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Alaska Resource Advisory Council

Meeting Summary

Anchorage Federal Building
Denali Room, Anchorage, AK

October 29-30, 2001

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Tuesday, October 15, 2002

Council members present:	BLM representatives present:
Charlie Boddy	Fran Cherry, State Director
Tom Crafford	Linda Rundell, Associate State Director
Gary "Gus" Gustafson, Chair	Peter Ditton, Anchorage Field Office
Larry Houle	Cathie Jensen, Glennallen Field Office
Sandra Key	Gary Foreman, Northern Field Manager
Jim Posey	Nolan Heath, Lands, Minerals &Resources
Paul Roehl	Mike Haskins, Lands
Steve Simmons	Susan Lavin, Lands
Rick Solie, Jr.	Rob McWhorter, Joint Pipeline Office
Larry Taylor	Teresa McPherson, External Affairs (recorder)
David van den Berg, vice chair

Council members absent:	Other:
Susan Olsen	Tom Hawkins
John Stroud	Eleanor Huffines
	Cam Toohey
	Joan Travostino

Chair Gary Gustafson called the meeting to order at 9:40 a.m.
The chair welcomed new and reappointed members to the meeting. Following introductions, the council reviewed and approved the agenda.

State Director's Update

Fran Cherry welcomed council members and explained BLM has a long history of using citizen councils to provide valuable input and feedback on land and resource management decisions. He encouraged council members to contact him, Associate State Director Linda Rundell, or BLM managers and specialists with their concerns and ideas at any time.

Next Cherry provided updates on several topics:

Energy issues are high priority. The Trans Alaska Pipeline System is a national asset and security is paramount. BLM is gearing up for the second round of NPR-A lease sales. Scoping for the northwest portion has started.

Security is a high priority following the September 11 events. Terrorism has changed the way we do business, even here in Alaska. The Anchorage Federal Building was evacuated Friday due to suspicious mail. Security will have an impact on budget and workload.

BLM has several planning starts underway. Wilderness will now be considered during planning, following the Department's January 2001 directive.

BLM continues ANCSA 17(b) easement management efforts. Thirteen BLM staff are dedicated to this effort full time and are making progress.

BLM expects funding levels to remain constant, but security needs will have some impact. Funds are provided for 11 new positions in energy/minerals.

BREAK

Field managers provided a brief update of their respective field offices.

Peter Ditton, Anchorage Field Office

The field office has begun one of three major planning efforts. Known as the Ring of Fire, the plan will address lands in southeast, south central, Kodiak and Alaska Peninsula/Aleutians, areas not currently covered by a management plan.

BLM will block access to a gravel pit near the Knik River where target shooting has created refuse and safety problems. BLM will continue to work with the state to resolve issues to allow conveyance of the lands.

Cathie Jensen, Glennallen Field Office

The field office will accept applications for recreation use permits for the Gulkana River 2002 season until February 1, 2002. A draft management proposal outlining all proposed alternatives for the Gulkana will be available for comment in February. The proposal was drawn from LAC and other resource data and from public input. The public will be able to comment on which alternative they prefer.

Field office staff are working on pre-plans for an East Alaska resource management plan which would incorporate any amended river plan for the Gulkana. A GIS specialist and land use planner were hired to help with planning.

Staff completed an environmental assessment for commercial recreation permits for heli-skiing in the Thompson Pass area north of Valdez.

RAC members asked about heavy OHV use at Tangle Lakes. Jensen said the field office hired two seasonals to install signs, educate users, and provide a presence in the area.

Taylor asked about the Alphabet Hills prescribed fire. Jensen said weather conditions didn't allow the burn this season but staff hope to do so next season. Taylor encouraged BLM to watch for an appropriate burn window and keep the RAC informed.

Fran Cherry provided an update of Northern Field Office (Bob Schneider was ill)

NPR-A subsistence panel met in June to review winter drilling operations and proposals for summer studies. The panel passed one recommendation regarding subsistence monitoring.

BLM is currently working to fill the non-government vacancies on the NPR-A research and monitoring team. Nominations were sent to the Bureau in September.

BLM will limit Colville River planning to an activity level plan to be completed by November 2003. Wilderness and scenic river studies won't be done at this time, but may be included in future NPR-A planning efforts.

Plans are underway for a second lease sale in NE NPR-A in June 2002.

