[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Pages 23564-23565]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  TAKEOVER OF THE FISHERIES IN ALASKA

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, the Secretary of the Interior today, 
under the authority of current law, has taken over the management of 
fisheries in my State of Alaska. Our State legislature has been trying 
to resolve this problem, along with the Governor and our delegation, 
for some time. Unfortunately, we were unable to resolve it within the 
timeframe, so the Feds have officially taken over beginning today.

[[Page 23565]]

  I have directed a letter to the Secretary of Interior putting him on 
notice that, as chairman of the committee of oversight, chairman of the 
Energy Committee, I will be conducting a series of oversight hearings 
on the implementation of his regulations to ensure there is a 
cooperative effort and involvement of a public process with the State 
of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game, and the people of Alaska, as he 
promulgates his regulations, to ensure we are not taken advantage of by 
an overzealous effort by the Department of Interior to mandate 
procedures only in the State of Alaska.
  We are the only State in the Union where the Federal Government has 
taken over the management of fish and game. Many Alaskans are wondering 
just what statehood is all about if, indeed, we are not given the 
authority to manage our fish and game.
  I will save that for another day. I yield the floor.

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