Legislature(1999 - 2000)
03/31/1999 03:12 PM Senate RES
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HJR 11-ENDORSING ANWR LEASING
CHAIRMAN HALFORD announced HJR 11 to be up for consideration.
MS. JUDY JORDAN, Aide for Representative Gail Phillips, noted that
her sponsor statement was in their packets. Similar legislation
has passed in previous legislatures and Representative Phillips
wanted to reaffirm this legislature's support and give the
opportunity to new legislators to express their support for it.
She was concerned, also, that new members of congress understand
that Alaska is strongly behind opening of ANWR.
MS. JULIE RAYMOND YAKOUBIAN, Fairbanks resident, opposed HJR 11.
The coastal plain is important to protect. It has a few hundred
species of birds and has musk oxen, polar bears, and the Porcupine
caribou herd. The coastal plain is important culturally for the
people who depend on the Porcupine caribou herd.
MR. BRENDEN RAYMOND YAKOUBIAN opposed HJR 11. He wanted them to
keep three words in mind when thinking about oil development in the
Alaska Arctic. The first is economy. It makes little sense to
drill oil because it subjects us to the boom and bust cycle of the
oil market. The second "e" is ecology. Scientists the world over
have proved time again how crucial the Arctic's physical
environment is to the rest of the planet. The third "e" is
ethnocentrism. Largely euro-American legislative bodies have
ignored the situation of its cognitive first peoples. This is
illogical and immoral.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked him if he had ever visited the ANWR.
MR. YAKOUBIAN said he and Julie hadn't been beyond the Brooks
Range. They have been to Cold Foot and have read extensive
literature by people who have been in the operating areas for
various reasons.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD said his statements are unfortunate and unfair
especially since he had never been to the areas. The description
of garbage all over the place is not true.
MR. YAKOUBIAN responded that Kuparuk was a lot different than
Prudhoe Bay.
MR. WILLY DUNNE, Homer resident, opposed HJR 11. He disagreed that
development of the ANWR oil fields would help offset our declining
oil revenues. ANWR is federal property and we would not get much
in the way of royalties from it. ANWR is no more owned by Alaskans
than the Statue of Liberty is owned by the state of New York. It
is a national treasure. At one point Senator Murkowski commented
that ANWR should be called the Arctic Refuge, because it is a
wildlife refuge.
SENATOR LINCOLN proposed amending HJR 11 to add a phrase that may
have been accidentally left out: "WHEREAS the state will ensure the
continued health and productivity of the Porcupine caribou herd and
the protection of land, water, and wildlife resources during the
exploration of development of the coastal plain of the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge and..."
Number 310
CHAIRMAN HALFORD announced it would go on page 2, line 31. There
were no objections and the amendment carried.
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS directed their attention to a technical
amendment on page 2, line 4 noting the word "imported" should be
"imports".
SENATOR PEARCE said that she had a letter from the Mayor of the
North Slope Borough that was written to President Clinton regarding
Secretary of Interior Babbitt's support of the proposed wilderness
designation for ANWR that she wanted entered into the record. The
point is that the people who live in the coastal plain and across
the North Slope for thousands of years would prove that the Arctic
is not an untouched wilderness never visited by man. People have
called it home as long as the caribou have calved. They believe
they best know how to work with the federal and state agencies on
how to protect the coastal plain.
An erroneous inference made, SENATOR PEARCE said, by a gentleman
from Fairbanks that Alyeska was somehow hiding something by all the
security they have at Pump Station 1 and along the pipeline. She
explained that security is required by the U.S. Department of
Transportation who has the oversight authority through the right-
of-way permit for the pipeline and Alyeska would just as soon not
pay for all their security which is primarily to insure there are
no terrorist attacks.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked because we have legislation pending making
this area wilderness, would it be wise to not only state we would
like to see the coastal plain of ANWR open for exploration, but
also that we oppose the designation of the coastal plain portion of
ANWR as wilderness.
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS responded that would be a perfectly logical
amendment to put in. She would be glad to work up another
resolution.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD said they could add another "Further Resolved".
He announced an at ease from 3:35 to 3:40 p.m.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD announced there was a proposed amendment on page
3, line 7 after the request for opening to insert "and that the
Alaska State Legislature is adamantly opposed to further wilderness
or other restrictive federal designations in the area of the
coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge."
SENATOR PARNELL moved the amendment.
SENATOR LINCOLN objected because the Arctic village of Venetie in
her district depends heavily on the Porcupine caribou herd and she
thought they would be in opposition to the designation of
wilderness.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD asked if she meant they support the designation of
wilderness.
SENATOR LINCOLN said yes.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD said he respected that position and said she could
check that with them before it comes to the floor for a vote. He
asked for those in favor of the amendment to raise their hands.
SENATORS PARNELL, GREEN, PETE KELLY, and HALFORD voted yes; SENATOR
LINCOLN voted no and the amendment carried.
SENATOR LINCOLN said she wasn't speaking on behalf of the Tanana
Chief's Conference, but she did have a conversation in which they
expressed their opposition to the resolution, but hadn't yet
testified or written a letter to that effect. She added that she
truly believed that Arctic Village and Venetie utilize the
Porcupine caribou herd in every aspect of their lives. There is no
question in her mind that the folks would die without that herd.
CHAIRMAN HALFORD responded that he believed development on the
coastal plain would not in any way harm that herd, but he
understands their concern. History of oil development has proven
that herds have not been significantly damaged, particularly when
the proposed development is a smaller footprint than Washington
National Airport. There is also a substantial opinion that
development can occur with no negative impact on that herd and on
calving in that area.
SENATOR PARNELL moved to pass SCSHJR 11(RES) from committee with
individual recommendations. There were no objections and it was so
ordered.
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