03/26/2010 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

        SB 195-MAKE GOLDSTREAM PUBLIC USE AREA PERMANENT                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:09:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON announced that the next order of business is                                                                   
SENATE BILL NO. 195, "An Act relating to the repeal of the                                                                      
establishment of the Goldstream Public Use Area."                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR JOE THOMAS, Alaska State  Legislature, sponsor of SB 195,                                                               
explained  that  the  bill's  purpose is  to  remove  the  sunset                                                               
provision from  the Goldstream Public  Use Area.   He paraphrased                                                               
from the following written sponsor statement:                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     The Goldstream  Public use Area  (GPUA) was  created in                                                                    
     1990  by Senator  Bettye Fahrenkamp  and Representative                                                                    
     Mike  Davis  in  order  to  preserve  the  recreational                                                                    
     opportunities, traditional  uses and atmosphere  of the                                                                    
     local  neighborhoods.   The GPUA  is set  to sunset  on                                                                    
     July 1st, 2010, unless SB 195 is passed this session.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     The GPUA  encompasses a patchwork of  nearly 2000 acres                                                                    
     of  state land  bordered  by Sheep  Creek  Road to  the                                                                    
     west,  Goldstream  Road to  the  north  and the  Steese                                                                    
     Highway to  the east.   The  GPUA is  home to  an ever-                                                                    
     growing  network of  trails that  connect users  to the                                                                    
     Chatanika  River Valley,  the White  Mountains and  the                                                                    
     Fairbanks area,  all from a  central location  close to                                                                    
     Fairbanks'  population base.    The  GPUA is  passively                                                                    
     managed by the  state and the trails  are maintained by                                                                    
     volunteers at no cost to the taxpayers.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     All  uses are  allowed  in  the area  and  the GPUA  is                                                                    
     utilized   year  round   by   a   variety  of   outdoor                                                                    
     enthusiasts and families.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     The  repeal of  the  GPUA's sunset  clause is  actively                                                                    
     supported  by the  Alaska Outdoor  Council, Alaska  Dog                                                                    
     Mushing Association, Alaska  Miners Association, Nordic                                                                    
     Ski  Club of  Fairbanks, Alaska  Trapper's Association,                                                                    
     Alaska Skijoring  and Pulk Association,  Fairbanks Snow                                                                    
     Travelers,  Northern Area  State Parks  Advisory Board,                                                                    
     Fairbanks  North Star  Borough  Trails Advisory  Board,                                                                    
     Alaska Trails, Interior  trails Preservation Coalition,                                                                    
      Interior Alaska Land Trust, Arctic Audubon Society,                                                                       
     and the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THOMAS further  noted that  nearly 200  individuals have                                                               
written letters of support.  He  said the companion bill, HB 250,                                                               
is  sponsored  by  Representatives  Kelly  and  Guttenberg.    He                                                               
thanked  his constituents,  Richard  and Mary  Bishop, for  their                                                               
support and  hard work  for the Goldstream  Public Use  Area over                                                               
the years.   Mr.  Bishop was  the original  impetus for  the GPUA                                                               
back in  1989 and is  the person  who alerted legislators  of the                                                               
area's impeding sunset.  He asked for the committee's support.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:12:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  NEUMAN said  he likes  that this  is a  multi-use trail                                                               
open to all user groups.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  THOMAS, in  response to  Representative  Tuck, said  the                                                               
GPUA encompasses all  of the various areas shown  within the blue                                                               
lines depicted  on the map in  the committee packet.   In further                                                               
response, he agreed that the various areas are not contiguous.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON  pointed out that  the title states the  bill is                                                               
an  Act relating  to the  repeal  of the  "establishment" of  the                                                               
Goldstream Public  Use Area rather  than repeal of  the "sunset".                                                               
He asked whether the sponsor is comfortable with that.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS  responded he did  not write the title  and agreed                                                               
it should be  looked at because the title should  reflect what is                                                               
being done, which is a repeal of the public use area's sunset.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:14:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR NEUMAN said  that perhaps a title  change is unnecessary                                                               
if the  repeal referenced in  Section 1 of  SB 195 is  the sunset                                                               
clause.  He stated he does not  want to make the mistake of doing                                                               
away with the Goldstream Public Use Area.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS agreed and said  he will talk to Legislative Legal                                                               
and Research Services.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON stated  for the record that the  intention is to                                                               
repeal the sunset  date, not the establishment  of the Goldstream                                                               
Public Use Area.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR THOMAS, in response to  Representative Guttenberg and Co-                                                               
Chair Johnson, said  he has Version R of the  bill before him and                                                               
he has  previously verified  that Section 2,  chapter 48,  is the                                                               
sunset clause and that is what would be repealed by SB 195.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:16:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON opened public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
JENNIFER  YUHAS,  Public   Communications  Director,  Legislative                                                               
Liaison, Alaska Department  of Fish & Game, spoke in  favor of SB
 as follows:                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Goldstream Public Use  Area is a model that  works.  It                                                                    
     serves our user  base, consumptive and non-consumptive,                                                                    
     motorized  and non-motorized,  and this  is a  model we                                                                    
     would like to see used  more often.  The users involved                                                                    
     in the  original creation of this  area were inclusive.                                                                    
     They focused on issues that  matter to all of the users                                                                    
     and, unlike  other shared-use areas,  we really  do not                                                                    
     see  contentious  arguments   over  superfluous  issues                                                                    
     here.  What we see is a benefit to all of our users.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR NEUMAN presumed  the Alaska Department of  Fish & Game's                                                               
intent is to continue the  multiple uses of the Goldstream Public                                                               
Use  Area.   He  inquired whether  she has  had  heard about  any                                                               
changes in this regard.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MS. YUHAS replied she has not.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE P.  WILSON said  she thinks it  is nifty  that the                                                               
state passively manages the area because volunteers keep it up.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON  noted people are proud  of that area and  he is                                                               
happy to see this.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:19:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SHIRLEY LISS  said she has  been a Fairbanks resident  since 1970                                                               
and has used the Goldstream Public  Use Area ever since.  She put                                                               
in some of the trails and did  a lot of the trail maintenance and                                                               
is glad to hear  that it looks like SB 195 is going  to pass.  If                                                               
anything, she would like to see the area expanded.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MALCOLM MCEWEN  stated he  supports SB 195  and is  encouraged by                                                               
the members' testimony  in support of the bill.   He has used the                                                               
trails since  1985 for cycling,  skijoring, and  photography, and                                                               
he  sees other  people using  the  trails for  dog mushing,  snow                                                               
machining,  and blueberry  picking.   He would  like to  see this                                                               
area stay a public use area.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON  closed public  testimony after  ascertaining no                                                               
one else wished to testify.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:20:59 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG stated he  has lived, skied, and mushed                                                               
dogs in this  area for 40 years  and the area is a  legacy of the                                                               
multi-users and the  ability to get along and work  together.  He                                                               
said repeal  of the  sunset clause is  a wonderful  thing because                                                               
the 100-mile-long loop that encircles  Fairbanks is a big part of                                                               
the community and people use it well and use it well together.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GUTTENBERG   moved  to  report  SB   195  out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
zero fiscal note.  There being  no objection, SB 195 was reported                                                               
from the House Resources Standing Committee.