04/13/2000 01:08 PM House TRA

SJR 38 - ALASKA CANADA RAIL FEASIBILITY STUDY                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN HALCRO announced the next order of business as Senate                                                                  
Joint Resolution 38, Expressing support for a cooperative United                                                                
States-Canada feasibility study on extending the North American                                                                 
rail system through British Columbia and the Yukon Territory to                                                                 
Alaska.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 0421                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
KARA MORIARTY, Staff to Senator Gary Wilken, Alaska State                                                                       
Legislature, came before the committee to present SJR 38 on behalf                                                              
of the sponsor.  The resolution is a companion of HJR 51 by                                                                     
Representative Jeannette James.  She noted that U.S. Senator Frank                                                              
Murkowski recently introduced legislation in Congress [S. 2253]                                                                 
that would fund and authorize a commission made up of U.S. and                                                                  
Canadian officials to conduct a feasibility study that would                                                                    
determine the best route, identify markers, and estimate the cost                                                               
for a project that would connect the North American rail system                                                                 
through Canada to Alaska.  Senate Joint Resolution 38, therefore,                                                               
would send a message of support of the feasibility study from the                                                               
legislature.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN HALCRO pointed out that the booklet entitled,                                                                          
"Alaska-Canada Rail Link Conference Packet," found in the bill                                                                  
packet, was provided and put together by Representative Jeannette                                                               
James' office.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0520                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHN COWDERY asked Ms. Moriarty whether the track                                                                
width is the same in both the U.S. and Canada.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. MORIARTY replied, according to her understanding, the tracks                                                                
are compatible.  She further noted that when U.S. and Canadian                                                                  
officials met at the Alaska-Canada Rail Link Conference they looked                                                             
at issues like that.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 0566                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
TERESA FREDRICKSON, Community Resource Coordinator, City of Delta                                                               
Junction, testified via teleconference from Delta Junction.  She                                                                
announced the city's support of the resolution.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Number 0594                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
AL KEECH testified via teleconference from Tok.  He has been a                                                                  
resident of Tok for approximately 20 years.  He is not keen on the                                                              
idea that is being proposed.  He doesn't doubt that there would be                                                              
a positive economic effect on the area; at the same time, there                                                                 
would be a dramatic negative effect on the wildlife and the                                                                     
wilderness atmosphere.  Progress, he said, changes a rural                                                                      
atmosphere in that more demands are placed on a limited amount of                                                               
wildlife.  That, he said, would have a detrimental effect on the                                                                
wildlife population and its habitat.  The worst possible impact                                                                 
would be a railroad that doesn't follow the highway corridor, as a                                                              
map that he has seen indicates.  He has seen a proposal for a track                                                             
that runs to Tok then cutoffs through either the Ladue River valley                                                             
or the Dennison [Fork] valley, which would take a "swap out of                                                                  
virgin land" in Game Management Unit 20E.  A railroad would change                                                              
the balance of nature for as long as it is present and probably                                                                 
afterwards.  A railroad would also change the rural and subsistence                                                             
lifestyle of those in the area.  Furthermore, the majority of the                                                               
people don't even know that the railroad is being proposed.  He                                                                 
read somewhere that there is grassroots support for such a                                                                      
railroad, but he doubts that, given the local residents.  It's                                                                  
probably more a function of those who are communicative in the                                                                  
chamber of commerce and local businesses who are perhaps more                                                                   
knowledgeable.  He really doubts that a lot of the rural residents                                                              
are aware of the proposal.  In summary, even though he is                                                                       
testifying today on his own behalf, he is probably representing                                                                 
quite a few other residents of Interior Alaska that would be                                                                    
adamantly opposed to a railroad that would follow any other                                                                     
corridor except the highway corridor.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Number 0844                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COWDERY stated that he has been in Alaska for 50                                                                 
years.  When he first came to the state the highway was pretty                                                                  
rough, and when he got to Tok he started to like the state better.                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COWDERY further stated that development is like                                                                  
children, especially grandchildren, in that a person wishes they                                                                
could stay at a certain age forever.  But a person can't stop a                                                                 
child from growing; at the same time, a person can't stop progress.                                                             
In that regard, he likes Alaska better now than when he first came,                                                             
and there has been a lot of good development since that time.  He                                                               
noted that the railroad is another way to ensure the benefit of                                                                 
commerce, which does a lot for everyone.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COWDERY further stated that he has been on a train                                                               
in the back country of Australia and saw kangaroos beside the                                                                   
track.  It's pretty nice, he said, to wake up and see the animals                                                               
in the morning.  He thinks that this could be done in an                                                                        
environmentally sound way.  He supports the concept.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 0977                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. KEECH stated it's hard to argue against progress or economics                                                               
because it would benefit the people of the area.  But, as the                                                                   
country moved west and as progress moved west, what happened?  The                                                              
rural atmosphere was sacrificed.  He doesn't think that his "one                                                                
voice" in the wilderness would have an impact on stopping the                                                                   
railroad; he's asking, therefore, that it be done in a fashion that                                                             
has the least impact as possible.  The best way, he suggested,                                                                  
would be to stay on the highway corridor rather than to interrupt                                                               
pristine country.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 1062                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON stated, to Mr. Keech, that the resolution is                                                              
simply a proposal for a comprehensive feasibility study that would                                                              
look at the economical, environmental and societal consequences of                                                              
such a rail link.  Many of his concerns, therefore, would be                                                                    
addressed in that study.  He thinks, therefore, that Mr. Keech                                                                  
should really support the resolution, for it would provide                                                                      
everybody with an understanding of the possible implications.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Number 1113                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE BEVERLY MASEK asked Ms. Moriarty whether the                                                                     
bilateral commission would cost the state any money or whether it                                                               
would all be funded by the federal government.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS. MORIARTY replied the plan is for the bilateral commission to be                                                             
funded by the federal government.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 1184                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN HALCRO closed the meeting to public testimony.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 1189                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE COWDERY made a motion to move SJR 38, version                                                                    
1-LS1475/A, out of committee with individual recommendations and                                                                
attached zero fiscal note; he asked unanimous consent.  There being                                                             
no objection, SJR 38 so moved from the House Transportation                                                                     
Standing Committee.