02/06/2017 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

               HB   6-JONESVILLE PUBLIC USE AREA                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
2:48:02 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  JOSEPHSON announced  that the  final order  of business                                                               
would be  HOUSE BILL NO.  6, "An Act establishing  the Jonesville                                                               
Public Use Area."                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
2:48:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SCOTT LAPIENE,  President, Mat-Su  Trails Council  Inc., informed                                                               
the committee  the Mat-Su  Trails Council  is a  nonprofit trails                                                               
organization  that has  been  in existence  for  about 20  years.                                                               
Mat-Su  Trails Council  has  a  long history  in  the Eska  area,                                                               
assisting in  the development  of multi-use  trails, construction                                                               
of  a  hiking  trail,  rebuilding  sections  of  the  all-terrain                                                               
vehicle (ATV) trail  and signage for multiple use:   hiking, ATV,                                                               
and off-road  vehicles.  The  council also brushed  trail between                                                               
Sutton and Buffalo  Mine Road.  He provided  brief information on                                                               
his  personal  experience.   Mr.  Lapiene  recalled the  original                                                               
intent  of the  [Jonesville/Slipper Lake  Action Committee]  that                                                               
proposed  this  legislation was  to  address  public safety  from                                                               
uncontrolled shooting.  Attendees  from the Alaska State Troopers                                                               
(AST) and  the Division of  Mining, Land & Water,  DNR, explained                                                               
AST is  "spread thin"  and DNR has  no enforcement  authority for                                                               
activities in  the area.     Mr. Lapiene  advised the  Knik River                                                               
Public Use  Area was  held as  an example  of a  formerly out-of-                                                               
control area  for which legislation  was passed and  a management                                                               
plan  was  created, with  a  fiscal  note, authorizing  DNR  with                                                               
specific enforcement  authority and thereby  improving recreation                                                               
and use  of the  area.   He observed the  members of  the Slipper                                                               
Lake committee  do not want  to change or restrict  activities in                                                               
the area;  furthermore, a mining  reclamation group  has invested                                                               
several  million dollars  creating campgrounds,  and the  council                                                               
has  counted  over  400  campsites  around the  lake  on  a  busy                                                               
weekend.   The  majority  of campers  are  recreating with  ATVs,                                                               
motorcycles, and other vehicles.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:52:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOSEPHSON asked whether Mr. Lapiene supports the bill.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MR. LAPIENE  expressed support for  HB 6 and urged  the committee                                                               
to  leave the  motorized  components of  the  bill as  originally                                                               
drafted.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  RAUSCHER  asked  for   the  reasons  Mr.  Lapiene                                                               
opposes the forthcoming amendments.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
[The referenced amendments were not before the committee.]                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. LAPIENE  referred to a  forthcoming amendment  containing the                                                               
language "on  trails designated and  constructed for  their use."                                                               
He  said there  are  10 miles  of trails  in  the Mat-Su  Borough                                                               
constructed  for ATV  use; the  existing trails  are from  legacy                                                               
mining, forestry,  and trapping, and  it is unlikely  trails will                                                               
be constructed specifically  for motorized use.   He cautioned an                                                               
additional  forthcoming  amendment  containing the  language  "to                                                               
correct existing damage  and minimize future" may  deny access or                                                               
limit  the  opportunity  to  create new  trails  because  of  the                                                               
expense.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  JOSEPHSON surmised  there is  no money  to enforce  the                                                               
proposed   new   management   plan,   thus   the   amendment   is                                                               
aspirational.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. LAPIENE  warned if the  language is  included in the  bill it                                                               
would be  law, and could  be interpreted  as such.   He suggested                                                               
the  aforementioned  language  would  be more  appropriate  in  a                                                               
management plan.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:56:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LYNNE WOODS urged support for HB  6 because members of the Sutton                                                               
community will benefit from the  legislation as will all users of                                                               
the  public lands  in the  Jonesville area.   She  said she  is a                                                               
lifelong  resident  who  lives   on  the  Jonesville  Mine  Road.                                                               
Creating a public use area  will provide DNR, the Mat-Su Borough,                                                               
and the  community a tool  to effectively  manage the area.   She                                                               
related  her experience  at the  time the  Knik River  Public Use                                                               
Area  was  created, which  was  in  response  to "the  very  same                                                               
concerns."  Ms. Woods stated  the legislation is needed and urged                                                               
for its passage.  She expressed regret at the lack of funding.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked  Ms. Woods to explain  why a public                                                               
use area designation is needed to accomplish her stated goal.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS.  WOODS explained  with the  authority  of a  public use  area                                                               
[designation],  a  management  plan  can  be  established.    She                                                               
recalled  in the  past access  to various  recreation areas  have                                                               
been realized  after DNR was  granted a  public use area  and has                                                               
the tools to proceed with the help of the Mat-Su Borough.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:02:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[CO-CHAIR  JOSEPHSON announced  HB 6  was held  over with  public                                                               
testimony open.]