Legislature(2025 - 2026)BARNES 124
04/07/2025 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB47 | |
| Presentation(s): Megaproject Risk Mitigation | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | SB 47 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
SB 47-CHUGACH STATE PARK EASEMENTS
1:02:30 PM
CO-CHAIR BURKE announced that the first order of business would
be CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 47(RES) "An Act relating to Chugach
State Park; and providing for an effective date."
1:02:53 PM
SENATOR CATHY GIESSEL, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, presented CSSB 47(RES). She paraphrased from the
sponsor statement [included in the committee packet], which read
as follows [original punctuation provided]:
Chugach State Park hosts 1.5 million visitors annually
more than Denali National Park and most of the
road traffic leading to the park originates from
outside of the Anchorage Hillside neighborhood. The
roads that provide access to the park, including the
Glen Alps and Upper DeArmoun/Canyon Road corridors are
in need of significant upgrades. In 2023, Anchorage
residents voted to establish the Chugach State Park
Access Service Area (CASA), which includes the
Anchorage Bowl, creating the first mechanism for
financing capital upgrades to roads leading to Chugach
State Park. In 2024, Anchorage voters approved a $4
million bond to fund much needed improvements to
Canyon Road, which is in poor condition. This project
involves pacing and drainage for about 0.6 miles of
the road, extending to the park boundary. About half
of this section lies within Chugach State Park, and
because the municipality cannot bond for improvements
on state-owned land, those portions fall outside the
scope of the bond.
To address this, SB 47 reinforces existing statutes
designating the Department of Transportation and
Public Facilities (DOT&PF) as the agency responsible
for maintaining public roads within Chugach State
Park. This ensures DOT&PF will continue managing the
maintenance of roads that provide access to this
important state resource. Additionally, the bill
grants the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) the
authority to grant easements or rights-of-ways within
Chugach State Park to municipalities. This provision
allows municipalities to improve access to the park,
provided they meet certain requirements. Before
granting any easements, the DNR commissioner must
provide public notice and hold hearings. If an
easement is granted, responsibility for maintaining
and repairing the road will shift from the state to
the municipality.
By allowing municipalities to assume responsibility
for certain infrastructure improvements, SB 47
provides the flexibility needed to support upgrades
that will increase safety, access, and overall public
enjoyment of Chugach State Park. It creates a pathway
for municipalities to invest in and maintain key
resources within their community, improving access to
trailheads and other park features.
1:07:42 PM
ROGER MARKS, Board of Supervisors, Glen Alps Road Service Area,
explained that road service areas (RSA) can be thought of as
small, independent districts on the hillside that manage area
road maintenance (e.g. road repair, grading, drainage, and snow
removal for a particular area). There are roughly 20 of these,
and they are paid for by area property taxes. He explained that
RCAs were set up to decentralize snow removal. He pointed out
that elevation changes result in a variety of microclimates in
the area and decentralized snow removal has been effective. He
said that the roads in this RSA lead to the Glen Alps and Rabbit
Lake trail heads - which are among the most utilized in the
park. He explained that most of the traffic in this RSA
originates outside of the RSA, passing through it to reach the
trailheads. This traffic is the leading cause of road
depreciation. He said that the Anchorage municipality is not
able to bond on roads within the park. Few residents and a low
tax base have resulted in an inability to cover the costs of the
capital upgrades, which he estimates at millions of dollars. He
said that in 2023, a service area was created to finance
infrastructure for access through the park. In 2024, Anchorage
voters voted for a bond to finance upgrades to Canyon Road. He
stated that the road is in terrible shape. However, the bond
cannot be applied to park assets; therefore, the municipality is
seeking an easement from the state. He emphasized the
importance of maintaining the roads to ensure safety.
1:12:28 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE sought to confirm that the road would be
maintained by the Limited Road Service Area (LRSA).
MR. MARKS affirmed.
REPRESENATIVE COULOMBE asked whether the maintenance would be
perpetual.
MR. MARKS answered yes, in perpetuity.
1:13:23 PM
CO-CHAIR BURKE open public testimony. After ascertaining that
no one wished to testify, she closed public testimony.
1:13:48 PM
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked what would happen if the
municipality doesn't want to [maintain] it anymore.
SENATOR GIESSEL said that is not an issue of concern for the
municipality. She reiterated that [maintenance] would be in
perpetuity.
REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked whether the municipality could use
this to request the takeover of any [municipal] road.
SENATOR GIESSEL referenced page 1, line 6, and clarified that
the language is specific to Chugach State Park, adding that this
location is unique.
1:15:33 PM
CO-CHAIR DIBERT asked whether the bill would help with similar
situations, in Fairbanks, for example.
SENATOR GIESSEL reiterated that the bill is specific to Chugach
State Park.
1:16:16 PM
RICKY GEASE, Director, Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation,
Alaska Department of Natural Resources, in response to Co-Chair
Dibert, confirmed that the bill is specific to Chugach State
Park; however, if it proved to be successful, legislation could
be enacted in the future for other locations in the state park
system.
1:17:04 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked whether there are other geographic
situations like this for other parks in the state.
MR. GEASE reiterated that [the intersection of municipal road
with state park] in this specific instance is unique. Other
instances of Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
(DT&PF) road responsibilities in state parks are specific to
Chugach State Park and the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
1:18:07 PM
The committee took a brief at-ease at 1:18 p.m.
1:19:17 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS moved to report CSSB 47(RES) out of
committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying
fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSSB 47(RES) was
reported out of the House Resources Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Pegasus-Report-2019-04-15.pdf |
HRES 4/7/2025 1:00:00 PM |
Megaproject Risk Mitigation |
| SB 47 supporting docs packet H RES 4.7.25.pdf |
HRES 4/7/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 47 |
| Pegasus Alaska LNG-Megaproject.pdf |
HRES 4/7/2025 1:00:00 PM |
Megaproject Risk Mitigation |
| Susan A SB 47 written testimony H RES 4.7.25_Redacted.pdf |
HRES 4/7/2025 1:00:00 PM |
SB 47 |