HJR 11-OPPOSING ANWR WILDERNESS DESIGNATION  3:32:01 PM CO-CHAIR WAGONER announced HJR 11 to be up for consideration. JEFF TURNER, staff for Representative Millett, sponsor of HJR 11, explained that this bill simply states the Alaska Legislature's opposition to any wilderness designation on the 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). It is quite similar to the resolution sponsored by Representative Millett and passed by the legislature two years ago except for one key difference. Right now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is coming up with a draft comprehensive conservation plan for ANWR and it is expected to contain possibly a wilderness recommendation for the 1002 area. That makes at least two pieces of legislation are now in Congress that will lock up the 1002 area that he knows of. 3:33:33 PM SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI joined the committee. MR. TURNER said in 1980, Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) that specifically excluded the 1002 area of ANWR as a result of a compromise to create ANWR in the first place. That gave only Congress the power to allow a wilderness designation or to allow oil and gas development on the 1002 area. Right now, the USGS estimates that ANWR has 4 billion barrels of oil that would certainly help address the decline in TAPS production. This area also has "quite a bit of natural gas" which could fill a future gas pipeline. Any development in ANWR could take place on a footprint as small as 2,000 acres out of the Refuge's 1.5 million acres. He also said new caribou population numbers indicate the Porcupine Caribou Herd is up to 169,000 animals, an increase of 30 percent from a study done a few years ago. The Central Arctic Caribou Herd is up as well. He said this is ample evidence that oil and gas exploration and production can happen on the North Slope without harming the wildlife resources up there. SENATOR PASKVAN asked his understanding of the compromise that was reached in passing ANILCA with respect to preserving the right to enter into laws to develop oil and gas resources in the 1002 area. MR. TURNER answered that Congress understood very well that the 1002 area probably held significant oil and gas resources and decided it should preserve it for future development. So, they agreed to set aside that one small piece of land and the law states that only Congress has the power to allow oil and gas exploration or placing a wilderness designation on it. SENATOR PASKVAN asked if the wilderness designation was imposed only on areas outside of the 1002 at the time. MR. TURNER replied that was his understanding. 3:36:19 PM SENATOR FRENCH asked what the second "whereas" language on page 2, line 6, meant. MR. TURNER answered that it states the belief that the U.S. Congress has the power to designate new conservation units within federal lands. SENATOR FRENCH asked why it is necessary to have that in the resolution. MR. TURNER answered to state the sponsor's understanding of the law. 3:38:31 PM CO-CHAIR WAGONER opened the public hearing. Finding no comments, he closed public testimony. CO-CHAIR PASKVAN moved to report HJR 11 from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There were no objections and it was so ordered. 3:39:18 PM At ease from 3:39 to 3:41 p.m.