ANWR, Subsistence, land access rights, the Endangered Species Act, fisheries management, and restrictions to National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA) - these are only a handful of examples where our federal government has encroached on Alaska state's rights. Unfortunately, that list is about to grow longer.

The legislature recently passed a resolution urging Governor Tony Knowles to withdraw his request for referral of a Canadian mine project to the International Joint Commission (IJC). The IJC mediates transboundary water related disputes between the United States and Canada. But most important, this commission plans to expand its jurisdiction - an action that could have serious implications for Alaska's ability to manage its natural resources and land-use issues.

The Tulsequah Chief Mine is located approximately 20 miles east of Juneau. It has already been subject to more than four years of extensive environmental review and public comment in the United States and Canada. In fact, Alaska's own Department of Fish and Game and Department of Environmental Conservation have said that Canada has addressed every Alaska issue of concern raised by the Knowles administration.

I sponsored the resolution for three distinct reasons: to address the IJC's proposed new role for the 21st century - a role that could greatly infringe on Alaska state's rights; to send a message that Alaska will not infringe on Canada's autonomy; and to correct misinformation regarding the mine's environmental impact.

As it turns out, recognizing Canada's autonomy to responsibly develop its own natural resources and correcting bad information has paled in comparison to the discovery that the IJC intends to creatively expand its traditional role and jurisdiction for the next millenium.

The IJC was established in the early 1900's to resolve large-scale transboundary issues between Canada and the United States. For example, the IJC established water quality standards for all of the Great Lakes. No one intended, however, that the Commission be used as an instrument to resolve minor disputes on a project-by-project basis, such as the Tulsequah Chief Mine.

In a recent report, the IJC issued their vision for the Commission's role in the 21st century. This report describes a strategy for increasing the influence of the IJC by "creatively expanding its traditional role and function". Part of that strategy includes the proposed creation of International Joint Watershed Boards for individual transboundary rivers.

The creation of these boards could have broad implications for Alaska. It would transfer control of land-use decisions and resource management for a huge part of Alaska from the State of Alaska to a non-elected, non-Alaskan bi-national commission. Because the commission is comprised of appointed bureaucrats from the United States and Canada, and not elected officials, accountability for its actions is limited. In effect, the federal government would gain more control over Alaska - a move we should all oppose.

If the IJC succeeds in creating Watershed Boards, the area subject to its jurisdiction would span our entire Canadian border from Ketchikan to the Beaufort Sea, and would stretch the length of the Yukon River from Canada to the Bering Sea. Any and all development, fish & game management, as well as a variety of other issues could be delayed or held captive by IJC Watershed Boards. A map posted on my legislative Internet site shows some of the Alaskan areas that would fall under IJC jurisdiction.

If I thought issues between Alaska and Canada regarding the Tulsequah Chief mine could not be handled by state-to-province negotiation, I too would insist on the IJC review. However, in legislative hearings, we found that the Canadians have worked closely with the public and permitting agencies in Alaska and the United States.

For this reason, I strongly believe our Governor's request for federal intervention is unwarranted. It not only panders to special interest environmentalist groups who would like to stop the project, but it would play right into the hands of those people who plan to expand the IJC's role.

I support environmentally responsible resource development whether it is in British Columbia, in the Yukon or in Alaska. That's why I believe it is essential we do not set a bad precedent of asking for IJC oversight on the Tulsequah Chief Mine project.

ANWR, Subsistence, land access rights, the Endangered Species Act, fisheries management, and restrictions to NPRA: Making the Tulsequah Chief Mine the poster child for the IJC's new vision could mean adding another issue to Alaska's long list of grievances with the federal government.

Republican Senator Drue Pearce represents Senate District F in Anchorage. She serves as Senate President of the 21st Alaska State Legislature, marking her second appointment to this position.

Editor Note: The map referred to above can be found at: "http://www.akrepublicans.org/pastlegs/map104261999.jpg".

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