First Regular Session

Sixty-first General Assembly

LLS NO. R97@0306.01 MKD

STATE OF COLORADO

BY REPRESENTATIVE Entz;

also SENATORS Duke, Arnold, Congrove, Mutzebaugh, and Powers.

AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK AND

NATURAL RESOURCES

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 97-1032

WHEREAS, The United Nations has designated sixty­seven sites in the United States as "World Heritage Sites" or "Biosphere Reserves", which altogether are about equal in size to the State of Colorado, the eighth largest state; and

WHEREAS, Section 3 of Article IV of the United States Constitution provides that the United States Congress shall make all needed rules and regulations governing lands belonging to the United States; and

WHEREAS, Many of the United Nations designations include private property inholdings and contemplate "buffer zones" of adjacent land; and

WHEREAS, Some international land designations, such as those under the United States Biosphere Reserve Program and the Man and Biosphere Program of the United Nations Scientific, Educational, and Cultural Organization, operate under independent national committees, such as the United States National Man and Biosphere Committee, which have no legislative directives or authorization from Congress; and

WHEREAS, These international designations, as presently handled, are an open invitation to the international community to interfere in domestic land use decisions; and

WHEREAS, Local citizens and public officials usually have no say in the designation of land near their homes for inclusion in an international land use program; and

WHEREAS, The President and Executive Branch of the United States have, by Executive Order and other agreements, implemented these designations without the approval of Congress; and

WHEREAS, Actions by the President in applying international agreements to lands owned by the United States may circumvent Congress; and

WHEREAS, Congressman Doug Young introduced a bill in the 104th Congress entitled the "American Land Sovereignty Protection Act of 1996", which required the explicit approval of Congress prior to restricting any use of United States' lands under international agreements; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixty­first General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:

That the State of Colorado supports this legislation, which reaffirms the Constitutional Authority of Congress as the elected representatives of the people, and urges the "American Land Sovereignty Protection Act" be introduced and passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate as soon as possible during the 105th Congressional session.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be sent to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress and to each member of the Congressional delegation from Colorado.