02/26/2001 01:08 PM House RES

                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
               HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE                                                                             
                       February 26, 2001                                                                                        
                           1:08 p.m.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Presentations                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
EFFECTS  OF  GLOBAL  WARMING   ON  ALASKA'S  FISHERIES,  FORESTS,                                                               
AGRICULTURE,  MARINE  ECOSYSTEMS,   TRANSPORTATION  SYSTEMS,  AND                                                               
SUBSISTENCE  LIVELIHOODS;  PROFESSOR  GUNTER WELLER,  CENTER  FOR                                                               
GLOBAL CHANGE,  INTERNATIONAL ARCTIC RESEARCH  CENTER, UNIVERSITY                                                               
OF ALASKA, FAIRBANKS                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
DONLIN  CREEK  REGIONAL  INFRASTRUCTURE  ISSUES  UPDATE;  CALISTA                                                               
CORPORATION AND PLACER DOME CORPORATION                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
TAPES                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
01-14, SIDES A & B                                                                                                              

01-15, SIDE A                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CALL TO ORDER                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR  DREW   SCALZI  called  the  House   Resources  Standing                                                               
Committee meeting to order at 1:08 p.m.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
PRESENT                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Committee  members  present  were  Representatives  Masek,  Fate,                                                               
Green,  Chenault,   Stevens,  Kapsner,  Kerttula,   and  McGuire.                                                               
Representatives Dyson, Davies, and Cissna also attended.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Global Warming                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
PROFESSOR  GUNTER  WELLER,  Director, Cooperative  Institute  for                                                               
Arctic   Research,  presented   information   attesting  to   the                                                               
considerable climate-warming trend in  Alaska over the last three                                                               
decades  and  the impacts  on  the  state's economy  and  natural                                                               
resources.    (See  Attachment   A,  included  in  the  committee                                                               
packet.)                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Donlin  Creek  Regional   Infrastructure  Presention  by  Calista                                                           
Corporation                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
RICHARD  ROMER,   First  Vice  President,   Calista  Corporation,                                                               
narrated  a PowerPoint  presentation  on roads,  energy, and  the                                                               
Donlin  Creek  Exploration gold  site:    "Donlin Creek  Regional                                                               
Infrastructure  Presentation."   (See Attachment  B, included  in                                                               
the committee packet.)                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
STAN FOO,  Foo &  Associates [lobbyist on  behalf of  Placer Dome                                                               
U.S.],  and  BILL BIEBER,  Camp  and  Logistics Manager,  Calista                                                               
Corporation,  narrated a  PowerPoint presentation:   "The  Donlin                                                               
Creek Project  - A Partnership  Between Placer Dome,  the Calista                                                               
Corporation and  the Kuskokwim Corporation."   (See Attachment C,                                                               
included in the committee packet.)                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
FRANK  BETTINE, P.E.  [Physical  Engineer], consulting  engineer,                                                               
narrated  a  PowerPoint  presentation:   "Regional  Energy  Needs                                                               
Study  for   Southwestern  Alaska   -  Calista  Region."     (See                                                               
Attachment D, included in the committee packet.)                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
JEFF  OTTESEN, Statewide  Planning Chief,  Division of  Statewide                                                               
Planning,  Department  of   Transportation  &  Public  Facilities                                                               
(DOT&PF),  gave a  project briefing  on a  transportation network                                                               
analysis:  "Ruby to McGrath/Donlin  Creek Road."  (See Attachment                                                               
E, included in the committee packet.)                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
DAVE LEPAIN,  Geologist, Division  of Geological  and Geophysical                                                               
Surveys, Department  of Natural Resources, narrated  a PowerPoint                                                               
presentation:  "Overview of DGGS'  Holitna Basin Project: Gas for                                                               
Donlin  Creek?"   (See Attachment  F, included  in the  committee                                                               
packet.)                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
ANNOUNCEMENTS                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SCALZI announced the following  bills were scheduled for                                                               
the next  committee meeting, March 7,  2001:  HJR 12,  SJR 7, and                                                               
SB 72.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The committee took no action.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                              
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CO-CHAIR SCALZI adjourned the  House Resources Standing Committee                                                               
meeting at 3:30 p.m.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
NOTE:   The meeting was  recorded and handwritten log  notes were                                                               
taken.  A  copy of the tape(s)  and log notes may  be obtained by                                                               
contacting the  House Records  Office at  State Capitol,  Room 3,                                                               
Juneau,  Alaska  99801  (mailing address),  (907)  465-2214,  and                                                               
after  adjournment of  the second  session  of the  Twenty-Second                                                               
Alaska  State Legislature  this  information may  be obtained  by                                                               
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.