02/08/2005 01:30 PM House TRANSPORTATION

HB 42 - JOE WILLIAMS, SR., COASTAL TRAIL                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR GATTO announced  that the first order  of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE BILL  NO.  42 "An  Act naming  the  Joe Williams,  Sr.,                                                               
Coastal Trail."                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
JOS  GOVAARS, Staff  to Representative  Jim Elkins,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature, sponsor, said on behalf of Representative Elkins:                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     [House  Bill  42]  will  name   three  miles  of  trail                                                                    
     alongside the  South Tongass Highway  between Ketchikan                                                                    
     and  Saxman, the  "Joe  Williams  Sr., Coastal  Trial."                                                                    
     Joe was  an advocate  for the  construction of  a trail                                                                    
     because residents for many years,  without the means of                                                                    
     transportation,   commonly  walked   the  three   miles                                                                    
     between   Saxman   and  Ketchikan   with   often-tragic                                                                    
     results.   When  the  trail was  completed, it  quickly                                                                    
     became a  favorite walking and  bicycling path  used by                                                                    
     many  visitors as  well  as locals.    Set between  the                                                                    
     ocean  and the  highway, the  Joe Williams  Sr. Coastal                                                                    
     Trail  will  be  a scenic  and  historically  important                                                                    
     trail  for  the  people  of  Southeast  Alaska.    This                                                                    
     legislation  will   honor  the   memory  of   a  highly                                                                    
     respected person in the  Native community in Southeast,                                                                    
     and  included in  the committee  packet are  letters of                                                                    
     support  from the  City of  Ketchikan, City  of Saxman,                                                                    
     and the Ketchikan Gateway Borough.   In addition, a new                                                                    
     zero  fiscal  note  has  been  introduced  because  the                                                                    
     Department  of Transportation  has  agreed  to eat  the                                                                    
     $2,000 it will cost for making and posting the signs.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  NEUMAN  stated that  he  has  heard support  from                                                               
people from the  community, and it is a "very  fine thing that we                                                               
do this."                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  THOMAS moved  to report  HB 42  out of  committee                                                               
with  individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  fiscal                                                               
notes.   There being no  objection, HB  42 was reported  from the                                                               
House Transportation Standing Committee.