Legislature(1993 - 1994)
03/16/1994 03:35 PM Senate RES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SENATE RESOURCES COMMITTEE
March 16, 1994
3:35 P.M.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Mike Miller, Chairman
Senator Loren Leman, Vice Chairman
Senator Steve Frank
Senator Drue Pearce
Senator Dave Donley
Senator Fred Zharoff
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Al Adams
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 310
"An Act relating to the management and sale of state timber;
relating to the classification of state land that would preclude
harvesting of timber or would designate harvesting of timber as an
incompatible use; relating to the administration of forest land,
proposals for state forest, and the determination of sustained
yield; and providing for an effective date."
PREVIOUS ACTION
SB 310 - See Resources minutes dated 3/2/94.
WITNESS REGISTER
Tom Dowling
P.O. Box 322
Delta Junction, Ak. 99737
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Doug Euers
Tok, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 310.
Terry Doyle
Tok, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
George Pine
Tok, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 310.
Glen Marunde
Tok, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 310.
Steve Gibson
1622 Highland Dr.
Homer, Ak. 99603
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Nancy Hillstrand
P.O. Box 170
Homer, Ak. 99603
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Nina Faust
Kachemak Bay Conservation Society
P.O. Box 2994
Homer, Ak. 99603
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Kathy Smith
1193 Cooper Ct.
Homer, Ak. 99603
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Winslow Hoffman
P.O. Box 1842
Homer, Ak. 99603
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Robert Shumaker
P.O. Box 3712
Palmer, Ak. 99645
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 310.
Ed Davis, Member
Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association
P.O. Box 1616
Fairbanks, Ak. 99707
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Caryl Boehnert
519 W 8th Ave., #210
Anchorage, Ak. 99501.
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
James Mykland
P.O. Box 1241
Cordova, Ak. 99574
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Karl Becker
P.O. Box 1185
Cordova, Ak. 99574
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Joe Sebastian
P.O. Box 129
Point Baker, Ak. 99927
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Joan Cowser
Point Baker, Ak. 99927
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Larry Smith
1520 Lakeshore Dr.
Homer, Ak. 99603
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Mark Stahl
Chugach Alaska Corporation
560 E 34th, No 200
Anchorage, Ak. 99503
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 310.
Jim Page, Forester
Seward Forest Products
560 E 34th, Ste 200
Anchorage, Ak. 99503
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 310.
Carl Portman, Communication Director
Resource Development Council of Alaska, Inc.
121 W Fireweed, No. 250
Anchorage, Ak. 99503
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 310.
Todd Bureau
7604 Snowview
Anchorage, Ak. 99507
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Jeff Parker
Alaska Sport Fishing Association
1201 Hyder
Anchorage, Ak. 99501
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Dan Albrecht
Yukon River Drainage Sport Fishing Association
733 W. 4th, # 881
Anchorage, Ak. 99501
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Jim Minton
Flathead Lake Property Owners Association
P.O. Box 190121
Anchorage, Ak. 99519
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Grant Hunter
733 W 4th, #153
Anchorage, Ak. 99501
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Eruk Williamson
12720 Lupine Rd.
Anchorage, Ak. 99516
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Loisann Reeder
Susitna Valley Association
9600 Slalom Dr.
Anchorage, Ak. 9956
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Cliff Eames
Alaska Center for the Environment
519 W 8th, # 201
Anchorage, Ak. 99501
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Jim Seely
Redshirt Landowners Association
4330 Seely Ct.
Anchorage, Ak. 99502
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Craig Ketchum, President
Ketchum Airservice
P.O. Box 190588
Anchorage, Ak. 99519
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Roberta Shelvin
Talkeetna, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Rick Ernst
Trapper Creek, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Judy Price
Chase, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Greg Machacek
P.O. Box 56245
North Pole, Ak. 99705
POSITION STATEMENT: Commented on SB 310.
David Stannard
1009 O'Connor
Fairbanks, Ak. 99701
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Susheila Khera
1511 Goldenview
Fairbanks, Ak. 99709
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Sarah James
Arctic Village, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Ron Brooks
Alaska Remote Sensing and Cartographic Services of Alaska
P.O. box 10916
Fairbanks, Ak. 99710
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 310.
