SB 97-STATE LAND SALES AND LEASES; RIVERS  3:35:29 PM CHAIR REVAK announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 97 "An Act relating to state land; relating to the authority of the Department of Education and Early Development to dispose of state land; relating to the authority of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to dispose of state land; relating to the authority of the Department of Natural Resources over certain state land; relating to the state land disposal income fund; relating to the leasing and sale of state land for commercial development; repealing establishment of recreation rivers and recreation river corridors; and providing for an effective date." He asked Marty Parsons to provide a brief overview of the bill before the committee considered a committee substitute (CS). 3:35:57 PM MARTY PARSONS, Director, Division of Mining, Land, and Water, Department of Natural Resources, Anchorage, Alaska, presented the changes in the committee substitute for SB 97. The prepared document read as follow: 1. Bill Title: New Language a. Delete portion of title pertaining to repealing the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Management Plan. b. Insert new title language pertaining to covenants and restrictions on agricultural lands 2. Section 2: Clarification a. Clarifies the amendment to AS 19.30.080 (Construction standards and maintenance) related to the consistent application of municipal road construction standards required of the State when building access roads. 3. Section 13: Conforming a. Removed unnecessary federal law references in subsection (b). 4. Section 15 & Section 16: New Language a. The proposed amendments are intended to make additional agricultural land available for smaller producers and to expand the definition of agricultural purpose on parcels 20 acres or less. The additions would include authorized uses (services) that support the agricultural industry, such as a farm equipment and repair operation near the farms. 5. Delete Sections 19 & 20 of previous bill version-A a. Delete ?19 & ?20 pertaining to the repeal of the Susitna Basin Recreation Rivers Management Plan MR. PARSONS explained that Sections 19 and 20 were removed because the department believes a more robust conversation among a larger group of stakeholders is needed before any changes are made. 3:39:42 PM CHAIR REVAK agreed and thanked the Matanuska-Susitna Borough's Fish and Wildlife Commission for its input. He asked for a motion to adopt the committee substitute (CS). 3:40:30 PM SENATOR MICCICHE moved to adopt the committee substitute (CS) for SB 97, work order 32-GS1634\I, as the working document. 3:41:36 PM SENATOR STEVENS asked how much land the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) and the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) have that could be available for sale under the bill. 3:42:00 PM MR. PARSONS replied DEED has very little land, and most of it is near villages where small parcels were identified specifically for schools, whereas DPTPF has more that it had acquired for specific purposes but he did not know how much. He clarified that the bill only allows these agencies to dispose of land that was acquired specifically for their purposes. SENATOR STEVENS thanked him for the information. 3:43:46 PM SENATOR KIEHL recalled legislation in the past that attempted to give DOTPF these authorities and it elicited concerns. He posited that there would be opportunities to give this a further look as the bill moved through the process. CHAIR REVAK noted the bill had a finance referral. 3:44:15 PM SENATOR MICCICHE commented that the changes that appear in the CS made a good bill better. 3:45:05 PM CHAIR REVAK removed his objection. Finding no further objection, version I was adopted. 3:45:37 PM SENATOR MICCICHE moved to report the CS for SB 97, work order 32-GS1634\I, from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). 3:45:55 PM CHAIR REVAK found no objection and CSSB 97(RES) was reported from the Senate Resources Standing Committee.