ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE  February 23, 2022 1:07 p.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Josiah Patkotak, Chair Representative Grier Hopkins, Vice Chair Representative Zack Fields Representative Calvin Schrage Representative Sara Hannan Representative George Rauscher Representative Mike Cronk Representative Ronald Gillham Representative Tom McKay MEMBERS ABSENT  All members present COMMITTEE CALENDAR  HOUSE BILL NO. 209 "An Act relating to emergency firefighters." - MOVED HB 209 OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HB 209 SHORT TITLE: EMERGENCY FIREFIGHTERS SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) CRONK 05/12/21 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 05/12/21 (H) RES, FIN 02/16/22 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124 02/16/22 (H) Heard & Held 02/16/22 (H) MINUTE(RES) 02/23/22 (H) RES AT 1:00 PM BARNES 124 WITNESS REGISTER No witnesses to record ACTION NARRATIVE 1:07:33 PM CHAIR JOSIAH PATKOTAK called the House Resources Standing Committee meeting to order at 1:07 p.m. Representatives McKay, Cronk, Hopkins, Rauscher, Hannan, Gillham, Schrage, and Patkotak were present at the call to order. Representative Fields arrived as the meeting was in progress. HB 209-EMERGENCY FIREFIGHTERS  1:08:20 PM CHAIR PATKOTAK announced that the only order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 209, "An Act relating to emergency firefighters." 1:09:02 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRONK, as prime sponsor, gave final comments on HB 209. He said he believes the bill is overdue and much needed. The bill puts people to work and supports what the governor is trying to do with increasing fire protection in Alaska by rebuilding the state's own crews rather than depending on crews from the Lower 48. He asked for the committee's support. 1:09:31 PM REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS moved to report HB 209 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HB 209 was reported out of the House Resources Standing Committee. 1:09:53 PM The committee took an at-ease from 1:10 p.m. to 1:12 p.m. to sign the committee report. 1:12:37 PM REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS, at the invitation of Chair Patkotak, offered a summary of the issues covered by the Resources Subcommittee meeting that took place prior to this meeting. He said he wants to ask the [Department of Natural Resources (DNR)] to get back to committee members with an update on when the department will be issuing a miscellaneous land use permit for Santos/Oil Search Ltd. to use roads on state land within the Kuparuk River Unit. Resolution of regulatory uncertainty around use of this road is critical for the Pikka Project to move forward, he continued. A permit was issued for the seawater treatment plant, but the company cannot use those roads, and this development cannot move forward. At stake is about 80,000 barrels of oil per day, about $100 million in royalty revenue to the state, and tens of millions of dollars in property tax revenue to the North Slope Borough. The first oil by 2025 target is at risk, he added, and this regulatory uncertainty has dragged on long enough. CHAIR PATKOTAK pointed out that this is not necessarily the opinion of the committee as a whole. But, he continued, it is something as far as maximizing the state's resources that is in the committee's purview, although it is in a gray area as far as the responsibility of the legislature to not micromanage the executive. He noted that the follow up would be off record. 1:16:05 PM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Resources Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at 1:16 p.m.