Pamela Webster
P.O. Box 70953
Fairbanks, Ak. 99707
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Doug Yates
P.O. Box 221
Ester, Ak. 99725
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Richard Hayden
470 Canary Lane
Fairbanks, Ak. 99709
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Monica Garza
3891 Frenchman Rd.
Fairbanks, Ak. 99709
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Larry Paquin
966 Goldmine Tr.
Fairbanks, ak. 99712
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Skip Lipscomb
6 Mile Chena Ridge Rd.
Fairbanks, Ak. 99709
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Richard Hayes
Fairbanks, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Patty Craw
6041 Sherman Rd.
Fairbanks, Ak. 99708
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Oakley Cochran
P.O. Box 85071
Fairbanks, Ak. 99708
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Keann Tae
2595 College Rd.
Fairbanks, Ak. 99709
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Dave Lacey
214 2nd Ave
Fairbanks, Ak. 99701
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Randy Mayo, Chief
General Delivery
Stevens Village, Ak. 99774
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Steve LaRue
226 Glacier Ave.
Fairbanks, Ak. 99708
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 310.
Steve Pecheck
P.O. Box 80371
Fairbanks, Ak. 99708
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Cathy Walling
Fairbanks, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Sean McGuire
351 Cloudberry
Fairbanks, Ak. 99709
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Ms. Sullivan
General Delivery
Haines, Ak.
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Florian Sever
1706 Edgecumbe Dr.
Sitka, Ak. 99835
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Mike Puckett
801 Lincoln St.
Sitka, Ak. 99835
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Josh Simmons
801 Lincoln St.
Sitka, Ak. 99835
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 10.
Josh Simmons
801 Lincoln St.
Sitka, Ak. 99835
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Jerry Brookman
715 Muir Ave.
Kenai, Ak. 99611
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Dale Bondurant
HC1, Box 1197
Soldotna, Ak. 99669
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Byron Bondurant
HC l, Box 1258
Soldotna, Ak. 99669
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Tom Boutin, Director
Division of Forestry
Department of Natural Resources
400 Willoughby Ave.
Juneau, Ak. 99801-1724
POSITION STATEMENT: Would comment later on the CS to SB 310.
Ed Mura
Box 11
Point Baker, Ak. 99927
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Gretchen Goldstein
Box PBV
Point Protection, Ak. 99950
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
Mike Mortell
P.O. Box 53
Point Baker, ak. 99927
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 310.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 94-20, SIDE A
Number 001
CHAIRMAN MILLER called the Resources Committee meeting to order at
3:35 p.m. and announced SB 310 (STATE/PRIVATE/MUNI TIMBER
OPERATION/SALE) to be up for consideration. He said today the
Committee would take testimony and the proposed CS would be ready
by next Friday.
TOM DOWLING, Delta Junction, said he is a third generation Alaskan.
He said SB 310 is the worst bill he has seen in a long time. The
Tanana Forest is not a rapid growth forest and cannot sustain
intensive logging. He opposed SB 310.
DOUG EUERS, Tok resident for 45 years, supported SB 310. He said
he was concerned with having jobs in Tok and if the forest had been
cut 45 years ago, it would be healthy second growth timber by now.
Number 133
TERRY DOYLE, Tok resident for 6 years, agreed that timber harvest
has many benefits in addition to timber production, particularly in
enhancing wildlife habitat. However, managed unwisely, timber
harvesting has a detrimental effect not only on wildlife, but
eventually on the people who depend on the forest resources. The
effect of SB 310 is to minimize multiple use benefits of the state
forests. It also severely inhibits public input and emphasized
timber harvesting over all other uses.
KATHY O'RIELLY, Tok resident, supported wide use of forest
resources and opposed SB 310. She said it looked like this bill
promotes the timber industry while minimizing the values of other
forest resources.
GEORGE PINE, Tok sawmill operator for 25 years, stressed the
acceptance of this bill in his area. He wanted to clarify section
3, however, to say that forest management agreements are to be
specifically for the harvest and management of hardwoods.
GLEN MARUNDE, Tok resident for 53 years, said he makes his living
as a contractor. He said it is much harder to make a living today
than it was in the past. He supported SB 310, because it would
help develop economic based infrastructure while revenues are
declining.
