On a perfectly snowy day in Washington, DC, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., hosted a hearing on the economic and strategic opportunities in the Arctic as the United States prepares to assume the leadership of the international Arctic Council.
“We are an Arctic nation because of Alaska, but truly the Arctic touches all 50 states and the development of the region must be a national priority. I’m doing my best to call more attention to that fact – and to the wide range of economic and strategic opportunities the Arctic offers, especially as it becomes more accessible,” Sen. Murkowski said.
“The United States’ Arctic strategy is tremendously important to the economy in both Washington and Alaska, and to the United States,” Sen. Cantwell said. “We must make strategic investments in Arctic science, which will help us understand the impacts of climate change on Arctic communities – but will also better inform our strategy for dealing with everything from rescue operations to potential oil spills.”
Sen. Murkowski stressed the need for the federal government to share a portion of revenue from future oil and natural gas production in the federal waters off Alaska’s coast with the state and local communities. Doing so is a matter of fairness and would provide a means to support the development of adequate infrastructure, Murkowski said. Video: http://bit.ly/1CCovc3
The United States in April will begin a two-year chairmanship of the eight-nation Arctic Council, which presents an opportunity to demonstrate greater leadership on development of the region.
“Not since the Age of Exploration – when the search for the Northwest Passage motivated the exploration of both coasts of North America – has so much attention been focused on the Arctic,” Sen. Murkowski said. Alaska’s senior senator said she intends to draft legislation on Arctic infrastructure. Video: http://bit.ly/1KsHgmr
Via murkowski.senate.gov
Tanya Buggene / March 8, 2015
This is such wonderful news for the U.S. and Alaska. So proud of Bob Herron and Lesil McGuire in the Alaska Leg for leading the state’s Arctic advocacy. More ice breakers and deep water ports. We need them up here in Kotzebue.
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