Legislature(2015 - 2016)BUTROVICH 205
04/10/2015 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HJR18 | |
| SB101 | |
| SB50 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | HJR 18 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 101 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 50 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HJR 18-LIMIT DECLARATION OF NATL. MONUMENTS
3:30:58 PM
CHAIR GIESSEL announced the consideration of HJR 18 [CSHJR
18(RES) was before the committee].
SENATOR COSTELLO moved to adopt SCS HJR 18( ), version 29-
LS0707\N, as the working document.
CHAIR GIESSEL objected for discussion purposes.
JEFF TURNER, staff to Representative Millett, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, explained that HJR 18 urges the
United States Congress to pass the Improved National Monument
Designation Process Act. Sponsored by U.S. Senator Lisa
Murkowski and co-sponsored by Senator Dan Sullivan, SB 437
creates new requirements and limits the authority of the
president to create or expand existing monuments under the
Antiquities Act of 1906. Passed under the administration of
President Teddy Roosevelt, it grants the president of the United
States the power to create national monuments that protect and
preserve important land marks in environmentally sensitive areas
using the smallest area necessary to conserve and protect the
monument.
3:32:50 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE joined the committee.
MR. TURNER continued that while this act has been used wisely
for decades to preserve some of America's most pristine and
important areas, a lot has changed. There are more demands on
public lands than ever and state and local economies need to be
taken into consideration. Tourism, hunting, commercial and sport
fishing, and natural resource development all take place on
public lands. The time has come to make the process for creating
national monuments more comprehensive.
3:32:59 PM
He said SB 437 makes three significant changes to the
Antiquities Act. First, it requires specific authorization by an
act of Congress to designate a national monument. Second, it
requires approval by the state legislature and, for marine
national monuments, it requires approval by each state
legislature within 100 miles of the proposed monument. And
third, it must conform to the National Environmental Policy Act.
These commonsense changes will bring the act into the 21st
Century.
Why is the improved National Monument Designation Process Act so
important and why is it important to Alaska? Right now there are
142 national monuments nationwide; 10 of them were created and 2
more were expanded since the current administration in
Washington, D.C., started its second term in January 2013. They
were all created without the approval of Congress or the states
where the monuments were created. The last one in Alaska was
created by President Carter in 1978.
Senator Murkowski filed this legislation because she is
concerned about the potential for new national monuments in
Alaska that are going to restrict or outright prohibit critical
economic activity. Two possible sites, in particular, are the
Aleutian Islands and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
President Obama will be in Alaska this summer and no one knows
if he will announce the creation of a new national monument, but
the two senators are worried that will happen and filed SB 437
and Representative Millett filed HJR 18 to support it.
MR. TURNER referred to an article from the Fairbanks Daily News
Miner January 25 in which Senator Murkowski said that nothing
will happen in congress and she was worried the president would
use the authority of the Antiquities Act and put the Arctic
National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) in permanent wilderness status
and lock it up.
This month the White House transmitted to Congress its formal
request to designate the Coastal Plain of ANWR as wilderness.
The proposal is very unlikely to pass congress, so the stage is
set for the president to use the Antiquities Act and lock up the
most promising on-shore oil and gas prospect in the entire
country and starve the TransAlaska Pipeline (TAPS) from oil.
They are not seeking to stop creation of new national monuments,
but to make the process better.
3:33:48 PM
SENATOR STOLTZE joined the committee.
3:36:11 PM
RANDY RUARO, Staff to Senator Stedman, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, said that Senator Stedman had proposed on page
2, lines 10-15 and lines 24-26, to insert language that reminds
the federal government that there is already in statute the "no
more clauses" of Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act
(ANILCA) that were intended to prevent unilateral exercise of
federal authority to designate more wilderness areas or parks in
Alaska. His language supplements the intent of the resolution
well, which is to add clarity and boundaries to the exercise of
executive authority.
CHAIR GIESSEL asked Mr. Turner if the change was acceptable to
the sponsor.
MR. TURNER answered yes.
CHAIR GIESSEL removed her objection and the Senate CS for CSHJR
18, version N, was adopted.
SENATOR STEDMAN noted that a couple of the national monument
proclamations had been abolished: one in Lake Lewis and Clark,
Montana, and another one the Shoshone cabins in Wyoming. So,
apparently, it can be done.
MR. TURNER commented that national monuments had been abolished
in the past for a couple of reasons: one is a national monument
that later on was determined to not be that historically
significant; another one was a site explored by a French
explorer in North or South Dakota and it was later determined
that explorer was never at that site. Another in New York was
taken over and turned into a state/national park.
SENATOR MICCICHE said what is scary about the Antiquities Act is
that the one that was vetoed by a state in Jackson Hole,
Wyoming, was not overridden by the court.
MR. TURNER summarized that there are over 300 million people in
this country, but the power to create a national monument rests
entirely in the hands of one person who can't seem to be
challenged on any level.
3:41:30 PM
SENATOR COGHILL offered Amendment 1 on page 2, line 15, to
delete "by federal legislation" and say that no more land in the
state should be set aside, period.
CHAIR GIESSEL objected for discussion.
SENATOR STEDMAN said it was fine with him.
MR. RUARO said the amendment is important because the "no more
clause" has expanded beyond legislation by Congress to
unilateral action by the president, as well.
