SCR 1-SUPPORT ROADS/HOT SPRINGS LOOP ROAD  SENATOR GARY WILKEN, sponsor of SCR 1, explained the purpose of SCR 1 is to consider road construction projects in the State of Alaska. It originally focused on a road connection between two hot springs in Interior Alaska. The Senate State Affairs added three additional roads and its committee substitute (CS) is before the Senate Transportation Committee. Senator Wilken endorsed the addition of roads to the resolution. SENATOR WILKEN referred to a map of the proposed Hot Springs Loop Road. Circle Hot Springs is on a spur road off the Steese Highway 130 miles from Fairbanks. Chena Hot Springs is 60 miles from Fairbanks on the Chena Hot Springs Road. The 50 to 60 miles "as the crow flies" between Chena Hot Springs and Circle Hot Springs crosses the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Steese Wilderness Area, an area of rolling hills with a valley configuration conducive to road construction. Senator Wilken said the Hot Springs Loop Road would benefit the residents of Fairbanks and visitors by allowing access to the hot springs in a loop. The road would provide access to resources and aid in the development of Alaska. The Senate State Affairs Committee amended SCR 1 to include the addition of three potential roads that would benefit residents, visitors and industry: · Bradfield Canal Road connecting Southeast Alaska to British Columbia · Knik Arm Crossing in Anchorage · Iliamna Bay to Pile Bay The SCR 1 packet contains the resolution as amended by the Senate State Affairs Committee, the sponsor statement, a letter of support from the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, a Fairbanks Daily News Miner editorial dated February 16, 2003 and the attached zero fiscal note. SENATOR OLSON asked the type of landownership along the Hot Springs Loop Road. SENATOR WILKEN said he did not know but it is mixed. The Steese Wilderness Area is state land. This corridor was first drawn around 1982 and there is a search underway for the information gathered at that time. SENATOR OLSON asked the width of the corridor. SENATOR WILKEN said he did not know but said he encourages the addition of roads that will provide economic development. MR. MERRILL HAKALA, Fairbanks resident, stated he was 100 percent against a road between Chena Hot Springs and Circle Hot Springs. It would destroy a lot of wilderness country and the connection is not needed. He added that people with remote sites accessible by snow machine would be happy to see the road built. MR. HAKALA said the funds could be better spent in other places. He proposed the following projects. · The planned road connection to Rampart. · Installation of a public boat landing at Rampart. · Installation of a public boat landing at Circle. · Rebuild and straighten the road from Birch Creek Bridge to Circle. Money was designated for this project in 1989 but the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (DOTPF) transferred those funds elsewhere. · Rebuild the road from Central to Circle to make it a safer road. · Build a road 1 mile north of and parallel to the Chena Hot Springs Road. This 20 to 25 mile long road should have connections to Chena Hot Springs Road. This property could then be subdivided and would greatly enhance the Fairbanks area. MR. JOHN BROWN, field representative, Operating Engineers Local 302, said he was present on another matter but was in favor of building roads as they are a foundation for the Alaskan economy. He stated: I leave it up to the Legislature to prioritize that and I think we need a lot of input on this particular project but any kind of infrastructure helps our economy in the long term and I'm sure this one would too. MR. RALPH SWARTHOUT, Regional Director, DOTPF Northern Region, stated support for the construction of the Hot Springs Loop Road because it would bring significant tourism, recreational and economic development opportunities to the Fairbanks area. He added: There seems to be a lot of issues with the Steese White Mountain Recreational Area, the Birch Creek Wild and Scenic corridor - who owns the land, what is its geo-technical conditions, how would a road be sited here. If we do a reconnaissance type study, it would take about a year to do, we could look at all of these problems or perhaps problems in the future and come up with some alternate solutions and make a decision on whether it would be wise to proceed or not. So that is my suggestion to the commissioner and I am supportive at this time on this road. SENATOR OLSON asked if Mr. Swarthout had looked at this from DOTPF's standpoint. He asked how he saw the construction of this road competing with dollars for maintenance of other roads. Senator Olson added that DOTPF has not been maintaining the roads in his district. MR. SWARTHOUT perceived this road as a capital fund project that could compete priority-wise with other projects. DOTPF's maintenance and operations activities are funded out of the general fund budget. The maintenance dollars are different from capital dollars. SENATOR OLSON understood the difference between the operating and capital budgets. He said his question was how does DOTPF expect to maintain this road after it has been built when other roads lack maintenance. MR. SWARTHOUT said he hoped the Legislature would support both a new roadway and the operation costs. He added he had long been a proponent for tying maintenance costs to capital projects and said, "If they are not going to maintain them, don't build them." MR. PAUL NATHANIEL, First Chief, Circle Village Council, explained the Circle Village Council position on the road project between Chena Hot Springs and Circle Hot Springs. When something important occurs, like the Yukon Quest International Dog Race or a visit from the Governor, the Steese Highway is maintained. Otherwise, the highway has not been maintained through the winter for the past four or five years. The 35 miles from Circle to Central is rough and hard on vehicles. Mr. Nathaniel suggested those funds should be spent to maintain, redesign, straighten and reconstruct the highway between Circle and Central. [Parts of Mr. Nathaniel's testimony were indiscernible due to poor transmission.] CHAIR COWDERY said SCR 1 would be scrutinized as it moves through Senate and House Committees. He thought Governor Murkowski had appointed new people to DOTPF and attitudes will change from what they were in the past. SENATOR THERRIAULT moved CSSCR 1(STA) from committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. Without objection, the motion carried. SENATOR LINCOLN said Chair Cowdery's aide told her the meeting started at 2:00 p.m. and that she had not been informed the meeting was starting at 1:30 p.m. She had prepared to talk about SCR 1 as it involves her district. She asked if Chair Cowdery would allow the individual on line from Circle to be heard after the committee finished with SB 40. CHAIR COWDERY said he would extend that courtesy. SENATOR LINCOLN appreciated that very much. CHAIR COWDERY apologized that she was not notified of the time change. He thought everyone had been notified. MR. SCHMITZ said he was responsible for the lack of notification. SCR 1-SUPPORT ROADS/HOT SPRINGS LOOP ROAD    CHAIR COWDERY invited Senator Lincoln to make her comments on SCR 1. SENATOR LINCOLN thanked Chair Cowdery for taking up SCR 1 again. She stated: I understand that the individual that was on line is no longer there. But I do want to say that the community, there was some testimony earlier that there was kind of a unanimous support for the resolution and in fact there - Circle has taken a position that they want to see the Circle to Central roads improved and maintained before they support a new road going into their community. And I know that the Tanana Chiefs Conference hasn't taken a position on the piece of legislation yet. But there's a real concern that if we're going to put more money out there for new roads that we should look first to those that are in really bad shape. And I will tell you that I was in Circle last year and went from Circle to Central and that road is an awful road. CHAIR COWDERY interjected, "A trail, it's not a road really." SENATOR LINCOLN continued: A trail, and they have to get folks sometimes to the larger airport to get them out for medical reasons. So I just - I want that on the record that the folks up there are not endorsing this resolution as it stands now because they've just got terrible road conditions presently. And I thank you for going back to that Mr. Chairman.