03/22/2023 03:30 PM Senate RESOURCES

            SB  90-EXTEND ALASKA MINERALS COMMISSION                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:30:56 PM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO.                                                                 
90 "An Act extending the termination date of the Alaska Minerals                                                                
Commission."                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:31:11 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR CLICK BISHOP, District R, sponsor of SB 90, introduced                                                                  
the legislation and paraphrased the sponsor statement.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Senate Bill  90 extends the Alaska  Minerals Commission                                                                    
     (Minerals   Commission)  until   June  30,   2034.  The                                                                    
     Minerals  Commission  is  currently set  to  sunset  on                                                                    
     February 1, 2024.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Created   in  1986,   the  11-member   Alaska  Minerals                                                                    
     Commission  serves  in  an  advisory  capacity  to  the                                                                    
     Governor and  the Alaska State  Legislature on  ways to                                                                    
     mitigate constraints on the  development of minerals in                                                                    
     Alaska.  Five members  are  appointed  by the  Governor                                                                    
     (one of whom  must reside in a  rural community), three                                                                    
     members are  appointed by the President  of the Senate,                                                                    
     and three members  are appointed by the  Speaker of the                                                                    
     House   of   Representatives.   Current   commissioners                                                                    
     represent  the  placer,  hard  rock,  and  coal  mining                                                                    
     industries   across    the   state,   along    with   a                                                                    
     representative from  an Alaska Native  Corporation. The                                                                    
     State  of Alaska  Division  of  Community and  Regional                                                                    
     Affairs   supports    the   Minerals    Commission   by                                                                    
     facilitating their  annual meetings and  assisting with                                                                    
     the annual report.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     The   Minerals   Commission    annually   reports   its                                                                    
     recommendations  to the  Governor  and the  Legislature                                                                    
     during the first ten days of the legislative session.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Key   recommendations  made   by  the   Commission  and                                                                    
     implemented by  the Legislature since  the Commission's                                                                    
     last extension in 2013 include:  - Provided support for                                                                    
     analysis of  the state obtaining  primacy of  the Clean                                                                    
     Water Act  Section 404 Program  - Continued  to support                                                                    
     reforms  of state  permitting  processes  to make  them                                                                    
     timelier  and more  efficient -  Continued support  for                                                                    
     development   of   access  and   power   infrastructure                                                                    
     projects  -  Continued  to   support  the  Division  of                                                                    
     Geological &  Geophysical Survey (DGGS) -  Continued to                                                                    
     support  the gathering  and  publishing geological  and                                                                    
     geophysical  data  on   Alaska's  mineral  potential  -                                                                    
     Continued to assert and defend  public access to roads,                                                                    
     trails, and navigable waterways  - Continued funding of                                                                    
     mining education programs and outreach                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Mining  is a  cornerstone of  our society  and economy,                                                                    
     supporting all aspects of our  everyday life; Alaska is                                                                    
     uniquely  positioned  to  play  a  leadership  role  in                                                                    
     meeting the national  mineral supply demand. Forty-nine                                                                    
     of the fifty minerals identified  in 2022 by the United                                                                    
     States Geological  Survey (USGS) as critical  to the US                                                                    
     economy and national security are  found in Alaska. The                                                                    
     state boasts a  supportive natural resource development                                                                    
     policy, and a proven  mining industry. There now exists                                                                    
     a rare  alignment of mineral wealth  in Alaska, demand,                                                                    
     federal  policy,  state  support,  and  an  established                                                                    
     industry,  which  presents  an opportunity  for  mining                                                                    
     industry  and  economic  growth.  The  Alaska  Minerals                                                                    
     Commission  has worked  with the  State  of Alaska  and                                                                    
     Alaska State Legislature  to successfully implement key                                                                    
     recommendations that  support a strong  and sustainable                                                                    
     Alaska minerals industry.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  BISHOP  concluded  the  introduction  by  relaying  that                                                               
Alaska's most  recent prospecting  efforts were recorded  in 1898                                                               
with  the Klondike  and  Nome  strikes. He  noted  that the  USGS                                                               
stated that Alaska was 50 years behind in mineral exploration.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL commented on the brevity of the legislation.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:36:30 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR CLAMAN queried whether the board extension required a                                                                   
Legislative Budget and Audit review.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR BISHOP read a letter from Kris Curtis, Legislative                                                                     
Auditor from the Legislative Audit Division:                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Only   those  entities   listed  in   08.03.010(c)  and                                                                    
     44.66.010(a)  are  subject  to  a  sunset  process  per                                                                    
     44.66.050.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL turned to invited testimony.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:38:00 PM                                                                                                                    
ENRIQUE FERNANDEZ, Chair,  Alaska Minerals Commission, Anchorage,                                                               
Alaska,  provided  invited testimony  in  support  of SB  90.  He                                                               
stated that he works as  the permitting and environmental manager                                                               
for Donlin Gold, LLC. He  informed the committee that the purpose                                                               
of the  Alaska Minerals Commission is  to provide recommendations                                                               
to  the governor  and legislature  about policies  and strategies                                                               
that promote  the development of  the state's  mineral resources.                                                               
He stated  that the commission members  have extensive experience                                                               
in  all aspects  of  the mining  industry including  exploration,                                                               
permitting  and  operations.  He  stated  that  the  commission's                                                               
annual  reports  provide  assessments   of  the  state's  mineral                                                               
resources  and provide  policy advice.  He mentioned  the state's                                                               
primacy of the  Clean Water Act, Section 404,  which is necessary                                                               
to bring stability to the permitting process.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. FERNANDEZ  continued that the  Alaska Minerals  Commission is                                                               
advocating  for  the state  to  develop  a comprehensive  mineral                                                               
development  plan   that  evaluates   infrastructure,  workforce,                                                               
dialog, and education needs. He  remarked that the members of the                                                               
Alaska  Minerals Commission  are enthusiastic  about the  work at                                                               
hand and grateful for the  opportunity to advise the governor and                                                               
legislature on topics they are  passionate about. He requested an                                                               
extension of the commissions termination date.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:40:15 PM                                                                                                                    
CO-CHAIR GIESSEL held SB 90 in committee.