04/19/2021 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

           SB 97-STATE LAND SALES AND LEASES; RIVERS                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:35:29 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR REVAK  announced the  consideration of  SENATE BILL  NO. 97                                                               
"An Act relating to state land;  relating to the authority of the                                                               
Department  of  Education and  Early  Development  to dispose  of                                                               
state  land;  relating to  the  authority  of the  Department  of                                                               
Transportation and  Public Facilities  to dispose of  state land;                                                               
relating to the authority of  the Department of Natural Resources                                                               
over  certain state  land; relating  to the  state land  disposal                                                               
income fund; relating  to the leasing and sale of  state land for                                                               
commercial  development;  repealing establishment  of  recreation                                                               
rivers  and  recreation river  corridors;  and  providing for  an                                                               
effective date."                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
He asked  Marty Parsons to provide  a brief overview of  the bill                                                               
before the committee considered a committee substitute (CS).                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:35:57 PM                                                                                                                    
MARTY  PARSONS, Director,  Division of  Mining, Land,  and Water,                                                               
Department  of Natural  Resources,  Anchorage, Alaska,  presented                                                               
the changes in  the committee substitute for SB  97. The prepared                                                               
document read as follow:                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     1. Bill Title: New Language                                                                                                
        a. Delete portion of title pertaining to repealing                                                                      
          the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Management                                                                        
          Plan.                                                                                                                 
        b. Insert new title language pertaining to covenants                                                                    
          and restrictions on agricultural lands                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     2. Section 2: Clarification                                                                                                
        a. Clarifies the amendment to AS 19.30.080                                                                              
          (Construction  standards and  maintenance) related                                                                    
          to  the consistent  application of  municipal road                                                                    
          construction standards required  of the State when                                                                    
          building access roads.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     3. Section 13: Conforming                                                                                                  
        a. Removed unnecessary federal law references in                                                                        
          subsection (b).                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     4. Section 15 & Section 16: New Language                                                                                   
        a. The proposed amendments are intended to make                                                                         
          additional   agricultural   land   available   for                                                                    
          smaller producers and to  expand the definition of                                                                    
          agricultural purpose on parcels  20 acres or less.                                                                    
          The  additions   would  include   authorized  uses                                                                    
          (services)    that   support    the   agricultural                                                                    
          industry,  such as  a  farm  equipment and  repair                                                                    
          operation near the farms.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     5. Delete Sections 19 & 20 of previous bill version-A                                                                      
        a. Delete ?19 & ?20 pertaining to the repeal of the                                                                     
          Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Management Plan                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR.  PARSONS  explained that  Sections  19  and 20  were  removed                                                               
because the department believes  a more robust conversation among                                                               
a larger group  of stakeholders is needed before  any changes are                                                               
made.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:39:42 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR REVAK  agreed and  thanked the  Matanuska-Susitna Borough's                                                               
Fish  and Wildlife  Commission  for  its input.  He  asked for  a                                                               
motion to adopt the committee substitute (CS).                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:40:30 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MICCICHE moved  to adopt  the committee  substitute (CS)                                                               
for SB 97, work order 32-GS1634\I, as the working document.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:41:36 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR STEVENS asked  how much land the  Department of Education                                                               
and   Early   Development   (DEED)    and   the   Department   of                                                               
Transportation and  Public Facilities (DOTPF) have  that could be                                                               
available for sale under the bill.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:42:00 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. PARSONS replied DEED has very  little land, and most of it is                                                               
near villages  where small  parcels were  identified specifically                                                               
for  schools, whereas  DPTPF has  more that  it had  acquired for                                                               
specific  purposes but  he did  not know  how much.  He clarified                                                               
that the bill only allows these  agencies to dispose of land that                                                               
was acquired specifically for their purposes.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS thanked him for the information.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:43:46 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR KIEHL recalled legislation in  the past that attempted to                                                               
give  DOTPF  these  authorities  and  it  elicited  concerns.  He                                                               
posited that there would be  opportunities to give this a further                                                               
look as the bill moved through the process.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR REVAK noted the bill had a finance referral.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:44:15 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE  commented that the  changes that appear  in the                                                               
CS made a good bill better.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:45:05 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR REVAK removed his objection.  Finding no further objection,                                                               
version I was adopted.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:45:37 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MICCICHE  moved to report  the CS  for SB 97,  work order                                                               
32-GS1634\I, from  committee with individual  recommendations and                                                               
attached fiscal note(s).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:45:55 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  REVAK found  no objection  and CSSB  97(RES) was  reported                                                               
from the Senate Resources Standing Committee.