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  2,   lines  27-31  of   version  I:   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."                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 24-25 of  version G: Added ", with special                                                                    
     attention  to   single-access  routes  to"   to  better                                                                    
     encompass firefighting response goals.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3,  line 17 of  version I: Deleted "before  May 1,                                                                    
     2025."                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
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.