00 Enrolled SR 9 01 Relating to management of public land and resources in the state. 02 _______________ 03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:  04 WHEREAS Alaska entered the Union as a state on equal footing with the original 13 05 colonies and other states upon ratification in 1958 of the Alaska Statehood Act, establishing 06 by Compact with the citizens of Alaska fundamental principles regarding the transfer of 07 federal land into state ownership; and 08 WHEREAS, in addition to the Alaska Statehood Act, a suite of federal laws presently 09 define the relative authorities and responsibilities for state and federal land and resources in 10 the state, including the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and the Alaska National Interest 11 Lands Conservation Act, which relate specifically to Alaska, and the General Mining Act of 12 1872, the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration 13 Act of 1966, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, which apply to all 14 states; and 15 WHEREAS, among the clear understandings documented in those Acts and others, 16 the state could acquire resource-rich land with the opportunity to study and develop it; share 17 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 Areas in Alaska has 15 been monitoring these issues for decades, and, through its legally impaneled subcommittee, 16 the Alaska State Lands Advisory Group, has examined and discussed available remedies; 17 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate appreciates the work of the Citizens' 18 Advisory Commission on Federal Areas in Alaska and the Alaska State Lands Advisory 19 Group; and be it 20 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate supports filing the petition 21 submitted by the Citizens' Advisory Commission on Federal Areas in Alaska; and be it 22 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate welcomes the transfer of ownership 23 or management of federal land to the state in parcels specifically negotiated between the two 24 parties; and be it 25 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate supports creating an expedited 26 process to resolve uncertainty in the adjudication of navigable waters, submerged land, and 27 RS 2477 rights-of-way; and be it 28 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate urges the United States Congress to 29 reinstate and fund the Alaska Land Use Council established under Title XII of the Alaska 30 National Interest Lands Conservation Act; and be it 31 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate urges the Governor to enter into 01 cooperative land and resource management agreements, with the caveat that any federal land 02 use plan, regulation, policy, or program that objectively serves to perpetuate reduced use and 03 access, or that newly reduces use and access, lacking express Congressional direction, shall be 04 subject to state approval, such as ratification by the Alaska State Legislature, before taking 05 effect; and be it 06 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate urges the federal government and 07 the state to establish and maintain a trust-beneficiary relationship on federal land where 08 revenue sharing is available; and be it 09 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska Senate urges the Governor to renew 10 funding and support for the Citizens' Advisory Commission on Federal Areas in Alaska and 11 the state Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act implementation program.