04/27/2004 08:11 AM House CRA

SJR 25-FLOODING AND EROSION CONTROL ASSISTANCE                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MORGAN announced  that the next order of  business would be                                                               
SENATE  JOINT  RESOLUTION  NO.   25,  Recommending  that  certain                                                               
federal funding  restrictions be eased  so that more  villages in                                                               
Alaska  would qualify  for assistance  relating  to flooding  and                                                               
erosion.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 0452                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR DONALD  OLSON, Alaska State  Legislature, sponsor  of SJR
, provided the following statements:                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     On  November  8,  2003,  a  winter  storm  hit  western                                                                    
     Alaska.    This  storm caused  considerable  damage  to                                                                    
     Unalakleet, Shishmaref, and  some of Nome's surrounding                                                                    
     areas.   While  the governor  had declared  a state  of                                                                    
     disaster because  of the  storm, the  continued effects                                                                    
     of the erosion on the  villages of Alaska are not being                                                                    
     solved by emergency disaster  declarations.  Because of                                                                    
     that we need help and  a coordinated effort by the Army                                                                    
     Corps  of  Engineers.   One  of  the difficulties  that                                                                    
     we've been facing  is that the Army  Corps of Engineers                                                                    
     has a cost  and benefit analysis for  projects in rural                                                                    
     Alaska.   SJR 25  is a  resolution requesting  that the                                                                    
     Army  Corps   of  Engineers  go  ahead   and  ease  the                                                                    
     restrictions  of the  cost-benefit  analysis for  these                                                                    
     projects.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     I  proposed   this  resolution  in  response   to  many                                                                    
     concerns   voiced   by    my   constituents   and   the                                                                    
     constituents in  other parts of  Alaska, outside  of my                                                                    
     district,  with  regard  to the  erosion  and  flooding                                                                    
     problems that plague rural Alaska.   Currently, many of                                                                    
     the  villages  in  western Alaska  and  throughout  the                                                                    
     state are  not receiving the assistance  needed for the                                                                    
     protection of life and property,  and because of that I                                                                    
     urge  your   support  for  this  resolution   to  focus                                                                    
     attention on this very serious matter.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MORGAN,  upon determining  there were  no questions  and no                                                               
one  wishing  to testify,  announced  that  public testimony  was                                                               
closed.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Number 0613                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ANDERSON moved  to report SJR 25  out of committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no objection,  SJR 25 was reported  from the                                                               
House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.