03/14/2012 01:30 PM House FINANCE

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 23                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Establishing and relating to the Alaska Arctic Policy                                                                      
     Commission.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
2:48:10 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REGGIE JOULE, SPONSOR,  explained HCR 23. The                                                                    
Alaska Northern  Waters Task  Force (ANWTF)  was established                                                                    
in 2010  to identify the  opportunities and challenges  of a                                                                    
changing  Arctic.   Arctic  Nations  are   anticipating  the                                                                    
development   of    northern   shipping    routes,   mineral                                                                    
extraction, oil  and gas exploration,  commercial fisheries,                                                                    
and  tourism. Some  of this  change has  already started  to                                                                    
occur. The  ANWT completed its  final report on  January 30,                                                                    
2012.  The report  includes  recommendations  in six  Arctic                                                                    
policy  areas: Governance,  Oil  &  Gas Development,  Marine                                                                    
Transportation,  Fisheries,  Infrastructure,  and  Research.                                                                    
The  report  is  by  far  the  broadest  and  most  detailed                                                                    
statement of Alaska's  Arctic policy to date,  yet much work                                                                    
remains to  fully expound upon  all the diverse  issues that                                                                    
the Task Force brought forward.  While the United States has                                                                    
an  official   written  Arctic  Policy   (National  Security                                                                    
Presidential Directive (NSPD)-66), Alaska  does not. Most of                                                                    
the  other  Arctic  Nations and  the  Northwest  Territories                                                                    
already   have   established   Arctic   policies.   As   the                                                                    
jurisdiction that  makes the United States  an Arctic nation                                                                    
and  as  the  only  U.S.   state  that  is  home  to  Arctic                                                                    
residents, Alaska needs an Arctic  policy of its own. Alaska                                                                    
needs to  position itself now regarding  the nation's Arctic                                                                    
policy  - Alaska  cannot take  that leadership  role without                                                                    
understanding  what its  own priorities  should be.  This is                                                                    
especially critical  considering the  United States  will be                                                                    
chairing  the  Arctic  Council from  2015-2017.  The  Arctic                                                                    
Policy   Commission   will   provide  the   legislature   an                                                                    
opportunity  to   remain  engaged  in  the   ongoing  Arctic                                                                    
dialogue and to help shape future Alaskan Arctic policy.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
2:54:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Costello  appreciated the work that  had been                                                                    
done  on  the  issue,  and believed  it  would  become  more                                                                    
important as  time went  on. She asked  about the  makeup of                                                                    
the  commission.  Representative  Joule responded  that  the                                                                    
Northern Waters  Task Force had  11 members. He  stated that                                                                    
municipalities,  regional  corporations,  and  conservancies                                                                    
were  represented.   He  explained   that  there   was  some                                                                    
discovery, over time, which  some representation was missing                                                                    
from the  commission. He remarked that  industry; university                                                                    
and  research;  and  native tribes  were  missing  from  the                                                                    
commission. Currently, the membership  was at 16 members. He                                                                    
stated that  there was some  trouble keeping  the membership                                                                    
small,  because   of  the  desire  to   have  all  interests                                                                    
represented.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze pointed  to page  3, lines  14 and  15. He                                                                    
wondered  whether it  would be  more appropriate  to broaden                                                                    
the language  to "university" instead of  the "University of                                                                    
Alaska."                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHRISTINE  HESS, STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE REGGIE  JOULE, would                                                                    
be open to the idea.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Joule felt  that  language  should be  broad                                                                    
enough to include not only  the University of Alaska, but be                                                                    
open enough to  find people who would meet  the proper level                                                                    
of qualification.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Guttenberg felt  it  was  important for  the                                                                    
state to lead  the charge in the nation,  because Alaska was                                                                    
on   the  forefront   of   Arctic   waters  management.   He                                                                    
recommended inserting  language stating that  the commission                                                                    
can meet as  soon as the majority members  are appointed. He                                                                    
remarked that sometimes full membership  was not present, so                                                                    
the commission would not meet.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Representative Joule  thought it  might be helpful  to leave                                                                    
the   language   open   enough  to   meet   the   level   of                                                                    
qualification.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thomas did  not see an environmental  person on the                                                                    
commission.  He asked  whether  the  language "or  designee"                                                                    
could be included in the legislation in the event that a                                                                        
member would not be present.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:00:46 PM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:07:03 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze MOVED Amendment 1:                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, delete language on lines 14-15.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Replace with new language                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     "One member representing an accredited university or                                                                       
     college in Alaska, who has a background in Arctic                                                                          
     science;"                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thomas OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze read the amendment aloud.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thomas WITHDREW his objection. There being NO                                                                          
