ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE  HOUSE RESOURCES STANDING COMMITTEE February 2, 2001 1:10 p.m. COMMITTEE CALENDAR  OVERVIEW: STATUS OF THE STATEHOOD DEFENSE CASES   TAPES  01-7, SIDES A & B CALL TO ORDER  REPRESENTATIVE BEVERLY MASEK, Co-Chair, called the House Resources Standing Committee to order at 1:10 p.m. PRESENT  Committee members present were Representatives Fate, Green, Stevens, Kapsner, McGuire, and Scalzi. Representatives Kerttula and Chenault were excused. SUMMARY OF INFORMATION  BARBARA RITCHIE, Deputy Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law, told members that her department was requested to give an update of the status of state lawsuits pending. She introduced Ms. Grace. JOANNE GRACE, Assistant Attorney General, Natural Resources Section, Civil Division (Anchorage), Department of Law, briefed committee members on the status of the three major pending lawsuits filed by the State of Alaska: Katie John v. United States - state's right to manage its navigable waters. The state filed a notice of appeal in the Ninth Circuit Court and a decision is expected within six months. The state asserts that Congress did not intend federal agencies to usurp state sovereignty to manage state navigable waters. State of Alaska v. United States - state's right to claim title to submerged lands in Southeast Alaska marine waters including those within Glacier Bay National Park and the Tongass National Forest. The case will be heard in the Supreme Court and is significant, as it would affect the state's management of commercial fishing in waters within those park boundaries. State of Alaska v. U.S. Forest Service and Department of Agriculture - Clinton Roadless Plan for Chugach and Tongass National Forests. Governor Knowles filed in the U.S. District Court on January 31, 2001. The suit seeks to permanently prevent the federal government from implementing the roadless policy, which would affect over 90 percent of the Tongass National Forest and 98.9 percent of the Chugach National Forest. ANNOUNCEMENTS  CO-CHAIR MASEK announced that the House and Senate Resources Committees will meet jointly on February 6, 2001, at 12:15 p.m. to hear a presentation from the Alaska mining industry. COMMITTEE ACTION  The committee took no action.   ADJOURNMENT  CO-CHAIR MASEK adjourned the House Resources Standing Committee meeting at 2:19 p.m. NOTE: The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were taken. A copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by contacting the House Records Office at State Capitol, Room 3, Juneau, Alaska 99801 (mailing address), (907) 465-2214, and after adjournment of the second session of the Twenty-Second Alaska State Legislature this information may be obtained by contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.