Legislature(2007 - 2008)BARNES 124
05/04/2007 01:00 PM House RESOURCES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB128 | |
| HB94 | |
| HJR21 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | HB 241 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HJR 21 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 94 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 128 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HJR 21-OPPOSE UN LAND DESIGNATIONS IN ALASKA 2:07:41 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 21, Opposing the designation of any area in the state as a world heritage site, biosphere reserve, or any other type of international designation without the consent of the Alaska State Legislature and affected local governments; and urging the United States Congress to enact legislation to require congressional approval before an area in the United States may be considered for an international designation. 2:07:59 PM IAN FISK, Staff, to Representative Bill Thomas, Alaska State Legislature, began by informing the committee that HJR 21 is a resolution that was sponsored by the late Representative Elkins in the Twenty-Fourth Alaska State Legislature. That original resolution passed the House and Senate unanimously, but unfortunately it was caught in the end of session chaos. Mr. Fisk explained that HJR 21 is about local, state, and federal sovereignty over land use designations, particularly as related to United Nations (UN) designations known as World Heritage sites and Biosphere Reserves. World Heritage sites are intended to protect and preserve places of cultural and natural significance around the world that are considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. Included in World Heritage sites are the Great Wall of China, Independence Hall, and the Statute of Liberty as well as national parks. Mr. Fisk related from UN materials the following: "What makes the concept of World Heritage exceptional is its universal application. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world irrespective of the territory on which they are located." 2:09:59 PM MR. FISK explained that part of the problem with these designations is that they can be made without any congressional oversight. Therefore, the critical resolve in this resolution is the clause requesting that Congress pass and the president sign legislation that would mandate congressional approval of any sites nominated by the U.S. Secretary of Interior prior to the sites being approved by the UN. Part of the difficulty with these land use designations is that they can be used in land use conflicts for the purposes of preventing development. In summary, Mr. Fisk said that HJR 21 doesn't seek to dispute the value of these programs in some areas of the world where nations may need more UN support to do basic conservation of parks. The resolution, he specified, in no way seeks to end the World Heritage or Biosphere Reserve programs as it merely says that congressional approval of such designations should be required. The resolution further states that Alaska's local and state governments should be consulted in these matters. 2:11:57 PM MR. FISK then pointed out that the committee packet should include an amendment that clarifies the locations in Alaska of the World Heritage and Biosphere Reserve sites. 2:12:47 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO moved that the committee adopt Amendment 1, as follows: Page 2, lines 25-30: Delete all material Insert "WHEREAS the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with the collaboration of the U.S. Department of Interior, has recognized the Wrangell-St. Elias/Glacier Bay/Kluane/Tatshenshini-Alsek World Heritage Site in Alaska, and has listed the Aleutian Islands Unit of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Denali National Park, Gates of the Arctic National Park, and Katmai National Park on the Tentative List of areas nominated for full status; and WHEREAS the United Nations Man and the Biosphere Program has identified the Glacier Bay - Admiralty Island, Noatak, Denali and Aleutian Islands Biosphere Reserves in Alaska; and" There being no objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. 2:13:31 PM STEVE BORELL, P.E., Executive Director, Alaska Miners Association, Inc., noted that the committee packet should include a letter of support from the Alaska Miners Association, Inc. Mr. Borell said that most of the sites that he is aware of are ones in which World Heritage sites were used to block and harass mining projects. However, there are other areas of concern such as the impact a World Heritage or Biosphere Reserve site would have on drilling in the Chukchi Sea or subsequent sea floor oil or gas pipeline. Another concern is the impact such designations would have on commercial fishing, whaling, or the harvesting of other marine mammals. These aren't abstract fears as around the world such designations have been used against projects, he related. Therefore, he urged the passage of HJR 21. 2:14:57 PM BOBBY FITHIAN, Executive Director, Alaska Professional Hunters Association Inc. (APHA), said APHA agrees with Mr. Borell's comments. This resolution represents a long-needed sideboard for international designations of Alaska's lands. He questioned how many Alaskans knew in [1978] when the Wrangell-St. Elias National Monument was created that in less than a year it would be submitted and accepted to the UN World Heritage Committee in Cairo, Egypt. Other areas of Alaska, including the Denali National Park and Preserve and the Glacier Bay National Monument, were similarly impacted under the World Heritage and Biosphere Reserves programs. Mr. Fithian informed the committee that the mission statement of this UN subcommittee is to protect natural and cultural properties of outstanding universal value against the threat of damage in a rapidly developing world. He pointed out that worldwide several of these World Heritage and Biosphere Reserves sites are being actively managed by UNESCO. Some of those management activities include controlling human population densities, access to sites, and water shed and ecological concerns as well as agricultural and industrial guidelines. MR. FITHIAN related that there are 22 World Heritage sites in the U.S. Additionally, World Heritage nominated sites in Alaska includes areas in the Aleutian Islands, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Denali National Park, and Katmai National Park. At all of the 26 sessions of the World Heritage Committee, the U.S. Department of Interior has had a full contingent of representatives. He said that those who have followed Alaska Board of Game issues and concerns for the past decade and a half know how much the U.S. Department of Interior's management values differ from the [state's] constitutional mandates. Mr. Fithian related that APHA would like to be involved and have a say with the decisions creating these designations of public lands upon which the [professional hunting] industry is dependent. He furthered that the way of life of APHA members and a substantial part of the $200 million annual revenue APHA members generate for Alaska within these areas could be jeopardized by these designations. In conclusion, Mr. Fithian opined that HJR 21 addresses the oversight that Alaska and its residents need with regard to these types of designations. Therefore, APHA encourages the committee's support of HJR 21, he said. 2:18:25 PM CO-CHAIR GATTO, upon determining no one else wished to testify, closed public testimony. 2:18:41 PM CO-CHAIR JOHNSON moved to report HJR 21, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHJR 21(RES) was reported from the House Resources Standing Committee.
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