Presentation: Rob McWhorter, Joint Pipeline Office
McWhorter gave a short briefing on the Trans Alaska Pipeline System right-of-way reauthorization process.

Umbrella process includes federal right-of-way grant, State right-of-way lease, and government-to-government consultations with Alaska Native organizations.

Scoping closed October 19. Comments addressed: pipeline integrity, security issues, environmental concerns, Native concerns, need for public oversight, length of right-of-way period, and other topics.

BLM will analyze comments and release a draft EIS for public comment in July 2002. The final EIS is scheduled for release November 2002.

RAC members asked for information on the October 4 shooting incident near Pump Station 7. Fran Cherry said he could provide an overview later in the meeting.

LUNCH

Public Comment Period

Eleanor Huffines, The Wilderness Society

Urged BLM to consider the historical context of NPR-A, to review the language of the legislation which established the reserve. NPR-A was not treated the same as other oil and gas reserves in that DOI was tasked with management due to the presence of other non-oil and gas resources in the area.

Dismayed that there appears to be more funding for development activities than planning.

Urged BLM to encourage wide public involvement during planning and to look at the reserve from a broader perspective than oil and gas development alone.

End of Public Comments.

Next the chair introduced outgoing RAC member Tom Hawkins of Bristol Bay Native Corporation, who was leaving the RAC after six years of service. Fran Cherry commended Hawkins for his skill as a consensus builder. RAC members added their remarks, commending Hawkins for his diligence, leadership, insight and expertise.

Hawkins thanked BLM and members of the RAC. He said the RAC has an incentive to reach consensus since this allows members to provide advice to the Secretary. So while the RAC can't always craft a perfect solution, but they can arrive at resolutions where everyone gains something.

Fran Cherry and the chair then presented Hawkins with commemorative items in appreciation for his service to BLM and the council.

BREAK

Discussion of RAC's July Colville River tour

The chair opened the discussion by asking RAC members about the council's intent in passing a March 1998 resolution regarding the Colville River Special Area. David van den Berg, Tom Hawkins and former council members Joan Travostino and Eleanor Huffines said the RAC had opposed wild and scenic designation and favored watershed level planning by BLM, the state and Arctic Slope Regional Corporation prior to any exploration activities in the area.
Van den Berg then gave a brief slide presentation of the Colville River area.

The chair then introduced Cam Toohey of the Office of the Secretary.

Toohey said he was a life-long Alaskan originally from Homer. His family operates a mining and tourism business at Crow Creek. He was appointed to his post at Interior four months earlier.

Toohey said the Secretary will focus on "four c's: consultation, communication and cooperation, all in the service of conservation." DOI decisions have a tremendous impact on the state and its economy. Energy is a significant priority and Alaska has an important role. Pipeline security is important and the reauthorization effort is on schedule. BLM and the state are working seamlessly in this effort. The Department has some ambitious projects ahead and needs the help of BLM and the RAC to meet these goals. Toohey then asked if members had questions.

Tom Crafford asked how Toohey and Drue Pearce divide their responsibilities. Toohey said Alaska is fortunate to have two persons working on Alaska's issues. Toohey deals with statewide issues, while Pearce looks at Alaska's issues from a national perspective in DC.

Larry Taylor asked about Alaska's role in the national energy policy. Toohey said he's pleased with the TAPS schedule and with BLM's progress in a second round of NPR-A leasing, that both efforts are on schedule.

The chair thanked Toohey for dropping in and said he had a standing invitation to do so at future meetings.

BREAK

The chair asked Fran Cherry to brief the RAC on the recent shooting incident involving the pipeline.

Cherry said security is a major priority for BLM given the events of September 11 and the October 4 incident on the Trans Alaska Pipeline. He briefly explained details surrounding the shooting, including safety concerns for Alyeska employees in the area at the time of the incident. Once the suspect was in custody, Alyeska and government officials responded quickly to the incident.

Council members asked about pipeline security. Cherry said enhanced security may focus on measures such as background checks on employees, closing access roads along the pipeline, and adding checkpoints to register travelers on the Dalton Highway.

Larry Taylor said pump station one and the terminal at Valdez are critical points, that security should be tighter at these points which could cripple the entire system in the event of a major terrorist incident.

Meeting recessed 4 p.m.

Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Colville River Special Area planning discussion

Gary Foreman provided a schedule for the Colville planning effort. He said scoping would begin shortly with meetings in Barrow, Nuiqsut, Fairbanks and Anchorage. RAC members expressed interest in having council members at these meetings. Foreman and Cherry agreed, but said the RAC might be limited to a single rep due to space constraints on charter aircraft.
RAC members were concerned that planning wouldn't include the entire watershed and favored expanding the scope of the planning effort. Linda Rundell said BLM was concerned about the scale of such an effort given that plans for other areas are also in the works.

Discussion followed about whether activity level planning fulfills the RAC's earlier recommendation for watershed level planning in cooperation with other landowners. Concerns expressed included planning boundaries, scope and complexity of large-scale planning, and impacts of a piecemeal approach to land use planning.

Most members supported planning for the Colville concurrently with the northwest NPR-A planning effort, provided this wouldn't delay the NPR-A plan. Rundell assured members nothing would delay NPR-A planning and felt BLM could dovetail the two plans efficiently. The RAC asked for an update on both planning efforts at the next council meeting.

BREAK

Land withdrawals presentation
Susan Lavin and Mike Haskins gave a short presentation on the types of withdrawals, their purpose, how withdrawals affect land status and uses, and the termination process.

Lavin discussed three categories of withdrawals.

administrative withdrawals: Executive Orders, Presidential proclamations, Secretarial orders, public land orders, etc. (i.e. the Campbell Tract withdrawal)

Congressional withdrawals: legislative actions by Congress (i.e. military reservations, conservation system units, etc.)

de facto: actions, other than signed order or public laws, which segregate public lands (i.e. state or ANCSA selection applications)

Section 17(d)(1) of ANCSA withdrew unreserved public lands in Alaska from all forms of appropriation. ANILCA would later direct the Secretary to do studies for opening certain lands to oil and gas exploration and mining activities. Today, land use planning guides the establishment or termination of land withdrawals. Some withdrawals can only be amended or revoked by Congress, which is rare given other legislative priorities.

Essentially all lands in Alaska are under some form of withdrawal. Land use planning will ultimately determine what becomes of them.

RAC process discussion
The chair asked Fran Cherry to provide a brief history of RACs.

Cherry said BLM's long history of using citizen boards started with grazing advisory boards. The Taylor Grazing Service established grazing boards to resolve conflicts between users. When the Grazing Service and the General Land Office merged to form BLM, the agency kept the concept of using citizen advisory boards to resolve land use conflicts. Multiple use advisory boards would later evolve into Resource Advisory Councils in 1995.

RACs in the Lower 48 initially focused on grazing issues, while Alaska's RAC looked at statewide issues such as mining, land use planning, OHV use, and public easements. Cherry said RACs are a great two-way communications tool to bring BLM managers and public land users to the table to discuss land use issues.

The chair explained the RAC follows standard rules of order, but focuses on consensus rather than majority numbers. He encouraged open dialog during meetings and said a consensus-based group relies on everyone participating. He asked members to think about the issues important to their organizations and bring those issues to the table.
The chair reviewed voting provisions as outlined in the charter. He encouraged members to circulate draft resolutions prior to meetings to give others time to study the measure. Cherry said BLM specialists are available for technical assistance and background information.

The chair said the charter calls for the council to elect officers at the first meeting each year. Another option would be to elect a chair for two years. The chair asked the RAC to be prepared to address the selection of officers at the next meeting.

The chair then asked if members wanted to discuss issues they may wish to address at future meetings.

Larry Taylor said future agendas should include energy issues since this was a national priority.

Fran Cherry said BLM could provide a land conveyances overview at next meeting, to include a PowerPoint presentation.

Several RAC members wanted regular updates on NPR-A topics and liked the idea of having RAC representation at scoping meetings.

Cherry suggested the RAC might provide future guidance on OHV use and policy and assist BLM in educating users.

Schedule of future meetings

The RAC decided on an earlier start time for future meetings (including earlier flight times). RAC meeting dates for 2002 were set as follows:

January 31-February 1, 2002 (Anchorage)

April 25-26, 2002 (Fairbanks)

July 29-30, 2002 field trip (location TBD)

October 15-16, 2002 (location TBD)

The January RAC meeting will be held at the Campbell Creek Science Center in Anchorage. Possible sites for July field tour: Squirrel River, Red Dog Mine, or Denali Highway.

Meeting adjourned at noon.

Please contact the Alaska RAC Coordinator for further information.