Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-04-15 KRSMA Board Packet1 RIVER Special Management Area "Working togetfiec..Yor the river" ,. *** Meeting Agenda*** Thursday, April 15, 2004 7:00 p.m. Kenai River Center I. CALL TO ORDER A. Roll Call B. Approval of 3118/04 minutes C. Agenda Changes and Approval II. PUBLIC COMMENT III. NEW BUSINESS QD V ~~0~ tJ ° O/rv1~® F'¢ teYr~C~ `~ `" $., ,«~ «~.w.,.„ .,, ...,.,.~ ~~~ k F e M f S ~, ~ -,,..~ A. Kenai River Guide Academy, Gary Turner, KPCC B. Changes to Rental Boat program, Bill Berkhahii and SuzanneFisler C. 2004 Education Outreach Program, Jan Yaeger, Kenai Rivei Center 2004 Kenai River Recreation Programs, Bill Berkhahn, Alaska State Pa~~ks IV. OLD BUSINESS A. Kenai River R7orking Group -update on process B. Commercial Operator Committee Report, Joe Connors C. Kenai River Center Up$~te, Suzanne Fisler V. PUBLIC COMMENT VI. ADJOL~IiNMENT A. Board Comments B. Date/Agenda of Next Meeting Please Note: The Commercial Operator Committee rvifll flse meeting at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday Aprifl 15, 2004 at the Kenai. River Center. Please contact Suzanne f'is(er at 260-4896 for more information. ~ ~ Kenai Area Office, Box 1247, Soldotna, AK 99669, Soldotna 262-5581 Kenai (~ninsula Borough, Box 850, Soldotna, AK 99669, Soldotna 262-4441 Q Alaska Division of Palls and Outdoor Recreation, 6epartment of Natural Resources, in cooperation with tha Kenai Panlnsula Borough. _ Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board Meeting Minntes Thursday, March 18, 2004 7:00 p.m. Kenai River Center I. CALL TO ORDER A. Roll Call Present: Joe Connors, Roland Maw, David Westerman, Ken Lancaster, Jeff King, Rick Wood, Bill Shuster, Linda Snow, Chris Degernes, Jonne Slemons Absent: Robin West, Ted Wellman, Paul Shadura, Jim Golden, Richard Hahn, Tom Vania, Pete Sprague B. Approval of 2/19/04 minutes Approved as written. C. Agenda Changes and Approval None IL PUBLIC COMMENT Porter Pollard, of Soldotna, is the vice chair of the Kenai/Soldotna Fish & Game Advisory Committee. Porter recommends that the working group includes a person who likes to fish and has no vested interest in the fishery otherwise. He doesn't think the Governor meant for the working group to solve aIi the problems, only the guide issue. Dwight Kramer, Chairman of the Kenai/Soldotna Fish & Game advisory committee, thanked Robin West for opening the last work session to the public. He thinks that went very well because a lot of input was provided by folks other than the KRSMA Board members. Two issues came out of their F&G advisory committee meeting that he would like to see happen. One is to see the Kenai River advisory board support HB 452. Second he wants to talk about enforcement on the Kenai River. Irr 1984 there were 6 Commissioned Rangers, 2 Technicians, 3 Troopers and several Refuge personnel. Today there are 3 Rangers, 2 Troopers and Refuge personnel, so it's clear that enforcement staff is spread thin. Since 1984 there have been more bank closures, more parks opened and boat launches have come on line, which means more for them to monitor. There have also been Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board March tS, 2003 Meeting MinuCes Paee 2 of 7 more regulation changes such as no fishing on Monday's to enforce. He recommends that the board support increased law enforcement efforts for the river. III. NEW BUSINESS A. Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, Joy Bryanm Dolsby, DNR-DPOR Using a PowerPoint presentation, Joy gave a brief history of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, one of the grant programs thaC she administers for the Division of Parks. The LWCF program provides a variety of opportunities for grants for State; Borough, Federal and ether agencies. The State Matching Grant Program can provide funds to acquire land for parks and recreation, build or improve recreation facilities and to promote statewide recreation planning. This program. is also for local government entities with park and recreation powers. Over the years, there have been 44 grants provided to state and local communities on the Kenai Peninsula, totaling about 4 million dollars. The SCORP is the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, which acts as a guide for recreation-related land acquisitions, facility development and policy for the State of Alaska. The SCORP must assess the supply and demand for outdoor recreation, contain a wetlands component that identifies wetlands with high recreation values and include an implementation component that outlines recommended actions consistent with plan goals. Every five years, the state must update the SCORP to remain eligible for funding