SJR018A -1- SJR 18
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
34-LS0841\N
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 18
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
BY THE SENATE RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Introduced: 4/2/25
Referred: Resources
A RESOLUTION
Urging the Governor, the Department of Natural Resources, division of forestry and fire 1
protection, the Department of Public Safety, municipalities of the state and relevant 2
wildfire planning and response agencies, and the Alaska delegation in Congress to 3
prepare for the 2025 wildfire season. 4
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 5
WHEREAS the frequency and severity of wildfires in the state is increasing because 6
of the effects of lower precipitation and rising temperatures, leading to prolonged fire seasons; 7
and 8
WHEREAS the 2025 wildfire season presents an immediate and severe risk to 9
communities in wildland-urban interface areas, including Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai, 10
Soldotna, and other high-risk zones across the state, some of which have never experienced 11
wildfires and which contain dangerous fuel loads; and 12
WHEREAS the National Weather Service projects below-average precipitation levels 13
and continued dry conditions in regions of the state, exacerbating fire danger and making 14
proactive mitigation efforts critical; and 15 34-LS0841\N
SJR 18 -2- SJR018A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
WHEREAS limited water sources, difficult terrain, and constrained or single-access 1
routes to large residential areas in many communities pose significant challenges to ground-2
based firefighting and evacuation efforts; and 3
WHEREAS the costs of fighting a widespread fire increase significantly when crews 4
must be brought in from out of state, and providing quick, effective, locally sourced fire 5
suppression reduces costs for firefighting and reduces economic losses caused by a fire; and 6
WHEREAS there is a demonstrated need for improved aerial firefighting resources, 7
additional water reservoirs for bucket operations, and enhanced early detection of wildfires 8
and warning systems to support rapid response; and 9
WHEREAS community safety and preparedness depend on early and effective public 10
outreach, which could include expansion of public education programs like the Ready, Set, 11
Go! Program, engaging residents in annual inspections and preparation through a program 12
like Firewise USA, coordinating neighborhood evacuation planning and drills with local fire 13
stations, and other interagency coordination efforts; and 14
WHEREAS the role of local and state public information officers, in collaboration 15
with state and federal agencies, is to actively coordinate public education campaigns, enhance 16
emergency notifications, and facilitate communication between fire response agencies and the 17
public; and 18
WHEREAS past legislative efforts have underscored the importance of wildfire 19
mitigation funding, including appropriations granted for wildfire fuel reduction programs, 20
defensible space and fuel break initiatives, and support for local fire departments in high-risk 21
areas; 22
BE IT RESOLVED that, in preparation for the 2025 wildfire season, the Alaska State 23
Legislature urges the Governor, the Department of Natural Resources, division of forestry and 24
fire protection, and relevant municipal and local agencies to enhance wildfire preparedness 25
and response coordination by reviewing and developing comprehensive interagency wildfire 26
response plans specific to high-risk wildland-urban interface communities; conducting full 27
reviews of available response equipment, joint response agreeme
nts, and water resources; 28
identifying opportunities for additional water storage and access points; and inspecting and 29
treating aircraft landing zones and roadways, especially those that are single-access routes to 30
large residential populations, to minimize hazard trees, reduce sources of fuel for wildfires, 31 34-LS0841\N
SJR018A -3- SJR 18
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
including fuel in rights-of-way, clear road and intersection obstructions, and repair roads that 1
are in poor condition to enable use of the roadways to support wildfire response and safe 2
evacuations; and be it 3
FURTHER RESOLVED that, in preparation for the 2025 wildfire season, the Alaska 4
State Legislature urges the Governor, the Department of Natural Resources, division of 5
forestry and fire protection, and relevant municipal and local agencies to expand public 6
outreach and education by implementing a statewide public awareness campaign on wildfire 7
risks and prevention strategies, which may include engaging residents and local fire 8
departments in a program like Firewise USA, inspections, and evacuation preparedness; and 9
promoting wildfire preparedness by launching an early detection campaign, promoting the 10
Ready, Set, Go! Program, and enhancing local notification and emergency news sources; and 11
be it 12
FURTHER RESOLVED that, in preparation for the 2025 wildfire season, the Alaska 13
State Legislature urges the Governor, the Department of Natural Resources, division of 14
forestry and fire protection, and relevant municipal and local agencies to conduct emergency 15
response and evacuation drills by organizing and funding multi-agency tabletop exercises and 16
live wildfire evacuation drills before May 1, 2025; and to model evacuation scenarios, 17
including planning for the possibility of single-access road closures, emergency vehicle 18
congestion, and multiple fires resulting from ember transport downwind; and be it 19
FURTHER RESOLVED that, in preparation for the 2025 wildfire season, the Alaska 20
State Legislature urges the Governor, the Department of Natural Resources, division of 21
forestry and fire protection, and relevant municipal and local agencies to bolster fire 22
suppression resources by securing additional ground and aerial firefighting assets and 23
stationing those assets close to high-risk areas during peak fire seasons; establishing new 24
water reservoirs and enhancing access to existing water sources for bucket and hose 25
operations in areas with limited local water supplies; and be it 26
FURTHER RESOLVED that, in preparation for the 2025 wildfire season, the Alaska 27
State Legislature urges the Governor, the Department of Natural Resources division of 28
forestry and fire protection, and relevant municipal and local agencies to improve fire 29
detection and early warning systems by implementing advanced fire detection technology to 30
improve response times and situational awareness and conducting community-wide tests of 31 34-LS0841\N
SJR 18 -4- SJR018A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
emergency notification systems to ensure reliability in crisis situations; and be it 1
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges federal 2
representatives, including the Alaska delegation in Congress, to advocate for increased federal 3
funding and support for the state's wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts. 4
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Michael Dunleavy, 5
Governor of the State of Alaska; the Honorable John Boyle, Commissioner, Department of 6
Natural Resources; the Honorable James Cockrell, Commissioner, Department of Public 7
Safey; the Honorable Suzanne LaFrance, Mayor of the Municipality of Anchorage; the 8
Honorable Glenda D. Ledford, Mayor of the City of Wasilla; the Honorable Steve Carrington, 9
Mayor of the City of Palmer; the Honorable David Pruhs, Mayor of the City of Fairbanks; the 10
Honorable Grier Hopkins, Mayor of the Fairbanks North Star Borough; the Honorable Brian 11
Gabriel, Mayor of the City of Kenai; the Honorable Paul Whitney, Mayor of the City of 12
Soldotna; the Honorable Peter Micciche, Mayor of the Kenai Peninsula Borough; Doug 13
Schrage, Fire Chief, Anchorage Fire Department; Chad VanOrmer, Regional Forester, Alaska 14
Region, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski 15
and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. 16
Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress. 17