Legislature(2023 - 2024)BARNES 124
04/14/2023 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB120 | |
| HB104 | |
| Big Game Commercial Services Board | |
| HB98 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 120 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 104 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | HB 98 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 104-EXPEDITED TIMBER SALES
1:21:56 PM
CHAIR MCKAY announced that the next order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 104, "An Act relating to expedited timber sales."
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 104, Version 33-LS0474\U, Bullard,
4/12/23, as the working document.
CHAIR MCKAY objected for purposes of discussion.
1:23:05 PM
ED KING, Staff, Representative Tom McKay, Alaska State
Legislature, reviewed the changes between versions B and U of HB
104 on behalf of Representative McKay, a sponsor of the bill.
He explained that Version U makes a few additions to the bill to
clarify the distinction between expedited timber sales and the
salvage sales already in existing law. He spoke from the
document in the committee packet titled "House Bill 104,
Expedited Timber Sales, Summary of Changes from Version B to U,"
which read as follows [original punctuation provided with some
formatting changes]:
Change 1: A new bill section 2 was added to exempt
salvage sales from the best interest finding
requirement. Note: public notice is still required per
the state constitution (Art. 8, Sec. 10).
(Page 1, line 10 through page 6, line 4)
Change 2: New bill sections 4 and 5 were added to
exempt salvage sales and expedited sales from the
forest land use plan and five-year sale schedule
requirements.
(Page 6, lines 9 - 22)
Change 3: A new bill section 6 was added to create a
new subsection under AS 38.05.115 (terms and
conditions of sales) which lengthens the default term
for timber sales subject to a forest land use plan to
25 years unless a shorter term is requested or
required.
(Page 6, line 23 - 30)
Change 4: New bill sections 7 and 8 were added to
clarify the difference between salvage sales and
expedited timber sales.
(Page 6, line 31 through page 7, line 19)
Change 5: A new bill section 9 was added to encourage
more high-value wood production in Alaska.
(Page 7, line 20 through page 8, line 7)
Change 6: The language from bill section 3 of version
B (now bill section 10) was adjusted by:
1. Changing the terms and conditions to better reflect
the sponsor's intent (page 8, lines 13 - 19)
2. Adding prevention of habitat degradation as a
condition in which an expedited timber sale may occur
(page 8, lines 25 - 26)
3. Including language to make clear that the new
provisions my [sic] not be used to reduce the sale of
higher quality timber (page 9, lines 3 4)
Change 7: Adds an immediate effective date to avoid
the loss of this summer season (page 9, line 10)
MR. KING pointed out that Change 1 itself is located on page 4,
lines 29-30, and the rest of the provisions in the new Section 2
are existing law. Regarding Change 4, he clarified that salvage
sales in general refer to timber that has already been killed by
beetles or fire, whereas expedited timber sales are preemptive
measures for fire risk or infestation spread. Mr. King noted
that Change 5 is what would allow for the seven-year sales for
negotiated sale for high-value wood, a request by some members
of the industry to support financing efforts. He elaborated
that Change 6 is recognizing that expedited timber sales are
preventing fire and infestation spread and thereby saving the
[state] money, so the price collected from those timber sales
should reflect the savings to the state.
1:26:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE drew attention to page 7, line 26, and
asked why seven [years] was chosen instead of something greater.
He said loggers are having a horrible time getting financing for
equipment because the timber sale is seven years but the loan on
a piece of equipment is 30 years.
MR. KING responded by drawing attention to page 6, lines 23-30.
He noted that line 25 states that the period of a contract for
timber sales is 25 years unless [a shorter period] is requested
or required by the commissioner. He deferred to Mr. Stancliffe
to explain AS 38.05.123, which is the seven-year sale provision
that is being spoken to by Representative McCabe.
1:27:43 PM
DAVE STANCLIFFE, Staff, Representative Mike Cronk, Alaska State
Legislature, He stated that in working with the Department of
Law, the administration, the Division of Forestry, Alaska Forest
Association, and small-time operators, seven years was set as a
minimum because banks turn their heads at anything less than
that.
1:28:16 PM
REPRESENTATIVE ARMSTRONG inquired about how the decision would
be made for expedited timber sales due to threat of fire, for
example whether the decision is made during active fires and [if
not], how it is known what could possibly become burnt.
MR. KING deferred to the department to provide an answer.
MR. STANCLIFFE answered that [the prime sponsor] lives in an
area where timber becomes either boards and cabin logs, or the
timber gets burned. He said mature timber stands that are fire
prone would become under the expedited classification, thereby
feeding an enterprise that needs the timber and protecting
against fires for public safety.
1:30:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked whether the prime sponsor supports
the proposed CS.
1:30:47 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE CRONK, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor of HB 104, confirmed he supports Version U.
1:31:10 PM
CHAIR MCKAY removed his objection to the adoption of Version U,
the proposed CS for HB 104, as the working document. There
being no further objection, Version U was before the committee.
1:31:49 PM
1:31:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER moved to report the proposed CS, Version
33-LS0474\U, Bullard, 4/12/23, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being
no objection, CSHB 104(RES) was reported out of the House
Resources Standing Committee.