Paul Metz, Fairbanks Exploration

1st and 3rd Wednesdays @ 7:30 a.m.

The Natural Resources Committee advocates for the development and use of Alaska’s natural resources, and strives to have a working knowledge of technical, financial, and political aspects concerning Alaska’s natural resources

• Overall Natural Resource Development Planning
• Obtain Updates on:
• Status of final State/Federal/Native Corporation land selections
• Statewide vision for resource development, including agriculture by the Department of Community and Economic Development on
• Status of efforts to increase forest management and economic development of the regions forest resources, as well as fire suppression policies
• Federal issues affecting natural resources Alaska, including NEPA
• Collaboration with the GFCC Governmental Relations, Energy, and Transportation Committees
• Natural Gas Exploration and Evaluation
• Obtain Updates on:
• Cost of Energy data from the Producers/FEDC
• Status of the Nenana gas drill program and Yukon Flats oil & gas exploration for 2012
• Other Natural Resources-related Energy Issues
• Obtain Updates on:
• Diverse energy sources including liquid and gas hydrocarbons, coal, hydro, geothermal, and renewable to satisfy future energy requirements in Interior Alaska and the Railbelt
• Status of the use and marketing of coal in Alaska by Usibelli Coal Mines, Inc.
• Status of TAPS, including production output and maintenance issues
• Non Fuel, Mineral Resource Development
• Obtain updates on:
• Alaska’s Mineral industry, with an emphasis on Interior and Western Alaska (small, medium and large scale operations)
• Status of important gold mines in the Interior, including Sumitomo Metal Mining at Pogo, Kinross Gold Corporation at Ft. Knox, International Tower Hill Mines at Livengood, Barrick Gold Mining Inc. at Donlin Creek, and Teck Resources at Red Dog Mine
• National Petroleum Reserve Alaska(NPRA) petroleum resource estimates from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other agencies concerning the status of development
• Data and status of the industrial minerals industry
• Track local, state and federal regulations, including FNSB zoning and taxation climate that is relative to natural resource industries
• Wildlife Management
• Obtain updates on:
• Update on Yukon salmon fisheries, including by-catch issues
• Fairbanks Burnett fish hatchery from Alaska Department of Fish and Game
• Big game and trapping harvests from the Fairbanks Advisory Committee of the Board of Game
• Status of the Endangered Species Act (i.e., proposed Wood Buffalo introduction) and its effect on resource development
• Agriculture
• Obtain updates on:
• Status reports of different aspects of the local agricultural industry, its affect on the local economy, and building awareness of issues that impede improving and expanding local agriculture
• Other Resource Issues
• Obtain updates on:
• Issues being addressed by Citizens Advisory Committee on Federal Lands, which focuses on Federal-State land use relationships (from Stan Leaphart, executive director of the Citizen’s advisory committee)
• Chena River Habitat issues
• Various land-planning efforts, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), State of Alaska, and Fairbanks North Star Borough

Programs & Projects for the Year