NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING...
Transcript of NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING...
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NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA Wednesday, November 12, 2015 | 9:00AM
Chamber Office
I. Call to Order / Establish Quorum – John Ringstad, Chair II. Call for Conflict of Interest Disclosures – John Ringstad, Chair
III. Approval of the Agenda
IV. Approval of Minutes
A. October 22, 2015 Minutes
V. Presentation A. None
VI. New Business
A. None
VII. Unfinished Business A. 2016 Legislative Priorities (Final drafts included in packet) B. BOEM Liberty Comment Letter (Draft letter included in packet)
VIII. Other Communication
A. Committee Attendance Report (included in packet) B. Committee Calendar / GML Calendar C. Executive Director / Staff Comments D. Committee Chair Comments E. Guest Comments
IX. Next Committee Meeting – December 4, 2015
Natural Resources Committee Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, September 2, 2015 -- 7:30AM Chamber Office
Call to Order: The regular meeting of the Natural Resources Committee was called to order by John Ringstad, Committee Chair, at 9:00AM. A quorum was established. Committee Members Present: Bill Brophy, Roger Burggraf, David McDowell, Jim Mery, Clark Milne, Cassie Pinkel, John Ringstad and Joni Sharfenberg. Committee Members Absent: Paul Metz. Guests Present: John O’Brien, Shari George and Jomo Stewart. Staff Present: Liz Wolfe. Agenda: Hearing no objections, the agenda was approved as presented. Minutes of Previous Meeting: The minutes of the April 15, 2015 meeting were approved as presented. Presentation: None New Business: 2015 legislative priorities were included in the packet for the committees review, as well as proposed revisions for 2016. The committee discussed forwarding a recommendation to retract the oil refining priority as well as to combine the Fish & Wildlife priority with the Renewable Resource Priority. The committee also discussed revisions to their Natural Resource Development priority. MOTION: A motion was made and seconded to forward a recommendation to the Government Relations Committee to retract the In-State Oil Refining priority. Motion carried without objection. MOTION: A motion was made and seconded to revise and combine the renewable resource and fish & wildlife priorities and forward that to the Government Relations Committee to revise. Motion carried without objection. MOTION: A motion was made and seconded to forward the revised version of the responsible resource development position to the Government Relations Committee. Motion carried without objection. The chair presented the committee with a draft Hilcorp BOEM comment letter. Member expressed concern that there is nothing about revenue sharing in the letter, though some members feel that is a separate issue and should not be included. The Chair will continue to work on the draft and have something for the committee to discuss at or before their next committee meeting. Unfinished Business: There was no discussion on unfinished business at this time. Other Communication: The committee discussed the article in the paper about the Governor reinstating funding for Ambler Road. There is a concern over possible cuts to the department of agriculture. Joni is following the issue and let the committee know if they need to engage. The committee discussed the next meeting and decided that they will need to meet the following week due to the mining conference in Anchorage. The committee discussed having someone from Donlin Gold speak with our membership. The Chair will reach out to Kurt Parkan. Next Meeting: The Chair reported that the next regular meeting of the Natural Resources Committee will be on Thursday, November 12 at 9:00AM at the Chamber’s office. Adjournment: The Chair adjourned the meeting at 8:38AM. Respectfully Submitted, Liz Wolfe Committee Coordinator
Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce 100 Cushman Street, Suite 102 – Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 – www.FairbanksChamber.org
Support for Renewable Resource Development and Management
The Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce encourages the Alaska State Legislature and the Administration to advocate for sustainability and sound stewardship for future generations when pursuing the development and balanced management of our State’s renewable resources including agriculture, forestry, and fish and game.
Support for the Position
The Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce endorses biologically beneficial uses and sustainability consistent with the Sustained Yield provision for renewable resources in Article VIII, Chapter 4 of the Alaska Constitution. Lands developed or set aside for agriculture, forestry, recreation, and other tangible uses are important to community well-being.
Sound management and active development of our State’s renewable resources is essential to provide economic opportunities for present and future generations of Alaskans.
Action Required for this Position
The State Legislature and Administration should establish policies for private land-owners to provide viable access for the economic development and use of Alaska’s renewable resources.
State support is needed, be it through legislation or otherwise, to provide capital and resources that will help build, maintain, and grow value added renewable resource industries.
Support local use and consumption of Alaska’s renewable resources in an effort to add diversity to the economy.
The State should insist on cooperative State and Federal Relationships that advance access to Alaska’s renewable resources.
The State should utilize Department of Natural Resources to bridge discussions on natural resource development means that comply with the intention of regulations established to safeguard those resources vital to sustainable uses. Fiscal Impact of Position
Providing adequate support and management of Alaska’s renewable resources does not significantly impact the fiscal conditions of the state. The long term- benefits resulting from renewable resource development will provide Alaskans with a healthy environment and a diversified economy.
