Legislature(2007 - 2008)BARNES 124
04/04/2007 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB132 | |
| HB176 | |
| HJR4 | |
| HB194 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 176 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 194 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 132 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HJR 4 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 176-CREATE FORT ROUSSEAU CAUSEWAY PARK 1:09:08 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 176, "An Act creating the Fort Rousseau Causeway State Historical Park." CO-CHAIR JOHNSON moved to adopt the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 176, Version 25-LS0181\E, Bullock, 3/28/07, as a work draft. There being no objection, Version E was before the committee. 1:10:01 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON requested an explanation of the changes between the proposed CS and the original bill. CLIFF STONE, Staff to Representative Peggy Wilson, Alaska State Legislature, explained that the Department of Natural Resources came to Representative Wilson's office with some minor changes to the cadastral survey that had originally been provided for the bill. The changes included adding the survey number and fine tuning the description of a couple of the lots. 1:10:55 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON inquired whether the change in the description materially affects the size of the state park. MR. STONE replied it does not. It is roughly 58 acres of upland only. 1:11:13 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO asked for a description of the causeway. MR. STONE explained that the causeway was created during World War II (WWII) when the military used rock and gravel to fill the areas between a series of small islands west of the then U.S. Navy's Sea Plane and Operating Base in Sitka, which is now a state airport. On each island there are concrete bunkers and magazine posts, most of which still exist today and are in fair condition. 1:12:46 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO inquired what the meaning of a historical park is. MR. STONE responded that it is simply a name that was chosen by the Sitka Trail Works. There was some debate as to whether to use historic or historical in the name. 1:13:18 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO asked whether Fort Rousseau is a park in the same sense that Yosemite National Park is a park. MR. STONE answered that it is. Some of the language for Fort Rousseau is the same language as for other state parks, such as Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park on Kodiak Island. 1:13:51 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO inquired what things would be off limits under park status that were previously okay. MICHAEL EBERHARDT, Superintendent, Southeast Area, Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), explained that a park designation withdraws the land from the roles of general state lands and puts it under management by the Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation. The land is then subject to all of the division's regulatory authority for general park lands and will be managed for the purposes established under the bill. 1:15:23 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO asked what is changed in regard to fishing, hunting, trapping, and snow machining. MR. EBERHARDT stated that the Sitka community is pushing hard for this park in order to protect the existing uses of camping and recreating and to enhance the historical aspect. None of the tidelands or submerged lands where there are fishing activities is included in the boundaries, and there is no upland game hunting on the causeway at this time. There should no conflict with hunting or fishing, he said, because during the public comment period there has been no mention of any conflicts with existing activities. 1:16:36 PM MR. STONE, in response to Representative Seaton, confirmed that the fiscal note of $16,800 would come from the general fund and the other expenses would be paid from other revenues. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON noted that installation of a dock is planned for fiscal year (FY) 2008 and that it would use $500,000 from the [2006 Alaska Cruise Ship Initiative] tax. Has there been approval of that allocation, he asked, or is it just a potential idea in the planning stage. MR. STONE responded that it is a proposal, a wish list, for the future that has been brought to the attention of Representative Wilson and Senator Stedman. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON appreciated that projects are being identified for funding by the cruise ship initiative that voters approved. He noted that the dock project is on page 4 of the "Sitka Fort Rousseau Historical State Park (World War II Causeway) Development Plan Summary". 1:18:47 PM REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG said he would have liked to have seen a map of the area and its location in relationship to Sitka. MR. STONE replied that he provided a colored map and DNR had provided several maps for the committee's packets. 1:20:12 PM CO-CHAIR JOHNSON inquired whether there is public access to the area by any other means besides the water. MR. STONE said the water is the only accessible point because airport development resulted in closing the [land] access to the causeway. MR. STONE, in response to Co-Chair Gatto, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the causeway. 