00                         HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 12                                                                        
01 Urging the Marine Debris Foundation to locate its headquarters in the state.                                            
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:                                                                         
03       WHEREAS the state has 33,904 miles of shoreline and an estimated tidal shoreline of                             
04 47,300 miles, more than all the other 49 states combined; and                                                           
05       WHEREAS the state has a coastline that faces the North Pacific Ocean, the Bering                                
06 Sea, the Beaufort Sea, the Chukchi Sea, and the Arctic Ocean, and is the only state that                                
07 borders two different oceans; and                                                                                       
08       WHEREAS marine debris causes many adverse effects, including wildlife injury and                                
09 death from entanglement or ingestion, exposure to toxic chemicals, habitat destruction, vessel                          
10 damage, and economic loss to tourism and fisheries; and                                                                 
11       WHEREAS the marine debris problem is inherently more extensive in the state than                                
12 in other parts of the United States, as a result of the state's rugged and remote coastline; and                        
13 WHEREAS the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris                                             
14 Program has worked with partners since 2006 to conduct debris research, removal, and                                    
15 prevention, and has directly funded more than 35 projects in the state that have removed over                           
16 900 metric tons of debris; and                                                                                          

01 WHEREAS the pristine reputation of the state's fisheries, ocean, and coastline is                                     
02 central to the state's economy, which contributes to Alaskans' unique understanding of the                              
03 threat of marine debris to environmental conservation, coastal communities, tourism, and                                
04 fisheries; and                                                                                                          
05 WHEREAS the state is home to many organizations that have administered locally                                        
06 driven marine debris assessment, removal, and prevention projects; and                                                  
07 WHEREAS the Marine Debris Foundation was authorized by the Save Our Seas 2.0                                          
08 Act (P.L. 116-224) to act as a charitable and nonprofit organization overseeing marine debris                           
09 removal nationwide and globally in connection with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric                                 
10 Administration under 33 U.S.C. 1952 (Marine Debris Act);                                                                
11       BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives urges the Marine Debris                                        
12 Foundation Board of Directors to locate the Marine Debris Foundation headquarters in the                                
13 state.