under the LWCF program. This effort is part of that update process. ~;-. Cornnrunity recreation needs are identified by this plan through the use of mail out surveys sent to recreation users throughout Alaska, a mail out survey sent to all recreation providers in Alaska including municipal governments, a telephone survey conducted throughout Alaska and via public meetings. Over the years there have been 40,000 projects have been funded by this program nationwide:'`The funds have been used. to construct sports and playfields, trails and bike paths; fishing and htiriting orboating and swimming facilities, camping facilities; communitygardens, accessibility improvements, winter sports facilities;-park supporefacilities and many other facffities:" The funds can'tbe used for primarily tourist or spectator - I{enai River Special Management Area Advisory Board March 18, 2003 Meeting Minutes Pane 3 of 7 orientated facilities, professional sports facilities, indoor recreation facilities and commercial entertainment Joy asked the board and public present to provide her with input on statewide issues, goals and recommended strategies. Donne S. asked what types of recreational opportunity planning should be considered to round out a community's needs. Joy says the community needs to decide that. Jeff K. asked if the program can be used for maintenance. Joy said no, although some projects are major rehabilitation proiects when a facility is worn out beyond its useful life. Rick W. asked if there were funds available for conducting water quality work on a waterway like the Kenai River. Toy stated that that type of program would noC qualify. Dave W. had a question regarding Cooper Landing projects that have been on hold for some time due to lack of funding. He wanted to know what we could do to get those moving. Joy said that once we get the SCORP approved we aze hoping to have the application ready in the fall and notices will be sent out to every community in the municipal officials directory letting them know the funding is available and haw to apply. Since it is not an incorporated community, Cooper Landing would have to apply through the Kenai Peninsula Borough. The timetable for the update is to have the draft on the Oavernar's desk by the end of June. I~~. OLD BIISINE5S ~" A. Kenai River Working Group -discussion of issues and representation from 3111 work session; Gary Morrison, Director, DPOR Gary Morrison discussed the last board meeting and what was going to be covered between then and now, including recommending the make up of Che working group and isolating the issues. The board's work session on March,l l produced a long list of issues, but as was discussed earlier tonight, this task will noC solve every issue on the Kenai River, rather, only .the pressing issues. He asked the board if anything needed to be added to this list and if the board is ready to move forwazd to the Commissioner with recommendations on working group membership. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board March I8, 2003 Meeting Minutes Paee 4 of 7 Chris said KRSA has offered to assist with funding for the process. Two major issues for the working group were recommended in the last work session: • Devise a fair and legal way of setting numeric limits on commercial operations, including sportfishing guides, rental boat operations and other on-water commercial activities on the Kenai River. Make recommendations to set specific numeric limits for commercial operations including sportfishing guides, rental boat operations, and other on-water commercial activities on the Kenai River. The group felt that if those two questions could be answered, that would be a huge benefit to the river community. The 3/11 work session also discussed working group make up. It was decided that the agency representatives that are listed in the Comrnissioner's letter to Rep. Kelly Wolf shouid'oe non-voting advisors. This group would consist of Gary Morrison, Chair, plus representatives from the Dept. of Law, Dept. of Fish and Game and Dept. of Environmental Conservation. Recommendations for the working group included: Working Group Members - 12 total: • Kenai River Professional Guide Association - Zmembers • Unaffiliated Guide - 2 members (Note: 1 of the 4 total. guides should be a drift guide) • Kenai River Property Owner's Association • Member of KRSMA board Commercial Operator Committee • Kenai/Soldotna F&G Advisory Committee representative • Rental boat business -- • Kenai Pen. Borough -representing municipalities • Unaffiliated sport angler • Large business w/multiple guides • KRSMA Advisory Board member 3oe C'. said there was some discussion on other potential members from other groups. The main