Statements On Introduced Bills And Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

By Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself, Mr. Begich, and Mr. Udall of Colorado):

S. 2907. A bill to establish a coordinated avalanche protection program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to reintroduce in the Senate legislation that will help to reduce the Nation's yearly death toll caused by snow and ice avalanches.

As a member of the Congressional Hazards Caucus, I am introducing legislation, the Federal Land Avalanche Protection Act of 2009 to tackle the impacts of one of our Nation's natural hazards, avalanches. I am introducing this bill jointly with Senators Mark Begich and Mark Udall. It is identical to a measure introduced earlier this week in the House of Representatives by Alaska's Congressman Don Young, who was its prime sponsor when first introduced in May 2008 late in the 110th Congress.

The goal of the bill is to better protect people in avalanche zones nationwide and to reduce the growing potential for avalanches to damage properties, as more and more building takes place on mountainsides and in valleys threatened by potential avalanches. Avalanches are a continuing problem in this country. Last year 49 avalanches in 10 States and Canada caused 54 fatalities in North America, 28 in America. The fall-winter-spring of 2008-2009, however, was not unusual.

In the 2007-2008 season, 36 Americans lost their lives as a result of avalanches. Another 16 Canadians died that season in 43 reported avalanches. In the 2002-03 season, 58 people in North America died as a result of 55 reported avalanches. For the past decade 38 people have died on average each year in North America from avalanches. Most occur in the western States of Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington, but deaths certainly have occurred in eastern States such as Vermont and New Hampshire, as well.

Many think that avalanches are just a problem for backcountry skiers, hikers, or snowboarders. But as urbanization spreads the dangers caused by snow and ice buildups on steep slopes will grow and affect more urban populations, and especially more motorists traveling through mountain passes and along valley roads. So far this season, just in the past 2 months, 11 skiers and 1 ice climber have been caught in avalanches in Montana, Utah, and Colorado. Fortunately only one death has so far resulted. But this Nation needs to devote additional resources to warning and battling the impacts of avalanches because there are things that we know how to do to improve forecasts, increase warnings, and take advance actions to reduce the build up of snow loads on steep slopes, thus lessening the danger of larger, deadly avalanches when snow packs release.

The bill I introduce today directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, to establish an avalanche protection program to: identify the potential for avalanches on Federal lands and inform the public about the probability of avalanches and their potential adverse effects; carry out ongoing research to improve avalanche forecasting; and reduce the risks of avalanches and mitigate their effects.

The bill requires the Secretary to coordinate the program to ensure protection for recreational users of public land under the Secretary of the Interior's jurisdiction, using resources of the Forest Service's National Avalanche Center; to establish an advisory committee to assist in program development and implementation; and with the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of the Army, to establish a central depository for weapons, ammunition, and parts for avalanche control purposes.

The measure also authorizes the Secretary to make grants to carry out projects and activities to assist in the prevention, forecasting, detection, and mitigation of avalanches; maintain essential transportation, utilities, and communications; assist avalanche artillery users to ensure the availability of adequate supplies of artillery and explosives required for avalanche control in specified areas; and assist research and development activities for alternatives to minimize reliance on military weapons for avalanche control.

It directs the Secretary to give priority to projects carried out in avalanche zones with a high frequency or severity of avalanches or in which deaths, injuries, or damage to public facilities and communities have occurred. It requires the Administrator of the General Services Administration to transfer specified property suitable for avalanche control purposes to a user of surplus ordnance.

When first introduced last year for public and professional consideration and comment the measure was strongly supported by Federal avalanche officials.

Just in my home State of Alaska avalanches are a concern not just in the backcountry at Hatcher Pass, north of Palmer, or for heli-skiing enthusiasts near Thompson Pass outside of Valdez or Johnson Pass on the Kenai Peninsula, but in urban areas, such as the capital city of Juneau, or for motorists who daily drive the Seward Highway from Girdwood to Anchorage or through Turnagain Pass. While Alaska's three fatalities last year occurred in Thompson and Johnson Pass among recreational skiers, the future is that we need to do more on Federal lands, and we need to do more to assist states to lessen the severity of avalanche dangers on State and private lands.

This bill would take logically, fiscally prudent steps, to doing just that. I urge members to support its passage and modest funding for implementation next year.

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