Number 227
STEVE GIBSON, Homer resident, said SB 310 would diminish DNR's
responsiveness to the many other uses of the woods directly and
indirectly. It directly avoids public comments on the negotiation
between state foresters and industry presidents. He was strongly
opposed to SB 310 and didn't think there was any modification that
would rehabilitate it.
NANCY HILLSTRAND, Homer, said her corporation just celebrated the
anniversary of their 30th year. She was strongly opposed to SB
310, because it limits the public process. She said land in Alaska
belongs to Alaskans. SB 310 is careless management. Resources
must be managed for the long run benefit of the people as a whole
or a public trust. It should not be subverted through the
indifference or greed of future generations.
NINA FAUST, Kachemak Bay Conservation Society, said they were
shocked by SB 310. It locks the public out of participation in the
process of managing its most valuable renewable resource, timber.
It makes timber extraction the primary use on all state forest
lands greater than 640 acres. Timber extraction is not compatible
with all other forest uses. Concentrating on small scale timber
operations would be far more beneficial to the long term economic
development.
MS. FAUST said they were also concerned that the Commissioner of
DNR would be authorized to negotiate long term contracts with big
term companies for up to 20 years with 20 year extensions. They
are opposed to long term timber contracts.
There is no public oversight of any of the timber harvesting.
Forest management agreements would be negotiated with no public
knowledge or comment until after a tentative agreement with DNR and
the timber company had been reached.
SB 310 is directly contrary to the public's desire for more public
notice and opportunity to participate in oil and gas issues, MS.
FAUST said. Timber extraction on state lands has a potential to
impact joint private property, as well as other adjoining federal
and private lands. The state should under no circumstances have
legislation that restricts the public right to participate in the
oversight of the disposal or sale of public resources.
Number 355
KATHY SMITH, Homer, opposed SB 310. She said this is not just an
interior Alaska issue. The bill is too bad to be amended in any
form.
WINSLOW HOFFMAN, Homer resident, was completely opposed to SB 310.
There is nothing redeeming about it, he said. There wasn't any
reason to even go on with a committee substitute.
Number 375
ROBERT SHUMAKER, Chairman for the Mat-Su Borough Agricultural and
Forestry Board, said the Mat-Su Borough Assembly recently realized
that the value of the timber isn't being sustained and came up with
something similar to what this bill is.
ED DAVIS, Member, Alaska Wilderness, Recreation and Tourism
Association, said this organization includes over 220 businesses
and 100 recreational users whose livelihoods and lifestyles depend
on the remote and wild character of Alaska. He said that Alaska's
forests can sustain a small scale timber industry, but SB 310 would
manage our prime forest lands for the exclusive use of large scale
corporate clear cutting interests. These lands must also be
managed to sustain the tourism and recreation industries along with
fishing, trapping, hunting, subsistence, and a small scale timber
industry.
Number 443
CARYL BOEHNERT, Anchorage, opposed SB 310. She said this bill
hurts just about everyone except large timber companies. She did
not think long term timber contracts were a gift economically to
the rest of Alaska.
JAMES MYKLAND, Cordova fisherman for 18 years, opposed SB 310,
because it would make timber cutting the dominant use on most state
lands. This bill cuts out the Forest Practices Act and takes the
public completely out of the picture.
KARL BECKER, Prince William Sound Conservation Alliance, opposed SB
310, because it subverts the public process by eliminating public
involvement in the management of state lands and places timber
harvest above all other uses. The current Forest Practices Act
provides minimum protections for forest habitats and anadromous
waters. Passage of SB 310 would ruin the Forest Practices Act
provisions.
JOE SEBASTIAN, Point Baker resident, opposed SB 310 as a jobs bill.
This is the wrong way to create jobs. He said SB 310 would impose
a DNR dictatorship on the citizens of Alaska. It will remove the
existing democratic checks and balances that are for the protection
of the state and its citizens from bureaucratic bungling.
MR. SEBASTIAN said the legislators were elected to uphold the laws
of the state, to protect the people of the state from fraud, from
graft, and from corruption. Yet, SB 310 imposes all of that and
more on the people of Alaska.
Number 519
JOAN COWSER, Point Baker, opposed SB 310, because it's a blueprint
to repeat all the bad mistakes that have occurred on forest land.