1:21:07 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO observed that the airport runway is over a mile long and close to Sitka. He asked whether a car could be driven to the causeway. MR. STONE explained that there is no longer access by car due to the installation of security fencing, but that the causeway did have car access long ago. In further response to Co-Chair Gatto, Mr. Stone confirmed that permission for access would not be granted by airport authorities. In response to Representative Guttenberg, Mr. Stone stated that the main access to the causeway is by boat. Sitka Trail Works also makes a skiff available to the public, he said. The area gets heavy use during the summer months by local residents who skiff to the causeway to picnic and visit the site. 1:22:18 PM CO-CHAIR JOHNSON inquired whether cruise ships will be able to conduct tours to the causeway or will turning it into a park deny an entrepreneur the opportunity to make money. MR. STONE said the long-range plan is to open the causeway to tourists through the sale of [tour] packages in order to fund the improvements that are planned. There are plans to market this and get as many people as possible out there. 1:23:22 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO noted that the smaller cruise ships would be the likely ones to come to this destination. The word park rings all sorts of bells that there will be park rangers and restrictions to trails and official cabins. Would this park allow a person to run across the property any way he or she feels like, he asked. MELANIE LESH, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Commissioner, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), stated that it would not be as tied up as Co-Chair Gatto's first example, it would be open and more like the second example. Any future grant monies would make it a more attractive destination with further development so it could be a cruise ship shore excursion. 1:25:06 PM CO-CHAIR JOHNSON asked whether this is more of a public use area than a park. MS. LESH said there are distinct categories for uses that are allowed depending on whether the designation is a public use area or a park. She deferred to Wyn Menefee. WYN MENEFEE, Chief of Operations, Central Office, Division of Mining, Land and Water, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), explained that the special designation of public use area allows lands to be managed with a purpose, but they are still general state lands. Therefore, all of the general rules, regulations, and uses are applicable unless the public use area specifically creates regulations that either prohibit or restrict a certain type of use. Land under park designation is withdrawn from public domain, he said, and different statutes and regulations apply. The generally allowed uses on general state lands are no longer allowed on park lands. Typically, hunting and fishing are still allowed in parks, but sometimes the parks have more restrictive language, such as no shooting within one-quarter mile of a facility, whereas general state lands would not have that restriction. He noted that refuges are general state lands co-managed with ADF&G. There is usually some purpose for creating a special use area, such as preventing motorized use. 1:28:42 PM REPRESENTATIVE GUTTENBERG compared the Fort Rousseau Causeway with Cape Chiniak, another WWII historical site. He asked whether WWII is the only cultural aspect of the causeway. MR. STONE responded that he is very familiar with Cape Chiniak and the WWII placements there. His talks with Sitka Trail Works people and other residents supporting this project indicate that the WWII history is the sole use. 1:30:08 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO remarked that he feels privileged to see some of the top secret military information from 1943 relating to the causeway. MR. STONE said, "Anything for the chair." 1:30:25 PM REPRESENTATIVE SEATON noted that City and Borough of Sitka [Resolution No. 2005-28] supports historical preservation of the causeway and an ADA accessible walkway. It appears that there is well founded local support, but has there been any opposition to making this an historical park, he asked. MR. STONE replied that he has found none. He said he has 60-70 letters from folks supporting this project and that they have been supporting this for several years. 1:31:39 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO opened the hearing to public testimony. HARVEY BRANDT stated that he is a retired educator and former national park ranger, and now a grandfather, who has lived in Sitka for 40 years. He said he has taken hundreds of students to the site: teachers in workshops from throughout the state of Alaska, public school students from Sitka and throughout Southeast Alaska, and college and university groups. It is truly an historic spot, he said. Sitka was one of the major defensive installations in Alaska, along with Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, and Anchorage. During the interlude between the terror of Pearl Harbor and the relief of the Battle of Midway, the military hurriedly prepared this defensive installation. It is over 8,000 feet long connecting numerous islands. Large guns were placed in a triad from Biorka Island, [Kruzof Island] on which Mount Edgecumbe is located, and the end island of the causeway. In these three spots, he said, the military had six inch guns which would have triangulated on any enemy ship coming in. There are numerous bunkers and other things that are very sturdily built and are some of the primary