02/01/1999 03:18 PM Senate RES

           SB 12-FOREST PRACTICES: STREAMS/TRIBUTARIES                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN HALFORD announced SB 12 to be up for consideration.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JEFF JAHNKE, Director of the Division of Forestry and Presiding                                                                 
Officer for the Board of Forestry, stated that this is a good bill                                                              
resulting from a two-year effort to resolve some issues with the                                                                
Forest Practices Act in Region I.  It had broad support from all                                                                
segments of Alaskan society, including the Board of Forestry and                                                                
the three agencies, and was based on the best available science and                                                             
had public involvement in all its aspects. It provides additional                                                               
protection to the key water bodies in Alaska, is workable for the                                                               
timber industry, and has broad support.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 113                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
JACK PHELPS, Executive Director of the Alaska Forest Association,                                                               
noted his written statement saying the committee has seen the bill                                                              
before and knows why it's good policy.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if it said "area" or "difference?"                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. PHELPS replied, from an operational standpoint, we need it to                                                               
say "area," although the technical language problem was duly noted.                                                             
His second comment was that the forest industry agreed last year                                                                
after the Legislature failed to pass this legislation, to implement                                                             
the provisions of this law beginning with the current operating                                                                 
season.  No matter how quickly you act, given the 90-day effective                                                              
date issue, there is no way this would become law until the current                                                             
operating season is well in hand.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Number 148                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR moved to pass SB 12 from committee with individual                                                               
recommendations.  There were no objections and it was so ordered.