Legislature(1993 - 1994)
03/04/1993 03:40 PM Senate TRA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
March 4, 1993
3:40 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Bert Sharp, Chairman
Senator Randy Phillips, Vice Chairman
Senator Georgianna Lincoln
Senator Jay Kerttula
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Tim Kelly
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 130
"An Act making a special appropriation to the Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities, northern region, for
reconnaissance photography, reconnaissance interpretation,
and preparation of a preliminary report for identification
and delineation of one or more transportation and utility
corridors between Fairbanks and the Seward Peninsula; and
providing for an effective date."
SENATE BILL NO. 131
"An Act directing the preparation of a preliminary report
that identifies and delineates one or more transportation
and utility corridors between Fairbanks and the Seward
Peninsula for road, rail, pipeline, and electrical
transmission purposes; and providing for an effective date."
PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION
SB 130 - No previous action to record.
SB 131 - No previous action to record.
WITNESS REGISTER
Keith Gerkin, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Transportation
and Public Facilities
3132 Channel Drive
Juneau, Alaska 99801-7898
POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions on SB 131.
Jim Stimpfle, President
Nome Chamber of Commerce
Box 251
Nome, Alaska 99762
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in favor of SB 130.
Thomas Sparks
Bering Strait Native Corporation
Box 1008
Nome, Alaska 99762
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on SB 130 and SB 131.
Emil Portscheller
Box 1645
Palmer, Alaska 99645
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in support of SB 130 and
SB 131.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 93-11, SIDE A
Number 001
CHAIRMAN SHARP called the Senate Transportation Committee to
order at 3:40 p.m.
Chairman Sharp announced the committee would be hearing SB
130 (APPROP: FAIRBANKS-NOME TRANS. CORRIDOR) and SB 131
(TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR: FAIRBANKS-NOME). He indicated
that this is the first hearing on both bills and the
committee will primarily address SB 131. Chairman Sharp,
sponsor of both measures read the following statement into
the record:
SB 130 and SB 131 are intended to initiate
preliminary action necessary to properly review
and identify the best options for the
establishment of a transportation/utility corridor
from the Interior's existing transportation
distribution hub to the western area of the Seward
Peninsula.
The futures of those Alaskans residing north of
the Alaska Range will require expansion of our
existing transportation infrastructure. With the
recent completion by the State of Alaska of its
remaining land selections allotment, the major
land ownership patterns are now slowly coming
together.
The legislation would direct the Department of
Transportation to require aerial reconnaissance
photography and interpretation. This work will
identify apparent land ownership of areas within
transportation corridors to be delineated and
which offer the best cost effective options to
access this vast resource rich area of our state.
The fiscal note is very modest and would authorize
that most important first step. A step that will
move us toward a more positive economic future for
this large portion of Alaska.
Number 077
SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS referred SB 131, page 1, line 13,
"(2) an extension of the Alaska Railroad," and asked if the
corridor is exclusively for the Alaska Railroad or could a
private company ask for a corridor from Nome to Fairbanks.
KEITH GERKIN, Deputy Commissioner, Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT/PF), said from the
department's point of view, the bill requests them to look
at the corridor and all potential purposes. He said their
view would be for railroad purposes and they wouldn't be
really thinking about who would be the operator.
CHAIRMAN SHARP studied a map that the committee members had
before them. SENATOR LINCOLN also gave the committee two
maps which showed Doyon and federally owned lands. She said
it would be beneficial for the committee to have a map that
shows the private and village owned lands. Senator Lincoln
referred to the fiscal note of $165 thousand and said she
wants to know exactly what areas the committee is talking
about before the money is appropriated.
Number 188
JIM STIMPFLE, President, Nome Chamber of Commerce, was next
to testify. He said the Nome Chamber of Commerce is
interested in a corridor to the Seward Peninsula. He said
there is also a house bill with an appropriation of $7.3
million. He said the difference between $7.3 million and
$165 thousand for the same piece of legislation is a bit
disturbing. Mr. Stimpfle indicated that he has been doing
background research to try and figure out what ongoing
studies have been done before. He said the testimony he
wants to give is on SB 130 as it is redirecting the amount
of money to be divided between the Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) and the DOT/PF. DNR is engaged in ongoing
reconnaissance work to account for all the lands that the
state may own in the future so that any corridor that is
planned takes advantage of the mineral potential, the right-
of-way necessary to get to those minerals, and other issues
such as environmental concerns and the concerns of people
who live along the right-of-way. Mr. Stimpfle suggested new
language and continued to read his testimony into the
record:
An Act making a special appropriation to the
Department of Natural Resources and the Department
of Transportation and Public Facilities to
complete alignments, GPS mapping, engineering, and
title support services for transportation/energy
corridors on state lands between Fairbanks and the
Seward Peninsula; and providing for an effective
date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
ALASKA:
Section 1. The sum of $770,000.00 is appropriated
from the general fund to DNR's Division of
Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS), for GPS
(Global Positioning System) mapping to identify
route resources, viable mineral districts and
adjoining resources along proposed corridors; and
for the State Pipeline Coordinators Office to
coordinate oversight review with in house
personal; and for DOT/PF-Northern Region to
estimate engineering design systems and provide
special project support for RS-2477 assertions,
identification and plotting of alignments working
with DGGS and the State Pipeline Coordinator's
Office.
