04/12/2012 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

CS FOR HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 23(FIN)                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Establishing  and relating to  the Alaska Arctic  Policy                                                                   
     Commission.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE REGGIE JOULE, introduced HCR 23. He referred                                                                     
to the Sponsor Statement (copy on file):                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     The  Alaska  Northern  Waters  Task  Force  (ANWTF)  was                                                                   
     established  in 2010 to  identify the opportunities  and                                                                   
     challenges  if a  changing  Arctic.  Arctic Nations  are                                                                   
     anticipating   the  development  of  northern   shipping                                                                   
     routes,  mineral extraction,  oil  and gas  exploration,                                                                   
     commercial fisheries,  and tourism. Some of  this change                                                                   
     has  already stated  to occur. The  ANWTF completed  its                                                                   
     final report  on January  30, 2012. The report  includes                                                                   
     recommendations in six Arctic  policy areas: Governance,                                                                   
     Oil   &   Gas   Development,    Marine   Transportation,                                                                   
     Fisheries, Infrastructure,  and Research. The  report is                                                                   
     one of the  most detailed statements of  Alaska's Arctic                                                                   
     policy to date,  yet much work remains  to fully expound                                                                   
     upon all the diverse issues  that the Task Force brought                                                                   
     forward.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     While the  United States has an official  written Arctic                                                                   
     Policy (National Security  Presidential Directive (NSPD-                                                                   
     66), Alaska  does not. Most of the other  Arctic Nations                                                                   
     and the  Northwest Territories already  have established                                                                   
     Arctic  policies.  As the  jurisdiction  that makes  the                                                                   
     United  States an  Arctic nation  and ad  the only  U.S.                                                                   
     state  that is home  to Arctic  residents, Alaska  needs                                                                   
     and Arctic  policy of its own. Alaska needs  to position                                                                   
     itself  now  regarding  the  nation's  Arctic  policy  -                                                                   
     Alaska   cannot  take  that   leadership  role   without                                                                   
     understanding  what its own  priorities should  be. This                                                                   
     is  especially critical  considering  the United  States                                                                   
     will be chairing the Arctic  Council from 2015-2017. The                                                                   
     Arctic  Policy Commission  will provide the  legislature                                                                   
     an opportunity  to remain engaged in the  ongoing Arctic                                                                   
     dialogue  and  to  help   shape  future  Alaskan  Arctic                                                                   
     policy.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Toward  this  end, HCR  23  creates in  the  legislative                                                                   
     branch  an  Alaska  Arctic Policy  Commission.  The  16-                                                                   
     member Commission would include:                                                                                           
        · 3 senators appointed by the Senate President (one                                                                     
          acting as Co-Chair)                                                                                                   
        · 3 representatives appointed by the House Speaker                                                                      
          (one acting as Co-Chair)                                                                                              
        · 1 member from the executive branch appointed by                                                                       
          the Governor                                                                                                          
        · 9 members appointed jointly by the President and                                                                      
          the Speaker representing:                                                                                             
          o The federal government                                                                                              
          o A tribal entity                                                                                                     
          o The mining industry                                                                                                 
          o The oil & gas industry                                                                                              
          o The University of Alaska                                                                                            
          o Fisheries                                                                                                           
          o A local government                                                                                                  
          o A costal government                                                                                                 
          o An international Arctic organization                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Over  the  course  of  two   years,  the  Arctic  Policy                                                                   
     Commission  will hold  meetings in  Arctic areas  of the                                                                   
     state   as  well   as  Anchorage   and  Fairbanks.   The                                                                   
     Commission   is   tasked  with   providing   preliminary                                                                   
     recommendations  on Alaska's  Arctic  policy by  January                                                                   
     30, 2014 and  delivering a final report  by January, 30,                                                                   
     2015.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:22:51 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator Thomas  felt that language pertaining  to the state's                                                                   
recommendations  regarding  the law  of  the  seas should  be                                                                   
included in the bill.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Representative Joule  replied that the  issue was one  of the                                                                   
top recommendations  from the Northern Waters  Task Force. He                                                                   
furthered that  one year  ago both the  house and  the senate                                                                   
had  sent  a resolution  to  Congress,  which  was  currently                                                                   
keeping  the recommendation  alive  and  well. He  understood                                                                   
that the issue  was slated to  be taken up in spring  2012 in                                                                   
the U.S. Senate.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:24:23 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  noted the once fiscal impact  note from the                                                                   
Legislature.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman OPENED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman CLOSED public testimony.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
CS HCR 23 (FIN) was HEARD and HELD in committee for further                                                                     
consideration.