4:04:14 PM HJR 9-ENDORSING ANWR LEASING  CO-CHAIR WAGONER announced HJR 9 to be up for consideration. CO-CHAIR PASKVAN moved to bring CSHJR 9(RES), labeled 27- LS0379\I, before the committee. There were no objections. 4:05:26 PM REPRESENTATIVE LANCE PRUITT, sponsor of HJR 9, said this measure urges Congress to pass legislation to open the coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas exploration and development. The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1998 prohibited leasing or other development leading to production of oil and gas in ANWR. To date, the domestic demand for oil continues to rise while domestic crude production continues to fall with the result that the United States imports additional oil from foreign sources. New technology has greatly reduced the environmental impacts of development on the North Slope and if Prudhoe were built today, the footprint would be as small as 1526 acres. He said that oil and gas development has also proven to have successfully co-existed in Alaska's Arctic. The Central Arctic Caribou Herd at Prudhoe Bay has grown from 3,000 to as high as 23,400 in the last 22 years alone. HJR 9 mirrors previous legislative resolutions and includes provisions for renewable and alternative energy sources, protection of wildlife and the use of directional drilling. 4:06:55 PM BERT KRAFT, staff to Representative Pruitt, said the following language was added to this resolution since it was introduced related to oil and gas exploration and development. In version I the following language was added to the title paragraph on page 1, line 1: "relating to oil and gas exploration, development, production and royalties and relating to renewable and alternative energy technologies." This change was made to better reflect all language included in the entire resolution. "Any" was removed from page 3, line 22, because it sounded redundant and "an alternative" was added on page 3, lines 23-24 and page 4, lines 5-6 because it includes sources of energy generation that "renewable" alone does not. The language, "The Alaska State Legislature urges that oil and gas exploration and development and production" was added to page 3, line 28, for clarification. "The nations" was added to page 2, line 6, to emphasize national security. 4:08:17 PM SENATOR FRENCH asked if the Senate hadn't recently passed a resolution urging Congress to open ANWR. MR. KRAFT answered that resolution specifically dealt with the wilderness designation in the 1002 area. SENATOR FRENCH asked on page 2, line 18, if they are only concerned about Prudhoe and moved a friendly conceptual amendment [Amendment 1] to change it the North Slope to capture more of the idea that they are aiming to communicate. REPRESENTATIVE PRUITT said he would accept that as an amendment because they are trying to express the decline on the North Slope. SENATOR FRENCH said he thought substituting "North Slope" for "Prudhoe Bay" would get the point across. There were no objections and the amendment was adopted. CO-CHAIR PASKVAN moved to report CSHJR 9(RES) as amended from committee. There were no objections and therefore, SCS CSHJR 9 (RES) moved from committee. 4:10:38 PM Finding no further business, Co-Chair Wagoner adjourned the meeting at 4:10 PM.