HJR 40: Supporting the Alaska Statewide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy 2022 - 2027; supporting public and private sector investment, economic opportunities, and development in the state; supporting the prioritization of healthy and sustainable wild food and renewable resources; encouraging the private and public sectors to collaborate on educating students about the state's economic reliance on sustainable resource development; and supporting payment of an annual dividend.
00 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 40 01 Supporting the Alaska Statewide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy 2022 02 - 2027; supporting public and private sector investment, economic opportunities, and 03 development in the state; supporting the prioritization of healthy and sustainable wild 04 food and renewable resources; encouraging the private and public sectors to collaborate 05 on educating students about the state's economic reliance on sustainable resource 06 development; and supporting payment of an annual dividend. 07 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 08 WHEREAS the state contains 665,384 square miles of unparalleled resource-rich land 09 and water, which are essential for economic prosperity, Arctic transportation, and national 10 security for the United States and the state; and 11 WHEREAS the state features scenic corridors, offers shoreline hydroelectric 12 opportunities, and contains world-class reserves of precious metals, critical minerals, oil, gas, 13 coal, wildlife, fish, forests, and rich soils; and 14 WHEREAS the state is an established leader in natural resource development,
01 providing a geopolitically safe and stable jurisdiction in which to invest for the long term; and 02 WHEREAS President Donald J. Trump's January 20, 2025, executive order, 03 "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential," confirmed a robust policy of the 04 United States to fully support the state's pursuit of natural resource development for the 05 benefit of the United States and the state; and 06 WHEREAS artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the global landscape by 07 improving technological efficiencies, the state is uniquely positioned to capitalize on 08 supplying necessary materials and components, as well as harnessing existing low-cost 09 hydroelectric energy in the state, for data centers and manufacturing; and 10 WHEREAS now is the time to expand the state's natural resource project portfolio 11 following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the state and the Federal 12 Permitting Improvement Steering Council under Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface 13 Transportation Act, which sets out an intention to streamline permitting efforts; and 14 WHEREAS the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas project has advanced significantly over 15 the past year under the leadership of private developer Glenfarne Group, with mechanical 16 completion of the pipeline targeted for 2028 and first in-state gas delivery anticipated in 2029, 17 the state is positioned to gain thousands of new jobs, benefit from consistent and affordable 18 energy, and bring in stable revenue for state and local governments for decades to come; and 19 WHEREAS the state's rich and diverse resources are attracting attention from new 20 industry partners seeking to increase domestic capacity in agriculture, mariculture, and 21 timber; and 22 WHEREAS the Alaska permanent fund, established as a long-term revenue- 23 producing asset for the benefit of current and future generations, grows continually through 24 annual contributions from mineral lease rentals, royalties, royalty sale proceeds, net profit 25 shares, federal mineral revenue sharing payments, and royalties from carbon storage projects, 26 thereby strengthening and securing generational wealth for residents of the state as new 27 resource development expands the fund's principal and enhances its enduring economic 28 impact; and 29 WHEREAS revenue sharing under secs. 7(i) and 7(j) of the Alaska Native Claims 30 Settlement Act benefits all Alaska Native regional corporations, Alaska Village corporations, 31 and Alaska Native shareholders, with well over $3,000,000,000 shared to date, directly
01 linking all Alaska Native shareholders to successful, responsible, and accountable long-term 02 resource development; and 03 WHEREAS the path to prosperity and self-sufficiency for families in the state is 04 through new job creation from investment in and expansion of existing resource development 05 operations in the private sector; and 06 WHEREAS the most effective path to addressing the state's substantial infrastructure 07 maintenance backlog lies in strengthening the state's fiscal position through policies that 08 encourage private sector investment, economic growth, and mutually beneficial public-private 09 partnerships; and 10 WHEREAS the most effective and sustainable path to well-capitalized core public 11 and nonprofit operations is through a vibrant and well-diversified private sector, allowing 12 residents to give back to the state; and 13 WHEREAS residents of the state deeply value the state's wild and scenic natural 14 resources and remain committed to working together to ensure environmentally responsible 15 resource development; and 16 WHEREAS the state's youth deserve a future in which they can thrive, readily find 17 meaningful employment, find higher service and pathways to entrepreneurship, feel confident 18 starting families, and afford energy, health care, and housing; 19 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature appreciates the incredible depth 20 and foresight of the "Alaska Statewide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy 2022 21 - 2027" produced by the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development 22 and urges continued attention to the mission to inspire, invest, and collaborate, ensuring that 23 all state residents are able to play an active role in creating a stronger, more resilient state; and 24 be it 25 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the state's 26 executive branch to prioritize swift permitting, licensing, and leasing efforts, along with 27 targeted and necessary reallocation of appropriations toward the fields of geology and biology 28 to support these efforts, allowing committed, hard-working residents to put their talents, 29 skills, and capital to work growing the state's economy; and be it 30 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports accelerated 31 development and marketing of the state's significant deposits of critical minerals and metals,
