Mr. Chairman, just thank you. Good hearing.

We also had a good conversation about one of the fun projects that I am working on, the Alaska long trail.

I think we recognize that this is where some of their frustration is, is where we see some of these fires that take hold, and if we had done a better job on the vegetation management, perhaps we wouldn't be in this place.

I just--I want to make sure that we are doing everything that we can, monitoring, public education, and also making sure that we have adequate resources provided for this Western Bark Beetle initiative.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just to follow up on the comments from the Senator from New Mexico and what you have mentioned, Chief, about the local knowledge that we have.

As we gather to discuss how to make our forests healthier and more resilient, you can't help but reflect on how that has always been the goal.

I know that COVID presented additional challenges for the Service, so I am going to look forward to hearing from you on what you have learned from that.

the fish don't really care what we're doing back here in Washington and what our timeline is

So as soon as you can, put some folks to address this. It is appreciated.

Without adequate processing, the fishermen have no place to take their fish and not only does it impact the fishermen and their families but the market that is waiting.

Well, we'll work with you on that.

The tremendous time, effort and resource investment that communities have to undertake in order to implement Native language projects.

I think paying special attention to the other things I brought up earlier, which are how we as communities, as indigenous language communities, or Native American language communities, define what is needed for the program in order for…

I just want your commitment to ensure this full schedule of fisheries surveys is conducted in Alaska in 2021.

We just passed into law, and the President signed on Monday, legislation that will allow cruise ships to bypass Canada.

Hadn't thought about that part of it.

There is a sense of urgency in so many of our communities, because as you say, we are losing our Native speakers.

One of the things that we put into the American Rescue Plan was support to EDA to assist communities.

One of the real significant impacts that we saw in Alaska due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was a significant hit to our tourist sector.

We are also looking at the effort to foster the relationship between Native language programs and institutes of higher education.

It is not just the words that are spoken, it is the culture that is attached to these incredible languages.

We were pleased to see passage last week of the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Representative Don Young (R-AK).

It's more important than ever to take all risks into consideration to ensure our ability to project power in this part of the world.

What steps is the Department taking to ensure that all Federal student loan borrowers have equal access to any current or proposed new relief and benefits?

The Bureau will expedite and process veterans' allotment applications across the area addressed by these orders.