00Enrolled SJR 16                                                                                                         
01 Supporting legislation before the United States Congress that reaffirms the right of the states                         
02 to regulate hunting and fishing.                                                                                        
03                                          _______________                                                                
04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                             
05      WHEREAS individual states within the United States exercise primary authority over                               
06 management of fish and wildlife resources within each state's boundaries; and                                           
07      WHEREAS states also possess general police powers to regulate matters of legitimate                              
08 local concern, even though interstate commerce may be affected; and                                                     
09      WHEREAS a state's regulation of hunting and fishing and the conservation and                                     
10 enhancement of its wildlife populations represent matters of legitimate local concern; and                              
11      WHEREAS states are best situated to regulate hunting and fishing within their                                    
12 boundaries; and                                                                                                         
13      WHEREAS regulation of hunting and fishing may include efforts to provide benefits                                
14 to a state's citizens and residents, raise revenue for wildlife conservation from residents and                         
15 nonresidents, and ensure public safety;                                                                                 
16      BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports H.R. 731 in the United                                 
17 States House of Representatives, reaffirming the authority of the states to regulate hunting and                        

01 fishing activities within their respective boundaries and stating that silence on the part of the                       
02 United States Congress should not be construed to impose any barrier under the federal                                  
03 Commerce Clause to state regulation of hunting and fishing; and be it                                                   
04      FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature also supports S. 339 in the                                   
05 United States Senate, declaring that continued regulation of access to hunting and fishing by                           
06 the states is in the public interest and that silence on the part of the United States Congress                         
07 should not be construed to impose any barrier under the federal Commerce Clause to the                                  
08 regulation of hunting and fishing by the states.                                                                        
09      COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Ted Stevens, President Pro                              
10 Tempore of the U.S. Senate and member of the Alaska delegation in Congress; the Honorable                               
11 J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; and the Honorable Lisa                                 
12 Murkowski, U.S. Senator, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of                                   
13 the Alaska delegation in Congress.