..tor fhe river" '~** Meeting Agendax'k'K ~'- ~~~~~~~ ° OQQ~ Thursday, November 21, 2002 7:00 p.m. _... ~. _.... ._. Kenai River Center ~ .ri~~v~.~. I. CALL TO ORDER A. Roll Call B. Approval of IO/24102 minutes C. Agenda Chan^es and Approval II. III. IV. PUBLIC COMMENT Nli;~' BUSiNPSS A. Welcome New Board Members OLD BUSINESS ~~ r ~ ;:.~ ~,, J ~p ~ t ~,. .A~µ~ r. 7 ~4'j ''r,.. ~~~m~~~~~~v~ ~e A. Moratorium on new Kenai River Sportfishing Guide Permits for 2003, Jim Stratton, DPOR Director B. Kenai River Center Update, Suzanne Fisler V. VI. PUBLIC COMMENT ADJOLRNMENT A. Board Comments B. DatelAgenda of Next Meeting ..- Kenai Area Office, Box 1247, Soldotna, AK 99669, Soldotna 2625581 ~i Kenai Peninsula Borough, Boz 850, Soldotna, AK 99669, Soldotna 2624441 I Alaska Division of Parke and Outdoor Recreation, Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the Kenai ~ninsula Borough. ~~~ ,_ yr KENAI RIVER SPECIAI, 1YIANAGEMENT AREA ADVISORY BOARD Thursday, October 24, 2002 7:00 p.m. Kenai River Center I. CALL TO ORDER A. RoII Call Present: Lance Trasky, Ted Wellman, Robin West, Chris Degernes, Dave Westemran, Tim Navarre, Brett Huber, Jim Golden, Jonne Slemons, Linda Snow, Rick Wood, Paul Shadura. Members Absent: Joe Connors, Bill Shuster, Charles Quarre. B. Approval of 9119/02 minutes. The minutes were approved as written. C. Agenda Changes and Approval. II. PUBLIC COVIVIENT President Ted Wellman asked for public comment on any subjects except the Moratorium. It was decided that public comment on the guide permit moratorium would begin directly after Director Stratton's presentation. Sam McDowell handed out to the board members a sheet on Historical harvest of Cook Inlet Salmon in numbers offish and by species. He stated it is time for somebody to put habitat first, resources second and users third, to build the runs back up. Floyd Heisnbuch said we need to put the reso>>sce first, habitat second and the user groups third. III. NEW BUSINESS A. Kenai River Water Qualify Report, Robert Ruffner, KWF Robert gave a power point presentation updating the board on some of the water quality monitoring results from this past summer. He discussed the importance of citizen monitoring efforts in the watershed. A local resident doing water quality monitoring discovered a 15 gallon oil spill at Soldotna Creek. They were able to get 10 gallons out and one barrel was empty. He pointed out that this kind of stuff is still happening... He then talked about the partnerships that assist KWF with monitoring the watersheds of the Kenai.. Robert also gave a brief history of the Kenai Watershed Forum. He then presented the board with the different kinds of sampling they have been doing on the Kenai River. The parameters that are sampled for include: Metals (9 different kinds), Hydrocarbons, I~~utrients (Nitrates and Total Phosphorus) and Fecal Coliform. 20 sites on the main stem of the Kenai River and tributaries are sampled twice per year. After 2 years of sampling there was concern about fecal coliform being elevated at several specific locations and mostly during spring runoff. Total phosphorus was high at the lower reaches of the river, which he said was a spring and summer issue. Dissolved metals were a mostly a spring runoff issue. Hydrocarbons were mostly a summer issue. Robert reviewed a graph of the hydrocarbon findings from the 2001 field season, with no hydrocarbons noted in the early spring, but detected during the July sampling. This year they tried to isolate some of the potential variables vdhere the hydrocarbons might be coming from. Some extra sampling was focused on the lower river. 15 samples were taken from three sites this summer. BTEX (gasoline range hydrocarbon compounds) concentrations were highest at the Kenai City dock. Robert cautioned that this data is preliminary and will need to be peer reviewed and published. Robert recommended that the Water Quality Framework group be reconvened so that we can evaluate progress and determine needs. He said a boundary should be established so we don't study an issue to death. Robert then answered some questions from the board members. Tonne Slemons said DF.C would be happy to take a more active role. She said grants are usually available for water quality type work. She said it serves the pru-poses of DEC greatly to have a group like KWF doing these water quality sriidies. Robert requested that the board write a positive letter to DEC for their support in helping with this project. Chris Degernes made the motion for the board to write a letter thanking DEC and all the partners for their support. The second part of the letter would be to ask for assistance in leading the effort to reevaluate the Water Quality Framework. Brett seconded the motion. Brett suggested that additional support could also be requested in the letter. Motion. carried with no opposition. