SR 9: Relating to management of public land and resources in the state.
00 SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 9 01 Relating to management of public land and resources in the state. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE: 03 WHEREAS Alaska entered the Union as a state on equal footing with the original 13 04 colonies and other states upon ratification in 1958 of the Alaska Statehood Act, establishing 05 by Compact with the citizens of Alaska fundamental principles regarding the transfer of 06 federal land into state ownership; and 07 WHEREAS, in addition to the Alaska Statehood Act, a suite of federal laws presently 08 define the relative authorities and responsibilities for state and federal land and resources in 09 the state, including the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and the Alaska National Interest 10 Lands Conservation Act, which relate specifically to Alaska, and the General Mining Act of 11 1872, the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration 12 Act of 1966, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, which apply to all 13 states; and 14 WHEREAS, among the clear understandings documented in those Acts and others, 15 the state could acquire resource-rich land with the opportunity to study and develop it; share 16 in the revenue from the development of federal land; exercise state sovereignty over land and
01 resources, including the management of fish and wildlife and the submerged land that passed 02 to the state at statehood; have reasonable access to and across federal land, particularly when 03 necessary to use or access land owned by the state, Native corporations, and private 04 individuals; and engage in traditional activities on land retained by the federal government; 05 and 06 WHEREAS the federal government has repeatedly disregarded, misconstrued, and 07 abrogated the commitments contained in those Acts; and 08 WHEREAS, in contradiction of those Acts, the federal government frequently fails to 09 consider or accommodate the needs and interests of affected users of federal land in the state 10 by adopting prohibitive land-use classifications, plans, and decisions, sweeping policies, 11 permit programs, fees and costs, and direct restrictions on access to federal land for traditional 12 and customary uses, mining, subsistence, hunting and fishing, trapping, economic activities, 13 travel between communities, and recreation; and 14 WHEREAS the state Citizens' Advisory Commission on Federal Management Areas 15 in Alaska has been monitoring these issues for decades, and, through its legally impaneled 16 subcommittee, the Alaska State Lands Advisory Group, has examined and discussed available 17 remedies; 18 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate appreciates the work of the Citizens' 19 Advisory Commission on Federal Management Areas in Alaska and the Alaska State Lands 20 Advisory Group; and be it 21 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate supports filing the petition 22 submitted by the Citizens' Advisory Commission on Federal Management Areas in Alaska; 23 and be it 24 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate welcomes the transfer of ownership 25 or management of federal land to the state in parcels specifically negotiated between the two 26 parties; and be it 27 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate supports creating an expedited 28 process to resolve uncertainty in the adjudication of navigable waters, submerged land, and 29 RS 2477 rights-of-way; and be it 30 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate urges the United States Congress to 31 reinstate and fund the Alaska Land Use Council established under Title XII of the Alaska
01 National Interest Lands Conservation Act; and be it 02 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate urges the Governor to enter into 03 cooperative land and resource management agreements, with the caveat that any federal land 04 use plan, regulation, policy, or program that objectively serves to perpetuate reduced use and 05 access, or that newly reduces use and access, lacking express Congressional direction, shall be 06 subject to state approval, such as ratification by the Alaska State Legislature, before taking 07 effect; and be it 08 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate urges the federal government and 09 the state to establish and maintain a trust-beneficiary relationship on federal land where 10 revenue sharing is available; and be it 11 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate urges the Governor to renew 12 funding and support for the Citizens' Advisory Commission on Federal Management Areas in 13 Alaska and the state Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act implementation 14 program.