ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE  May 3, 2022 8:04 a.m. MEMBERS PRESENT Representative Sara Hannan, Co-Chair Representative Calvin Schrage, Co-Chair Representative Josiah Patkotak, Vice Chair Representative Harriet Drummond Representative Ken McCarty Representative Kevin McCabe MEMBERS ABSENT  Representative Mike Prax COMMITTEE CALENDAR  HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 12 Urging the Marine Debris Foundation to locate its headquarters in the state. - MOVED HR 12 OUT OF COMMITTEE PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION  BILL: HR 12 SHORT TITLE: MARINE DEBRIS FOUNDATION HQ IN ALASKA SPONSOR(s): COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS 04/29/22 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS 04/29/22 (H) CRA 05/03/22 (H) CRA AT 8:00 AM BARNES 124 WITNESS REGISTER REPRESENTATIVE JONATHAN KRIESS-TOMKINS Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: As prime sponsor, presented HR 12. XANNIE BORSETH, Staff Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Alaska State Legislature Juneau, Alaska POSITION STATEMENT: Answered questions during the hearing on HR 12 on behalf of Representative Kreiss-Tomkins, prime sponsor. ACTION NARRATIVE 8:04:19 AM CO-CHAIR CALVIN SCHRAGE called the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting to order at 8:04 a.m. Representatives McCarthy, Drummond, McCabe, Hannan, and Schrage were present at the call to order. Representatives Patkotak arrived as the meeting was in progress. HR 12-MARINE DEBRIS FOUNDATION HQ IN ALASKA  8:04:57 AM CO-CHAIR SCHRAGE announced that the only order of business would be HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 12, Urging the Marine Debris Foundation to locate its headquarters in the state. 8:05:15 AM REPRESENTATIVE JONATHAN KRIESS-TOMKINS, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, presented HR 12, which urges the Marine Debris Foundation to locate its headquarters in the state of Alaska. REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND asked how the title shoreline is measured. She observed that the title shoreline is approximately 14,000 more miles than the coastline. 8:07:06 AM XANNIE BORSETH, Staff, Representative Jonathan Kreiss- Tomkins, Alaska State Legislature, on behalf of Representative Kreiss- Tomkins, prime sponsor of HR 12, explained that difference is that the contour outline - or boundary of the coast - is known as the coastline, whereas the shoreline is the boundary between the land and the water and therefore, dependent on the tides. She offered to simplify the language to "shoreline" if it were the will of the committee. REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND surmised that it must be a low tide measurement because it puts [the title shoreline] out further from the coast. MS. BORSETH agreed. 8:07:52 AM REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE suggested that this was demonstrative of the amount of shore space there is to clean up marine debris. He expressed his interest in any bill that requires people who work in the state of Alaska to live in the state of Alaska. CO-CHAIR SCHRAGE shared an example of marine waste washing up on Alaska's shores from the tsunami in Japan. He noted the importance of not only the work, but of [the Marine Debris Foundation] being headquartered in Alaska. 8:09:38 AM REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked how much debris is in Alaska compared to other West Coast locations. MS. BORSETH offered to follow up with the requested information. 8:10:29 AM CO-CHAIR HANNAN commented on the importance of having "both those numbers in there." She argued that "good" data is hard to acquire, as much of Alaska's coastline is unmonitored and uninhabited. After looking up the Marine Debris Foundation's Board of Directors, she observed members from the East Coast, which can account for and monitor its coastline. She discussed the variety of things that can wash up on shore unmonitored in the state, such as dead whales, for example, emphasizing the scale and magnitude of Alaska and the North Pacific. 8:13:24 AM REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND recalled that a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) vessel was expected to be home ported in Ketchikan, Alaska, and she asked whether that was accurate. 8:13:55 AM REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS responded that Representative Drummond may be referring to the RV Fairweather, which was in Newport, Oregon, heading to Ketchikan. He confirmed that it was a NOAA asset. 8:15:36 AM REPRESENTATIVE MCCARTY asked whether the state is funding the Marine Debris Foundation. REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS answered that the state is not funding the foundation. He noted it is similar to other private foundations that raise their own funds. REPRESENTATIVE MCCABE asked whether Alaska has the most fishing boats on the ocean that can observe marine debris, suggesting that that could be a "selling point" for the state. 8:18:43 AM REPRESENTATIVE PATKOTAK inquired about the "this copy shall be sent to" section and asked why it was not included in the resolution. REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS shared his understanding that House resolutions, in contrast to joint resolutions, do not have the "copies be sent to" function. He offered to readily amend the resolution on the House floor if necessary. 8:20:05 AM CO-CHAIR HANNAN said she wants to ensure that HR 12 is sent to people with some familiarity with Alaska, who could understand its significance. 8:21:30 AM CO-CHAIR HANNAN moved to report HR 12 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HR 12 was reported out of the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee. 8:21:56 AM ADJOURNMENT  There being no further business before the committee, the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee meeting was adjourned at [8:22] a.m.