00                   SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 1                                                                   
01 Relating to economic development generated by new road construction and to the design                                   
02 and construction of the Hot Springs Loop Road to connect Chena Hot Springs and                                          
03 Circle Hot Springs.                                                                                                     
04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
05       WHEREAS new roads are needed to connect communities with the resources that                                     
06 create the increased potential for commercial, industrial, recreational, and social activities for                      
07 residents and visitors; and                                                                                             
08       WHEREAS new local roads will allow Alaskans to get to local schools and health                                  
09 facilities and to quickly respond to local emergency situations; and                                                    
10       WHEREAS improving the transportation infrastructure in Alaska is vital to the                                   
11 economic growth and prosperity of the state; and                                                                        
12       WHEREAS Alaska is the largest state in the Union, comprising one-fifth of the total                             
13 area of the continental United States, yet Alaska has barely 2,000 miles of roadways, less than                         
14 the state of Vermont; and                                                                                               
15       WHEREAS the proposed Hot Springs Loop Road from Chena Hot Springs to Circle                                     
16 Hot Springs will complete a transportation loop connecting Fairbanks and the two resort areas                           

01 and will open areas of Interior Alaska for residents and visitors to explore, enjoy, and                                
02 develop; and                                                                                                            
03       WHEREAS the Hot Springs Loop Road would connect the Steese Highway with the                                     
04 Chena Hot Springs Road either through or around the Steese National Conservation Area; and                              
05       WHEREAS the Hot Springs Loop Road will allow residents and tourists an                                          
06 opportunity to drive the scenic loop between Fairbanks and the resort areas at Chena Hot                                
07 Springs and Circle Hot Springs; and                                                                                     
08       WHEREAS the Hot Springs Loop Road will foster increased outdoor activities, new                                 
09 tourism ventures, and economic growth in Interior Alaska;                                                               
10       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes that the economic                                   
11 development activity generated by the construction of new roads is important to the growth                              
12 and prosperity of the state; and be it                                                                                  
13       FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the design and                                      
14 construction of the Hot Springs Loop Road to provide a scenic loop route to connect                                     
15 Fairbanks and the resort areas at Chena Hot Springs and Circle Hot Springs.