It is good to hear the Director speak so highly of the CHAP Program and the benefit that it can provide.

It is good to hear the Director speak so highly of the CHAP Program and the benefit that it can provide.

I am ready, willing, and able to help secure new authorities in appropriations bills if it is needed.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I have long said that I do not believe that we have to choose between a healthy forest and a healthy economy.

I would like to focus my first round of questions on contract support costs, and the 105[l]s.

I would simply urge the subcommittee here to utilize the terminology that is founded in the law, and the regs.

I am going to be up in Fairbanks this weekend, and I can tell you this is going to be a hot, hot, hot topic there.

Recently, Senator Murkowski joined Senators Sullivan, Whitehouse, and others in authoring a letter to the Department of the Interior.

But all they talked about was the injustice that they felt in having been denied their native allotment.

I had mentioned in my last question there, Chief, the Southeast Alaska Sustainable Strategy, $25 million spent so far and, it is always described as quote, 'An initial investment'.

To me, as an Alaskan, from a State that has extraordinary natural gas reserves, the fact that we would even be uttering these words is almost inconceivable to me.

EPA's mismanagement has led to elevated PM 2.5 emissions even though Congress has provided almost $100 million for wood stove changeouts.

I am ready, willing, and able to help secure new authorities in appropriations bills if it is needed.

It ought to not be this hard.

Well, and Madam Secretary, if I may, because I was at that roundtable with Secretary McDonough.

I think we recognize we not only--we not only need the minerals but we are going to have to do more to promote some efficiencies, and deal with the permitting issues; something that we are all talking about here on a bipartisan basis.

This obviously represents the exact wrong direction for Alaska, certainly the wrong direction for a country.