HF 1913

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                             A resolution
  1.2             memorializing the President and Congress to act to 
  1.3             resolve the Minnesota-Ontario border dispute regarding 
  1.4             game fishing by investigating Minnesotans' rights 
  1.5             under the Root/Bryce Treaty. 
  1.6      
  1.7      WHEREAS, Minnesota's and Ontario's officials have a recent 
  1.8   history of disagreeing on limits of game fish possessed on the 
  1.9   border waters; and 
  1.10     WHEREAS, Minnesotan and Canadian officials have not 
  1.11  resolved their differences regarding the protection of the 
  1.12  fishery resource and the economics of tourism; and 
  1.13     WHEREAS, Ontario's recent regulations appear to be in 
  1.14  direct conflict with Article 1202 of the North American Free 
  1.15  Trade Agreement; and 
  1.16     WHEREAS, Ontario's regulations may disregard provisions in 
  1.17  several international treaties; NOW, THEREFORE, 
  1.18     BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota 
  1.19  that it commits to continuous political and diplomatic actions 
  1.20  aimed at the resolution of both short- and long-term border 
  1.21  disputes between Minnesota and Ontario.  In particular, the 
  1.22  Legislature requests that United States officials (1) 
  1.23  investigate Minnesotans' rights under the 1909 Root/Bryce Treaty 
  1.24  and various other federal treaties and laws, (2) report to 
  1.25  Minnesota officials on those rights and laws, and (3) proceed 
  2.1   with the federal enforcement of Minnesotans' rights under the 
  2.2   1909 Root/Bryce Treaty and various other federal treaties and 
  2.3   laws.  
  2.4      BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State of the 
  2.5   State of Minnesota is directed to prepare certified copies of 
  2.6   this memorial and transmit them to the President of the United 
  2.7   States, the United States Secretary of State, the United States 
  2.8   Secretary of Interior, the United States Secretary of Commerce, 
  2.9   the United States Ambassador to Canada, the members of the 
  2.10  International Joint Commission, and Minnesota's Senators and 
  2.11  Representatives in Congress.