02/07/2001 01:13 PM House RES

SCR  1-AVALANCHE AWARENESS MONTH                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MASEK  announced that the  first order of  business would                                                              
be CS  FOR SENATE  CONCURRENT RESOLUTION  NO. 1(RLS),  Relating to                                                              
Avalanche Awareness Month.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Number 0173                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  McGUIRE   moved  that  the  committee   adopt  the                                                              
proposed  House  committee substitute  (CS)  labeled  22-LS0335\J,                                                              
Utermohle,  1/31/01,   as  the  work   draft.    There   being  no                                                              
objection, HCS CSSCR 1, version J, was before the committee.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JERRY  BURNETT,  Staff  to Senator  Green,  read  Senator  Green's                                                              
sponsor statement as follows:                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska is  avalanche country.   Each year Alaskans  lose                                                                   
     their  lives as  a result  of  avalanches.   One of  the                                                                   
     worst  years was  1999, when  14 people  were killed  by                                                                   
     avalanches  in Alaska.   While often  little or  nothing                                                                   
     can be done  to prevent the occurrence of  an avalanche,                                                                   
     much  can be  done  to prevent  the  loss  of life  from                                                                   
     avalanches.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Senate Concurrent  Resolution 1 would  proclaim November                                                                   
     2001   as    "Avalanche   Awareness   Month."       This                                                                   
     proclamation   will  raise   public  awareness  of   the                                                                   
     hazards    associated   with    avalanches,   and    the                                                                   
     opportunities   to  participate   in  avalanche   safety                                                                   
     training  at  the  beginning of  the  winter  recreation                                                                   
     season.    It  is hoped  that  public  participation  in                                                                   
     avalanche  safety programs  will be  increased and  that                                                                   
     this  increased  participation   will  result  in  saved                                                                   
     lives during the winter.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     The  need  for  this  resolution   was  brought  to  our                                                                   
     attention   by  the   Backcountry  Avalanche   Awareness                                                                   
     Response Team (BAART).                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. BURNETT  noted that  [the sponsor]  has reviewed the  proposed                                                              
HCS.   He said  that he understood  the HCS  to simply  expand the                                                              
number  of agencies  and people  to whom the  resolution is  being                                                              
sent.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Number 0365                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  MASEK  requested that  Mr.  Burnett review  the  changes                                                              
that the HCS encompasses.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR. BURNETT reiterated  that the HCS simply expands  the number of                                                              
agencies and  people to whom  the resolution  is being sent.   The                                                              
HCS is now being  sent to "the mayors, chiefs of  police, and fire                                                              
chiefs  of the  Municipality of  Anchorage,  Fairbanks North  Star                                                              
Borough,  Haines Borough,  City and Borough  of Juneau,  Ketchikan                                                              
Gateway    Borough,    Matanuska-Susitna   Borough,    City    and                                                              
Borough  of Sitka,  City of Cordova,  City of  Fairbanks,  City of                                                              
Haines, City of  Palmer, City of Petersburg, City  of Seward, City                                                              
of  Skagway,  City  of  Valdez,   and  City  of  Wasilla;  to  the                                                              
operators  of the  ski areas  at  Eaglecrest, Alyeska,  Alpenglow,                                                              
Hilltop, Cleary Summit,  and Cordova Ski Hill;  and to legislative                                                              
communication offices for statewide distribution."                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GREEN  asked  if  there is  any  other  [awareness                                                              
issue] that would fall under the month of November.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. BURNETT  replied yes.  He  specified that last  November there                                                              
were some [issues] that were recognized.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Number 0500                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   KERTTULA   thanked   the  sponsor's   staff   for                                                              
including Bill Glude,  Southeast Alaska Avalanche  Center, as they                                                              
play an important part in this.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR MASEK  remarked that  this is a  needed resolution.   She                                                              
noted that  recently two men  lost their  lives in Eureka  [due to                                                              
an avalanche].                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0580                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  McGUIRE  moved  to  report  HCS  CSSCR  1  out  of                                                              
committee  with individual  recommendations  and the  accompanying                                                              
zero fiscal  note.   There being no  objections, HCS  CSSCR 1(RES)                                                              
was reported from the House Resources Standing Committee.