Long term contracts are not conducive to responsible forest
management for sustainable economic development. The interests of
a select handful of corporations and their politicians are the only
ones to be served by this bill, she said. SB 310 exemplifies, in
an extremely underhanded fashion, misuse of public office to
further a private agenda while trampling over the best interests of
Alaskans.
LARRY SMITH, Anchorage, opposed SB 310, because it subordinated all
other existing value added uses of the forest to large scale timber
scales. He asked the state to stop holding low cost timber sales
citing the Spruce Bark Beetle cutting and the University of Alaska
timber sale. He thought they not only needed to consider the value
of timber at the time, but the value of the contingent resources
like fishing and recreation.
TAPE 94-20, SIDE B
Number 580
MARK STAHL, Chugach Alaska Corporation, said the Chugach lands are
not currently being managed in a professional manner by the DNR.
If SB 310 is passed, this situation will be rectified. He said SB
310 would be a very important management tool for DNR to have
emergency timber sales to swiftly treat forest areas under imminent
threat by infectious disease. Another important tool is the
ability of the Department to enter into Forest Management
Agreements whereby the state can augment its own capabilities by
utilizing the land management skills of those professional
individuals working for private industry. He believed SB 310 would
lead to healthier forest ecosystems throughout the states, as well
as increase activity in rural Alaska.
JIM PAGE, Forester, Seward Forest Products, said he spent 20 years
working in and observing the forest industry in the Rocky
Mountains, Southeast Alaska, interior Alaska, Canada, and Sweden.
He has first hand experience with FMAs that work in Canada. He
said SB 310 is important to the people of Alaska. Proper
management of the state's resources is of great interest to
everyone. The concepts embodied in this bill have been successful
in Canada for managing most of the forest resource and the fish and
wildlife populations. It has provided jobs and encouraged capital
investment and produced a product that is used locally and can be
exported as well.
He said it is essential to the state that there is a continuous
planned supply of timber for companies such as SFP which employees
76 people with an annual payroll of $3 million. SFP supports some
190 secondary industries in southcentral Alaska.
The FMA concept can be used most beneficially on the Kenai, in
Fairbanks, and in the Delta region.
CARL PORTMAN, Resource Development Council for Alaska, Inc.,
supported SB 310, because it would encourage reasonable timber
harvest and create long term jobs in the forest industry. The FMA
concept is an idea whose time has come, he said.
MR. PORTMAN supported SB 310, because it would provide a long term
stable supply of timber which is critical to timber development.
Timber is a renewable resource. Cutting trees is not an
environmental crime. With most of the federal lands being closed
to logging, most future development will occur on state lands and
FMAs offer a real opportunity for sustainable development to local
communities.
KEN FREEMAN, Anchorage resident, supported SB 310, because it
encouraged reasonable responsible timber development and creates
long term high paying jobs for Alaskans in the forest industry.
FMAs would provide incentive for the entire industry to invest in
forest harvest management and local manufacture facilities.
TODD BUREAU, Director, Adventure Alaska, opposed SB 310. He says
it is for the short term profit of a single industry, and only
large scale timber operators, at that. It skips over the public
review over a resource that in many ways defines what it is to be
an Alaskan.
JEFF PARKER, Alaska Sport Fishing Association, opposed SB 310.
They concur with the letter from the Anchorage Fish and Game
Advisory Committee. The increased access to timber harvest
activities inevitably increases pressure, first, on sensitive
stocks of fish and wildlife.
DAN ALBRECHT, Executive Director, Yukon River Drainage Fisheries
Association, said the fishermen are very concerned about this bill.
The first concern is with the gutting of the public process and
saying that multiple use management no longer counts.
He said he has heard that the problem is beetles which, he
realized, was a legitimate concern, but there should be a separate
bill to deal with that and not gut the whole Forest Practices Act.
MR. ALBRECHT asked why they can't just work through the existing
Tanana Valley management plans?
Number 374
JIM MINTON, Flathead Lake Property Owners Association, said he had
been involved in the public process to develop the Forest Practices
Act which was recently enacted. It was approved by logging
entities, DNR, and the environmental organizations. He asked them
to not throw those years of work out the window. He said that FMAs
have been documented as not being wanted here.
