02/15/2011 01:00 PM House TRANSPORTATION

         SJR 6-JT. PACIFIC ALASKA RANGE COMPLEX CHANGES                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:07:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P. WILSON announced that  the first order of business would                                                               
be SENATE JOINT  RESOLUTION NO. 6, Urging the  United States Army                                                               
and United States  Air Force to extend the  public comment period                                                               
for  the Joint  Pacific  Alaska Range  Complex Modernization  and                                                               
Enhancement  Environmental Impact  Statement  that ends  February                                                               
18,  2011, for  a  minimum  of 90  days  to  allow for  effective                                                               
communication  and full  state and  user  involvement during  the                                                               
comment period.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:07:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DAVID   SCOTT,  Staff,   Senator  Donny   Olson,  Chair,   Senate                                                               
Transportation  Committee, Alaska  State Legislature,  ,on behalf                                                               
of  the  Senate  Transportation Committee,  sponsor,  chaired  by                                                               
Senator Olson, related  that this resolution urges  the U.S. Army                                                               
and the  U.S. Air Force (USAF)  to extend the comment  period for                                                               
the Joint Pacific Alaska Range  Complex (JPARC) modernization and                                                               
enhancement environmental  impact statement (EIS).   He explained                                                               
that JPARC  reduces the  standard flight "floor"  of 5,000  to as                                                               
low as 500  feet.  Military training typically  takes place above                                                               
5,000 feet  but this training  is for  low flight training.   The                                                               
Air Carriers  Association and the Alaska  Aviation Advisory Board                                                               
approached   Senator  Olson   because   of   his  long   standing                                                               
involvement in the aviation industry.   Originally the resolution                                                               
asked for  a 90 day extension  to the public comment  period, but                                                               
this resolution reduces  that extension to 30 days.   In response                                                               
to Chair P.  Wilson, he affirmed the two branches  of service are                                                               
the USAF and U.S. Army.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:10:44 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  P. WILSON  related her  understanding  the military  needs                                                               
additional air  space, that Alaska's  airspace is  less occupied,                                                               
plus  the  military  in  interested in  low  flying  flights  for                                                               
training purposes.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SCOTT related  that the  sponsor  recognizes the  military's                                                               
needs,  the  training  is  vitally  important,  and  the  sponsor                                                               
supports aviation.   This resolution would allow  citizens in the                                                               
affected area to  have an expanded comment period.   The original                                                               
comment period began  on December 10, 2010 but  the Air Carrier's                                                               
Association representative indicated the  first JPARC meeting was                                                               
held on January 6, 2011, just prior to session.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:12:13 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ asked whether  any alternate sites are under                                                               
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. SCOTT  answered several sites  are under  consideration, with                                                               
most  of  the  sites  located  south  of  Fairbanks  and  in  the                                                               
Matanuska-Susitna valley.  He did  not believe any training would                                                               
occur in Southeast Alaska.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:12:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG asked  whether  the  military would  be                                                               
testifying.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SCOTT indicated  the  military did  not  respond during  the                                                               
Senate  Transportation hearings.  He offered  that he  spoke with                                                               
General Atkins  and his  subordinates, but  they made  a decision                                                               
hot to not testify.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked if notified of this hearing.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. SCOTT answered no.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P.  WILSON related if  the military is following  the issue                                                               
that staff would be aware of today's hearing.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:13:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE PETERSEN recalled hearing  testimony on this issue                                                               
in  another  hearing.   He  related  his understanding  that  the                                                               
military would  like to be  able to train  some pilots to  fly at                                                               
lower  level altitudes  which is  not  feasible in  the Lower  48                                                               
since  the population  density is  much higher  in the  Lower 48.                                                               
Thus, Alaska is  considered a good location for  the low altitude                                                               
flight training due to its low density population.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
1:14:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MIKE  MORGAN,  Board  Member, Alaska  Air  Carriers  Association,                                                               
