Legislature(2005 - 2006)BUTROVICH 205
02/13/2006 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB213 | |
| HB37 | |
| SB203 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | SB 166 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 37 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 203 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 213 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 213-APPROPRIATION FOR MINERAL INVENTORY
CHAIR WAGONER announced SB 213 to be up for consideration.
SENATOR GENE THERRIAULT, sponsor of SB 213, testified that more
investments in the mineral industry like the Pogo Mine that is
pouring its very first gold brick, is what this appropriation
seeks to achieve for the State of Alaska. The mineral industry
provides healthy tax receipts and private sector employment. He
said that SB 213 proposes an appropriation of $5 million for
geophysical surveys that would be doled out over several years
in line with a recommendation from the Alaska Minerals
Commission, which asked for a level greater than $1 million per
year.
3:39:44 PM
SENATOR THERRIAULT related that inconsistent funding provided
since 1993 caused problems in planning strategic geophysical
survey programs and the state was not, therefore, getting
efficient use of its dollars.
3:43:00 PM
SENATOR BERT STEDMAN said he liked the concept of looking
forward to map a consistent future for the state's resources,
because Alaska is a resource-based state. He asked if
technological advances created a need to update old survey
information.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied that the work that has been done over
the past couple of years is pretty close to cutting edge, but
that old information was sketchy.
3:46:20 PM
SENATOR KIM ELTON asked if parallel surveys are happening on
federal and BLM land.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied the federal government is working on
surveying its lands, too, and has provided some money to the
state for this project.
SENATOR ELTON asked if the state is surveying some federal
lands, too.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied yes.
3:47:52 PM
ROBERT SWENSON, Acting Director, Division of Geological and
Geophysical Surveys, Department of Natural Resources (DNR),
explained the state's mineral resource program using a power
point program. Its mission is to conduct geological and
geophysical surveys to determine the potential of Alaskan land
for production of metals, minerals, fuels and geothermal
resources; the locations and supplies of groundwater and
construction materials; and the potential geologic hazards to
buildings, roads, bridges and other installations and
structures. The department identifies Alaska's potential
resources for the state's citizens.
3:51:23 PM
He explained digital elevation modeling and how it showed
tremendous diversity in all the samples by referencing the power
point presentation.
3:52:04 PM
SENATOR BEN STEVENS arrived.
3:53:21 PM
MR. SWENSON explained that the state has funded high-resolution
geophysics mapping of 6.1 million state acres and the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) had fund mapping of 3.7 million federal
acres. Currently, 40 million acres are identified as high
potential. High-resolution geophysics mapping costs about $575
per square mile or about $.90 per acre and over three million
acres of 1:63,360-detailed geologic mapping has been completed
and published using it. The entire state has a lot of geophysics
data already, but it's very regional. His slides on Interior
data on current operating mines and showed that lots of
exploration is going on.
4:02:55 PM
SENATOR ELTON asked how much the DGGS sells its data for and if
it has a cost recovery program.
MR. SWENSON replied that the data is very cheap and he makes
sure it is available to everyone in the public. Their website is
updated so that the data can be downloaded. He didn't have a
specific cost recovery program.
4:04:42 PM
STEVE CULLIGAN, President, Ditera Satellite Mapping Company,
stated that the DGGS had done a good job of using its funding
and has provided very useful data that has turned into some
successful developments. He said that the state's mapping is in
pretty poor shape in general and that he is using the same
inaccurate maps that he used 35 years ago. The state needs to
know what resources it has and geological mapping has a very
high return on investment. He supported SB 213.
4:08:12 PM
SENATOR THERRIAULT stated that it is unusual to have a separate
appropriation bill with a line item to make its way through the
process, but he hoped the committee felt comfortable with
passing the bill. He said the state rides the commodity roller
coaster up and down, so it should strike while the commodity
prices are high and establish an outline of its resource
inventory so private industry can act.
4:10:09 PM
SENATOR ELTON asked if anything could change the funding from $1
million every five years to, say, $2.5 million in two years.
SENATOR THERRIAULT replied that the department would have the
latitude to do that, but it is not interested in sharp swings up
and down and he doubted it would.
4:12:16 PM
SENATOR STEDMAN moved to pass SB 213 from committee with
individual recommendations. There were no objections and it was
so ordered.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|