HJR 21-OPPOSING FEDERAL WILD LAND DESIGNATION  4:20:09 PM CO-CHAIR PASKVAN announced the consideration of HJR 21 4:20:22 PM REPRESENTATIVE ERIC FEIGE, prime sponsor of HJR 21, stated that this resolution opposes the creation of de facto wilderness in the state without congressional oversight. On December 22, 2010, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar issued Secretarial Order (S.O.) Number 3310 directing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to inventory and designate land with wilderness characteristics as "wild lands," a new classification for which there is no legal definition. He offered his belief that S.O. No. 3310 may go so far as to seek wilderness status in an area that is critical to the economies of Alaska and the nation, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPRA). REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE asserted that S.O. No. 3310 is in conflict with and superseded by both the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) because it is only Congress that has the authority to designate wilderness areas. Furthermore, S.O. No. 3310 directly conflicts with the "no more" clauses in ANILCA and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE highlighted that several states have gone on record opposing S.O. No. 3310 including Governor Parnell who sent Secretary Salazar a letter outlining Alaska's concerns. HJR 21 urges the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw S.O. 3310 and to direct the BLM to administer federal land in Alaska in accordance with existing statutes and agency guidelines. If S.O. No. 3310 is not withdrawn, HJR 21 asks Congress to prohibit the use of appropriated funds by the Department of Interior to implement, administer, or enforce S.O. No. 3310. SENATOR FRENCH asked for help understanding the difference between "wild lands" and "wilderness." REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE replied "wild lands" doesn't have a definition and "wilderness" has a legal definition. SENATOR FRENCH asked what S.O. No. 3310 says about wild lands. REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE answered it establishes wild lands as a new designation. 4:24:52 PM SENATOR FRENCH directed attention to the "whereas" clause on page 2, lines [8-10], that states "Secretary Salazar failed to recognize that the policy expressed in the order will negatively affect the state's cultural resources and economic prosperity;" and asked if S.O. No. 3310 didn't make specific reference to cultural resources. REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE replied he wasn't sure. CO-CHAIR PASKVAN asked Representative Feige if he was concerned that the wild land designation may impact NPRA or the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). REPRESENTATIVE FEIGE replied the concern centers on the fact that no one knows exactly what that designation will mean. Because of the uncertainty, the fear is that it will lead to more wilderness designation and accompanying development restrictions within the state. CO-CHAIR PASKVAN closed public testimony and announced he would hold HJR 21 in committee.