Legislator releases draft Cook Inlet salmon report

When last we visited the subject of the Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force, its chairman had whipped up a minor scandal after trying to steer a $20,000 writing contract for the panel's final report to the spouse of one of his own legislative staffers.

Now Rep. Craig Johnson, R-Anchorage, has released this draft report he says was "prepared by a volunteer — at virtually no cost to the state."

Johnson stresses the report isn't finished yet. Indeed, it literally ends mid-sentence on page 96.

Deckboss might have more thoughts on the report once he's read it.

Below is an e-mail Johnson sent to fellow legislators today introducing the report. Pretty interesting, with a reference to the idea of buying out Cook Inlet commercial fishing permits.

FROM: Rep. Craig Johnson
SENT: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 3:53 PM
SUBJECT: Joint Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force

Members of the Joint Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force,

Attached for your review is a copy of the draft Joint Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force report. While the draft is not complete and unedited, it contains a great deal of meaningful new information. The current draft is nearly one hundred pages long and contains more than two hundred footnotes citing source materials and testimony presented to the Task Force during its hearings. It was prepared by a volunteer — at virtually no cost to the state.

I recently requested funding to complete work on this important report, but it’s unclear at this point whether any funding will be authorized. Given that, I wanted to release the draft report for your review.

Two critical sections of the report still remain to be written. One would discuss the status and potential causes of apparent Northern District/Susitna salmon stock declines. Another section, already begun in this draft, would analyze the possibility of using the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission’s "buy-back" program or other means to assist the struggling Upper Cook Inlet commercial salmon fishing fleet which has been economically devastated in recent years.

Finally, it was my intention that the completed report would also include: 1) an executive summary; 2) a section discussing key policy considerations and recommendations for future legislative action or oversight on the issue leading up to the critical Board of Fisheries meeting on Cook Inlet in 2010; 3) numerous charts and graphs depicting key data presented in the report; and 4) standard technical sections including a table of contents, bibliography, etc.

Unfortunately, when the Task Force was formed, it was provided no staff or funding to accomplish its mission — or preparation of a final report. Nevertheless, the Task Force held five public meetings in various Cook Inlet communities and took testimony from the public with a wide range of groups involved in, or dependent on, the Cook Inlet salmon fisheries. Given the tight time constraints and sheer volume of information and testimony presented, it is inconceivable that the Task Force could have prepared a final report of this magnitude without the able volunteer assistance we received. Whether work on the draft will continue or not is now up to legislative leadership. In my opinion it would be unfortunate if this report is never finished.

Because while Cook Inlet salmon allocations and sustainability issues defy easy answers, I believe the Task Force did some important work on the subject. This draft — though incomplete — clearly reflects that effort. It’s my sincere hope that release of the draft and the new information it contains will stimulate further discussion on the subject and encourage state leaders to continue to focus on an issue that is of critical importance to all Alaskans.

The draft report and all other documents received by the Task Force can be found on the Joint Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force Web site.

Sincerely,

Representative Craig Johnson
Chair, Joint Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force

Writing contract held for Cook Inlet salmon report

I attended Thursday's hearing on the request for $20,000 to hire someone to write the final report of the Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force, a legislative panel looking at weak runs and chronic allocation fights in the region.

Bottom line: Legislators never voted on the request.

State Rep. John Harris, a Valdez Republican and chairman of the joint committee considering the request, instead directed fellow Republican Rep. Craig Johnson of Anchorage to first consult with the Legislature's "presiding officers" on the matter. The presiding officers are Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, and House Speaker Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski.

Johnson headed the salmon task force and was the one seeking the money to write the report, which he said might run 100 pages and cover some intensely technical material the task force gathered during the course of its work.

But his choice of writers, Mark Higgins of Anchorage, seemed to raise eyebrows.

Turns out Higgins is married to a member of Johnson's staff, Debra Higgins.

Johnson said the writing job will take someone with real ability plus plenty of time. Harris asked him if perhaps someone already in the state's employ could do the work.

"I haven't found that person," Johnson replied.

Johnson told Deckboss after the hearing that the contract wasn't advertised. Rather, he just happened to know of a good candidate for the work in Mark Higgins.

According to his resume, Higgins has done a lot of political and public relations consulting, including "emergency 'spin' control." He also was an aide to former state Rep. Mike Szymanski during the 1980s.

Higgins, who has a law degree from the University of Utah, has done consulting work for the commercial fishing industry on such issues as Bering Sea pollock and crab allocation.

At Thursday's hearing, state Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, said to Harris: "Mr. Chairman, I've got a whole lot of concerns about what's going on here."

For one thing, Stedman said it was his understanding that the presiding officers were to be strongly involved with the Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force, which the Legislature created in the spring of 2008.

Stedman questioned the "appearance" of Johnson acting as project director for a $20,000 contract awarded to the spouse of one of Johnson's own staff aides.

Johnson said he'd be fine with someone else supervising the writing contract, as he has great confidence that Higgins can write a fair report that might be a "catalyst" for policy debate in the Legislature.

The hearing concluded without a vote on Johnson's funding request.

Rather, committee chairman Harris made "an executive decision," directing Johnson to run the request past the Senate president and House speaker, each of whom has the power to approve the contract.

Speaker Chenault, for one, indicated during the hearing that he was comfortable with Higgins.

Of course, Deckboss will follow up on this.

Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force — still alive

Remember the Cook Inlet Salmon Task Force?

That was the 10-member panel of legislators formed in the spring of 2008 to look at ways to boost poor salmon returns to northern Inlet, and to settle the perpetual feuding among commercial, sport, subsistence and dipnet fishermen in Alaska's busiest fishing hole.

The task force held a bunch of public meetings and was due to submit a report to the full Legislature long ago, but never did.

Now the project might be coming alive again.

The task force is on the agenda for a Legislative Council hearing to begin at 11 a.m. tomorrow at the Legislative Information Office in downtown Anchorage.

The council is a group of senators and representatives that takes care of legislative business during the months when lawmakers aren't in session.

Anyway, the man who chairs the salmon task force, Anchorage Republican Rep. Craig Johnson, still wants to produce a report for his colleagues, and he has a proposal in front of the Legislative Council to deliver it by the start of the 2010 legislative session.

"Your approval is requested to authorize the expenditure of $20,000 to hire Mark Higgins to prepare a report for submission to the Alaska State Legislature," says a letter Johnson sent yesterday to Rep. John Harris, chairman of the Legislative Council.

Higgins would pull together the "huge amount of technical data" the task force compiled and draft "this highly complex and important report," the letter says.

Higgins has a University of Utah law degree and "professional experience working with Alaska fisheries issues," the letter adds.