GRANT HUNTER, Anchorage resident, opposed SB 310. He said people
are not going to come up and go hunting and fishing in a wasteland.
SB 310 subverts the public process. We would also lose the future
value of the timber because it would be locked up in 20 year
contracts. He said there is no reason to think that companies will
be in business in the future and have the desire to reforest.
DANA WAGNER, Anchorage resident, opposed SB 310. He said it was
another clear cut disaster to give timber harvest priority use on
all state lands. He pointed out the Point McKenzie Dairy disaster
which is still being subsidized by the people of Alaska as being
one example of a state approved clear cut disaster.
ERUK WILLIAMSON, Anchorage Fish and Game Advisory Committee,
opposed SB 310, because it undermines the current multiple use
practices on state forested lands. Several sections of this bill
would be detrimental to habitat and the stocks of our state's fish
and game resources. Section 4 eliminates the existing authority of
the Commissioner of DNR to classify lands greater than 640 acres as
closed to timber sale and provides that only the legislature can
institute such closures. Section 6, the reforestation requirement,
would favor non-indigenous trees over native stocks and in many
instances could negatively impact fish and game species. Section
11 revises the purposes of designated state forests to make them
more commercially oriented. Section 12 requires DNR to allow, to
the fullest extent possible, access to and use of natural resources
which would eliminate the Department's authority to restrict access
for injured fish and game habitat.
Number 200
LOISANN REEDER, Susitna Valley Association, opposed SB 310. She
said over 90% of the Fairbanks public does not support large scale
logging on public lands. The public will support small scale
timber harvesting, but only if done in a responsible manner, with
adequate public process and oversite. SB 310 makes timber
harvesting a priority use of the land closing the door on other
forest uses and values that are more important economically and
culturally than logging.
The moderator said that MARY GRISCO, Sierra Club, had to return to
work, but wanted to speak in opposition to the bill.
CLIFF EAMES, Alaska Center for the Environment, said this bill
would have very substantial adverse affects on the vast majority of
Alaska's public. It gives preference to a small minority of
loggers over all others. Forest Management Agreements are a
terrible idea, he also stated. Anything close to a 20 year period
is far too long to enable them to accommodate economic changes or
changes in public desires concerning preferred uses of public
lands.
JIM SEELEY, Redshirt Landowners Association, opposed SB 310,
supporting the remarks made by Loisann Reeder. After years of work
the Susitna Forest Guideline was established by consensus which the
Commissioner did sign off on. SB 310 seems to gut the entire
process that they went through in devising these guidelines. He
said the people have not all of a sudden changed their minds.
CRAIG KETCHUM, President, Ketchum Airservice, said his family makes
a living in many different ways with tourism, fishing, hunting,
etc. He opposed SB 310. He said the southcentral Alaska should
support the tourism industry. It should look like the last
frontier and there should be some fish left to catch.
JOHN HALL, Professional Forester, supported SB 310. He is a member
of many conservation associations as well. He said this is good
legislation, but, unfortunately, there is a reaction to mistakes
made in the Susitna Forest sale. He said there are very few
instances where good forestry timber harvest has damaged the
habitat of any salmon streams.
ROBERTA SHELVIN, Talkeetna, said her business is dependent on the
recreational and tourism industry. She opposed SB 310.
TAPE 94-21, SIDE A
Number 001
SB 310 gives priority to large scale logging at the cost of other
important uses. It also circumvents or even eliminates public
review and input. There will be negative impacts on all of Alaska.
RICK ERNST, Trapper Creek, opposed SB 310. He said the Matsu
Assembly passed a resolution against use of FMAs. SB 310 makes
development of commercial forest land the primary goal of state
forestry management which we don't need. We need a multi use
approach to forest management. Up to 90% of the general public is
opposed to big timber companies logging in the valley.
JUDY PRICE, Chase area resident, opposed SB 310. She lives in the
bush and her subsistence depends on the health of the forest. As
a commercial fisherman, she depends on the health of the rivers and
spawning streams. These areas are not considered priority by the
timber companies. Long term needs of the people of Alaska will be
sacrificed for short term profits. This is exactly the myopic
approach to resource management that has turned the forests in the
lower 48 into one dimensional tree farms. This is not what we want
for Alaska.
