CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 170(RES)                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     "An   Act  authorizing   the   Department  of   Natural                                                                    
     Resources,  division  of   geological  and  geophysical                                                                    
     surveys,  to collect  fees  for facilities,  equipment,                                                                    
     products,  and  services;  relating to  accounting  for                                                                    
     certain   program  receipts;   and  providing   for  an                                                                    
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
8:38:48 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR CATHY  GIESSEL, SPONSOR,  relayed that the  bill was                                                                    
another  revenue  generating  step  for  the  Department  of                                                                    
Natural  Resources  (DNR).  She relayed  that  the  Geologic                                                                    
Materials  Center (GMC)  functioned as  the main  repository                                                                    
for geologic materials from all  over Alaska and was similar                                                                    
to a library;  i.e., companies and agencies went  to the GMC                                                                    
to look at the rocks  and determine mineral content or other                                                                    
information  regarding resource  extraction. She  elaborated                                                                    
that the materials  had been stored in conex  boxes and were                                                                    
degenerating.  The department  purchased a  shuttered retail                                                                    
building "a  couple years ago"  at a reduced  price, located                                                                    
in Eagle  River and  converted it to  the GMC.  She detailed                                                                    
that Repsol had discovered  "promising materials" in the GMC                                                                    
that  led to  their  recent oil  discovery  in the  Colville                                                                    
Delta that could contain 500  million to 3.7 billion barrels                                                                    
of oil.  The bill allowed  DNR to  set and collect  fees for                                                                    
entry  into  the   GMC  and  use  of   its  facilities.  She                                                                    
referenced page  2, lines 25  through 26 of  the legislation                                                                    
that  was modified  in the  Senate Resources  Committee that                                                                    
allowed  student's free  admission.  She  reported that  the                                                                    
fiscal note  pointed to  revenue generation  through program                                                                    
receipts.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Neuman stated  that he liked the  concept. He asked                                                                    
about  viewing areas.  Senator  Giessel  replied that  there                                                                    
were many shelves  of sample cores as well  as viewing rooms                                                                    
where cores from certain areas could be examined.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thompson OPENED public testimony.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thompson CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair Saddler  discussed the  fiscal note from  DNR. He                                                                    
noted that  the fiscal  note (FN  2 (DNR))  included revenue                                                                    
estimates.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
8:44:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Neuman  MOVED  to  REPORT  CSSB  170(RES)  out  of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal note.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CSSB  170(RES) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendation  and  with  one  previously  published                                                                    
fiscal note: FN2 (DNR).                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:45:04 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
8:48:03 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED