Senate Transportation Committee reports SB 47 to clarify municipal road easements through Chugach State Park

The Senate Transportation Committee on Feb. 11, 2025 voted by unanimous consent to report Senate Bill 47, "Chugach State Park Easements," out of committee with individual recommendations and a fiscal note to follow.

Senator Kathy Giesel, sponsor of SB 47, told the committee the bill addresses small stretches of municipal roads that pass through Chugach State Park and would clarify that the municipality may hold a right of way where a road briefly traverses park land. Giesel displayed a map during her recap showing where a municipal road (light gray on the map) leaves municipal land, crosses a portion of state park land, then reenters municipal land.

The bill specifically relates to Chugach State Park and to “road that passes through the park, either side of which will be municipal land, allowing the municipality to have a right of way for that piece of road,” Giesel said. Senator Kiel asked whether the bill would shift maintenance responsibilities to local governments in other parts of the state. Giesel said the bill reiterates that the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities remains responsible for maintaining public roads within Chugach State Park (page 2, lines 17–19), and therefore does not remove DOT&PF's maintenance responsibility.

There was no public testimony on SB 47. After discussion closed, Senator Kiel moved that the committee report SB 47 (work order 34LS0179/A) from committee with individual recommendations and a forthcoming fiscal note. With no objection, the committee reported the bill out by unanimous consent and signed paperwork on the motion.

The committee noted the fiscal note is forthcoming and did not adopt a standing vote tally in the record; the committee proceeded to the next agenda item, a DOT&PF briefing on federal and state funding.