HJR 10-NAT'L PARK SERVICE; HUNTING IN PRESERVES  CHAIR MCKAY announced that the first order of business would be HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 10, Disapproving the proposed rule by the National Park Service limiting non-subsistence hunting methods; and urging the National Park Service to withdraw the rule. 1:03:23 PM REPRESENTATIVE MIKE CRONK, Alaska State Legislature, presented HJR 10, as the prime sponsor. He read from the sponsor statement [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: This resolution is a companion to SJR 8 and lays out a history of Alaska's right to manage fish and wildlife. It further lays out the most recent federal erosion of those rights. Finally, HJR 10 expresses strenuous objection to the National Park Service incursion into Alaska's management prohibiting long-standing hunting practices allowed under state law. No matter how opinions may differ on management practices, there should be no disagreement about our state's right to manage fish and wildlife. I would ask for your support for HJR 10. 1:04:19 PM DAVE STANCLIFF, Staff, Representative Mike Cronk, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Cronk, prime sponsor, stated that HJR 10 objected to [the National Park Service's (NPS) proposed rule, Alaska; Hunting and Trapping in National Preserves"], as explained in a letter dated 2/28/34, which was signed by Alaska's congressional delegation. The objection was based on the proposed rule being written without consultation with the State of Alaska or affected stakeholders, and because it would effectively reimpose a 2015 rule that prohibited harvest methods allowed under Alaska state law without any supporting scientific data. Furthermore, the rule disregards the importance of traditional hunting practices of Alaska Natives residing in non-rural areas and ignores recent congressional actions to overturn a substantively similar rule barring specific hunting techniques promulgated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). He summarized the issue as a "simple case" of either allowing the ruling or strenuously objecting to it by trying to assert what was guaranteed under statehood and upheld by the courts regarding the ability to manage fish and wildlife on lands in Alaska. CHAIR MCKAY sought questions from members of the committee. 1:06:03 PM REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked about ongoing litigation in regard to the National Park Service (NPS) proposed rule. MR. STANCLIFF shared his understanding that there was pressure on the decision, which offered a timelier way to voice an objection. REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE commented on the recognition of the state's natural resources in the Alaska State Constitution. He opined that the [proposed rule] was a clear violation of the state constitution, which gave Alaska the right to manage its own resources. Furthermore, he argued that the proposed rule was in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT asked whether there was a time limit to respond to [the NPS]. MR. STANCLIFF said he had not seen a hard time limit. He remarked, "As in all things political, when the door opens a little wider, the input that you give here in Alaska has a little bit more chance to permeate the political atmosphere." 1:08:26 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRONK urged members to act on the offensive and pass the legislation out of committee without hesitation. REPRESENTATIVE WRIGHT agreed with Representative Cronk that urgency was key. REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER conveyed that there were too many instances of the federal government breaking promises and trying assert its power. He said it was essential to push back vigorously and clearly and applauded the sponsor for bringing the resolution forward. REPRESENTATIVE PATKOTAK urged members to find a correlation between "something like this" and actions related to statehood defense in the Finance Committee. 1:10:34 PM The committee took a brief at-ease. 1:11:32 PM CHAIR MCKAY explained that it was the will of the members to move HJR 10 out of committee today. He noted that there would be an opportunity for public testimony on this resolution in the other body. 1:13:24 PM REPRESENTATIVE CRONK mentioned that the NPS had extended the comment period to March 27, [2023]. REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER thanked the committee for recognizing the necessary expediency. 1:14:15 PM The committee took a brief at-ease. 1:14:29 PM REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER moved to report HJR 10 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HJR 10 was reported from the House Resources Standing Committee.