CSHJR 16(RES) AM -OPPOSE UN LAND DESIGNATIONS IN ALASKA                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WAGONER announced HJR 16 to be up for consideration.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ELKINS,  sponsor, introduced Jennifer  Baxter, his                                                               
staff person to present the bill to the committee.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
JENNIFER BAXTER, staff to Representative  Elkin, said that HJR 16                                                               
opposes  the designation  of any  area in  the state,  such as  a                                                               
world  heritage site,  biosphere  reserve or  any  other type  of                                                               
international  designation,  without  the prior  consent  of  the                                                               
Alaska  State Legislature  and  the  affected local  governments.                                                               
Many  of  these  United   Nations  designations  include  private                                                               
property  in-holdings and  contemplate buffer  zones of  adjacent                                                               
land and could be used to harass or block commercial activities.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Under current  law, the  Secretary of  the Interior  can nominate                                                               
world  heritage sites  and the  Secretary of  State can  nominate                                                               
biosphere  reserves,  both without  the  approval  of the  United                                                               
States Congress.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS.  BAXTER explained  that it  further urges  the United  States                                                               
Congress to  pass legislation  that will  require approval  by an                                                               
act  of Congress  before any  area of  the United  States or  its                                                               
territories can  be studied  or be  nominated to  be any  type of                                                               
international designation.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR   WAGONER   said   he   enthusiastically   supported   this                                                               
resolution.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:26:38 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  DYSON  moved  to  pass   HJR  16  [CSHJR  16(RES)]  from                                                               
committee with  individual recommendations and zero  fiscal note.                                                               
There were no objections and it was so ordered.