Director of  Operations; Warbelows Air Ventures,  stated that the                                                               
main  issue for  the air  carriers is  a concern  over access  to                                                               
several villages  within the military  operations area  (MOA) and                                                               
the   effect   of   the   proposed   scoping   changes   on   air                                                               
transportation.   Several significant safety issues  have created                                                               
conflicts  with airline  traffic.   Therefore, the  parties would                                                               
like a 30-day extension to  allow the Native community and others                                                               
to comment  on the planned scoping  phase by the JPARC  since the                                                               
comment  period ends  on Friday,  February 18,  2011.   He stated                                                               
that U.S. Senator Begich is  meeting with the Alaska Air Carriers                                                               
Association Board on  this subject.  He offered his  belief it is                                                               
possible to accommodate the military  but that the parties simply                                                               
need more  time to discuss the  issues.  He attended  the January                                                               
6, 2011 JPARC meeting at Eielson  AFB, but he recalled the public                                                               
was  basically told,  "This  is  the way  it's  going  to be  and                                                               
comments  are  welcome but  they're  not  going to  change  their                                                               
mind."    He  reported  he  held  conversations  with  the  newly                                                               
appointed Deputy  Commissioner of Department of  Transportation &                                                               
Public Facilities  (DOT&PF) and  it seems  that the  air carriers                                                               
and DOT&PF are "not on the same  page."  He stressed that the air                                                               
carriers would  like an additional  30 days  in order to  get the                                                               
communities involved,  including the hunters, and  private pilots                                                               
who fly  in these areas.   He expressed concern for  their safety                                                               
and economic  impact as the pilots  need to fly out  of their way                                                               
and  use  additional fuel  to  avoid  the  restricted area.    He                                                               
concluded  by reiterating  his belief  that the  military can  be                                                               
accommodated if the issue is  discussed "with the right people in                                                               
the room in the planning stages."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:17:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FEIGE  asked  what   kind  of  changes  would  be                                                               
necessary on the north end of the Yukon MOA.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORGAN  responded that  three villages:  Chalkyitsik, Circle,                                                               
and Central  have restricted access  for air  transportation when                                                               
the MOAs  are active.   Currently,  the air  carriers can  fly to                                                               
anytime  using visual  flight rules  (VFR)  but during  inclement                                                               
weather  instrument flight  rules (IFR)  rules are  used and  the                                                               
carriers  cannot obtain  clearance through  MOA.   Technology now                                                               
allows  for global  positioning system  (GPS) approaches  and GPS                                                               
enroute for point-to-point flights.   Several villages would have                                                               
safer  and  more  reliable transportation  services  if  the  MOA                                                               
borders were  rearranged 15  to 20  miles.   He pointed  out that                                                               
once MOAs  are in  place they  tend to stay  in place  forever so                                                               
this is  an ideal time to  work with the military  to accommodate                                                               
them and address the changing  transportation infrastructure.  He                                                               
related his understanding that if  the military needs to bring in                                                               
pilots  from the  Lower 48,  they will  need additional  training                                                               
room.   Currently, MOAs exist  that encompass large areas of land                                                               
suitable for  low flights.   He personally  recalled that  on one                                                               
occasion  about seven  years  ago  an aircraft  was  in a  flight                                                               
pattern  in Central  when two  jets came  screaming in  below the                                                               
airliner at about 400 feet altitude.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORGAN said  he would  like to  address incidents  like this                                                               
one, and still keep corridors  for civil transportation open.  He                                                               
offered  his belief  that if  he could  discuss matters  with the                                                               
USAF planning  staff "we  could make this  work."   He reiterated                                                               
that once rules are in place they seem to stay forever.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:20:16 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE  asked whether the three  villages currently                                                               
have GPS approaches.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORGAN  answered that Chalkyitsik  does have  GPS approaches.                                                               
He recalled  that Chalkyitsik  is located  only two  miles inside                                                               
the  MOA.   He  predicted  that  before  long all  villages  with                                                               
