Bob Herron

OPINION: Closing any Alaska village school with less than 25 students would do far more damage than good to the state.

OPINION: Alaska should cooperate with all hands in Arctic development, but make sure to protect its interests.

OPINION: An increasingly active Arctic region will require a balance between available opportunities and any potential risks. Therefore, it is important for Alaskans to make their voices heard as early as possible.

OPINION: The Arctic Council Chairmanship will fall to the United States in 2015-2017, and the nation should prepare now, by choosing Alaskans for positions of influence.

OPINION: An upcoming meeting of the Alaska Arctic Policy Commission will provide opportunity for Alaskans to remain effectively involved in the ongoing dialogue to positively shape Arctic policy.

OPINION: The promise of increased development in the U.S. Arctic is important to Alaska's future. But we must also remember that people live in the Arctic, and improving their quality of life and respecting their views is key.

OPINION: Using the Redistricting Board's interim plan for the 2012 election -- no matter what the final plan may look like afterward -- will dilute the voting strength of Native people for years to come.

OPINION: Due to ever-increasing activity in the melting Arctic, immediate investment in Arctic infrastructure is a foremost priority for Alaska and the entire United States.

OPINION: It is essential for Alaska to assume a leadership role and participate in the development of Arctic policies that will affect it for years to come.

As House representatives from among the largest coastal regions in the state, we are compelled to urge Gov. Parnell to call the Legislature into a two-day special session before the Alaska Coastal Management Program (ACMP) is allowed to expire on June 30.