Sponsored by
Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce
Interior Alaska – The “Place” To Do Business
100 Cushman Street, Suite 102 | Fairbanks, AK 99701
Ph: (907) 452-1105 | www.FairbanksChamber.org
The GFCC priority regarding In-State Oil Refining should be dropped from next year’s list.
This position was taken in 2014 when Flint Hills was looking at closing their North Pole refinery.
The intent of the position was to keep the refinery open and supplying products for the Interior.
It has now been closed and no efforts are being made to reopen it. Additionally, there are no
plans currently being worked to expand other In-State refineries or build a new refinery in the
Interior.
Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce 100 Cushman Street, Suite 102 – Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 – www.FairbanksChamber.org
Increase Responsible Natural Resource Development by Improving the Efficiencies of the Permitting Process and Gaining Access to Resources
Position Statement
The Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce supports responsible natural resource development and encourages the Alaska State Legislature and Administration to uphold Alaska’s strong regulatory and permitting laws and policies that will facilitate additional exploration, site development, value-added services and products, employment, infrastructure, research, and natural resource production in Alaska.
The Alaska State Legislature should work with the Alaska Congressional Delegation to identify and implement permitting efficiencies within Federal laws and regulations that enable sustainable natural resource development methods while minimizing negative environmental consequences Support for the Position
The State’s economy relies on the development of its substantial but limited natural resources.
The modern, complicated federal/state permitting process for developing natural resources in Alaska has an abundance of environmental and legal safeguards; however, improvements are necessary to allow greater efficiency and timeliness in accomplishing economic development programs, while retaining the needed environmental protections.
To accomplish these goals, all projects should be evaluated in a non-biased, non-partisan manner, with accountability and effective schedules. The State should also clearly define the consistently required procedures and fees to allow businesses to plan and budget effectively for resource development. The state needs a regulatory permitting center(s) that serves to work with, and support, permit applicants in the project application process.
Action Required for the Position
The Administration should remain consistently aggressive and conscientious stewards of the resources that belong to all Alaskans by encouraging sustainable private development for a fair, equitable, and reasonable return on investment.
The State should continue to seek out experienced staff with the relevant professional credentials and ensure that salaries and compensation packages are competitive with the private sector and maintain appropriate staffing levels
The State should continually review and update permitting procedures to allow for expeditious review of development plans.
Fiscal Impact of the Position
Natural resource development is vital to the state’s economy. The State and its residents benefit by supporting an increase in sustainable natural resource development, supporting value-added services and diversification, and managing an efficient and responsible permitting process, which far outweighs any necessary associated cost and does not significantly impact the fiscal conditions of the state.
100 Cushman St., Suite 102 | Fairbanks, Alaska 99701-4665
Phone (907) 452-1105 | Fax (907) 456-6968 | www.FairbanksChamber.org
Interior Alaska – The “Place” To Do Business
November 11, 2015 Laura Boldrick, Project Manager Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500 Anchorage, Alaska 99503 RE: Support for Hilcorp Alaska, LLC’s efforts to develop the Liberty Resevoir Dear Ms. Boldrick, On behalf of the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, we appreciate the opportunity express our support for Hilcorp Alaska, LLC’s proposal for development and production of the Liberty Reservoir on Alaska’s North Slope. The Fairbanks Chamber has been a longtime supporter of environmentally safe and economically beneficial resource development and we ask that the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management make the necessary decision to allow this project to move forward. Alaska’s economy is dependent on responsible resource development and the benefits of development of the Liberty Reservoir will be significant. With the Trans Alaska Pipeline System operating at 25% capacity and continuing to decline, new production is critical to the future operations of TAPS. With an estimated 80-130 million barrels of recoverable oil in the ground, developing this major resource will provide access to oil that is essential to increasing the lifespan and improving the efficiency of the pipeline system. Development of the Liberty Reservoir will provide positive economic benefits to State’s economy by generating hundreds of good-paying permanent jobs and providing treasury benefits to the State of Alaska and the North Slope Borough. Hilcorp has an excellent track record of exploration and development of oil and gas while complying with rules and regulations. The plans for this project include utilization of technology that has been proven successful by many offshore projects before it, such as the Northstar project. The numerous islands that have been constructed and fields that are currently producing off of Alaska’s northern coast have proven that this type of development can be done without significant negative impacts. On behalf of the Board of Directors, committees, 700+ members that the Chamber represents and all Alaskan’s, we respectfully urge BOEM approval of Hilcorp’s Development and Production Plan for the Liberty Project. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, THE GREATER FAIRBANKS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Interior Alaska – The “Place” To Do Business
E X E C U T I V E P A R T N E R S
D I A M O N D
Alaska Airlines
ConocoPhillips
ExxonMobil
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital &
Denali Center
Flint Hills Resources Alaska
Mt. McKinley Bank
Ravn Alaska
P L A T I N U M
Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.
