It's not going to help if we move off to our respective corners and say, I don't want to deal with it because it's too big.

I think it's probably fair to say that the response was unresponsive.

I think we could work things out. But, as it is, right now, we're not at the table.

The passion that people spoke to was much the same, and, Mr. Chairman, you note that.

I think it's important to point out that, to my knowledge, a hearing of this nature has never occurred in this committee.

If the State of Alaska today were to pass a constitutional amendment that allows for a rural priority, would that, in and of itself, bring the State into compliance with Title VIII under ANILCA?

Protection of Alaska Native hunting and fishing will continue to be the Alaska Native people's number one priority until we see implementation on the ground of legislation establishing an Alaska Native priority and Alaska Native…

litigation is not going to deliver more caribou, more fish or more moose.

I don't have any illusions that by holding this hearing today we're going to solve, with one fell swoop, the issues as they relate to management of our wildlife in this State.

I rise to discuss the Responsible Seafood Certification and Labeling Act which I am introducing today. This bill addresses an issue of great importance to fishermen, seafood producers and coastal communities in my state and around the…

I certainly appreciate the comments from my friend and fellow Senator. He does speak to the obvious. We have an opportunity for some amendments on what I think most of us would agree is an important bill, this energy efficiency bill. How…

I think that's where it appears to me that folks aren't believing that we're getting that level of input, because they don't see the deference being shown to what is coming from the local people, the local input.

I really do believe that if we were at the table, I mean, we're reasonable people.

At the core of the discussion, subsistence is about a way of life, pretty basic, pretty elemental.

Senator Murkowski. Just for the information of those here testifying and those that will be part of the second panel, Senator Wyden and I are actually trying to manage an energy bill on the floor as we speak.

It's incumbent upon us, as lawmakers, to review them, to address them and to deal with them.

Do you think that it would be helpful, obviously, I mean, you live and work and breathed the fisheries incidents not only this past summer out there in the Bethel region, but in years prior.

It seems to me we have Federal statutes, Federal laws and you've got an administration that is choosing to interpret or give priority again to some Federal statutes at the expense of others.

ANILCA does mandate the Federal Government to provide for a meaningful role in management.

But depending on where you are, upriver--you know, quite honestly, the fish could care less whether it's State management or Federal management.

So when we talk about the concept of co-management, as long as everybody's talking and working with one another, I think that we can make some good headway there.

We may have a lot of issues as it relates to subsistence in areas of disagreement, but it seems that the one area where we agree is things aren't working as promised.

we're willing to sit together, listen to one another, engage in a respectful manner

We commend Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich, and this Committee, for introducing and considering legislation targeted to resolve unique problems and to address region-specific challenges.

the opportunity today to have a discussion, to begin a dialog about what happens with the management of our lands, the management of our lands that sustain our people, is really quite significant.