HJR 24-SUPPORT FED. FOREST LAND REVENUE SHARING  3:00:41 PM CHAIR OLSON announced the consideration of HJR 24. 3:00:54 PM REPRESENTATIVE PEGGY WILSON, sponsor of HJR 24, said that this resolution urges Congress and the President to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools [and Community Self-Determination] Act (SRSCA) and honor an agreement made in 1908. She explained that the federal government historically shared 25 percent of the annual income earned from national forest receipts with states for distribution among local communities located within the national forest for schools and roads. [This was in response to local governments' concern about the loss of property tax revenue when public domain lands were withdrawn from private ownership to create national forests.] The federal government has steadily decreased payments through the SRSCA over the years even though these forest communities continue to have the same needs as they did initially. They are surrounded by national forest and thus lack the ability to utilize the land to create revenue locally. Forty two states and Puerto Rico receive payments from the SRSCA including thirty three [Alaska] communities and the State of Alaska. Last year $16 million was distributed statewide primarily for schools but also for the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF). Local school districts, the National Forest Counties & Schools Coalition, the Western Governors' Association, and at least 29 senators and 69 congressmen, including the Alaska delegation support reauthorization of the SRSCA. REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON said Alaska needs to send a strong message that the secure rural schools program should continue at a level that will sustain forest communities that are able to generate little or no tax revenue. CHAIR OLSON asked if anyone opposes the bill. REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON replied she was not aware of any opposition. CHAIR OLSON asked if the federal government was interested in continuing this 1908 agreement. REPRESENTATIVE P. WILSON replied funding to reauthorize the SRSCA is in the 2012 budget but the allocation decreases every year. 3:04:51 PM SENATOR WAGONER asked if there is still some contention between cities and boroughs about the division of the funds. REPRESENTATIVE WILSON surmised that the issue had been resolved because she'd heard nothing about it this time. CHAIR OLSON asked if any strings are attached to the federal funds other than that they're to be used for schools and roads. REPRESENTATIVE WILSON answered yes; some of the funds are allocated to Resource Advisory Councils (RAC) for use in the forest itself on existing improvements like trails or cabins. The amount that is allocated to RACs changes depending on the administration, but the local community has a say as to what will be improved. 3:06:48 PM CHAIR OLSON asked how much money each community receives. REPRESERNTATIVE P. WILSON said it depends on the amount of forest in the area but in the last distribution Kenai received $645,000; Valdez received $2.2 million; Cordova received $1.2 million; the Southeast Alaska School District received $373,000; Chatham School District received $415,000; Anchorage received $104,563; MatSu received $32,000; the City of Pelican received $38,000; and Port Alexander received $5,000. CHAIR OLSON commented that it's a fair amount of money. Finding no further questions or public testimony, he asked for a motion. 3:08:18 PM SENATOR WAGONER moved to report HJR 24, version M, from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). CHAIR OLSON announced that without objection, HJR 24 moved from the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee.