SB 181-CLOSING CERTAIN LAND TO MINERAL ENTRY  4:34:08 PM CO-CHAIR PASKVAN announced the consideration of SB 181. SENATOR CATHY GIESSEL, Alaska State Legislature, sponsor of SB 181, said this measure would close certain lands to mineral entry (mining claims). She related that Girdwood is home to Alyeska Ski Resort, the largest recreational facility of its kind in Alaska. Girdwood also has multiple world class hiking, cross country running, mountain biking and Nordic ski trails. It is a year round recreational destination for Alaskans and visitors to the state, as well. SB 181 allows for the expansion of these recreational opportunities in the mountains to the east of the ski resort by closing additional state lands in the Glacier and Winner Creek drainages to mining claims. A large portion of the land had already been closed to mining claims since 1992 by action of the legislature. And that closure has recently been extended by the legislature to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) commissioner. SB 181 will complete some necessary additional land closures in that area for recreational use. She said there is widespread support for the bill from private persons who live in the Girdwood area as well as businesses there. Even the Alaska Mining Association supports this bill. Of significance to her was one that one of her Hope constituents who is a placer miner recently "poked around" in this area and reported that he saw no significant mining opportunities on this land supports this bill, too. This bill will not impact Crow Creek, an active gold mining area several miles to the southwest. 4:36:55 PM SHARON LONG, staff to Senator Cathy Giessel, Alaska State Legislature, provided a sectional analysis for SB 181. Section 1 states the purpose of the bill is to approve the interim classifications contained in mineral order 121. Section 2 identifies the land in the Glacier Creek and Winner Creek drainages that are closed to new mineral entry. Section 3 amends the description of land in the Glacier Creek and Winner Creek drainages that were closed to mineral entry and approved by the legislature in section 2, chapter 8, SLA 2003, a bill that Senate French was a cross sponsor of, by excluding two additional mining claim recordations that were left out in that legislation. Section 4 provides for an immediate effective date. CO-CHAIR PASKVAN said page 1, line 12, talks about "new mineral entry" and seemed to infer that current mineral activity was going on there and asked if that was true. MS. LONG replied her understanding was that the lands in the blue area of the map had been closed to mineral entry since 1992 for a 10-year period and extended again in 2003. The new mineral order which was issued this last year is the gold area. She was unaware of mining activity in that area, but the division could speak to specifics. 4:39:20 PM WYN MENEFEE, Chief of Operations, Division of Mining, Land and Water, Department of Natural Resources (DNR), explained that were no mineral claims or locations within the area except for the federal claims in the Crow Creek area, and those existed prior to the original mineral closing order. 4:40:22 PM FRED PARADY, Executive Director, Alaska Miners Association, Juneau, AK, stated support for SB 181. While some may find it surprising that the association supports this bill, he said they were specifically appreciative of the process followed by DNR in evaluating the proposed areas as to their mineral potential and other values. They support the closure orders and agree with the assessment that these lands are properly suitable for expansion of the recreation uses. He noted that if such uses cease, they would like to the see the closure orders reversed and the areas reopened to mineral development, commenting that you just never know what might happen in the future. CO-CHAIR PASKVAN held SB 181 in committee.