Legislature(2005 - 2006)CAPITOL 124
02/06/2006 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB360 | |
| HB380 | |
| HB395 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 360 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 380 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 395 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 395-FIRE SEASON START DATE 2:03:10 PM CO-CHAIR RAMRAS announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 395, "An Act extending the period of the fire season." KONRAD JACKSON, Staff to Representative Kurt Olson, sponsor of HB 395, said the bill extends Alaska's fire season by one month. Alaska weather is changing, and wildfires have been beginning before May 1 on the southern peninsula, he stated, as well as in the Anchorage bowl. The early-season fires can be devastating, he noted, and a quick and aggressive attack of these fires is important. He spoke of a fire that was close to the town of Homer, and the southern peninsula is just one example. Buildings and infrastructure are at risk, he said. 2:07:06 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO said the commissioner can already designate extended seasons. MR. JACKSON said the bill puts it into statute, which encourages the start of training and equipment purchases, but nothing now could prohibit the commissioner from doing so. 2:08:23 PM REPRESENTATIVE ELKINS asked if there has been an effort to log beetle-killed forests. MR. JACKSON said there has, but there are still "a bunch of standing matchsticks." 2:09:18 PM CO-CHAIR SAMUELS asked if the commissioner has extended the fire season and why the fiscal note is so large if he has already done so. MR. JACKSON said money has been used "more on a crisis basis" instead of preparing ahead of time, which may end up costing less. REPRESENTATIVE OLSON said response time is crucial, and much of the equipment for the peninsula is stored in Palmer. He said the money would allow the state to respond quicker, and it is money well spent. 2:11:37 PM REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if this bill was precipitated by the commissioner not extending the fire season when appropriate. MR. JACKSON said that when a fire happens the commissioners say "go" without waiting around until a designated fire season. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX said the current statute allows the commissioner to designate a fire season. She asked if the commissioner was asked to do so and did not move quickly enough. REPRESENTATIVE OLSON said a fire service area in the Kenai Peninsula has requested an extension of the fire season, and "it hasn't happened." 2:13:15 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked if beetle-killed trees are the issue. MR. JACKSON said that is just one of many concerns. CO-CHAIR RAMRAS said there have been 11,000 lightening strikes in a single day in the Interior. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked if the equipment in the legislation is for the Homer and Kenai areas. MR. JACKSON said it will be statewide. 2:14:38 PM GARY POWELL, State Fire Marshal, Division of Fire Prevention, Department of Public Safety, said the fire season is beginning earlier every year. He noted that spring wildfires are primarily man-caused. Well-trained people and proper equipment need to be in place before the fires begin, he stated, and they are needed for both prevention and suppression. He said prevention includes issuing permits and providing education. REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX asked about beetle-killed trees. 2:16:40 PM MR. POWELL said there are many efforts in the state, but there are other sources of fuel besides the spruce trees that have been killed by beetles. In the spring, vegetation is still dry, creating fuel as well, he added. 2:18:00 PM LYNN WILCOCK, Fire Program Manager, Division of Forestry, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), said wildfires occur earlier now and are more complicated to fight. The problems are exacerbated by fuel conditions and by increased development in places that are prone to fire. 2:19:46 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked about burning beetle-killed trees in the winter. MR. WILCOCK said the carrier fuel sprouts up in the spring, so the fire could not move from tree to tree during the winter. 2:21:21 PM CO-CHAIR RAMRAS asked about the fiscal note and the recent large supplemental funding request by the governor. He said if the money isn't allocated now, he assumes it will show up in the supplemental funding request. MR. WILCOCK agreed and said he can't predict the upcoming fire seasons, but by being better prepared, large expensive fires might be avoided. 2:22:51 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD asked about burning each tree with a weed burner instead of logging each tree. MR. WILCOCK said the magnitude of the problem would make that very expensive, but he said "shearblading" the trees and burning them in a pile can be an effective method. He noted that it is the land manager's responsibility, and a lot of the land is privately owned or owned by municipalities near population centers, where most of the concern is. He said DNR will assist and advise other landowners, but it can only manage state forests. He noted that the economic value of dead trees declines with time. 2:25:47 PM MR. WILCOCK said individual landowners need to take some responsibility, and simply clearing around buildings can save a structure. 2:26:45 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked what reduces the economic value of a tree. MR. WILCOCK said wood for pulp needs to have strong fiber, and decay over time will weaken the fiber. 2:28:10 PM CRAIG GOODRICH, Fire Chief, Municipality of Anchorage, said he supports the bill so that seasonal employees can come back on line early enough to be trained. Institutionalizing the longer fire season allows for better planning, he added. He said a campaign fire costs $1 million a day, so if the funding is spent avoiding fires, it is well spent. 2:30:56 PM MICHAEL DAVIDSON, Alaska Professional Fire Fighters Association, said his association favors HB 395. He said it is proactive and may prevent a multimillion-dollar loss. From a labor standpoint, he said, large fires present a greater danger to firefighters. REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked if there has been much progress in getting landowners to clear fuel. MR. GOODRICH said he believes there has been excellent progress with homeowners creating defendable homes with fuel mitigation. REPRESENTATIVE GATTO asked if fire insurance rates decrease if a homeowner is able to reduce fire dangers. MR. GOODRICH said he does not know, but it is true in the structural realm. REPRESENTATIVE OLSON said if a home is within a 10-mile radius of a fire station, it might have an impact. 2:35:08 PM REPRESENTATIVE GATTO moved to report HB 395 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. Hearing no objections, HB 395 was passed out of committee.
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