Lisa Murkowski

Senator Wyden, you and Senator Crapo have been working on the wildfire issue for a very long time.

I want to thank those who joined Ranking Member Cantwell and me to release this draft on May 25th.

I would like a commitment from you that you will work on interagency communications with agencies like HUD.

As we look at the challenges in accessing telecom or housing stock, unemployment, creating economic opportunities and jobs is why we look to USDA for some assistance.

I want to thank you for having this hearing.

I do encourage the department to make some real investment here and to ensure that there is proper outreach.

People are coming to my office and do not know what is available, so are looking to us to marry them with the opportunities.

We have had three rural offices close in the communities of Nome, Dillingham and Bethel.

They are unique in the sense of the very, very high cost in terms of services, utilities, fuel and goods.

There has been a lot that has changed in the State of Alaska in that period of time with regard to USDA and Rural Development.

We are talking about basic needs, water and sewer. We are not talking about big systems or upgrade systems.

Sometimes the outreach is not adequate.

Energy needs to be affordable, abundant, clean, diverse and secure.

Jobs are good, energy is good and energy jobs are great!

We know new infrastructure is still the best way to deliver affordable energy to places that need it.

Without infrastructure we cannot move these vital resources from one place to another.

We also know that pipelines indirectly create jobs because it is a materials intensive industries.

We know for a fact that pipelines are the safest and the most efficient way to move these resources.

We know that pipelines directly create jobs in their construction, maintenance and operation, and we know that these are good jobs.

Energy is the lifeblood of our state.

The statement was made that fire knows no boundaries. It is moving from Federal land to State land to Native allotment land.

I wish that I had been here from the beginning but as you know, we have been working on legislation in the Energy Committee to address the issues of fire, fire borrowing, forest management.

The management of our forests, of our public lands, or perhaps the lack of management, translates to a very real threat to the health and safety of communities.

According to the Forest Service, up to 82 million acres of forest lands need some kind of restoration treatment.

We have some serious work in front of us.