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Minutes -October 24, 2002 Page 2 of 9 B. R'Ioratorinm on new Kenai River Spm-tfishing Guide Permits for 2003, Jim Stratton, DPOR Director Ted asked that the board not make a decision at this meeting regarding the moratorium o allow for sufficient public input on this issue. He said public testimony would need to be taken at the next meeting. Director Stratton gave a brief recap of DNR Commissioner Pat Pourchot's request to the KRSMA Board related to a moratorium on issuing new guide permits for the Kenai River. He assured the group that the department was not proposing guide limits tonight, but is interested in feed back on whether we do need to limit guide numbers, and how do we conduct the public discussion? He said the concept of limiting guides is not new. He then reviewed the history of the Kenai River Special Management Area. DPOR tried to limit guides in 1991. At that time there was discussion on using a point system that was largely based on how many years experience a guide had on the river. Bui the process failed when the Department of Law issued an opinion stating grandfathering was unconstitutional. The opinion stated that if justification could be found to limit prudes, only a couple of Legal options were available, including a lottery or concession contract bid process. The Dept. of Law also stated there had not been shown that empirical evidence existed that justified limiting guides, while not limiting the general pubhe. In 1992 DPOR conducted the Kenai River Carrying Capacity Study, which indicated strong public support for guide limitations. Then in 1996/97 the Board was very active in updating the Kenai River Comprehensive Management Plan. The subject of limiting guides was one of the most commonly heard recommendations from the public. During this past summer, building on the 92 Carrying Capacity study, DPOR conducted a similar monitoring project, focusing a srrrvey on lower river boaters. The public continues to perceive there is overcrowding on the river, and most of the public feels this overcrowding is attributed to glides. DPOR feels the time is right to discuss a program to limit guides. That brings the big question: how do you do this? A lottery and concession would not be popular among guides since it would not guarantee long time businesses any assurances of continuing. The State asked the AG's office to take a look at the limited entry constitutional amendment to see if we could use that vehicle to put a limit on the guides. There is encouragement from the AG's office that we could use this amendment. It will take more legal research. However, while this is happening, a cap may be put on the number of people that are guiding right now. That's where the moratorium concept comes in. This would preserve The existing new guides without adding any new guides for 2003. Director Stratton said his request to the KRSMA Board is for comments Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Minutes -October 24, 2002 Page 3 of 9 and recommendations on the need to proceed right now with a fiill review of the overcrowding issues as it relates to guides; any ideas on implementing; and thoughts and issues on the moratorium on any new guides while we are studying the issue. PUBLIC COMMENT: Rod Berg, 266 Redwood Court, Soldotna, AK 99669. 20 year Kenai River Guide. Board member in 1991 when limits were tried. His suggestions: • Establish a number of guides. Let attrition take the numbers down. • Anew guide would then have to bid. • The public wants to see limits on guides. • Supportive of a one-year moratorium. • Lottery to include the 346 guides now registered. • 5-year commitment from guides who are drawn for the lottery. Ben Ellis, Box 203, Soldotna, AK 99669. In 1991 was a reporter for Anchorage Times when the limit issue was raised; he was board member during the revision of the KRC1ViP. His suggestions: • Be very deliberate, thorough and successful. The public has been waiting and wanting this for more than a decade. We have let the public down. • Work with the AG's office and get then assistance. • Go back to KRCMP and look at it. It is a good bhieprint to look at guides and rental boat owners, illegal guides, enforcement. • Consider what will happen to the Kasilof River. Sam McDowell, Long time resident Reviewed the historical harvest handout. Concerned about losing the king salmon within 5 years if we don't do something right now. • If permit limits are established, make sure the State owns the permit. Frank Kuffel PO Box 352, Sterling AK 99672. Speaking as a citizen. Been on the river fishing since 1966. • Concerned about the deterioration and systematic annihilation of salmon by clients being dropped off by guides. • Concerned about guides taking over areas; has actually been told he could not fish at an area near Thompson's hole by a guide who wanted the area for his clients. • Concerned about the busses that drop off 15 or 18 people. • Needs to be a moratorium. • Same concerns need to be considered for the Kasilof. • Looking forward to some decisions. You have to stand up! Limit the. guides. