04/14/2011 03:00 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

        HJR 24-SUPPORT FED. FOREST LAND REVENUE SHARING                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:00:41 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR OLSON announced the consideration of HJR 24.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:00:54 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE PEGGY  WILSON, sponsor of  HJR 24, said  that this                                                               
resolution urges  Congress and the  President to  reauthorize the                                                               
Secure  Rural  Schools  [and  Community  Self-Determination]  Act                                                               
(SRSCA) and honor  an agreement made in 1908.  She explained that                                                               
the  federal government  historically  shared 25  percent of  the                                                               
annual income  earned from national  forest receipts  with states                                                               
for  distribution  among  local communities  located  within  the                                                               
national forest for  schools and roads. [This was  in response to                                                               
local  governments'  concern  about  the  loss  of  property  tax                                                               
revenue  when public  domain lands  were  withdrawn from  private                                                               
ownership  to create  national forests.]  The federal  government                                                               
has steadily decreased payments through  the SRSCA over the years                                                               
even though  these forest communities  continue to have  the same                                                               
needs  as they  did initially.  They are  surrounded by  national                                                               
forest and  thus lack the ability  to utilize the land  to create                                                               
revenue locally.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Forty two states and Puerto  Rico receive payments from the SRSCA                                                               
including  thirty three  [Alaska]  communities and  the State  of                                                               
Alaska.  Last   year  $16   million  was   distributed  statewide                                                               
primarily   for  schools   but   also  for   the  Department   of                                                               
Transportation  and  Public   Facilities  (DOTPF).  Local  school                                                               
districts, the National Forest Counties  & Schools Coalition, the                                                               
Western Governors' Association,  and at least 29  senators and 69                                                               
congressmen,    including   the    Alaska   delegation    support                                                               
reauthorization of the SRSCA.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  P. WILSON  said  Alaska needs  to  send a  strong                                                               
message that the secure rural  schools program should continue at                                                               
a level  that will  sustain forest communities  that are  able to                                                               
generate little or no tax revenue.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON asked if anyone opposes the bill.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  P.  WILSON  replied  she was  not  aware  of  any                                                               
opposition.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON  asked if  the federal  government was  interested in                                                               
continuing this 1908 agreement.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  P.  WILSON  replied funding  to  reauthorize  the                                                               
SRSCA is  in the 2012  budget but the allocation  decreases every                                                               
year.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:04:51 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WAGONER asked  if there is still  some contention between                                                               
cities and boroughs about the division of the funds.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON  surmised that the issue  had been resolved                                                               
because she'd heard nothing about it this time.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  OLSON asked  if any  strings are  attached to  the federal                                                               
funds other than that they're to be used for schools and roads.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WILSON  answered  yes;  some  of  the  funds  are                                                               
allocated  to Resource  Advisory Councils  (RAC) for  use in  the                                                               
forest  itself on  existing improvements  like trails  or cabins.                                                               
The amount  that is  allocated to RACs  changes depending  on the                                                               
administration,  but the  local community  has a  say as  to what                                                               
will be improved.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:06:48 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR OLSON asked how much money each community receives.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESERNTATIVE  P.  WILSON said  it  depends  on the  amount  of                                                               
forest in  the area but  in the last distribution  Kenai received                                                               
$645,000;  Valdez received  $2.2 million;  Cordova received  $1.2                                                               
million; the Southeast Alaska  School District received $373,000;                                                               
Chatham  School District  received  $415,000; Anchorage  received                                                               
$104,563; MatSu  received $32,000;  the City of  Pelican received                                                               
$38,000; and Port Alexander received $5,000.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON commented  that it's a fair amount  of money. Finding                                                               
no further questions or public testimony, he asked for a motion.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:08:18 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR WAGONER moved to report HJR 24, version M, from                                                                         
committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal                                                                   
note(s).                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON announced that without objection, HJR 24 moved from                                                                 
the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.