BP Exploration
Doyon, Limited
Fred Meyer Stores
Golden Heart Utilities
Wells Fargo Bank Alaska
G O L D
Carlson Center
Denali State Bank
Design Alaska
Doyon Utilities LLC
First National Bank Alaska
GCI
Kinross Fort Knox Mine
Lynden
NAPA Business Development Group
Sumitomo Metal Mining Pogo LLC
Usibelli Coal Mine
WAL-MART Stores, Inc.
Westmark Fairbanks Hotel &
Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge
S I L V E R
Agency 49
Alaska Communications
Alaska Railroad
Alaska USA
Everts Air Cargo, Everts Air AK
Exclusive Paving/University Redi-Mix
Fairbanks Natural Gas
Flowline Alaska
Gene’s Chrysler, Jeep & Dodge
Golden Valley Electric Association
Hale & Associates, Inc.
Henry Orthodontics
Hilcorp Alaska, LLC
JL Properties, Inc.
Key Bank
MAC Federal Credit Union
Northrim Bank
PDC Inc. Engineers
Personnel Plus
Sam’s Club
Seekins Ford Lincoln
Shell Exploration & Production Co.
Sourdough Fuel
Spirit of Alaska FCU
State Farm Insurance
Tammy Randolph, Agent
Ed Randolph, Agent
Tanana Valley Clinic
TDL Staffing
Teamsters Local 959
Totem Ocean Trailer Express
Tower Hill Mines-Livengood Gold Project
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Verizon Wireless
Vivlamore Companies
Yukon Title Company
10/22/15Total # of
Meetings
QUORUM = 5 Meeting Held: Yes / No Yes 8
NAME ORGANIZATION % Attend % Absent
1 Brophy, Bill Usibelli Coal Mine x 6 75% 25%
2 Burggraf, Roger Greatland River Tours x 7 88% 13%
3 McDowell, David Individual Member x 4 50% 50%
4 Mery, Jim Doyon, Limited x 5 63% 38%
5 Metz, Paul; Fairbanks Exploration 7 88% 13%
6 Milne, Clark DOWL HKM x 6 75% 25%
7 Pinkel, Cassie Superior Pellets x 4 50% 50%
8 Ringstad, John (CHAIR) BP x 8 100% 0%
9 Scharfenberg, Joni Fairbanks Soil & Water Conservation District x 6 75% 25%
Quorum Established: Yes / No Yes 7
Committees members are expected to attend at least 75% of regularly scheduled meeings. Currently, 5 of 9 members are meeting the attendance expectations
Natural Resources Committee 2015 Member Attendance
2015 Natural Resources Important Dates
(Events, comment periods, etc.)
November
17 Comment deadline - Development & Production Plan for the Hilcorp Liberty project with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Link to the Liberty Project Development and Production Plan: http://www.boem.gov/uploadedFiles/BOEM/About_BOEM/BOEM_Regions/Alaska_Region/Leasing_and_Plans/Plans/2015-09-18-LibertyDPP.pdf
December
3 GFCC Annual Meeting 12pm at Carlson Center 19 FERC Public Scoping Meeting 6:00pm-9:00pm (open house begins at 5pm)
at the Morris Thompson Center. More information: http://ak-lng.com/
September 1: Alaska Bankers Association by Steve LundgrenSeptember 8: University of Alaska System by President Jim Johnsen
September 15: Unmanned Aircraft Systems by Ro Bailey
September 22: United Way Campaign Kick-Off by Bill & Meadow Bailey
September 29: Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayoral Candidate Forum and debate *Location - Pioneer Park Civic CenterOctober 6: State of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District by Dr. Karen Gaborik
October 13: Joint luncheon with Alaska Chamber featuring Alaska Arlines
CEO Brad Tilden *Location - Westmark Hotel Gold Room
CREDIT CARD ONLY; RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
October 20: Energy Efficiency: An investment opportunity you can’t afford to delayOctober 27: Doing Business with BP
November 3: Excellence in the Workplace by Pat McGaughey
November 10: Education’s trajectory by Commissioner Mike Hanley
November 17: U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Environment, Technology & Regulatory Affairs Division by Bill Kovacs
December 1: In Progress
December 8: Annual Membership Meeting last meeting of 2015 Register now on Fairbanks Chamber’s event calendar
$20/person for members, $25/person for general public *includes lunch buffet $160/table of 8 *includes lunch buffet $5 program fee *includes coffee and water service only