airports will have GPS approaches.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FEIGE  wondered  what altitude  is  necessary  to                                                               
raise the floor to allow for IFR traffic to pass below it.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. MORGAN answered  in Chalkyitsik the ceiling  could be lowered                                                               
3,000 to 4,000  feet, but that Circle and  Central have mountains                                                               
surrounding them so  the minimum altitude would need  to be about                                                               
8,000 to  9,000 feet.   He also  expressed concern for  access to                                                               
another  village,  the  village  of Eagle  using  IFR  except  by                                                               
passing through the  MOA.  He proposed that an  IFR corridor from                                                               
8,000 to  10,000 thousand feet  be established, which  would also                                                               
solve Eagle's problem, he said.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:21:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  MORGAN,  in response  to  Chair  Wilson, answered  that  one                                                               
problem  is airline  schedules  are posted  in  advance, but  the                                                               
military needs  the flexibility to  adjust its  practice sessions                                                               
and may not want to commit to  certain times.  He said he thought                                                               
this point  could be negotiated.   He advised that this  MOA plan                                                               
is an entirely  new proposal.  He remarked he  was unaware of any                                                               
place in  the country  where an  IFR corridor  is approved  for a                                                               
MOA.   He also said that  "we're kind of thinking  outside of the                                                               
box trying to solve both problems."                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:22:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GRUENBERG  related   that  both  testifiers  have                                                               
helped put  the issue in  perspective for  him.  He  recalled the                                                               
Council of  State Governments (CSG)  has considered a new  law in                                                               
Kansas to  encourage the military  to work with  local government                                                               
and  to  have  a  continuing  open line  of  communication.    He                                                               
expressed concern that Alaska does  not have something similar in                                                               
place.  He summarized his  understand is that the military hasn't                                                               
engaged in  any real  dialogue or expressed  a willingness  to do                                                               
so.  Additionally,  the military has not  participated in today's                                                               
hearing.     He suggested  that  the sponsor  consider adding  an                                                               
additional whereas  and an additional resolved  clause to address                                                               
the  legislature's concern  about a  need for  improved dialogue.                                                               
He said he hopes that something could be done.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P.  WILSON pointed  out the time  limit for  public comment                                                               
will  close on  Friday so  the committee  will not  have time  to                                                               
address this issue in this body and also obtain concurrence.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:24:53 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REX GOOLSBY  related that he  works for the University  of Alaska                                                               
but is testifying  today as a private pilot.   He agreed that the                                                               
extension is  necessary to  allow for more  time to  consider the                                                               
MOAs.   He also echoed earlier  testimony that once the  MOAs are                                                               
in place little can be done to  change or modify them.  He wanted                                                               
to round up other people interested  in this issue to attend this                                                               
hearing, but  many of the people  who also wanted to  weigh in on                                                               
this issue are out flying today.   He stressed that this issue is                                                               
very important.   He  recollected five or  six instances  of near                                                               
misses in air  traffic with the military training.   He related a                                                               
scenario in which  last August during red  flag exercises several                                                               
incidents  occurred with  tourism flights.   Although  complaints                                                               
were  lodged in  those instances  nothing seemed  to change.   He                                                               
offered  his belief  that the  issues need  to be  aired and  the                                                               
matter needs extra time to allow  for open discussions.  He liked                                                               
the suggestion  of "opening the  channel of dialogue"  along with                                                               
obtaining responses to concerns to resolve the matter.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:27:33 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR P.  WILSON, after first  determining no one else  wished to                                                               
testify, closed public testimony on SJR 6.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   GRUENBERG  suggested   a  separate   measure  be                                                               
considered to address ongoing communications with the military.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE MUNOZ moved to report  SJR 6 out of committee with                                                               
individual recommendations  and the  attached zero  fiscal notes.                                                               
There  being no  objection, SJR  6  was reported  from the  House                                                               
Transportation Standing Committee.