Sponsor Statement for SJR 8

Primary Manufacturing of Publicly Owned Timber

This resolution urges Congress to provide the authority necessary for the State of Alaska to regulate, restrict or prohibit the export of unprocessed logs from State Lands, Municipal Lands, and the University of Alaska Lands.

In 1984, the Supreme Court ruled that Alaska's Primary Manufactures laws were in conflict with the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, where the requirement of in-state manufacture placed an unauthorized restriction of the free trade between states.

In 1990, Congress adopted the Forest Resources Conservation and Shortage Relief Act, which in part authorized eleven Western States an exemption to the Commerce Clause. The exemption has led these States to restrict the purchase of timber to only entities that are operation within their borders.

Alaska was not included in this legislation; therefore, authorizing other states to come to Alaska and purchase our raw materials and "export" them from Alaska to their own state; however, Alaska's manufacturers are restricted from going to any of the other states in search of raw timber to run our facilities.

When authorized by Congress, primary manufacturing of our timber resources will create value added jobs within the State. We will be using our raw materials to provide jobs for Alaskans.

SJR 8: 1/27/97: mj