Number 110
PAUL BRACKEN, Talkeetna, opposed SB 310 and urged them to reject
any future FMA proposals.
GREG MAHACEK, North Pole resident, said his main concern was to
insure multiple use of all the land. He said there are too many
restrictions to multiple use like parks and wilderness. This bill
was written in answer to obstructionists that drag on the public
process or to make sure that logging remains a compatible multiple
use industry.
DAVID STANNARD, Fairbanks, said he didn't think the legislature
understood the importance of micro-economics and its relation to a
sustainable and long term economy.
Number 222
SUSHEILA KHERA, Fairbanks, opposed SB 310, because it favors large
scale logging by large corporations. The state forests should be
used for multiple uses, including small scale logging operations.
ROBERT STEPHENSON, Fairbanks, said he has logged in the past and
knows it's difficult to make a living that way. If we are going to
develop a management plan, we should insure that small mills and
commercial fire wood cutters have adequate access to timber.
Encouraging large corporations to log our forests is not beneficial
to the residents of Fairbanks or to the small time operators who
will utilize the forest products.
Number 254
SARAH JAMES, Arctic Village, said she learned to protect the
environment so it would take care of us. She said our lives depend
on the forests. She opposed SB 310 with long term large scale
logging and no public input, especially from the indigenous people
of Alaska.
RON BROOKS, Alaska Rural Sensing and Cartographic Services,
supported SB 310. They are internationally promoting the
commercial development of Sunlight Data Acquisitions in the
Fairbanks area and thirteen other companies have expressed their
interest in locating data acquisition ground stations near
Fairbanks. This has the potential of bringing in millions of
dollars of new construction and hundreds of long term technical
jobs in satellite data acquisition. The primary reason Fairbanks
is being considered over other polar areas is that Alaska business
is expected to be significant user of satellite mapping technology.
MR. BROOKS said if SB 310 is not approved, the satellite companies
will look elsewhere.
PAMELA WEBSTER, Fairbanks resident, opposed SB 310. The primary
use in the Tanana Valley Forest should not be large scale logging.
The state of Alaska will have to subsidize roads to the proposed
logging areas and who knows what else. The ultimate loss would not
be worth the short term gain.
Number 367
DOUG YATES, Fairbanks, opposed SB 310. He said Senator Frank has
promoted it as a job creation bill, but it will create jobs and
destroy existing ones and promote the boom and bust cycles. He
would prefer to see the time and tax money that has been spent
promoting SB 310 redirected toward reconciling the goals of
economic vitality and environmental stewardship in the regions of
the Tanana Basin.
RICHARD HAYDEN, Fairbanks, opposed SB 310. He said he had been a
log cutter and long term large scale logging is not compatible with
the natural system.
Number 388
MONICA GARZA, Fairbanks, opposed SB 310, because it favors harvest
of timber above all other uses. We should be looking at industries
that will develop our future.
LARRY PAQUIN, 22 year resident of Alaska, opposed SB 310, because
it limits public input and favors special large scale timber
interests.
SKIP LIPSCOMB, Fairbanks, said his family was going on its fifth
decade in the area. He opposed SB 310 as a slap in the face of the
people of Alaska. It cuts them totally out of the picture. It
favors large scale special interest timber cutting.
RICHARD HAYES strongly opposed SB 310, because large scale timber
harvesting is incompatible with wilderness values. Higher
priorities should be given to subsistence, hunting, fishing, and
trapping.
Number 500
PATTY CRAW, Fairbanks, opposed SB 310, because it is full of
ambiguous language and favors big timber interests. It does away
with public opinions.
OAKLEY COCHRAN, Fairbanks landowner, opposed SB 310, because it
virtually eliminates due public process.
KEANN TAE, Fairbanks, opposed SB 310, because it eliminates the
public process and puts large scale commercial logging ahead of
multiple sustainable uses. Twenty year contracts are far to long
to practice sustainable responsible logging.
DAVE LACEY, Fairbanks, said he works in the tourism industry and
urged the Committee to scrap SB 310, because of its impacts on that
industry. He said they need to support the economic development
that's going on right now rather than try to bring in a bunch of
outsiders to try to take their jobs away.