MR. TURNER said the sponsor approves of the change.
CHAIR GIESSEL removed her objection and without further
objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.
3:44:30 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE said considering the Jackson Hole case, which
used the Antiquities Act for a national monument, he wondered if
ANILCA could give Alaska standing if the same issue occurred
under the "no more clause."
MR. RUARO replied that ANILCA gives Alaska a very strong
position of standing if that same situation were to occur here.
CHAIR GIESSEL opened public testimony and finding none, closed
public testimony.
3:45:47 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI joined the committee.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked how many acres President George Bush
expanded under the Antiquities Act.
MR. TURNER replied that he didn't have that number in front of
him, but would get it.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked how many new national monuments
President George Bush established.
MR. TURNER answered that he didn't see one on his list.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said he thought that list might be
inaccurate and asked if he had a listing of how many presidents
established national monuments.
MR. TURNER answered 16.
SENATOR STEDMAN remarked on the magnitude of the impacts on
Alaska regardless of which president did it and he thought there
would be more emphasis on Alaska in the future.
3:48:37 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE said it looks there were 15 by President Obama
and President George Bush did 6.
MR. TURNER corrected his previous testimony and said 6 were
created under the second President Bush.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI said his 2009 article says President Bush
invoked the Antiquities Act to establish three marine monuments
that protect 125 million acres of habitat, and according to the
article, it was the most sweeping use of the Antiquities Act
since 1906. He asked if the resolution could be made more bi-
partisan.
CHAIR GIESSEL responded that the information in his article was
outdated and that President Obama had created 15.
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if the legislature took any action or
do any resolutions when President Bush undertook his "most
sweeping actions since 1906."
MR. TURNER replied that he wasn't aware of any and explained the
point they are trying to make is that an unprecedented number of
national monuments had been created and expanded in this state
in the space of two years and one month.
3:51:03 PM
He understood Senator Wielechowski's point about pointing a
finger at the current administration, but this is for future
administrations. The point is that a public process should be
created that brings everyone to the table instead of just one
person having the ability to create a national monument.
3:51:38 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI asked if they should urge revocation of all
national monuments that have been invoked by presidents without
congressional approval as part of this resolution.
MR. TURNER answered that was not part of Representative
Millett's resolution and there is a concern about what could
happen to ANWR when President Obama visits Alaska.
3:52:26 PM
SENATOR STEDMAN asked the committee to reflect that Sitka under
President Taft was number 24. On the repeal issue, if they were
to do that, it would be attractive to look at Glacier Bay, which
is the area lost to submerged lands.
3:54:38 PM
SENATOR MICCICHE commented that the focus on Alaska seemed to be
from President Carter with Admiralty Island.
SENATOR COSTELLO moved to report SCS CSHJR 18( ), version N as
amended, from committee with individual recommendations and
attached fiscal note(s). There were no objections and SCS CSHJR
18(RES) was reported from Senate Resources Standing Committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HJR18 Ver. H.PDF |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Ver. E.PDF |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Explaination of Changes.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Fiscal Note.PDF |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Supporting Documents -NPCA National Monuments List.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Supporting Documents-ADN Article.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Supporting Documents-Deseret News Editorial.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Supporting Documents-KUCB News Article.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Supporting Documents-Legislation and Policy Article.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Supporting Documents-NPS Antiquities Act 1906.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Supporting Documents-S. 437.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| HJR18 Supporting Documents-S.437 News Release.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |
| SB 101.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 101 |
| SB 101 Transmittal Letter.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 101 |
| SB 101 Fiscal Note.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 101 |
| SB 101 Briefing Paper.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 101 |
| SB50 Transmittal Letter.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM STRA 3/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| SB50 Fact Sheet.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM STRA 3/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| SB50 Fiscal Note-DCCED-AIDEA-Zero-2-11-15.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM STRA 3/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| SB50 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM STRA 3/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| FBX North Star Borough R2015-08.pdf |
SNRG 3/10/2015 3:30:00 PM SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| Fairbanks Chamber Letter of Support for HB 105 & SB 50.pdf |
SNRG 3/10/2015 3:30:00 PM SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HB 105 SB 50 |
| SB50 ver A.pdf |
SNRG 3/10/2015 3:30:00 PM SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| SB50 Fact Sheet.pdf |
SNRG 3/10/2015 3:30:00 PM SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| SB 50 CS NRG version W dated 3-26-15.PDF |
SNRG 3/26/2015 3:30:00 PM SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| SB50 Summary of Changes ver A to ver W.pdf |
SRES 3/30/2015 3:30:00 PM SRES 4/3/2015 3:30:00 PM SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| SB50 Supporting Documents-Furie LLC letter 3-2015.pdf |
SRES 3/30/2015 3:30:00 PM SRES 4/3/2015 3:30:00 PM SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| SB 50 Letter of Support Merrick Peirce.pdf |
SRES 3/30/2015 3:30:00 PM SRES 4/3/2015 3:30:00 PM SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| SB50-AIDEA PowerPoint.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| CSHJR18 Explanation of Changes Version E to N.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
|
| SB 50 - Coghill Amendment 29-GS1019 W.2.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
SB 50 |
| CSHJR18-Version N.pdf |
SRES 4/10/2015 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 18 |