Enrolled HJR 5: Urging the United States Congress and the President of the United States to reinstate the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 and make the funding mechanism in the Act permanent.
00Enrolled HJR 5 01 Urging the United States Congress and the President of the United States to reinstate the 02 Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 and make the funding 03 mechanism in the Act permanent. 04 _______________ 05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 WHEREAS the program established under the Secure Rural Schools and Community 07 Self-Determination Act of 2000 has been vital to supporting rural counties and communities 08 near national forests by providing funding for schools, roads, public safety, and other essential 09 services; and 10 WHEREAS the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 11 was enacted to offset the significant decline in revenue from timber harvesting on 12 federal lands that resulted from changes in federal land management policies; and 13 WHEREAS rural communities in the state, particularly those in Southeast Alaska, 14 have historically depended on payments made under the Secure Rural Schools and 15 Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to sustain critical public services and 16 infrastructure in areas heavily impacted by federal land ownership and limited economic
01 opportunities; and 02 WHEREAS, in fiscal year 2023, the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- 03 Determination Act of 2000 provided $12,600,000 to the state, benefiting municipalities, 04 boroughs, and regional educational attendance areas, including Ketchikan, Wrangell, Juneau, 05 Sitka, Anchorage, and Kenai; and 06 WHEREAS the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 07 has lapsed as of January 2025 because the United States House of Representatives failed 08 to approve reauthorizing legislation, leaving rural communities in the state and across the 09 nation facing significant budget shortfalls; and 10 WHEREAS the expiration of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self- 11 Determination Act of 2000 places a substantial burden on local governments, jeopardizing 12 funding for schools, road maintenance, law enforcement, emergency services, and other 13 critical needs in rural areas; and 14 WHEREAS retroactive reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community 15 Self-Determination Act of 2000 is essential to ensure that rural communities have the 16 resources needed to maintain services and infrastructure while providing stability and 17 predictability for local budgets; 18 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly urges the United States 19 Congress to reinstate the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 20 retroactively to provide funding to affected communities for fiscal year 2025 and 21 subsequent years; and be it 22 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the United States 23 Congress and the President of the United States to consider making the funding mechanism 24 authorized under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 25 permanent to provide long-term support and stability for rural communities that receive 26 critical revenue from the program; and be it 27 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the United 28 States Congress and the President of the United States to explore opportunities to make 29 additional federal timber resources in the state available for responsible harvest in a manner 30 that supports rural economic revitalization, conserves habitat, and promotes forest health. 31 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President
01 of the United States; the Honorable JD Vance, Vice President of the United States and 02 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of 03 Representatives; the Honorable Chuck Grassley, President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate; the 04 Honorable John Thune, Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Lisa Murkowski 05 and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. 06 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress; and all other members of the 07 119th United States Congress.