These proposals were drafted for your review and
consideration after consulting with the Department
of Natural Resources personnel who are currently
engaged in determining state land selections to
enhance future transportation and energy corridors
for all Alaskans.
In view of ongoing budget cuts the State of Alaska
is facing, it is imperative that appropriate
multi-modal right-of-way studies be finished to
ensure that rural Alaskans have economic
development options available while safeguarding
environmental and subsistence life resources on
the Seward Peninsula.
In general terms, the Nome Chamber of Commerce
supports a multi-modal right-of-way corridor to
the Seward Peninsula for economic development to
encourage eco-tourism to view wildlife and
subarctic eco-systems, to develop mining for
mineral or energy related employment opportunities
for rural residents, with engineered designed
safeguards to the environment and to ensure that
fish and wildlife resources are available for
indigenous Native populations living along or near
the right-of-way. These are some of the expressed
concerns of the Nome Chamber of Commerce.
It is recommended that the Village and Regional
Native Corporations on the Seward Peninsula be
consulted as to approximate right-of-way corridors
near their lands to either maximize economic
development strategies and/or preserve subsistence
lifestyles.
Mr. Stimpfle thanked the committee for listening to his
testimony.
CHAIRMAN SHARP indicated that DNR does have a substantial
amount of aerial photography already available that was
taken when there was a land selection process. He said the
photos are for utilization so there wouldn't be any
duplication of costs in areas where aerial photography
already exists. Chairman Sharp noted that Representative
Foster is coordinating a similar companion bill in the
House.
SENATOR KERTTULA said it has been an aspiration of the
Seward Peninsula to have a corridor and a surface
transportation opportunity. In 1964, a million dollar bond
was passed to begin a road to Nome. He commended the work
that Mr. Stimpfle has done in trying to make a connection to
Cereniki (Sp. ?), Provideniya and to the coast of the Soviet
Arctic.
THOMAS SPARKS, Bering Strait Native Corporation (BSNC), was
next to testify. He said he would like to ask the same
question that Mr. Stimpfle regarding the companion bill in
the House. He referred to the land status and said the
final sections for the state have been made but haven't been
prioritized yet. Mr. Sparks said there were a lot of over
selections that were made by both the regional corporations
(Doyon and BSNC) and the companion village corporations. He
said BSNC is in the process of prioritizing the over
selections as it is beneficial for the state to receive
information so that the state can own property on the Seward
Peninsula rather than the federal government. Mr. Sparks
said there are some concerns relating to subsistence
resources and other factors. BSNC feels that funds should
be allocated to assess the corridor so that when or if the
railroad is ever built, some of the preliminary right-of-
ways and engineering problems are already identified.
CHAIRMAN SHARP indicated that the senate bill identifies the
first phase of the project. The house bill also identifies
the second phase of the project. He referred to the fiscal
note and said he assumes that the fiscal note is adequate
for the words described in the legislation.
MR. GERKIN said the railroad is the most restrictive because
it has the greatest constraints in terms of grade and
curvature.
Number 377
EMIL PORTSCHELLER stated he is a resident of Palmer and has
been active in the tourism industry for many years. He said
he would like to offer support for the establishment of a
corridor. He asked why there may be a need for pursuing the
corridor thorough a legislative act as opposed to
researching a possibility for the corridor and establishing
them in the future through conventional operations or
functions of safety. Chairman Sharp indicated that the
situation is funding and legislative direction. Mr.
Portscheller asked if there is a problem that will prevents
us from pursuing the establishment of the corridor through
conventional budgeting parameters established through DNR
and DOT/PF. Chairman Sharp said the administration would
have to decide if it is a project that they would want to
include in the administration budget through DNR or DOT/PF.
It would have to be initiated throughout the administration.
SENATOR LINCOLN said the corridor would go through a
majority of the district that she represents. She said a
critical component is Tanana Chiefs Conference which is
village by village. Doyon is the regional corporation.
Senator Lincoln said she believes it is imperative that the
Tanana Chiefs be a part of the discussions.
There being no further testimony, Chairman Sharp indicated
that the bills would be heard again at a later date.
Chairman Sharp adjourned the meeting at 4:13 p.m.
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