02/28/2012 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

          SJR 15-COAST GUARD ICEBREAKERS & ARCTIC BASE                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:01:57 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  WIELECHOWSKI announced  that the  first order  of business                                                               
would  be SJR  15, a  resolution  which urges  the United  States                                                               
Congress to  fund all  the facilities  and vessels  necessary for                                                               
the United  States Coast  Guard to  fulfill its  Arctic missions,                                                               
including icebreakers and an Arctic Coast Guard base.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PASKVAN  moved to adopt  the CS  for SJR 15,  labeled 27-                                                               
LS1302\B, as the working document.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI objected for discussion purposes.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
DAVID SCOTT,  staff, Senator  Donny Olson,  introduced SJR  15 on                                                               
behalf of  the sponsor. He  said the resolution  accomplishes two                                                               
things.  It asks  the  United States  government  to fulfill  its                                                               
Coast  Guard mission  in the  Arctic  and forward  base the  U.S.                                                               
Coast Guard in the Arctic, and  to fund icebreakers and other ice                                                               
capable vessels. The  Northern Waters Task Force  was the impetus                                                               
for this legislation.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MR. SCOTT related that there  are many maritime operation stories                                                               
set in the  Arctic. A recent one is the  Nome oil delivery. There                                                               
is  pending offshore  development and  production in  the Arctic.                                                               
The  Arctic  and  maritime  industry  will play  a  big  part  in                                                               
Alaska's future.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  SCOTT  highlighted four  changes  in  version B.  The  first                                                               
change on  page 4, line  20, changes  who the resolution  is sent                                                               
to.  The second  change  is on  page  1, line  6,  in the  second                                                               
whereas clause,  the words "on  equal footing" were  deleted. The                                                               
third change  is on page  2, line  4, after "tourism",  the words                                                               
"other activities"  were added. Finally,  on page 4, in  lines 25                                                               
and 27, one of the "resolve clauses" was changed.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:06:05 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  WIELECHOWSKI commented  that the  resolution is  important                                                               
and much needed.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CAPTAIN ED  PAGE, Executive Director,  Marine Exchange  of Alaska                                                               
(MEA), and  U.S. Coast Guard  (Retired), spoke in support  of SJR
. He related  that the MEA is a non-profit  established in 2001                                                               
and  supported  by  the  legislature, the  Coast  Guard  and  the                                                               
maritime industry as a vessel tracking system. He shared his 30-                                                                
year history  in the  Coast Guard  and 10  years in  the maritime                                                               
industry. He noted changes in  Coast Guard dealings in the Arctic                                                               
over  the last  10 years.  Due to  the use  of a  vessel tracking                                                               
system, activity  in the  Arctic can now  be followed.  He listed                                                               
the  various types  of vessels  now  seen in  Arctic waters.  The                                                               
Artic is now open to shipping and  so there is a greater need for                                                               
the Coast Guard to monitor those waters.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
9:09:35 AM                                                                                                                    
CAPTAIN  PAGE described  icebreakers located  in the  Great Lakes                                                               
and around New  York. He emphasized that it is  time for extended                                                               
Coast Guard presence in Alaska and in the Arctic.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
9:11:06 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  PASKVAN  referred to  Russian  and  Chinese activity  in                                                               
Arctic and asked if it was related  to the loss of the Arctic ice                                                               
cap.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CAPTAIN PAGE replied  that the fact that they can  operate in the                                                               
Arctic is  because it  is more  accessible and  there is  a great                                                               
demand for the resources there.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PASKVAN  questioned the boundary limitations  in shipping                                                               
lanes in the Arctic.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CAPTAIN  PAGE   talked  about  three  zones:   territorial  seas,                                                               
contiguous zones, and exclusive  economic zones (EEZ). The United                                                               
States has  authority over  shipping activity  out 200  miles and                                                               
beyond. The key is to having a presence there.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PASKVAN  asked how far  it was  from Barrow to  the North                                                               
Pole.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CAPTAIN PAGE  said it  was several hundred  miles. He  added that                                                               
the ice is changing, it is  becoming more accessible, and it is a                                                               
different world up there now.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  PASKVAN said  he thought  last year  was the  first year                                                               
that   both   eastern   and    western   shipping   routes   were                                                               
simultaneously opened.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CAPTAIN PAGE called it fascinating  that one of the access points                                                               
to the Arctic is in Alaska's back yard.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:15:26 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  GIESSEL requested  information about  search and  rescue                                                               
collaboration between Canadian and U.S. Coast Guards.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CAPTAIN  PAGE  reported that  both  countries  work together  for                                                               
search  and rescue  operations and  for oil  pollution exercises.                                                               
Kodiak is  the closest location to  the Arctic with a  U.S. Coast                                                               
Guard station. Canada  has a greater presence in  the Arctic than                                                               
the U.S. does, as does Russia.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR MEYER  asked for  a recommendation  where the  new Arctic                                                               
base should be.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CAPTAIN  PAGE said  he  had not  formed an  opinion.  He said  he                                                               
thought there  could be two bases,  one for aircraft and  one for                                                               
ships.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:18:15 AM                                                                                                                    
JEFFREY GARRETT, retired, U.S.  Coast Guard, Seattle, Washington,                                                               
spoke of his  past experience with the polar  icebreaker fleet in                                                               
Alaska.  Past polar  operations were  limited to  defense support                                                               
and science programs. The transformational  changes in the Arctic                                                               
now  affect  the  Coast Guard's  statutory  responsibilities.  He                                                               
opined  that the  most critical  and  effective need  now is  for                                                               
polar icebreakers. He detailed the  reasons behind his belief and                                                               
reported on  the history of  lack of icebreakers. He  referred to                                                               
the  icebreaker Healey's  successful  mission to  Nome. He  noted                                                               
that the  President's 2013 budget  contains funds  for icebreaker                                                               
acquisition. He  spoke in favor  of restoring the Polar  Star and                                                               
the  Polar Sea  to  full operating  capability.  He testified  in                                                               
support of SJR 15 and suggested moving forward quickly.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  WIELECHOWSKI  requested  a  motion to  move  SJR  15  from                                                               
committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PASKVAN  moved to report  the CS  for SJR 15,  version B,                                                               
from   committee   with   individual  recommendations   and   the                                                               
accompanying zero  fiscal note.  There being no  objection, CSSJR
(STA)  was  reported from  the  Senate  State Affairs  Standing                                                               
Committee.