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory $oard Minutes- October 2A, 2002 Page 4 of 9 Ken Tarbox, PO Box 3507,Soldotna, AK 99669. First commented on water quality. Ken said he did some rough calculations from the figures in July presented by Robert Ruffner. It translates to about 500 gallons of fuel per day going into the Kenai River. This is significant as it relates to the issue regarding Iimitnlg grades. • Cautions board to take time on how to approach this. Is a permit a "property right"? • Watch for increased participation when you mention moratorium. No recommendation on this issue. • Vahie of limited entry permits, transferability. Need good strong legal advice on this issue. • Stay focused on objective. The public says crowding, but crowding is a function of how the fishery is conducted; maybe other changes could affect crowding. Caution on how to approach this. Look at river in total: significant issues from habitat perspective to water quality, to habitat protection. Driftboat operation can permit greater participation than motorized. Mark Glassmalcer, 33361 Keystone Drive, Sterling, AK 99672; Kenai River Guide for 12 years; secretary/treasurer of the IQZ Professional Guide Association. Here to remind the board the b aide association has been working toaddress some of the problems that have been brought in terms of complaints from the public. • Provided the board with copy of draft covering: New guide training and mentoring program and proposed requirements for being a • Consider the kinds of guides on the r_ver, fi~11 time, and part time. • Working on a KR guide board draft plan. Dale Bondurant, 55 year resident. of Alaska. Owns property on the Kenai River. • Does not think it is legal to limit guides on the Kenai River. • Common property resource cannot deny an individual life, liberty and property. • Conservation. is the number one issue. • Supports a lottery system as he feels this would be legal. • Suggests making it more difficult to get into the fishery by "raising the bar." Dominic Bower, PO Box 538 Cooper Landing, AK 99572. Upper River Guide since 96. • Sees a need for zones; i.e. strictly drift May thru October. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Minutes -October 24, 2002 Page 5 of 9 • Concerned about use of private boats: massive increase in the last few years. • Etiquette and training needs to be instilled. • Concerned about impacts on the spawning beds. Wants to see the Kenai River fishery maintained. • Concerned also about the Kasilof. It was absolutely unreal this year. • Would support a moratorium and feels the safety of the public goes hand in hand. 3eff King, 20 year Kenai River Guide, Resident of Ridgeway, Former KRSMA Board Member. • The biggest thing anyone in our town talks about is the overcrowding. We have to jump on this moratorium ASAP. Nothing else makes sense. • Believes we will have a guide limit program some day and hopes it will happen while we still have a vital guide industry • More willing to try the lottery knowing this board tried to do it the right way. • Expedite, full speed ahead! Do it! Mel Erickson, PO Box 1127, Soldotna, AK 99669, 14 year Kenai River Guide. • Sees the limitation ofguides as long overdue. • Taxi cab drivers are lhnited in Anchorage. How did they do that legally?? • Limitations may encourage fill tone guides and discourage the part-timers. • Too many guides - need to get those numbers down. Moratorium good way to start. Dick Marshall, 37186 Cannery Rd., Kenai, AK 99511. Fishing the Kenai ;River for 22 years. Moved to l~enai from Anchorage 7 years ago to be near the Kenai River. • How can Parks not hear the river is crowded? It seems so obvious! Who do we write to? Who do we scream to? • He has written to the Governor about the crowding issues. Has written on surveys many times about the crowding. • Moratorium is needed. • Feels to personally fish the river is just not fim anymore and that is a shame. • Suggested giving the guides 1 hottr less on the river Tuesdays thru Saturdays -start at 7 a.m. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Minutes -October 24, 2002 Page 6 of 9 • When our laws prevent us from doing what is right it is time to change the laws. The laws should serve us. • The public wants their river back! Mel Krogseng, PO Box 3913, Soldotna, AK 99669. Lives on the Kenai River and owner of bodge: Contracts with guides to set up her clients for fishing. • Saying "it only takes one or two bad apples to spoil the barrel" can sum up attittitde ofpublic towards the giuding industry. • Suggested requiring a comprehensive guide training program (like the one Mark Glassmaker proposed). It needs to be extensive to include such things as fishing techniques, tackle used, etc. • Apposed to limited entry type system. • Increase fees to obligate them to ownership interest in the fishery. Perhaps a 5-year permit system.. • More policing on the river. • This river does not owe anyone a living. • Not up to this board to protect the guide industry. • Rentals boats are a danger to the public because the operators don't know the river or Che rules of The road, etc. Jim Rusk, PO Box 398, Soldotna, AK 99669 16-year Kenai River guide. • hi favor of moratorium. Needs to happen. • Losing resource; losing quality of trips. • Need more enforcement. President