04/26/1994 09:02 AM Senate CRA

 The next order of business to come before the committee was  SB 375           
 (GENERAL GRANT LAND ENTITLEMENTS).  SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS stated             
 testimony would be taken over the Legislative Teleconference                  
 Network.                                                                      
                                                                               
 Number 355                                                                    
                                                                               
 GEORGE WAGNER, Vice Chair, Denali Borough Planning Committee,                 
 related that the planning committee has been directed by the                  
 borough assembly to formulate a comprehensive land use plan for the           
 borough, as well as to identify specific lands and related criteria           
 for municipal entitlement lands as provided for in statute.  He               
 stated the Denali Borough's strong support for SB 375.                        
                                                                               
 Number 368                                                                    
                                                                               
 DOUG BRADDOCK, representing the Fairbanks North Star Borough,                 
 voiced their support for the passage of SB 375.  The borough has              
 been very aggressive in developing a plan to not only increase the            
 local tax base, but also to generate revenue for the borough, which           
 they believe is especially important with the proposed cuts to                
 state revenue sharing and assistance to local governments.                    
                                                                               
 Number 380                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR ADAMS asked if the Fairbanks North Star Borough has an                
 economic plan they can utilize if SB 375 passes.  DOUG BRADDOCK               
 replied that they are in the process of putting together what they            
 have been calling a business plan for the management of their                 
 entitlement lands, but it is not yet complete.  However, if the               
 bill passes they would include that 58,000 acres of land in their             
 plan.                                                                         
                                                                               
 Number 388                                                                    
 KEITH QUINTAVELL, representing the North Slope Borough, said the              
 borough endorses a proposal that would be the most equitable to               
 Alaska's municipalities.  SB 375 would establish a single simple              
 formula for municipal land entitlement which is applicable to all             
 cities, boroughs and unified municipalities; it would return to the           
 Legislature, not the Division of Lands, the authority for                     
 designating which lands are of such paramount importance to                   
 statewide interest that they should not be made available for                 
 economic development by municipalities, but should be designated as           
 state parks; and it would delete the certification deadlines,                 
 vesting dates, and application deadlines currently contained in               
 statute.                                                                      
                                                                               
 Number 425                                                                    
                                                                               
 JEFF PARKER, Anchorage Fish & Game Advisory Committee, stated the             
 committee opposes SB 375 for the same reasons it opposes HB 259.              
 There is no information that supports the 10 percent figure, or any           
 other figure.  There is concern with the redefinition of VUU lands            
 in that it eliminates from the present statutes the provisions that           
 effectively require that if land is classified in the DNR land use            
 planning process as habitat it is not available for selection.                
 With passage of SB 375 the state will give away its most valuable             
 habitat and its most valuable lands for public use.                           
                                                                               
 Number 466                                                                    
                                                                               
 RON SWANSON, Director, Division of Land, Department of Natural                
 Resources, stated the department does not support SB 375 because              
 they do not believe it is equitable to grant land entitlements                
 based on a formula.  The department also does not support the                 
 elimination of the definition of VUU, which, he said, basically               
 throws the land use planning process in chaos.  He added that if              
 the committee decides to move the bill, he has some amendments he             
 would like the committee consider.                                            
                                                                               
 Number 490                                                                    
                                                                               
 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS asked if there was any support to combine HB
 and SB 375.  It was agreed to by the members that each bill be            
 dealt with separately.                                                        
                                                                               
 Number 500                                                                    
                                                                               
 RON SWANSON outlined the department's proposed amendments to SB
:                                                                          
                                                                               
  (1)  Delete the term "Vacant, Unappropriated, Unreserved"                    
 wherever it occurs in the bill and insert "state general grant                
 land" in its place.                                                           
                                                                               
  (2)  Delete Section 6 in its entirety.  The section basically                
 orders the director to rescind conveyances that were made to land             
 that was not Vacant, Unappropriated, Unreserved.  Once land has               
 been conveyed to a municipality, the director has absolutely no               
 authority to rescind that conveyance.                                         
                                                                               
  (3)  Amend Section 7 to eliminate the requirement for the                    
 director to approve or disapprove each selection for patent within            
 nine months of its selection by a municipality, because it would              
 create an unreal workload on the Division of Land.                            
                                                                               
  (4) If VUU is eliminated, the definition of "general grant                   
 land" needs to be changed in Section 10.                                      
                                                                               
 There being no other witnesses to testify on SB 375, SENATOR RANDY            
 PHILLIPS stated the bill and the proposed amendments would be back            
 before the committee at its next meeting.