concern is that the selection of the group and start of the process needs to be done in a timely manner and a timetable needs to'be set. Dave W. a8ked how this-process might affect guides withpermits in the Refuge's upper river area, as they are already limited there. Chris said ChaC Robin had previously brought up a point that what if this process Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board March 18, 2003 Meeting Minutes Paee 5 of 7 identifies some sort oflimitation program that may not select someone who has an upper river permit and there could be some conflict there. Dave said it ought to be looked at differently than the lower river, and this will be an issue to keep in mind as we proceed. Joe C. made a motion to accept items 1 & 2 for the working group. Seconded by Bill S. Roland M. agreed to the motion but asked if the working group will be restricted to what is listed. Gary Morrison said we need to get our attorney down here to work with the working group on the legality of these issues. And yes, these can be modified later but they look good to be passed on to the Commissioner. Motion carried. Joe C. made a motion to accept the proposed working group makeup as recommended in the 3/11 work session. Donne S. seconded. Jeff K. said that we might add KRSA as a member since they are helping to pay for the process. Donne S. said she agrees maybe they should be added as a voting member, but does not agree to add them based on their funding of this process. Jeff K. agreed that that was a more appropr late justification and recommended that KRSA be added as a voting member. Bill S. said it is good to have an odd number of members so as not to have any ties in voting. Jeff K. said we need to also include at least one new guide in the membership makeup. Ken asked who would pick the working group members. Gary M. thought that once the working group list was finalized and forwarded to the Comtissioner that we would solicit invitations for membership on the working group. Motion passed. Board discussed the timeline of this process for the next couple months. Gary M. said he will try to meet with the attorney to get preliminary r feedback-now to find out if we arepmthe right track: Gary asked for this summarization to be in the form of a memo to him. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board March 1S, 2003 Meeting Minutes Pase 6 of 7 B. Commercial Operator Committee Report Toe Connors said the Committee has 4 new members. The group discussed a number of issues at the committee meeting; including: ® Concern with the difficulty of getting. permits now because of the DMV requirement that their vehicles have commercial registration. • Second is concern of increased violations with rental boat operators. Toe said Bill Berkhahn spoke about the development of anew orientation program for rental boat operators and there is also a recommendation that rental boat owners sit in on the orientation just like new guides have to. • Third are the Kenai/Soldotna Fish & Game Advisory Committee concerns regarding the n~,d for more enforcement, which the committee also supports. • `Kenai river watch' program was also brought up, but not in lieu of enforcement. • A motor exemption for Dan McDowell was also discussed for his new handicap accessible boat. • The new guide-training program is currently in serious negotiations with the college to establish a temporary syllabus for the program and identi€ying teachers. • The committee endorsed the two items discussed earlier and the working group composition also. Ken L. asked Toe C. if we could add the boat rental item to the next agenda. Toe said that is fine. V. PI7BLIC COMMENT Porter Pollard, of Soldotna, would appreciate seeing a slot on the working ,~_.. group for "7oe fisherman." The issue of enforcement is a big one and when tliere are cats, enforcement should be the last zsea that is cut. Dwight Kramer said that the Federal government had staff that went to facilitator training and were able to be used by other federal agencies. Does the State have a pool of facilitators to tap into? VI. ADJOURNMENT A. Board Comments Dave W. welcomes Bill S. back. SB 190 passed the Senate and moved towards the House. Bill S. looks forward Co some action taken on the guide issue. Kenai River Special Management Area Advisory Board March 18, 2603 Meeting Minutes Paae 7 of 7 Linda S. welcomed Bill back, and thanked Gary for coming, as well as Joy, for the presentation she made. Chris said SB 190 is being heard in the House Community and Regional Affairs Committee at 8:00 a.m. on 3/23. Ken L. welcomed Bill S. back and thanked Gary Morrison for coning down for the meeting. B. Date/Agenda of Next Meeting AprillS, 2004. ,~,~,_.