04/28/2021 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

           HB 98-FOREST LAND USE PLANS; TIMBER SALES                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:49:00 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PATKOTAK announced  that the first order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL NO. 98, "An  Act relating to forest land use plans;                                                               
relating to forest land use  plan appeals; relating to negotiated                                                               
timber sales; and providing for an effective date."                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  PATKOTAK announced  that the  committee had  completed the                                                               
amendment  process  at   its  4/24/21  hearing  on   HB  98,  and                                                               
Legislative Legal  and Research  Services had drafted  a document                                                               
incorporating  those  changes,  a proposed  committee  substitute                                                               
(CS) for  HB 98, Version 32-GH1607\B,  Radford, 4/26/21 ("Version                                                               
B").                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
1:49:35 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
GRACE  ERVINE,  Staff,  Representative  Josiah  Patkotak,  Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature,  reviewed the  Summary  of  Changes from  the                                                               
original version  of HB 98  to Version  B, which read  as follows                                                               
[original punctuation provided]:                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Section  One: Uncodified  Law Includes  new legislative                                                                    
     intent.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Section  Three: 38.05.110  (c) Adds  language requiring                                                                    
     the  commissioner to  consider  detrimental effects  on                                                                    
     the  surrounding environment  and  effects on  wildlife                                                                    
     habitat of  a timber  sale when  determining applicable                                                                    
     provisions under which to offer timber.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Section  Nine:   38.05.118  Adds  new   subsection  (e)                                                                    
     allowing  the  commissioner   to  require  a  purchaser                                                                    
     provide additional analysis  and/or retain a consultant                                                                    
     to  provide  needed  financial  or  technical  data  to                                                                    
     complete a best interest finding for a sale.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Section   Twelve:   41.15.030  (b)   Removes   language                                                                    
     prohibiting general fund appropriations  to be used for                                                                    
     emergency    firefighting    personnel    engaged    in                                                                    
     nonemergency activities.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Section  Fourteen: Repealer  Section Deletes  reference                                                                    
     to AS 38.05.123(g) from the list of repealed sections.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:52:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  CRONK,  directing  his question  to  Mr.  Dabney,                                                               
asked whether  Section 3 of  Version B  is already in  the Forest                                                               
Resources and Practices Act (FRPA).                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
1:52:40 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
TIM DABNEY,  Acting State  Forester/Acting Director,  Division of                                                               
Forestry (DOF), Department of  Natural Resources (DNR), explained                                                               
that the language in question  lists the factors to be considered                                                               
when deciding on a negotiated  sale, rather than being associated                                                               
with environmental issues.   He said there are other  areas in HB
 covering environmental  issues that are also  covered by FRPA.                                                               
Mr. Dabney,  in providing  closing comments on  HB 98,  said that                                                               
Version B is acceptable to DOF.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:54:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  FIELDS  said that  he  would  not support  HB  98                                                               
without language  regarding hiring  Alaska residents.   He opined                                                               
that streamlining  a process  to benefit  multinational companies                                                               
without ensuring local benefits  does not meet the constitutional                                                               
mandate to maximize benefits for Alaskans.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:56:43 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. DABNEY  said that he hoped  to have the support  of committee                                                               
members.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:57:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
[Although  no  motion  had been  stated,  the  committee  treated                                                               
Version B as having been  adopted and, thus, before the committee                                                               
as a working document.]                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HOPKINS  moved to  report  CSHB  98, Version  32-                                                               
GH1607\B,  Radford, 4/26/21,  out  of  committee with  individual                                                               
recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:57:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS objected.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
1:58:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
A  roll  call vote  was  taken.   Representatives  McKay,  Cronk,                                                               
Rauscher, Gillham, and  Patkotak voted in favor of  the motion to                                                               
move  CSHB  98, Version  32-GH1607\B,  Radford,  4/26/21, out  of                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations and  the accompanying                                                               
zero fiscal  note.  Representatives Fields,  Hopkins, Hannan, and                                                               
Schrage voted against  it.  Therefore, CSHB  98(RES) was reported                                                               
out of the House Resources Standing Committee by a vote of 5-4.                                                                 
           HB 98-FOREST LAND USE PLANS; TIMBER SALES                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:24:24 PM(                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHRAGE gave  notice  of  reconsideration on  his                                                               
vote on CSHB 98(RES).