04/08/2025 08:00 AM House COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

                  HJR 15-WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:48:05 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  HIMSCHOOT announced  that the  final order  of business                                                               
would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 15, Urging the Governor, the                                                               
Department of  Natural Resources,  division of forestry  and fire                                                               
protection, the  Department of  Public Safety,  municipalities of                                                               
the state  and relevant wildfire planning  and response agencies,                                                               
and the  Alaska delegation  in Congress to  prepare for  the 2025                                                               
wildfire season.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:48:30 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MEARS  moved to adopt the  proposed Committee Substitute                                                               
(CS)  to HJR  15, Version  34-LS0726\G, Dunmire,  4/6/25, as  the                                                               
working document.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PRAX objected.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:49:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CORBIN MORRISON,  Staff, Representative Ky Holland,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  summarized the  explanation  of changes  to HJR  15                                                               
from a written explanation of  changes [included in the committee                                                               
packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Page  1, line  9: Deleted  "immediate and  severe." and                                                                    
     added   "Increased"  to   better   fit   the  tone   of                                                                    
     Resolution.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1,  line 10: Added  "Southeast Alaska" to  list of                                                                    
     high-risk places.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 1, lines 13-15: Deleted "whereas" language.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Page  2,  lines  7-8:   Deleted  "a  demonstrated  need                                                                    
     for?additional  and  added   "community  concern  about                                                                    
     there being sufficient?adoption of."                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page  2,   line  10:  Deleted  "effective"   and  added                                                                    
     "broad."                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Page  2,   line  11:   Deleted  "which   could  include                                                                    
     expansion  of  public  education  programs"  and  added                                                                    
     "engaging  the public  to learn  about and  take action                                                                    
     through programs."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 12:  Deleted "engaging residents in annual                                                                    
     inspections and preparation through a program like."                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 13:  Deleted "coordinating" and added "and                                                                    
     other local agencies."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page   2,   line   14:   Deleted   "other   interagency                                                                    
     coordination efforts" and added "agencies."                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Page  2,  lines  27-31:   Deleted  ";  conducting  full                                                                    
     reviews   of   available  response   equipment,   joint                                                                    
     response  agreements, ad  water resources;  identifying                                                                    
     opportunities for  additional water storage  and access                                                                    
     points;  and inspecting  and treating  aircraft landing                                                                    
     zones and  roadways, especially those that  are single-                                                                    
     access  routes to  large." and  added  ", with  special                                                                    
     attention  to  single-access  routes  to  isolated"  to                                                                    
     better encompass firefighting response goals.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Page  3, line  1: Deleted  "clear road  and" and  added                                                                    
     "evaluating and removing."                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Page  3,   lines  5-10:  Deleted  "the   Governor,  the                                                                    
     Department   of  Natural   Resources,  division   of  6                                                                    
     forestry  and fire  protection, and  relevant municipal                                                                    
     and  local agencies  to expand  public  7 outreach  and                                                                    
     education by implementing  a statewide public awareness                                                                    
     campaign on  wildfire risks and  prevention strategies,                                                                    
     which  may include  engaging residents  and local  fire                                                                    
     departments   in   a   program   like   Firewise   USA,                                                                    
     inspections,  and to  be  prepared  for and  evacuation                                                                    
     preparedness  using   the  ;  and   promoting  wildfire                                                                    
     preparedness by launching  an early detection campaign,                                                                    
     promoting  the program"  and added  "  local and  state                                                                    
     public  information officers,  in collaboration  5 with                                                                    
     state  and federal  agencies, to  assist and  encourage                                                                    
     all  Alaskans   to  learn   about  the   potential  for                                                                    
     wildfires  and  changing  exposure in  their  community                                                                    
     including areas in  designated Wildland Urban Interface                                                                    
     (WUI) areas  and to urge  residents to learn  about and                                                                    
     take                                                                                                                       
     action  to protect  their  homes  and property  through                                                                    
     home  defense  programs   including  the  Firewise  USA                                                                    
     program, and  to be prepared  for evacuation  using the                                                                    
     Ready,  Set, Go!  Program, and  learn about  and enroll                                                                    
     in."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3,  lines 16-17: Deleted "by  organizing and fundi                                                                    
     multi  agency  tabletop  exercises  and  live  wildfire                                                                    
     evacuation drills before May 1, 2025."                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
       Page 3, line 23: Deleted "securing additional" and                                                                       
     added "stationing."                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
       Page 3, line 23-25: Deleted "and stationing those                                                                        
     assets?establishing new water reservoirs?existing."                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:51:38 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE    HOLLAND,    as     prime    sponsor,    thanked                                                               
Representatives Hall and  Ruffridge, as well as  their staff, for                                                               
their support and involvement on Version G.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
9:52:13 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX  asked  about tabletop  drills  and  whether                                                               
there is adequate time to accomplish this.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HOLLAND   said  the  new  language   attempts  to                                                               
accommodate that point by removing the May 1, 2025, deadline.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:55:03 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PRAX commented  on the  importance of  increasing                                                               
preparedness in each  member's respective district.    He removed                                                               
his objection.   There being no further objection,  Version G was                                                               
adopted.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:56:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The committee took a brief at-ease at 9:57 a.m.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
9:57:01 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  MEARS moved  to report  CSHJR 15,  Version 34-LS0726\G,                                                               
Dunmire,    4/6/25,   out    of    committee   with    individual                                                               
recommendations and  the accompanying fiscal notes.   There being                                                               
no  objection,  CSHJR  15(CRA)  was reported  out  of  the  House                                                               
Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.