A Senate Bill to create a Susitna State Forest unanimously passed the State Senate in a floor vote Wednesday after being forwarded out of the State Finance Committee on Tuesday.
Senate Bill 159 is short, and calls on the Department of Natural Resources Commissioner to prepare a management plan for 33 parcels totaling more than 760,000 acres , as well as giving the commissioner the opportunity to develop transportation corridors. The Talkeetna Community Council asked the committee to include language in that would incorporate provisions of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Asset Management Plan and the designated Natural Resource Management Units. Finance Committee didn’t go that far, but did add language indicating that the land will be subject to valid existing rights
The Bill will now head to the House.
