Legislature(2005 - 2006)BUTROVICH 205
04/11/2005 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB198 | |
| SB85 | |
| SB96 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 85 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 96 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | HB 198 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 85-OFF-ROAD VEHICLE USE ON DALTON HIGHWAY
CHAIR THOMAS WAGONER announced SB 85 to be up for consideration.
SENATOR SEEKINS moved to adopt the letter of intent. There were
no objections and it was so ordered.
3:39:46 PM
MIKE BELL testified on behalf of the oil trucking industry and
said that the Dalton Highway was not designed with recreational
vehicles in mind. It has no shoulders and there is no
enforcement. Safe driving is up to the judgment and experience
of individual drivers. Opening up the road will encourage more
users. He suggested upgrading shoulders if this bill happens to
pass.
3:42:45 PM
HEIDI SCHOPPENHART, Wiseman lodge owner, opposed SB 85 urging
the committee to think seriously about what the bill really
does. The Dalton Highway was developed as a utility corridor.
People are already able to travel on it and it attracts visitors
from all over the world.
3:45:51 PM
VARSHA MATHRANI, Environmental Health Coordinator, Alaska
Community Action on Toxics, Anchorage, said she is speaking on
her own behalf in opposition to SB 85. She has graduate training
in environmental health sciences from the University of Michigan
and a Bachelor's Degree in Biology focusing on environmental and
ecosystem science. She has also worked at Toolik Research Field
Station and in the Brooks Range where the University of Alaska
Fairbanks does state-of-the-art Arctic field and lab research.
She opposed SB 85 because of what it would do to the pristine
untouched tundra in the Arctic and the consequences it would
have on current and future scientific research. Further, she
said SB 85 would be economically burdensome for state agencies
and would violate long-standing promises made to local area
residents. She said:
The implications on scientific research are real as
tracks formed in the Arctic are long-lasting and
pretty much permanent. It can affect the
biogeochemistry of this area profoundly. It also has
negative effects on wildlife from noise and pollution
and local Native populations who use this area for
subsistence....
3:49:33 PM
WILLIE DUNNE, hunter, fisher and biologist for 30 years said he
lives adjacent to the Anchor River watershed, a wonderful area
for salmon and steelhead fishing. He testified that:
We have a Kenai area plan that is designed to regulate
uses of the lands. We also have laws, which prohibit
the use of motorized vehicles in salmon spawning
streams. Despite all that, we have a great deal of
damage from ATVs in our salmon spawning streams.
MR. DUNNE presented the committee with photographs of some of
the damaged Anchor River watershed areas. Sedimentation has been
documented that affects both the salmon fry and the eggs.
Rechannelization cuts off spawning areas and isolates fry from
their egress out to the river. "Basically, despite having laws
to try and prevent this, we have had an incredible amount of
damage from ATVs in the Anchor River watershed."
3:52:06 PM
SENATOR GUESS joined the committee.
3:52:51 PM
JULES DUNNE said she felt the existing statute making
nonmotorized access possible is working well and opposed SB 85.
Opening the corridor to off-road vehicles would have devastating
irreparable long-term effects on the fragile ecosystem. It opens
the door to many legal, safety and enforcement problems that
there is no fiscal note for. It makes more sense to plan ahead
for the necessary regulations and provide the funding now.
3:53:59 PM
DAVID NUETZEL opposed SB 85. He has traveled the entire distance
to the North Slope and said the existing law is working well. He
said there are only two law enforcement personnel for the entire
area and he didn't see where funding would come for more. He
pointed out that SB 85 doesn't create any new standards, but
only repeals the existing law. The whole area could be destroyed
at once.
3:56:26 PM
JEREMY MINER, Fairbanks resident, asked what the motivation is
for repealing the law without consideration of its effects on
the land. One year is not long enough to adequately study the
issue if this bill passes. He suggested allowing local, state
and federal officials to develop management plans and impact
assessments beforehand and providing funding for them. Once the
findings are made public, specific sections of the law could be
addressed rather than just repealing the whole thing.
3:58:12 PM
DARCY WARDEN, Fairbanks resident, said she formerly lived in
Galena. She likes having the opportunity to hunt and fish. If
the five-mile corridor were opened up, use activities would
change; there would be damage from off road vehicles including
damage to nesting birds. She emphasized that tundra damage is
not repairable.
4:00:09 PM
JULIA SMITH, Anchorage, opposed SB 85. There are no limitations
or regulations and people will get into trouble. She wanted to
know where the money to rescue people would come from. She said
the Dalton Highway has limited services; sometimes people have
to beg for gas from the pipeline businesses located there.
4:02:34 PM
SENATOR FRED DYSON asked if she feels that public lands
shouldn't be opened up to the general public.
MS. SMITH replied that she thought that limitations should be
put in place depending on where the land is and how dangerous it
is.
SENATOR DYSON asked if people going into the wilderness should
be forced to go to classes or go through an inspection before
going out and dealing with the risks.
MS. SMITH replied that they should have some training.
4:03:48 PM
LEWIS THEIA, testifying in Juneau, said the original protection
for the road, which is in the pipeline corridor, is quid pro quo
to get allowances for pipeline construction. He is proud of the
stewardship the state has exhibited over the past 30 years. If
the eyes of the nation are on ANWR, he thought it would be a
poor choice on state's part to abandon protection of this
corridor. He said:
On the contrary, we should hold it up as an example of
follow-through of responsible development. I think
good stewardship is consistency and good business for
Alaska.
4:04:44 PM
CHAIR WAGONER closed the public hearing saying he would hold the
bill in committee this year. He plans to hold hearings in
Barrow, Fairbanks and Coldfoot to get more of a feel for how the
public thinks about it.
4:06:12 PM
SENATOR GUESS said she dealt with this in the Judiciary
Committee and asked what the zero fiscal note from the
Department of Public Safety means.
4:06:39 PM
SENATOR SEEKINS replied the bill itself does not create a fiscal
note for a number of reasons.
First, the Department of Public Safety has not said
that they think there is any reason at this point to
increase traffic in order to be able to take care of
visitors. There's an extended effective date - the
planning process will take some time. DNR has said
they don't believe that there is a huge planning
process that will have to take place for them to be
able to take a look at some of these things. The first
180 miles of the road is federal property. The BLM has
had a land use plan on the shelf - a draft plan -
since 1991. They will go through the public hearing
process to be able to take into consideration the
thoughts of the people along the route...what affects
it might have on different animal species....
4:07:47 PM
SENATOR BEN STEVENS joined the committee.
4:07:56 PM
SENATOR SEEKINS continued explaining that the Board of Game said
it would look at changes out of cycle if need be and while there
might be fiscal impacts down the road, much of the thought
behind the planning has already taken place. The landowners have
anticipated that there will be demand from people to access
public lands and the federal portion or the road already has
campgrounds, pullouts and restrooms.
4:10:59 PM
SENATOR SEEKINS moved SB 85 from committee with the letter of
intent and individual recommendations.
SENATOR ELTON objected to say if that kind of outreach is
happening to people along the corridor, then it makes sense to
keep SB 85 in this standing committee. The bill could be moved
in January 2006.
CHAIR WAGONER said the agreement is to move it to Rules. If the
Resources Committee wanted it back, he was sure he could get it.
SENATOR ELTON removed his objection.
SENATOR SEEKINS explained his agreement with the Rules Committee
is that the bill would be brought back after the public had
testified on it. Therefore, SB 85 moved from committee with the
attached letter of intent.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|