04/03/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 159(RES)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  establishing the Susitna State  Forest; urging                                                                    
     the Governor  to acquire forest land  that is currently                                                                    
     in the  Tongass National  Forest; and providing  for an                                                                    
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:23:27 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR LINDA  MENARD, explained  that the  bill established                                                                    
the Susitna Forest as a  state forest. She detailed that the                                                                    
Susitna Forest  would be the  fourth state forest  in Alaska                                                                    
and  that years  of work  had  gone into  its creation.  She                                                                    
furthered that  the forest was  763,200 acres in  the Mat-Su                                                                    
borough and that it would greatly benefit the area.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman discussed the fiscal note in the packet.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Hoffman  MOVED  to report  CSSB  159(RES)  out  of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal  note. There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  159(RES) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendation   and  with  a   previously  published                                                                    
indeterminate fiscal note: FN1 (DNR).