00 Enrolled HB 370 01 Relating to forested land management and protection from wildland fire and other destructive 02 agents; changing the term "forest fire" to "wildland fire" where it appears in the Alaska 03 Statutes; and providing for an effective date. 04 _______________ 05 * Section 1. AS 19.40.010(a) is amended to read: 06 (a) The legislature finds and declares that there is an immediate need for a 07 public highway from the Yukon River to the Arctic Ocean and that this public 08 highway should be constructed by the State of Alaska at this time because 09 (1) it will assist in the fulfillment of art. VIII, Sec. 1, Constitution of 10 the State of Alaska, in which it is provided that it is the policy of the state to encourage 11 the settlement of its land and the development of its resources by making them 12 available for maximum use consistent with the public interest; 13 (2) it will provide the first year-round, overland route from north of the 14 Yukon River to the Arctic Ocean, and will consequently result in the completion of a 01 highway from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean; 02 (3) it is in conformity with the policy of 23 U.S.C. 101(b) (Federal-Aid 03 Highway Act of 1956), in which it is declared to be in the national interest to 04 accelerate the construction of certain highways which are of primary importance to the 05 national defense; 06 (4) it will benefit local and interstate commerce because the area north 07 of the Yukon River is rich in natural resources but is inaccessible at the present time 08 because of the lack of roads and this inaccessibility prohibits the successful use of the 09 natural resources of this area; 10 (5) it is consonant with art. VIII, Sec. 2, Constitution of the State of 11 Alaska, in which it is provided that the legislature shall provide for the utilization, 12 development, and conservation of all natural resources belonging to the state, 13 including land and water, for the maximum benefit of its people, because the highway 14 will benefit not only local and interstate commerce but will also augment the revenue 15 of the state and result in conservation of natural resources, for example, by facilitating 16 a system of wildland [FOREST] fire suppression. 17 * Sec. 2. AS 33.30.191(g) is amended to read: 18 (g) In this section, "productively employed" includes the following kinds of 19 employment: 20 (1) routine maintenance and support services essential to the operation 21 of a correctional facility; 22 (2) education, including both academic and vocational; 23 (3) public conservation projects, including wildland [FOREST] fire 24 prevention and control, forest and watershed enhancement, recreational area 25 development, construction and maintenance of trails and campsites, fish and game 26 enhancement, soil conservation, and forest watershed revegetation; 27 (4) renovation, repair, or alteration of existing correctional facilities as 28 permitted by law; and 29 (5) other work performed inside or outside of a correctional facility 30 under (b) of this section. 31 * Sec. 3. AS 41.15.010 is amended to read: 01 Sec. 41.15.010. Intent. It is the intent of AS 41.15.010 - 41.15.170 to provide 02 protection from wildland fire and other destructive agents, commensurate with the 03 values [VALUE OF THE RESOURCES] at risk, [FOR THE NATURAL 04 RESOURCES AND WATERSHEDS] on land that is owned privately, by the state, or 05 by a municipality. 06 * Sec. 4. AS 41.15.040 is amended to read: 07 Sec. 41.15.040. Right of entry to control and suppress fires. Upon approval 08 by the commissioner or an authorized agent, an employee [EMPLOYEES] of the 09 division of lands, or of any organization authorized to prevent, control, or suppress a 10 fire [FIRES] or a destructive agent [AGENTS], and others assisting in the control or 11 suppression of a fire [FIRES] upon request of an officer or employee of the United 12 States or the state may at any time enter upon any land, whether publicly or privately 13 owned, for the purpose of preventing, suppressing, or controlling a wildland fire or a 14 [FOREST FIRES AND] destructive agent [AGENTS]. 15 * Sec. 5. AS 41.15.170 is amended to read: 16 Sec. 41.15.170. Definitions. In AS 41.15.010 - 41.15.170, 17 (1) "damages" includes costs incurred in suppressing, controlling, or 18 extinguishing a fire; 19 (2) "destructive agent" means an insect, pathogen, or other 20 environmental agent that causes damage to a forest resource; 21 (3) "forested land" includes all land on which grass, brush, timber, and 22 other natural vegetative material grows; 23 (4) [(3)] "wildland [FOREST] fire" includes the uncontrolled burning 24 of grass, brush, timber, and other natural vegetative material. 25 * Sec. 6. This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).