January 26, 2015 Voice Your Opinions! Letters to the editor make a difference. You can send a letter of up to 200 words (shorter letters are more likely to be accepted) to the Alaska Dispatch News by email (letters@alaskadispatch.com); or by fax or mail (call them at 257-4308). Send letters to the Anchorage Press via e-mail editor@anchoragepress.com or by mail to 540 E. Fifth Ave, Anchorage, 99501. Feel free to call us if you need factual information to help you write a letter. Contact the Governor. The Governor can be reached at 269-7450; or www.alaska.gov. Contact us. My office can be reached at: 733 W. 4th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501; by phone: 269-0106; visit my website at http://gara.akdemocrats.org; or email: Rep.Les.Gara@akleg.gov

Dear Neighbors:

This state has a history of railing against the federal government. Well, this is a part rail and a part call for personal responsibility so we get our own house in order.

Irresponsible Fish Decision Endangers Wild Kenai Rainbow Trout, Dollies and King Salmon:
We Can Protect Subsistence Rights With A Smarter Plan

I believe in subsistence rights, but last week the Federal Subsistence Board issued a dangerous decision if you care about protecting some of Alaska’s greatest wild trout, and helping the dwindling stock of prized wild Kenai King Salmon.

By a 4-3 vote the Federal Subsistence Board allowed an almost indiscriminate method of harvesting subsistence sockeye salmon. They will allow nets to be stretched halfway across the Kenai River in places where they will “incidentally” kill non-targeted fish that thousands of Alaskans enjoy fishing for on the Kenai – our prized rainbow trout and dolly varden.  One net site that’s been approved is on what fishermen call “Rainbow Alley” below Skilak Lake.

Let’s not turn subsistence, commercial, and sport fishermen against each other.

This board can reconsider its decision, and public input is important. They can relocate and reconfigure the subsistence net locations and sizes so that there can be a subsistence fishery for sockeye salmon that does not endanger some of the largest, most sought after rainbow trout and dollies in the state – fish that Alaskans can catch if they cannot afford an expensive trip to more remote parts of Alaska.

This decision, if not altered, will cause division in a state that is united by its interest in protecting and fishing for our world’s greatest trout and salmon runs. And the decision to allow the take of 1,000 Kenai Kings is irresponsible at a time when this population is facing a near decade-long crash. Let’s restore this once vibrant Kenai River King fishery, not endanger it more.

We hope you’ll share your thoughts. You can send them to the Office of Subsistence Management, ask for reconsideration of their decision (which we think we can win), and do it soon:

Office of Subsistence Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1011 E. Tudor Road, Mail Stop 121
Anchorage, Alaska 99503

Phone: (907) 786-3888 or (800) 478-1456
Fax: (907) 786-3898
Subsistence@fws.gov
http://www.doi.gov/subsistence/index.cfm

ANWR: SB 21 Would Sell It For Little Value To the State. 
Let’s work for responsible ANWR drilling, at a responsible price for Alaskans

This week President Obama proposed keeping ANWR off limits to drilling. I have a different view on the Coastal Plain of ANWR. But, at the outset, let’s admit the truth. State politicians love to say they can open ANWR, when opening this federal land is in fact a Congressional decision the state has no control over (our Congressional delegation, both Democrats and Republicans, have always voted to open the Coastal Plain of ANWR).

Every session we send in a letter calling for the opening of ANWR. I suspect our letter doesn’t make it by the intern in most Congressional offices.  Congress knows Alaska wants the Coastal Plain of ANWR open for drilling because our Congressional delegation in the past six years (Lisa Murkowski, Mark Begich, and Don Young) has told them that.

But here’s a big problem: under Governor Parnell’s massive oil tax rollback, this incredibly oil-rich basin, which would be developed even under a higher oil tax, is worth way less in revenue to support our schools, roads, energy projects and ability to build a vibrant economy.

How little?  Even at high oil prices Scott Goldsmith admits that all fields turned into production units after 2002 (that’s all ANWR fields) pay so low a production tax that it produces a negative or near zero net present value. No private company sells its products for a zero net present value, and we should not protect you, our shareholders, less responsibly than a private company protects its shareholders.

SB 21 needs to be fixed. It will never produce a surplus in revenue so we can build back our dwindling savings under rules that get us negative production tax revenue at low prices, and a near zero or negative net present value even at high prices.

I have asked Governor Walker’s administration to give us the truth about how SB 21 is working for Alaska, now that the misleading summer campaign on that law is over. There are those calling to spend the Permanent Fund’s earnings. I think we should have a fair oil tax, and get what Jay Hammond reminded us was the constitutional mandate – the “maximum benefit from our resources” – before ever threatening individual Alaskans with a cut to their dividend.

I believe we should open the Coastal Plain of ANWR to responsible drilling (we could agree to limit the number of drill pads given our ability to drill horizontally for miles under newer technology).  But I don’t believe this oil, always advertised as valuable, should be given away for a song. My job is to stand up for Alaskans, not just the oil companies that want to take our resources for as low a price as possible.

As always, let us know if we can help.

My Best,