It was disappointing to see House Bill 106 (the ACMP extension and reform bill) fail to pass the House during the special session. I had focused on this issue this past session (and the 5 sessions prior) because the changes made by former Gov. Frank Murkowski weakened coastal communities' input on coastal management.
I believe that as your senator it is my duty to help protect our way of life, and because the ocean is such an important component to our existence I sought to strengthen our input on coastal management. However, let me be clear: I do not want to stop development. Alaska depends on resource development.
I only want the state, the federal government, and industry to consult and work side-by-side with us to extract resources in the most environmentally and culturally sensitive method.
The Legislature should have passed the Senate's version of the bill that included changes to the program that are important to our district and the state. My office and I worked diligently on this. We hoped to re-establish the Coastal Policy Board and give Coastal Districts a meaningful voice at the table when decisions are made regarding development in the coastal zone.
Another change I strongly supported was making sure that 'scientific evidence' did not trump 'local knowledge' in coastal management decisions. For thousands of years, Alaskans have passed down generations' worth of knowledge as to how our ecosystems work. That 'local knowledge' helps us better sustain and benefit from our natural resources.
The ACMP creates a process to guarantee that state, local and federal entities join forces and reach policy agreements to allow for responsible economic development, creating a win-win-win situation for all. It's actually quite sad because as a state we are constantly asking for more control of our state from the federal government. It seems hypocritical that our state leaders would deny our local governments the same privilege we ask for as a state.
If the ACMP dissolves on July 1st, as its scheduled to by law, there will be a loss of approximately 34 state jobs and many others jobs in local governments. The program currently provides more than $700,000 to 28 local coastal governments to enable them to participate. What's more, it is my fear that the collaborative efforts between local, state, and national leadership will be come to a standstill.
I agree with other Bush legislators (Representatives Reggie Joule, Bryce Edgmon, and BobHerron) when they stated in the Anchorage Daily News that the program "is the only process we have that streamlines development by bringing all parties to the table, including industry, multiple state agencies, local municipalities, tribal entities and federal government."
Unfortunately, it appears the ACMP will sunset unless either Gov. Sean Parnell or the Legislature calls for another special session. It is unlikely the governor will call the Legislature back into special session to resuscitate the program. According to law, the governor must provide at least 30 days notice to the Legislature before such a session can begin and that 30 days notice deadline has already passed. The Legislature, however, still has time to act and can call itself into special session.
Although there are several assumptions about the negative impacts to Alaska regarding the demise of the ACMP, I'd like to mention that those are still only speculation. Legislators may consider reintroducing the bill next session, but a statement by the administration says it is estimated that it may take three years to develop a new program. While reintroducing the ACMP in the future may be inefficient and wasteful, this may be the opportunity to completely scrub the program and re-implement it to better serve all Alaskans.
Perhaps this will be a learning experience for us to realize we need to work together for the best interest of all Alaskans rather than letting the differences in personal politics prevent us from reaching a fair settlement for the state we serve. At this point, I can only hope that if the ACMP dissolves, the federal government will do a better job and is willing to work closely with coastal Alaskans when it comes to resource development.
Alaska state Sen. Donny Olson, D-Golovin, represents Senate District T, which includes several villages in the lower Yukon River area. The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch. Alaska Dispatch welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.