Mark Begich

I think is going to be very beneficial for us as we move forward on marine transportation through the Bering Sea.

Very good. Thank you very much.

Your desire was to determine how you make this more permanent so it's not just at the whim of the current president

I think this is a simple question, and that is the interagency working group, I'm assuming that it is working well.

Thank you very much, Admiral.

The increasingly open Arctic Ocean also presents unique opportunities for our nation, and specifically for the people of Alaska.

This is an area of success from the 2012 experience that should be carried forward and improved upon further in the future.

Arctic development, oil and gas exploration, shipping, tourism is happening in our Arctic waters now.

Let me say for all of you on this panel, I have to say that each one of you gave recommendations...

The elders had a lot of wisdom that we should have paid attention to.

I think what I heard and gathered from your testimony is Port Clarence is one piece of the equation, but not the answer only by itself.

I think your acknowledgement will be yes, but without it you have these ups and downs in research.

If you answer wrong, Jack, I'll correct you.

I know we will have more questions for you we will present through the record.

The Coast Guard in Alaska will continue building its strategy using a whole-of-government approach that will inform national dialogue and policy and development of the Arctic region.

We need to get things in place there that are going to be some economic advantages for the region.

I suggested upwards of $2 billion, because when you do these port developments, it's a combination of private sector money, equity, some free capital, grants, and reasonable-cost loans.

So just to make sure I got this right, I know that Under Secretary Hayes is working on a broader Arctic policy for the White House and developing that through the Secretary's office and the Interior Department.

It's not about necessarily one port or one super port. It's about kind of a sequence of resources available.

Thank you very much. And again, I'll have questions for several of you.

The consequences of losing a treasure like the Arctic are simply unacceptable.

Thank you very much, Ed.

Fortune favors the prepared.

Oil and gas development is important, but in the sense of shipping, the amount of movement of ships in the Arctic and the Bering Sea is increasing at a dramatic pace

Don't worry, I'm going to ask Jack the same question.