Lisa Murkowski

We are very, very committed to working with Alaska Native governments and communities.

I think it is an important bill and I too hope we will able to see this advance through the Committee.

I think that is very, very inconsistent with, again, this administration's push toward, movement towards renewables.

I think it is absolutely critical that there be a renewable energy plan that not only incorporates our opportunity and potential for hydropower, but also the geothermal resources that we have there.

Well, we thought we had resolved it. You and I both know, we thought we had resolved that back in 2003.

I think we know that there is still more legal wrangling and procedure before the exemption will definitively apply on the Tongass.

But you keep talking about these sales that will be the bridge, but in order for a bridge to work, it has to be anchored to something on either side.

I am not sure we can hold on much longer.

Well, colleagues, figure that one out. Pretty danged expensive to build a hydro facility or do anything if you are operating completely by helicopter.

Every year, you and I have this conversation.

How are we going to get to the numbers that you are talking about? I mean, are they just numbers on paper?

But opportunities are tied up because of red tape, whether it is policies coming out of the Federal Government or the impact of the roadless rule.

Senator Murkowski, we do want to work with the committee on finding a solution for this.

I do not think we are going to need any assistance with firefighting here in Washington, DC this morning.

We cannot give up on this region. We cannot give up on a region that has opportunity and has potential, but is being denied because of policies from our own Federal Government.

We cannot access an area to put in a hydro facility, whether it is small hydro, lake tap, whatever it is we are trying to do, geothermal opportunities.

I want to thank you, for the job you have done to repay those funds every 3 to 6 months later.

Despite repeated pledges from the Forest Service to increase timber harvest levels, we continue to steadily march towards losing what remains of that timber industry in southeast Alaska.

I am trying to look on the positive side.

As I mentioned in the hearing, it was another subpar year in Region 10.

Well, I would appreciate your support of Sealaska. It was kind of a long and tortured process. I would like to see that through.

I have mentioned several times here this morning my concern for the limitations that we place on our ability to move out our renewable energy resources.

I, too, want to finally and fully get this done. I, too, want to see us be able to access an area whether it is for energy resources, for access to road projects, transmissions, but we have got to get this roadless issue resolved, and we…

I would hope that the Forest Service would defend the exemption in any subsequent proceedings.

I do find it somewhat disconcerting because, as we know, these issues of sexual assault and the allegations that are behind them have been going on for a long period of time.