03/07/2014 01:30 PM Senate JUDICIARY

          SCR  2-ACQUIRE TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST LAND                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR   COGHILL  reconvened   the   meeting   and  announced   the                                                              
consideration  of SCR  2. "Urging  the United  States Congress  to                                                              
act  on the  request  of the  governor to  acquire  for the  state                                                              
additional  land in the  Tongass National  Forest from  the United                                                              
States  government  by  purchase  or  negotiation  or  by  seeking                                                              
amendment  to  the  Alaska  Statehood Act."  This  was  the  third                                                              
hearing and there was a new committee substitute (CS).                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:46:02 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DYSON  moved to adopt CS  for SCR 2,  labeled 28-LS0676\N,                                                              
as the working document.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COGHILL objected for purposes of an explanation.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:46:53 PM                                                                                                                    
CHRISTIE  JAMIESON,  Staff,  Senator Bert  Stedman,  Alaska  State                                                              
Legislature,  Juneau, Alaska,  stated  that the  changes found  in                                                              
Version U of SCR  2 were agreed upon with DNR.  She noted that the                                                              
Alaska  Forest   Association  and   legislative  research   helped                                                              
prepare answers  to nine questions the Senate  Judiciary Committee                                                              
asked and they were provided to the committee on 2/17/14.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
She described the changes found in Version N.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
   · Page  1, lines  1-4, urge  the U.S.  Congress to  act on  the                                                              
     request of the governor to acquire for the state additional                                                                
     land in the Tongass National Forest.                                                                                       
   · Page 2,  line 1,  the language following  the word  "Act" was                                                              
     amended and now reads "have not yet been conveyed".                                                                        
   · Page  3,   lines  2-3,  the  language   following  "Southeast                                                              
     Alaska," was amended and now reads "it is time for the                                                                     
     United States Congress to act on the governor's request to                                                                 
    acquire additional land in the Tongass National Forest".                                                                    
   · Page 3,  line 8, the  language following "400,000  acres" was                                                              
     amended and now reads "with the intention of preserving                                                                    
     timber for federal long-term sales".                                                                                       
   · Page  3, line  12, the word  "select" was  replaced with  the                                                              
     word "acquire".                                                                                                            
   · Page  3,  line  13, following  "forest"  the  words  "without                                                              
     being limited to using that land for recreation and                                                                        
     community expansion" was deleted.                                                                                          
   · Page  3, lines  16-17,  the words  "governor  to either"  was                                                              
     deleted and language was inserted that reads "United States                                                                
     Congress to Act [sic] on the governor's request to".                                                                       
   · Page  3, line  19, the phrase  "state fails  to acquire"  was                                                              
    replaced with "United States Congress fails to convey".                                                                     
   · Page 3,  line 26,  the name "Ken  Salazar" was  replaced with                                                              
     "Sally Jewell".                                                                                                            
   · Page   3,  line   27,  following   "Interior;"  insert   "the                                                              
     Honorable Tom Vilsack".                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:53:01 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR COGHILL removed his objection and Version N was adopted.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
1:53:34 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR DYSON moved to report CS for SCR 2, Version N, from                                                                     
committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal                                                                   
note(s.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR COGHILL announced that without objection CSSCR 2(JUD)                                                                     
moved from the Senate Judiciary Standing Committee.