SB 47-CHUGACH STATE PARK EASEMENTS  1:02:30 PM CO-CHAIR BURKE announced that the first order of business would be CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 47(RES) "An Act relating to Chugach State Park; and providing for an effective date." 1:02:53 PM SENATOR CATHY GIESSEL, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, presented CSSB 47(RES). She paraphrased from the sponsor statement [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: Chugach State Park hosts 1.5 million visitors annually more than Denali National Park and most of the road traffic leading to the park originates from outside of the Anchorage Hillside neighborhood. The roads that provide access to the park, including the Glen Alps and Upper DeArmoun/Canyon Road corridors are in need of significant upgrades. In 2023, Anchorage residents voted to establish the Chugach State Park Access Service Area (CASA), which includes the Anchorage Bowl, creating the first mechanism for financing capital upgrades to roads leading to Chugach State Park. In 2024, Anchorage voters approved a $4 million bond to fund much needed improvements to Canyon Road, which is in poor condition. This project involves pacing and drainage for about 0.6 miles of the road, extending to the park boundary. About half of this section lies within Chugach State Park, and because the municipality cannot bond for improvements on state-owned land, those portions fall outside the scope of the bond. To address this, SB 47 reinforces existing statutes designating the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOT&PF) as the agency responsible for maintaining public roads within Chugach State Park. This ensures DOT&PF will continue managing the maintenance of roads that provide access to this important state resource. Additionally, the bill grants the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) the authority to grant easements or rights-of-ways within Chugach State Park to municipalities. This provision allows municipalities to improve access to the park, provided they meet certain requirements. Before granting any easements, the DNR commissioner must provide public notice and hold hearings. If an easement is granted, responsibility for maintaining and repairing the road will shift from the state to the municipality. By allowing municipalities to assume responsibility for certain infrastructure improvements, SB 47 provides the flexibility needed to support upgrades that will increase safety, access, and overall public enjoyment of Chugach State Park. It creates a pathway for municipalities to invest in and maintain key resources within their community, improving access to trailheads and other park features. 1:07:42 PM ROGER MARKS, Board of Supervisors, Glen Alps Road Service Area, explained that road service areas (RSA) can be thought of as small, independent districts on the hillside that manage area road maintenance (e.g. road repair, grading, drainage, and snow removal for a particular area). There are roughly 20 of these, and they are paid for by area property taxes. He explained that RCAs were set up to decentralize snow removal. He pointed out that elevation changes result in a variety of microclimates in the area and decentralized snow removal has been effective. He said that the roads in this RSA lead to the Glen Alps and Rabbit Lake trail heads - which are among the most utilized in the park. He explained that most of the traffic in this RSA originates outside of the RSA, passing through it to reach the trailheads. This traffic is the leading cause of road depreciation. He said that the Anchorage municipality is not able to bond on roads within the park. Few residents and a low tax base have resulted in an inability to cover the costs of the capital upgrades, which he estimates at millions of dollars. He said that in 2023, a service area was created to finance infrastructure for access through the park. In 2024, Anchorage voters voted for a bond to finance upgrades to Canyon Road. He stated that the road is in terrible shape. However, the bond cannot be applied to park assets; therefore, the municipality is seeking an easement from the state. He emphasized the importance of maintaining the roads to ensure safety. 1:12:28 PM REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE sought to confirm that the road would be maintained by the Limited Road Service Area (LRSA). MR. MARKS affirmed. REPRESENATIVE COULOMBE asked whether the maintenance would be perpetual. MR. MARKS answered yes, in perpetuity. 1:13:23 PM CO-CHAIR BURKE open public testimony. After ascertaining that no one wished to testify, she closed public testimony. 1:13:48 PM REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked what would happen if the municipality doesn't want to [maintain] it anymore. SENATOR GIESSEL said that is not an issue of concern for the municipality. She reiterated that [maintenance] would be in perpetuity. REPRESENTATIVE COULOMBE asked whether the municipality could use this to request the takeover of any [municipal] road. SENATOR GIESSEL referenced page 1, line 6, and clarified that the language is specific to Chugach State Park, adding that this location is unique. 1:15:33 PM CO-CHAIR DIBERT asked whether the bill would help with similar situations, in Fairbanks, for example. SENATOR GIESSEL reiterated that the bill is specific to Chugach State Park. 1:16:16 PM RICKY GEASE, Director, Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, in response to Co-Chair Dibert, confirmed that the bill is specific to Chugach State Park; however, if it proved to be successful, legislation could be enacted in the future for other locations in the state park system. 1:17:04 PM REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked whether there are other geographic situations like this for other parks in the state. MR. GEASE reiterated that [the intersection of municipal road with state park] in this specific instance is unique. Other instances of Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DT&PF) road responsibilities in state parks are specific to Chugach State Park and the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. 1:18:07 PM The committee took a brief at-ease at 1:18 p.m. 1:19:17 PM REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS moved to report CSSB 47(RES) out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSSB 47(RES) was reported out of the House Resources Standing Committee.