04/01/1996 03:38 PM Senate RES

                                                                               
         HB 539 NAME CHANGE FOR SOIL AND WATER BOARD                         
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN LEMAN  called the Senate Resources Committee meeting to             
 order at 3:38 p.m.  He brought HB 539 before the committee as the             
 first order of business.                                                      
                                                                               
  CHERYL SUTTON , staff to the House Resources Committee, explained HB
 was introduced at the request of the Alaska Soil & Water                  
 Conservation Board.  The legislation changes the name of the board            
 to the Natural Resources Conservation & Development Board because             
 the present name does not reflect adequately that the board has a             
 resource development as well as a conservation mission.  The name             
 change will not affect any of the statutory responsibilities of the           
 board.                                                                        
                                                                               
  JEFF HARTMAN , Executive Director, Alaska Soil & Water Conservation          
 Board, Department of Natural Resources, testifying in support of HB
, said the intent of the name change is to provide more of a               
 potential for opening doors in looking at resource development in             
 the rural areas of the state.                                                 
                                                                               
   There being no further testimony on HB 539,  CHAIRMAN LEMAN  stated         
 the bill would be set aside until a quorum was established.                   
                                                                               
 Number 070                                                                    
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN LEMAN  brought HB 539 (NAME CHANGE FOR SOIL AND WATER               
 BOARD) back before the committee.  Hearing no additional testimony,           
 he asked for the pleasure of the committee.                                   
                                                                               
  SENATOR PEARCE  moved HB 539 and the accompanying fiscal note be             
 passed out of committee with individual recommendations.  Hearing             
 no objection, it was so ordered.