Lisa Murkowski

Let me ask you a question about the standards that relate to the low sulphur fuel standards rules.

I have said over, and over again, that natural gas, hydraulic fracturing, and fracturing for oil is an incredibly important part of our energy mix, but we need to assure the American public that we are stepping up to the challenge in…

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I share her desire to produce much more oil and gas in Alaska.

As the people of my State work to attract investment and create jobs, regulatory uncertainty is hampering those efforts.

More people ask me questions about EPA than any other Federal agency out there.

I truly appreciate that you've maintained this critical program while keeping the overall budget request below last year's level.

I introduced the legislation which created the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area (NRA) within the GMNF in order to literally put this fantastic recreational resource 'on the map'.

I would rather the people of Ketchikan and Prince of Wales be able to harvest timber, be able to have jobs in the small saw mills than figure out ways that we're piecing together Secure Rural Schools program funding.

I'm sure you probably anticipated this question.

I feel really strongly about this, and I tell you I would not have this level of confidence if it was not based on just the work that has gone into this.

Do you worry that not only the Chugach National Forest, but the others, the other eight, might start revising their plan under this new rule, and then as we saw before, the rule gets thrown out in court.

I was a little surprised that the Chugach National Forest was selected as one of the first eight forests to revise its plan under the new rule because as it stands right now, the Chugach Plan doesn't require revision for yet another 5…

We put it in there as mandatory funding this year, it shows the importance, the understanding of the importance of this program, especially in these current economic times, about how we need to be able to find a way to work together to be…

Clearly very important to States like mine and to many on this panel.

Can you give me any indication at this point in time that you think you have that administrative authority?

So if in fact this is actually helped you, is there a reason that you didn't request extension of this authority in the budget this year?

Senator, it allowed us to continue to do what we have been doing to address the need for clean water.

The cruise industry basically has to set their schedule well more than a year out.

I think you and I would both agree, has the potential to really snarl things up through a process.

Do we have any estimate on the number of jobs that we're talking about, the number of different economic activities that could be potentially delayed or held up because of this?

But, we're assuming that that's going to be the case. We get lucky, basically?

So, will the USFS notify these permit holders and the contract holders if their operations next season are going to be delayed or cancelled because of this decision out there?

Is that 600 projects across the Nation then in all of these different areas? Whether it's oil and gas, mining, et cetera.

And I think we'll all look forward to seeing that plan when you bring it up then.