04/03/2000 01:45 PM House RES

HB 426 - TRANSFER OF RAILROAD LAND: CHUGACH PARK                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR HUDSON  announced that  the first  order of business  was                                                              
HOUSE BILL NO.  426, "An Act relating to transfers  of public land                                                              
or grants  or conveyances  of interest  in public  land among  the                                                              
Alaska Railroad Corporation, the  Department of Transportation and                                                              
Public  Facilities, and  the Department  of  Natural Resources  to                                                              
relocate  or  widen  the  Seward  Highway,  to  relocate  railroad                                                              
facilities,  and  to relocate  adjacent  utility  facilities;  and                                                              
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 0130                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
DENNIS POSHARD, Legislative Liaison,  Department of Transportation                                                              
& Public  Facilities (DOT/PF), stated  that HB 426  was instigated                                                              
by DOT/PF with the concurrence from  the railroad.  The reason for                                                              
their inclusion  in  the bill is  that some  of department's  road                                                              
realignments along  the corridor will require some  track changes.                                                              
He  explained  that basically  what  the  bill  does is  give  the                                                              
Department of Natural  Resources (DNR) the authority  to negotiate                                                              
directly  with  DOT/PF for  land  exchanges,  to allow  DOT/PF  to                                                              
exchange corridors  or move  the corridor  if necessary  along the                                                              
Seward  Highway  between Potter  Station  and Girdwood,  which  is                                                              
within the Chugach State Park.  They  have five projects scheduled                                                              
over the  next four years within  that corridor, and HB  426 would                                                              
allow them  to deal  directly with  DNR and  the railroad  and not                                                              
require  them to  get  legislative  approval for  each  individual                                                              
parcel transfer.   The way the  statutes were established  for DNR                                                              
for Chugach State  Park was that any land transfers  would have to                                                              
come  before  the  legislature.    He  does  not  think  that  the                                                              
legislature originally  anticipated that  they would have  so many                                                              
small land transfers  that are associated with  the transportation                                                              
corridors.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
AL MEINERS, Superintendent, Chugach  State Park, Division of Parks                                                              
& Outdoor Recreation, Department  of Natural Resources, stated via                                                              
teleconference from Anchorage that they support HB 426.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
[James   Cantor,  Assistant   Attorney   General,   Transportation                                                              
Section,  Department   of  Law,   said  via  teleconference   from                                                              
Anchorage that he was available to answer any questions.]                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Number 0604                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BARNES made a  motion to  move CSHB 426(TRA)  from                                                              
committee with individual recommendations  and accompanying fiscal                                                              
note; she asked for unanimous consent.   There being no objection,                                                              
CSHB 426(TRA) moved from the House Resources Standing Committee.