04/06/2009 01:00 PM House RESOURCES

HJR 26-STATEHOOD/ANCSA LAND SURVEY FUNDING                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
1:03:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  JOHNSON  announced that  the  first  order of  business                                                               
would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION  NO. 26, Urging the United States                                                               
Congress to  adequately fund land  surveys in Alaska in  order to                                                               
issue  patents  to   the  State  of  Alaska   and  Alaska  Native                                                               
corporations.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CRYSTAL KOENEMAN,  Staff, Representative Anna  Fairclough, Alaska                                                               
State Legislature,  presented HJR 26 on  behalf of Representative                                                               
Fairclough, sponsor.  She explained  that HJR 26 urges the United                                                               
States  Congress to  adequately fund  land surveys  in Alaska  in                                                               
order to issue  patents to the State of Alaska  and Alaska Native                                                               
corporations.   Currently, the U.S. Congress  is not sufficiently                                                               
budgeting funds  to the U.S.  Bureau of Land Management  which is                                                               
preventing the timely  completion of land surveys  for lands that                                                               
were promised to Alaska Natives and the State of Alaska.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
1:04:08 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR NEUMAN noted that the  R.S. 2477 issue is also important                                                               
to  the   state  and  that   he  has  talked   to  Representative                                                               
Fairclough's aide about adding this issue to HJR 26.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  JOHNSON explained  that  R.S. 2477  is the  traditional                                                               
right-of-ways  to  which,  in  theory,   the  state  has  access.                                                               
However, there  has been difficulty  in proving  what traditional                                                               
is; thus, there has been an  ongoing battle between the state and                                                               
the federal government.   He agreed that it  would be appropriate                                                               
to include this issue in HJR 26.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON closed public  testimony after ascertaining that                                                               
no one wished to testify, then opened committee discussion.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:05:37 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON inquired  whether Co-Chair Johnson intended                                                               
to put forth a conceptual amendment [regarding R.S. 2477].                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR JOHNSON answered  that he does not intend to  do so, but                                                               
that Co-Chair Neuman might like to.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR NEUMAN stated  that he is confident the  sponsor and her                                                               
staff  will  do  all  they  can  to  include  R.S.  2477  as  the                                                               
resolution  moves   forward.     He  asked  for   Ms.  Koeneman's                                                               
suggestion in this regard.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MS.  KOENEMAN  replied that  she  will  talk with  Representative                                                               
Fairclough  about adding  R.S.  2477 either  in  the House  Rules                                                               
Standing Committee or on the Senate side.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
1:06:49 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON pointed out  that if a conceptual amendment                                                               
is adopted by the committee now,  it will be incorporated, but if                                                               
this is not  done there would have  to be a hearing  in the House                                                               
Rules Standing Committee or an amendment  on the floor.  He asked                                                               
whether  it is  important enough  to  the co-chair  to have  this                                                               
incorporated now.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  NEUMAN  responded  that  he  considers  this  to  be  a                                                               
suggestion to  the sponsor for  inclusion further down  the road;                                                               
therefore  he does  not intend  to offer  a conceptual  amendment                                                               
right now.   He  said he  is making the  sponsor aware  that R.S.                                                               
2477 is  a critical issue that  is very close to  the land survey                                                               
and patent issue.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  NEUMAN moved  to report  HJR 26  out of  committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations  and  the  accompanying  zero  fiscal                                                               
note.   There being no  objection, HJR  26 was reported  from the                                                               
House Resources Standing Committee.