further OBJECTION, Amendment 1 was ADOPTED.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Hess explained Amendment 2:                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 20 add                                                                                                        
     (J) one member representing a statewide environmental                                                                      
     organization                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     (K) 4 alternates will be appointed                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze asked whether it would be more appropriate                                                                     
to say a member from the conservation community.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Ms. Hess adjusted Amendment 2 to read:                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Page 3, line 20 add                                                                                                        
     (J) one member representing a statewide conservation                                                                       
     organization                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     (K) 4 alternates will be appointed                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Representative Edgmon wondered if it would be more                                                                              
appropriate to use the language "conservation community."                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Edgmon  MOVED  to   AMEND  Amendment  2.  He                                                                    
explained  that the  amendment would  change the  wording in                                                                    
subsection (J) to read:                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     "one member representing the conservation community."                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
There  being  NO  OBJECTION  Amendment   2  was  ADOPTED  as                                                                    
AMENDED.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHRIS HLADICK, CITY MANAGER, CITY  OF UNALASKA, testified in                                                                    
support of  HCR 23. He  stated that  there had been  a great                                                                    
reception  at  the  Coast Guard  briefing  on  the  Northern                                                                    
Waters  Task Force.  He believed  the commission  would work                                                                    
well with the governor's  office and the federal government.                                                                    
He expressed that  all Alaskans would be  impacted by events                                                                    
in the  future related to  shipping over the North  Pole and                                                                    
other Arctic areas. He believed  the policy commission could                                                                    
help work through the mountain  of information regarding the                                                                    
Arctic  waters,  and  he   appreciated  the  opportunity  to                                                                    
testify.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:13:34 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Edgmon  explained that  when he was  chair of                                                                    
the Fisheries  Committee in 2009 built  around Mr. Hladick's                                                                    
contributions about  this subject. He stated  that there was                                                                    
not a  central point of  contact for Arctic issues,  and was                                                                    
grateful   that  there   was   a   continuation  of   multi-                                                                    
disciplinary information.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thomas CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Neuman  supported  the legislation.  He  had                                                                    
been involved  in two caucuses  regarding Arctic  issues. He                                                                    
stated  that there  had been  a move  by President  Obama to                                                                    
create council  that would have  oversight or  management on                                                                    
all federal  waters, and  he believed  it would  subvert the                                                                    
current  public process.  He declared  that the  ability for                                                                    
Alaska to  have a  say would  be critical  to the  state. He                                                                    
stated that Commissioner Cora Campbell  had sent two letters                                                                    
to  the federal  government  on the  issue. The  legislation                                                                    
would give Alaska a voice in  a big way. He felt that former                                                                    
Attorney General  Burns was  correct in  that the  issue was                                                                    
one of the largest that  would impact Alaska in the upcoming                                                                    
10 years.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Doogan  communicated that what  was happening                                                                    
in  the Arctic  was  a very  significant  issue. He  thanked                                                                    
Representative Joule for his work.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Stoltze   believed  the  process  had   been  very                                                                    
inclusive. He  recognized the hard  work that went  into the                                                                    
legislation.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Representative Gara  commended Representative Joule  for his                                                                    
patience on the  issue. He agreed that the issue  was one of                                                                    
the  most important  unaddressed  issues. He  could not  say                                                                    
that  he  agreed  with  various  republican  and  democratic                                                                    
presidents over the years.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:23:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair  Fairclough stated  that  she and  Representative                                                                    
Joule met  with individuals who  had been assigned  to start                                                                    
implementing the Federal Ocean  Counsel Policy. She stressed                                                                    
that  the Ocean  Policy Counsel  was a  much different,  and                                                                    
critical issue in Alaska.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Representative Joule  stated that the policy  commission was                                                                    
timely because  the U.S.  and Canada  would be  working very                                                                    
closely over the upcoming four  years. He opined that it was                                                                    
amazing what outside  people did not know  about Alaska, and                                                                    
the  way that  budget decisions  were made.  The legislature                                                                    
was engaged and should remain engaged in the process.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Thomas noted that Southeast was part of Alaska.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair  Fairclough  discussed  the  fiscal  note  1  was                                                                    
changed  to  make  the  committee  a  17  member  commission                                                                    
instead of a 16 member commission.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Vice-chair Fairclough  MOVED to report CSHCR  23(FIN) out of                                                                    
committee   with   individual    recommendations   and   the                                                                    
accompanying fiscal  note. There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                    
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CSHCR  23(FIN) was  REPORTED  out of  committee  with a  "do                                                                    
pass" recommendation  and with  one new  fiscal note  by the                                                                    
House Finance Committee for the Legislature.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze  discussed the  schedule for  the following                                                                    
day.