00Enrolled HR 8                                                                                                           
01 Supporting the Kensington Gold Mine project; and commending the United States Forest                                    
02 Service for its environmental change analysis.                                                                          
03                                          _______________                                                                
04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:                                                                       
05      WHEREAS, in resolutions passed in 2005 and 2007, the Alaska State Legislature                                  
06 proclaimed strong support for the Coeur Alaska, Inc., Kensington Gold Mine as an                                        
07 environmentally responsible mining project and has encouraged all federal and state agencies                            
08 to complete thorough and timely permitting reviews and issue the necessary permits; and                                 
09      WHEREAS the state has abundant natural resources, particularly mineral resources,                                
10 that the state seeks to develop in an environmentally responsible manner to benefit all                                 
11 residents of the state; and                                                                                             
12      WHEREAS the Kensington Gold Mine would create over 300 jobs during the                                           
13 construction of a tailings facility and over 200 long-term, high-paying, year-round jobs when                           
14 in operation, would have an annual payroll of over $16,000,000, and would help diversify the                            
15 struggling economy of Southeast Alaska while protecting the environment; and                                            
16      WHEREAS the United States Forest Service has completed a thorough analysis of the                                
17 Kensington modified plan of operations, using research and data from three previous                                     

01 environmental impact statements and 1,000 environmental and engineering studies that                                    
02 evaluate a tailings plan that is substantially the same as the tailings plan in the modified plan                       
03 of operations; and                                                                                                      
04      WHEREAS the Juneau district ranger, United States Forest Service, has issued a                                   
05 tentative recommendation that the forest supervisor determine that the modified plan of                                 
06 operations does not constitute a substantial change to the proposed action regarding                                    
07 environmental concerns and has recommended that no further study be required; and                                       
08      WHEREAS Coeur Alaska, Inc., intends to begin construction of a tailings facility                                 
09 during fall 2008 after receipt of the remaining federal and state permits;                                              
10      BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives strongly supports the                                           
11 Kensington Gold Mine project of Coeur Alaska, Inc., as environmentally responsible, and                                 
12 commends the United States Forest Service for its competent and thorough environmental                                  
13 change analysis, which satisfies 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. (National Environmental Policy Act of                           
14 1969) and allows the Kensington Gold Mine to move forward in the permitting process and                                 
15 toward production.