01 including gallium and germanium associated with zinc-copper ores, rare earth elements like 02 neodymium and dysprosium, high-grade graphite, platinum-group elements including 03 palladium, precious metals including silver and gold, critical metals including copper, cobalt, 04 nickel, and antimony, and emerging lithium resources, among others, to support the rapidly 05 growing demand by the artificial intelligence sector for semiconductors, batteries, and data 06 center components, to bolster national security, and to create an unparalleled opportunity for 07 securing long-term economic growth, job opportunities, and revenue for the state; and be it 08 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature strongly encourages 09 continued and accelerated mineral exploration throughout the state, building on recent 10 geologic mapping, geophysical surveys, and critical mineral assessments advanced through 11 the United States Geological Survey's Earth Mapping Resources Initiative under the 12 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as well as targeted investments and priorities as 13 established by the Defense Production Act to secure domestic supplies of critical minerals 14 essential for national security, economic growth, and emerging technologies; and be it 15 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature reaffirms support for the 16 Alaska liquefied natural gas project and Glenfarne Group, including its partnership with 17 engineering firm Worley, engaging as needed to ensure the best long-term outcome for 18 residents of the state; and be it 19 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the unique 20 energy demands across the state; supports a robust energy strategy that is tailored to local 21 needs, resource availability, and community and grid resilience; and supports a range of 22 economic opportunities from grants to industrial partnerships; and be it 23 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages continued 24 forward-looking efforts to offer regular oil and gas lease sales, approve new mining licenses, 25 and strategically adopt development incentives in a manner consistent with the state's reliance 26 on wild fish and game resources; and be it 27 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the initiatives 28 outlined in President Donald J. Trump's February 13, 2026, policy titled "America's Maritime 29 Action Plan," including investment in domestic ship building, modernization of port 30 infrastructure, and development of Arctic waterways and the state's workforce to assist in 31 these endeavors; and be it
01 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature is acutely aware of the 02 state's food security issues, given the complexity of maintaining sustainable wild food 03 supplies, and is committed to active engagement in and management of the state's wild 04 resources for the benefit of all residents, rural and urban; and be it 05 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the state's executive 06 branch to actively expand lease opportunities to support development of agriculture, 07 mariculture, timber, and tourism enterprises by motivated residents and businesses, which will 08 further diversify and strengthen the depth and resilience of the state's economy; and be it 09 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature reaffirms its longstanding 10 support for the state's commercial fishermen and dedicated permit holders and remains firmly 11 committed to working collaboratively to identify fair, timely, and effective solutions, 12 including compensation, mitigation, or other relief measures, for those affected by unexpected 13 conservation-based closures necessary to ensure long-term sustainability of our vital fishery 14 resources; and be it 15 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports targeted 16 investment in transportation, grid, utility, telecommunications, and housing infrastructure at 17 every level of government, when and where practicable, specifically to support new revenue- 18 generating investment in the state; and be it 19 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the state's 20 public and private sector to collaborate to include meaningful opportunities for school 21 children to learn about the state's economic reliance on sustainable resource development and 22 to offer direct pathways for the state's youth to find gainful employment in their home state; 23 and be it 24 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature reaffirms its commitment 25 to strengthening the state's economic potential by preserving a pro-growth regulatory 26 environment that attracts new private investment, improving educational outcomes to prepare 27 a skilled workforce, putting more state residents to work in meaningful careers, and 28 responsibly prioritizing state spending to maximize long-term benefits for current and future 29 generations; and be it 30 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature will work diligently to 31 rebuild the state's capacity to address the major maintenance backlog across the state for the
01 benefit of the state's students, employees, and residents, as well as the visiting public; and be 02 it 03 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the gravity of 04 the potential revenue cliff facing Alaska Native shareholders if revenue from secs. 7(i) and (j) 05 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act declines abruptly and encourages collaborative 06 efforts by the state, federal government, tribal organizations, and Alaska Native corporations 07 to attract new investments and long-term commitments in the state's collective resource 08 development portfolio; and be it 09 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature reaffirms its support for 10 the payment of a meaningful annual dividend to all state residents, representing ownership in 11 the state's resources and ensuring continued advocacy for responsible sustainable 12 development. 13 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President 14 of the United States; the Honorable Pete Hegseth, United States Secretary of Defense; the 15 Honorable Douglas Burgum, United States Secretary of the Interior; the Honorable Chris 16 Wright, United States Secretary of Energy; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the 17 Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. 18 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.