CHAIRMAN MILLER called the Resources Committee meeting to order at 3:37 p.m. and announced SB 293 (NATIVE ALLOTMENTS ON STATE LAND) to to be up for consideration. SENATOR JACKO, sponsor, said this bill would resolve one of the conflicts in Wood-Tikchik State Park. He explained there were no provisions in statute for transferring land owned by native allottees within a state park or any other designated state land area and that's what this bill does. SENATOR LEMAN asked why people would want to get rid of parcels that are on state land. SENATOR JACKO answered that the state is concerned that the people who have the 80 acre parcels will subdivide the land and build lodges. He explained that the native allotment requirements don't require that the land has to be used at the time you filed the claim. RON SWANSON, Director, Division of Lands, said he strongly supports this bill. He said the difference between this bill and other bills is that it allows any native allotment anywhere on state land to relocate. The other three bills only allow native allotments located within state parks to relocate to other state land. SB 293 has a much wider public appeal. SENATOR JACKO noted that in this bill the Commissioner has the authority to make the transfer and in SB 339 the Director has the authority. SENATOR MILLER asked how many people would take advantage of this legislation. SENATOR JACKO said of the 159 allotments identified statewide, 104 of them are in Wood-Tikchik State Park. MR. SWANSON said this bill does cover all native allotments on all state land. He said the vast majority of the applicants would be in Wood- Tikchik State Park, Denali State Park, and the Haines Bald Eagle Preserve. SENATOR FRANK asked if there was a use conflict also. MR. SWANSON answered that native allotments were different than other inholdings, because the use and occupancies establish the original date. The application could have come in as late as 1971 which isn't important. Under his proposal the applicant, the DNR, and the BLM would all have to agree. SENATOR FRANK asked what if the allottee wants to stay within the state park unit. MR. SWANSON explained that it would go through the adjudication process. BLM would have to determine if it was a valid claim. They would then request the DNR to reconvey the land to BLM; they would make a best interest finding and if the answer is no, the only resort is for the federal government Department of Justice to sue the state to reclaim title to the land. This does happen quite often and takes a long time, he said. PERRY AHSOGEAK, Realty Director for the Tanana Chiefs Conference, read a statement in support of SB 293. TOM HAWKINS, Sr. Vice President, Bristol Bay Native Corporation, said SB 293 is a useful tool for state land managers. He supported it strongly. Number 300 DIANE STEVENS, Realty Officer, Arctic Slope Native Association, Ltd., supported SB 293. SENATOR LEMAN moved to pass SB 293 from Committee with individual recommendations. There were no objections and it was so ordered.