Max Baucus: “The State of Alaska is already evaluating various alternatives and there is provision in the current transportation…”

“The State of Alaska is already evaluating various alternatives and there is provision in the current transportation appropriations bill, that the Senate passed in July, that adds $700,000 for the Corps of Engineers to study rural access issues in Alaska. That is already in there. Alaska is now studying various alternatives that affect rural access issues. With these two studies out there, one by the State of Alaska and the other by the Army Corps of Engineers, now is not the time to jump to conclusions and pass a rider which authorizes the construction of a road through a wilderness area. I say, let's let the studies examine the evidence, let the studies weigh the alternatives. Let's see if the road is, in fact, the best way to meet the stated needs. It may be and may not be. But the fact of the matter is, when you look a lot deeper into this, the real impetus behind the road may not be emergency medical evacuation. That is not the real driving force here. Really, it is that the folks there have an economic interest in having a road. I might say, too, that is true of many communities--not only in Alaska, but other parts of the country. I understand those needs. People move to and live in King Cove because they want to live there. That is their home. That is their choice.”