historic spots. It is only accessible by water, but it is a spot that is truly loved by all those who visit it. It is not a spot where people go to fish or hunt, it is fundamentally a place for a picnic and a hike and learning some history. He said he is a strong advocate of this as a community resource for learning more about WWII and the war's importance to Alaska history. When flying into Sitka the necklace of islands comprising the causeway can be seen from the air, he noted. CO-CHAIR GATTO thanked Mr. Brandt for bringing children out to the causeway and showing them the difficulties faced by people during WWII. 1:36:09 PM ROBERTA FLOOD addressed the question of why the causeway should be dedicated an Alaska state park. She said she is a landscape artist and is a member of Sitka State Parks Citizens Advisory Board. She presented the following testimony: The cultural and natural history provided by the causeway will be a great interpretive tool for locals and for the thousands of visitors Sitka receives every summer. The significant role played out during WWII here in Alaska is a little known part of history to most Americans. We have the opportunity to tell this chapter of one of the most significant and historical events that have shaped the world today. Not only do we have a landscape that served as a backdrop to the buildup of troops in Alaska, but we have significant structures and remnants to help illustrate the story. The causeway contains siting positions, gunnery placements, and radio rooms to name a few. This interpretive experience will be unlike any museum experience. It will be almost a living history with tangible elements that will aid in interpreting the scale of events and the feeling of what it may have been like to be a soldier here during the war on the western-most brink of protecting the United States shoreline. In addition to this WWII story, Alaska's Native culture will be served well by sensitive interpretive of the causeway islands and how the Tlingit have served as stewards to these lands for generations. The islands many uses such as hunting and fishing grounds and burial grounds will be recognized and interpreted with the guidance with the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. Finally, the natural history of Alaska may be interpreted here. There are many stories to be told about the geological formation of the islands and Sitka Sound, their colonization of plant species, and the sea life that supports our town and Native peoples.... I think it would be a great waste of our natural and cultural resources to let this opportunity pass us by. 1:38:38 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO commented that the soldiers assigned here during WWII probably thought they had pretty good duty. MS. FLOOD agreed. 1:38:51 PM MARLENE CAMPBELL, Director, Government Relations, City and Borough of Sitka, noted that she has been a member of the Sitka State Parks Citizens Advisory Board since the late 1980s. She concurred with everything that has been stated. She explained that since the 1980s Sitka has been aware of the causeway's massive deterioration as a result of absolutely no management of the area. There have been problems with graffiti and dangerous building deterioration, but no one was in charge, she said. It was part of the airport management area and the Department of Transportation & Public Facilities was theoretically in charge. However, the agency had a hands-off philosophy and would not allow people out to maintain the site. Ms. Campbell said there has now been much effort to clean up the alder and provide safe pathways to walk from island to island and there has also been abatement of the minimal contamination that was found. Attempts have been made since the 1980s to obtain management of the causeway through the National Park Service, the City and Borough of Sitka, and citizens groups. Finally, there is now a mechanism to manage this extremely important site through the Alaska State Parks system, and the whole community is very excited about this. She said she does not know of anyone opposed to this effort. Concerns about ensuring that Native interests are represented will be honored. There has already been a Congressional appropriation of over a half million dollars specifically earmarked to upgrade the area, she noted, and improvements, interpretation, and maintenance will be done without draining the state's budget. There is a web site showing pictures of the site. The City and Borough of Sitka and the community strongly support this effort and are thankful for the work of Representative Wilson and her staff. 1:42:02 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO asked whether the $500,000 from the cruise ship tax has been applied for or is just a consideration. MS. CAMPBELL said she believes it is just a consideration. The Sitka Trail Works folks have been very active on this. The effort here is to not be a drain on the state budget, she said. It is unsafe right now without a dock and dock access is very much needed for small boats. The proposed dock would be small so it would be unable to handle large cruise ships. 1:43:14 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO closed the public testimony. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON moved to report the committee work draft for HB 176, labeled 25-LS0181\E, Bullock, 3/28/07, as written, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 176(RES) was reported from the House Resources Standing Committee.
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