Wellman thanked all for their opinions and said we will be discussing and taking public comment again in November's meeting. Director Stratton will discuss with the AG's office about the possibility of the moratorium and report back to the board in November. IV. OLD BUSINESS A. Kenai River 2002 Season -Field Report, Bill Berkhahn Bill gave a recap of the smmner's work on the Kenai River. He said he has a dedicated staff that put in many hours, working between 4 a.m. and midnight. They are: Ranger Don Barber, Ranger Joe McCullough, and Natural Resolute Tech Maryanne Rogers. Their work includes all the campground maintenance, river patrols, habitat restoration projects, etc. Along with the permanent staff the Kenai River District has excellent help from 18 hosts/volunteers from Cooper Landing to the Pillars. The volunteers logged in well over 5,000 hours of work for State Parks this summer! Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board MinuCes -October 24, 2002 Page 7 of 9 Some of the summer's projects were bank restoration projects at Big Eddy, Ciechanslci, and Slikok Creek. Spruce Bark beetle mortality has hit trees hard at Izaak Walton and Bings Landing. It is expected that most of the spmce in Izaak Walton wifl be killed within the next few years, unfortunately. Another priority is educating the public while on boat patrols, in the campgrounds, in the schools or through Comnnmity Schools programs. The rangers conducted 70 classroom sessions in boating safety. There is always interpretation along the river on a daily basis. The staff is involved in guide orientations and feels these orientations are working well. Another priority is enforcement of regulations. Bill and his staff wrote 30'7 citations or written warnings this past year. Of those, 165 were written wan~ings to guides for failure to submit end of season reports by the due dates. The remaining 142 were citations that were written for non-a aide related offenses. Bill informed the board we are Toeing Kenai River Ranger Toe McCullough. He has accepted a position in the Office of Boating Safety in Anchorage effective November ls`. He talked about the need to recruit another ranger and that it takes about 3 seasons for a ranger to be comfortable on the Kenai River. President Ted Wellman asked how many Rangers are needed to effectively patrol the Kenai River? BilLsuggesfed 2 additional rangers would be very helpful. In total 5 Commissioned Park Rangers worild be most effective. B. Kenai River Center Update - Suzanne Fisler Suzanne told the board that if they wanted to continue changing their meeting dates there is a chance the roc,.. ~~~orld not be available as they are bcoked well. in advance. She will have the schedule available at the next meeting so the dates can be discussed. Suzanne said whatever the board decides to do with the moratorimn she wants to make sure that any recommendations made are comprehensive and cover all the aspects of the probtem. The issues are all still the same as in `8/46. The planning process should be closely linked with the current ADF&G processes. Consideration needs to be given on what effect our recommendations or proposed programs are going to have on ADF&G's effort on first nm issues on the Kenai/Kasilof. Suzanne asked the board to review the letter in their packets from Alaska Wildland Adventures. They and about 4 other businesses on the Kenai River hire new employees to replace employees on an annual basis. They do feel they would be put in a bind with only 6 months notice prior to a season when they would be unable to replace a fishing guide who may not return. One Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Minutes -October 24, 2002 Page 8 of 9 guide on the river is terminally ill and the company he works for is wondering what to do. If a moratornun is instituted, this business could be short on the number of guides needed. Please think about that as we move forward. Suzafine said to remember that though the proposal is to limit guides on the river, there is an overall crowding problem on the lower river and simply limiting the guides access to the river will not make that problem go away. V. PUBLIC COMMENT 1VTone taken. VI. ADJOURNMENT A. Board Comments Robin: Good day to listen. Appreciate waiting until next month to decide on supporting moratorium. Pant Looking foitivard to hearing more abor the guide issue next month. Said we need to be thorough and swift with whatever action we take. Jorme: Would like to look at establishing priorities for the year ahead. Tim: Looks forward to 2 new public board members. He would like to continue as the Borough representative. Dave: Asked for any updates on the Bypass in Cooper Landing. Brett: ~Nall<ing into a big issue that has been around for a long time ~F~hen you talk abort limitations. Really appreciate and listen closely to what Suzanne Filler said about limiting angler access/demand. Meeting was adjourned at 10:30pm. B. Date/Agenda of Next Meeting Thursday, November 21, 200? at the KI2C Kenai 12iver Special Management Area Advisory Board Minutes -October 24, 2002 Page 9 of 9