Enrolled SR 2: Establishing a Senate Special Committee on the Arctic.
00Enrolled SR 2 01 Establishing a Senate Special Committee on the Arctic. 02 _______________ 03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE: 04 WHEREAS this state is what makes the United States an Arctic nation; and 05 WHEREAS the interests of the state are directly affected by Arctic policy; and 06 WHEREAS residents of the state, having lived and worked in the Arctic region for 07 decades, have developed expert knowledge regarding a full range of activities and issues 08 involving the region; and 09 WHEREAS the Arctic region is now framed by increasing activity, change, 10 opportunity, globalization, resource development, a sensitive environment, and rich and 11 diverse cultures; and 12 WHEREAS the Arctic region is a dynamic place that is changing rapidly; and 13 WHEREAS the Arctic region is becoming increasingly accessible because of 14 receding sea ice and technological advances; and 15 WHEREAS the Arctic region constitutes the final frontier in exploration and 16 opportunity; and 17 WHEREAS the Northern Sea Route along the coast of Russia and through the Bering
01 Strait is 40 percent shorter than the shipping route through the Suez Canal for shipping 02 between Europe and Asia and is being increasingly used; and 03 WHEREAS the Arctic region contains 30 percent of the world's undiscovered natural 04 gas and 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil; and 05 WHEREAS the development of the state's natural resources is essential to the well- 06 being of the residents of the state; and 07 WHEREAS the Arctic region represents one of the best opportunities for progress 08 and economic development in the state; and 09 WHEREAS the United States and other nations are rapidly developing Arctic 10 strategies and policies; and 11 WHEREAS it is essential that the federal government consult with the state when 12 developing national Arctic strategies and policies; and 13 WHEREAS the Arctic region of the United States has a severe infrastructure deficit 14 that creates a barrier to capitalizing fully on emerging opportunities in natural resource 15 extraction, shipping, and tourism; and 16 WHEREAS capital intensity, federal regulatory uncertainty, and diminished access to 17 state land through federal land holdings constitute barriers to the economic development of 18 the Arctic region; and 19 WHEREAS the Arctic region of the United States has some of the highest energy 20 costs in the nation; and 21 WHEREAS the use of science by the University of Alaska, the world's premier Arctic 22 university, and of emerging technologies developed by residents of the state may create new 23 ways to give an advantage to the state in the Arctic region; and 24 WHEREAS the Alaska Arctic Policy Commission was created as a nonpolitical body 25 of legislators and experts with a duty to listen to and provide a voice for the people in future 26 Arctic policy; and 27 WHEREAS the Alaska Arctic Policy Commission completed considerable work 28 toward the advancement of a comprehensive Arctic policy; and 29 WHEREAS the implementation of the recommendations made by the Alaska Arctic 30 Policy Commission is a goal of the Senate; 31 BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate that a Senate Special Committee on the Arctic is
01 established to continue to examine issues related to the Arctic in the state; and be it 02 FURTHER RESOLVED that the President of the Senate shall determine the number 03 of senators to be members of the committee and shall appoint the members and designate a 04 member to chair the committee; and be it 05 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate Special Committee on the Arctic may meet 06 during and between sessions of the Thirtieth Alaska State Legislature and is terminated on the 07 convening of the First Regular Session of the Thirty-First Alaska State Legislature.