RANDY MAYO, Chief, Stephens Village Council, strongly opposed SB
310 for all of the reasons stated. He said the bill is short
sighted and will leave nothing for their children and grand
children.
Number 560
STEVE LARUE, Fairbanks, said he worked on the original Tanana
Valley State Forest bill. It was an excellent bill of compromise.
There was a great deal of effort put into the bill, and there was
much agreement. Then in 1990 the Forest Practices Act came through
and took away all that negotiating. Multiple use includes forest
products and using the timber in the forest. He supported SB 310
partially, because it replaces original language from the Tanana
State Forest bill. He said that all the trees that were cut for
river boats long ago have totally come back and also that a young
forest produces more oxygen than old growth forest.
STEVE PECHECK, Fairbanks resident for 20 years, supported small
scale logging, not give aways to large enterprises.
TAPE 94-21, SIDE B
Number 580
He reminded the Committee to measure economic gain against economic
drain by remembering three large state driven projects: the Delta
barley project, Point McKenzie, and the Tanana Valley State Forest.
CATHY WALLING, Fairbanks, opposed SB 310. She was shocked that our
present knowledge, insight, and wisdom could not produce a better
overall sustainable plan marked with stewardship and land
management. It frustrates her to know the public process has been
cut out and legislators are not hearing the vast outcry from people
all through the state who are opposed to large scale timber
development.
SEAN MCGUIRE, Fairbanks, said all you have to do is look at what
happened in the Pacific Northwest. Look what happens when large
scale companies come in with long term contracts. The same is true
of the Tongass. He surmised that a survey of Senator Frank's
district would probably show 90% opposed to large scale logging.
So he couldn't understand why he was pushing large scale logging.
MS. SULLIVAN, Haines, opposed SB 310. She thought it did a great
disservice to the logging industry.
FLORIAN SEVER, Sitka resident, opposed SB 310, because it is a sad
and shameful example of state government's addiction to abuse of
our state's timber resources. This represents just another timber
grab, he said.
MICHAEL PUCKETT, Sitka resident, strongly opposed SB 310. Section
1, line 1 should state "best interests of the land" not "the
state."
JOSH SIMMONS, Sitka, said responsible timber extraction is an
oxymoron. He said clear cutting will kill their forests and its
wealth of life.
JERRY BROOKMAN, Kenai, said he was not opposed to logging provided
it's done properly. But it is hard to look 20 years into the
future. 5 years is more reasonable. He prefers the present system
and sees nothing in SB 310 that improves it.
Number 453
DALE BONDURANT, Soldotna, opposed SB 310, because it expands on
timber profits at the expense of water, fish, and wildlife
resources.
BYRON BONDURANT, Soldotna, said he is a retired engineer and
educator, spending many years in international development. He
said SB 310 is seriously flawed in concept and content. Any bill
having to do with the resources of the state should say "interests
of the people of the state." He is particularly concerned with
this legislation that keeps negotiations secret, makes the state
supreme, and smacks of socialism which was the first example of the
rise of nazism and fascism in Europe. He thought a better title
for this bill would be "A provision for establishing commercial
limited entry of yet another of our resources in this state:
timber."
TOM BOUTIN, Director, Division of Forestry, said he would comment
at a later meeting when the CS was ready.
Number 577
ED MURA, Point Baker, opposed SB 310, because it seems incredibly
short sighted. It looks like sweetheart deals in the guise of 20
year timber contracts. He said there is chronic mismanagement of
timber resources.
GRETCHEN GOLDSTEIN, Point Protection, opposed SB 310, because of
the 20 year contracts and clear cut logging. It would negate the
public effort put into the Forest Practices Act. It does not have
meaningful public input. Turning state forests into merchantable
timber destroys habitat and is the single largest environmental
problem on earth. SB 310 makes commercial development the primary
purpose of the state forest. Large scale timber harvest is
incompatible with subsistence use or a commercial fishery. Alaska
has wildness. Long term contracts with no public review is not in
the public interest in the present or the future.
MIKE MORTELL, Point Baker, opposed SB 310, because long term
contracts don't work here. This bill will probably cause more
expense than anything else with the loss to the little communities.
SENATOR MILLER thanked everyone for their participation and
adjourned the meeting at 6:24 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|